BEACON POWER
CORPORATION
11,814,688 Shares of Common
Stock, par value $0.01 per share,
and
Warrants to Purchase
5,907,345 Shares of Common Stock
PLACEMENT AGENCY
AGREEMENT
February 12, 2007
Merriman Curhan
Ford & Co.
600 California
Street, 9 th Floor
San Francisco,
California 94108
Dear Sir or
Madam:
Beacon Power Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell up to
11,814,688 shares (the “Offered Shares”) of common
stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”),
and warrants to purchase up to 5,907,345 shares of Common Stock
(the “Offered Warrants”) in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit A, to certain investors (collectively, the
“Investors”). The Offered Shares and Offered Warrants
shall be sold together as units consisting of one (1) Offered Share
and one (1) Offered Warrant to purchase 0.5 shares of Common Stock
(such units are referred to herein individually as the
“Offered Security” and collectively as the
“Offered Securities”). The warrants shall be
immediately separable from the units. The Company desires to engage
you as its placement agent (the “Placement Agent”) in
connection with such issuance and sale. The Common Stock issuable
upon exercise of the Offered Warrants is hereinafter referred to as
the “Warrant Shares.” The Offered Securities and the
Warrant Shares are described more fully in the Registration
Statement (as hereinafter defined).
The Company hereby confirms as follows its
agreements with the Placement Agent.
1.
Agreement to Act as Placement
Agent . On the basis of
the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company
herein contained and subject to all the terms and conditions of
this Agreement, the Placement Agent agrees to act as the
Company’s exclusive placement agent in connection with the
issuance and sale, on a best efforts basis, by the Company of the
Offered Securities to the Investors. The Company shall pay to the
Placement Agent 6.00% of the proceeds received by the Company from
the sale of the Offered Securities as set forth on the cover page
of the Prospectus (as hereinafter defined). The Company will also
issue to the Placement Agent warrants to purchase Common Stock (the
“Placement Agent Warrants”) in an amount equal to 3% of
the Offered Shares as set forth on the cover page of the
Prospectus, subject to certain adjustments. The Placement Agent
Warrants will be identical to the Offered Warrants.
2.
Delivery and Payment
. Concurrently with the execution
and delivery of this Agreement, the Company, the Placement Agent,
and JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., as escrow agent (the “Escrow
Agent”), shall enter into an Escrow Agreement substantially
in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto (the “Escrow
Agreement”), pursuant to which an escrow account will be
established, at the Company’s expense, for the benefit of the
Investors (the “Escrow Account”). Prior to the Closing
Date (as hereinafter defined), (i) each of the Investors will
deposit an amount equal to the price per Offered Security as shown
on the cover page of the Prospectus (as hereinafter defined)
multiplied by the number of Offered Securities purchased by it in
the Escrow Account, and (ii) the Escrow Agent will notify the
Company and the Placement Agent in writing of the amount of the
funds to pay for the Offered Securities that have been received
(the “Received Funds”). At 10:00 a.m., New York City
time, on February 15, 2007, or at such other time on such other
date as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Placement Agent
(the “Closing Date”), the Escrow Agent will release the
Received Funds from the Escrow Account for collection by the
Company and the Placement Agent as provided in the Escrow Agreement
and the Company shall deliver the Offered Securities to the
Investors, which delivery may be made through the facilities of The
Depository Trust Company. The closing (the “Closing”)
shall take place at the office of Morrison & Foerster LLP at
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10104. All actions
taken at the Closing shall be deemed to have occurred
simultaneously.
3.
Representations and Warranties of
the Company . The Company
represents and warrants and covenants to the Placement Agent
that:
(a) A “shelf” registration statement on
Form S-3 (File No. 333-137071) with respect to the Common Stock and
other securities of the Company has been prepared by the Company in
conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (the
“Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder, has been
filed with the Commission and has become effective. The Company and
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the
requirements and comply with the conditions for the use of Form
S-3. The Registration Statement meets the requirements of Rule
415(a)(1)(x) under the Act and complies in all materials respects
with said rule. As used in this Agreement:
(i)
“Applicable Time” means 9:00 a.m. (New York City time)
on the date of this Agreement;
(ii)
“Effective Date” means any date as of which any part of
the Registration Statement became, or is deemed to have become,
effective under the Act in accordance with the Rules and
Regulations;
(iii)
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means each “free
writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and
Regulations) prepared by or on behalf of the Company or used or
referred to by the Company in connection with the offering of the
Offered Securities, each as listed on Schedule 1 hereto;
(iv)
“Pricing Disclosure Materials” means, as of the
Applicable Time, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus filed or used
by the Company on or before the Applicable Time;
(v)
“Prospectus” means the final prospectus relating to the
Offered Securities including any prospectus supplement thereto
relating to the Offered Securities, as filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations;
and
(vi)
“Registration Statement” means, collectively, the
various parts of such registration statement, each as amended as of
the Effective Date for such part, including the Prospectus and all
exhibits to such registration statement.
Any reference
to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any
documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
therein pursuant to Form S-3 under the Act as of the date of the
Prospectus. Any reference herein to the terms “amend”,
“amendment” or “supplement” with respect to
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to
refer to and include any document filed under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”),
after the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date
of the Prospectus, as the case may be, which is incorporated
therein by reference.
(b) The Registration Statement has heretofore become
effective under the Act or, with respect to any registration
statement to be filed to register the offer and sale of Offered
Securities pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, will be filed
with the Commission and become effective under the Act no later
than 10:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of determination
of the public offering price for the Offered Securities; no stop
order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of any
Prospectus, or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, has
been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose have been
instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, are contemplated
by the Commission.
(c) The Company was not at the time of the initial
filing of the Registration Statement, has not been since the date
of such filing, and will not be on the applicable Closing Date, an
“ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the
Act). The Company has been since the time of initial filing of the
Registration Statement and continues to be eligible to use Form S-3
for the offering of the Offered Securities.
(d) The Registration Statement, at the time it
became effective, as of the date hereof, and at the Closing Date,
conformed and will conform in all material respects to the
requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations. The
Prospectus will conform, when filed with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date, to the requirements of the Act
and the Rules and Regulations. The documents incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus conformed, and any further documents so
incorporated will conform, when filed with the Commission, to the
requirements of the Exchange Act or the Act, as applicable, and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(e) The Registration Statement did not, as of the
Effective Date, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(f) The Prospectus will not, as of its date and on
the Closing Date, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
provided , however , that the Company makes no
representation or warranty with respect to any statement contained
in the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with
information concerning the Placement Agent and furnished in writing
by the Placement Agent to the Company expressly for use in the
Prospectus, as set forth in Section 8(b).
(g) The documents incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus did not, and any further documents filed and
incorporated by reference therein will not, when filed with the
Commission, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading.
(h) The Pricing Disclosure Materials did not, as of
the Applicable Time, contain an untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
provided , however , that the Company makes no
representation or warranty with respect to any statement contained
in the Pricing Disclosure Materials in reliance upon and in
conformity with information concerning the Placement Agent and
furnished in writing by the Placement Agent to the Company
expressly for use in the Pricing Disclosure Materials.
(i) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including,
without limitation, any road show that is a free writing prospectus
under Rule 433), when considered together with the Pricing
Disclosure Materials as of the Applicable Time, did not contain an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading.
(j) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conformed or
will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the
Act and the Rules and Regulations on the date of first use, and the
Company has complied with any filing requirements applicable to
such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to the Rules and
Regulations. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue
date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the
public offer and sale of the Offered Securities, did not, does not
and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or
will conflict with the information contained in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by
reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. The
Company has not made any offer relating to the Offered Securities
that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the
prior written consent of the Placement Agent. The Company has
retained in accordance with the Rules and Regulations all Issuer
Free Writing Prospectuses that were not required to be filed
pursuant to the Rules and Regulations.
(k) The Company is, and at the Closing Date will be,
duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the State of Delaware. The Company has, and at the Closing
Date will have, full power and authority to conduct all the
activities conducted by it, to own or lease all the assets owned or
leased by it and to conduct its business as described in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Company is, and at
the Closing Date will be, duly licensed or qualified to do business
and in good standing as a foreign organization in all jurisdictions
in which the nature of the activities conducted by it or the
character of the assets owned or leased by it makes such licensing
or qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so
qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would
not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse
effect or would not reasonably be expected to have a material
adverse effect on or affecting the business, prospects, properties,
management, consolidated financial position, stockholders’
equity or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiary
(as defined below) taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse
Effect”). Complete and correct copies of the articles or
certificate of incorporation and of the bylaws of the Company and
all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Placement Agent,
and no changes therein will be made subsequent to the date hereof
and prior to the Closing Date.
(l) The Company’s sole subsidiary (the
“Subsidiary”) is listed on Schedule 2 to this
Agreement. Each Subsidiary has been duly organized and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its
jurisdiction of formation. The Subsidiary is duly qualified and in
good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in
which the character or location of its properties (owned, leased or
licensed) or the nature or conduct of its business makes such
qualification necessary, except for those failures to be so
qualified or in good standing which will not have a Material
Adverse Effect. All of the shares of issued capital stock of the
Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully
paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the
Company, free and clear of any lien, encumbrance, claim, security
interest, restriction on transfer, shareholders’ agreement,
voting trust or other defect of title whatsoever.
(m) The issued and outstanding shares of capital
stock of the Company have been validly issued, are fully paid and
nonassessable and, other than as set forth in the Registration
Statement, are not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of
first refusal or similar rights. The Company has an authorized,
issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the
Prospectus as of the dates referred to therein. The descriptions of
the securities of the Company in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus are, and at the Closing Date will be, complete and
accurate in all respects. Except as set forth in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, the Company does not have outstanding
any options to purchase, or any rights or warrants to subscribe
for, or any securities or obligations convertible into, or
exchangeable for, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell,
any shares of capital stock or other securities other than the
Offered Securities.
(n) The Company has full legal right, power and
authority to enter into this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement
(together, the “Transaction Documents”) and perform the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The Transaction
Documents have been authorized and validly executed and delivered
by the Company and are legal, valid and binding agreements of the
Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their
respective terms, subject to the effect of applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights
generally and equitable principles of general
applicability.
(o) The issuance and sale of each of the Offered
Shares and the Offered Warrants have been duly authorized by the
Company, and the Offered Shares, when issued and paid for in
accordance with this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable and will not be subject to preemptive
or similar rights. The Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and
reserved for issuance pursuant to the terms of the Offered
Warrants, and the Warrants Shares, when issued by the Company upon
valid exercise of the Offered Warrants and payment of the exercise
price, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable and will not be subject to preemptive or similar
rights. The holders of the Offered Securities will not be subject
to personal liability by reason of being such holders. The Offered
Securities, when issued, will conform in all material respects to
the description thereof set forth in or incorporated into the
Prospectus.
(p) The consolidated financial statements and the
related notes included in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the financial
condition of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiary as of
the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows at
the dates and for the periods covered thereby in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). No
other financial statements or schedules of the Company, the
Subsidiary or any other entity are required by the Act or the Rules
and Regulations to be included in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus. All disclosures contained in the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Materials and the Prospectus
regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term
is defined by the Rules and Regulations) comply with Regulation G
of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to
the extent applicable. The Company and the Subsidiary do not have
any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent
(including any off-balance sheet obligations or any “variable
interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting
Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the
Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Materials and the
Prospectus.
(q) Miller Wachman, LLP (the
“Accountants”), who have reported on such consolidated
financial statements and schedules, are registered independent
public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the
Act and the Rules and Regulations and by the rules of the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board. The consolidated financial
statements of the Company and the related notes and schedules
included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus have been
prepared in conformity with the requirements of the Act and the
Rules and Regulations and present fairly the information shown
therein.
(r) There is and has been no failure on the part of
the Company, or to its knowledge after due inquiry, any of the
Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such,
to comply with any applicable provisions of the Sarbanes Oxley Act
of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated therewith (the
“Sarbanes Oxley Act”). Each of the principal executive
officer and the principal financial officer of the Company (or each
former principal executive officer of the Company and each former
principal financial officer of the Company, as applicable) has made
all certifications required by Sections 302 and 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to all reports, schedules, forms,
statements and other documents required to be filed by it with the
Commission. For purposes of the preceding sentence,
“principal executive officer” and “principal
financial officer” shall have the meanings given to such
terms in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company has taken all
necessary actions to ensure that it is in compliance with all
provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that are in effect and with
which the Company is required to comply.
(s) The Company and its Subsidiary maintain systems
of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable
assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii)
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of
financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset
accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with management’s general or specific
authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is
compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and
appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The
Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the Company
and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that
material information relating to the Company and its Subsidiary is
made known to the certifying officers by others within those
entities, particularly during the period in which the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q, as the case may be, is being prepared. The Company
presented in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006
(such date, the “Evaluation Date”) the conclusions of
the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure
controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the
Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no
significant changes in the Company’s internal controls (as
such term is defined in Item 307(b) of Regulation S-K under the
Exchange Act) or, to the Company’s knowledge, in other
factors that could significantly affect the Company’s
internal controls.
(t) Except as set forth in or otherwise contemplated
by the Registration Statement, since the date of the most recent
consolidated financial statements of the Company included or
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and prior
to Closing, (i) there has not been and will not have been any
change in the capital stock of the Company (except for changes in
the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company due
to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of stock options or
upon the grant of restricted stock or restricted stock units to the
Company’s directors and officers, the issuance of shares
pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plan or the
Company’s deferred compensation plan for directors and
employees) or long-term debt of the Company or the Subsidiary or
any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for
payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock,
or any material adverse change, or any development that would
reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in
or affecting the business, prospects, properties, management,
consolidated financial position, stockholders’ equity, or
results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiary taken as a
whole (a “Material Adverse Change”) and (ii) neither
the Company nor the Subsidiary has sustained or will sustain any
material loss or interference with its business from fire,
explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by
insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action,
order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or
regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(u) Since the date as of which information is given
in the Registration Statement, neither the Company nor the
Subsidiary has entered or will enter into any transaction or
agreement, not in the ordinary course of business, that is material
to the Company and the Subsidiary taken as a whole or incurred or
will incur any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, not
in the ordinary course of business, that is material to the Company
and the Subsidiary taken as a whole.
(v) Neither the Company nor the Subsidiary owns any
real property. Each of the Company and the Subsidiary has good and
valid title to all personal property described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus as being owned by them that are
material to the businesses of the Company and the Subsidiary taken
as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances
and claims except those that (i) do not materially interfere with
the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the
Company and the Subsidiary or (ii) would not reasonably be
expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material
Adverse Effect. Any real property described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus as being leased by the Company or the
Subsidiary that is material to the business of the Company and the
Subsidiary taken as a whole is held by them under valid, existing
and enforceable leases, except those that (A) do not materially
interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property
by the Company and the Subsidiary or (B) would not be reasonably
expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(w) The Company is not, nor upon completion of the
transactions contemplated herein will it be, an “investment
company” or an “affiliated person” of, or
“promoter” or “principal underwriter” for,
an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“Investment Company Act”).
(x) There are no legal, governmental or regulatory
actions, suits or proceedings pending, nor, to the Company’s
knowledge, any legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, to
which the Company or the Subsidiary is a party or to which any
property of the Company or the Subsidiary is the subject that,
individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the
Company or the Subsidiary, would reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the
ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the
Transaction Documents; to the Company’s knowledge, no such
actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or contemplated by any
governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and
there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory
investigations, actions, suits or proceedings that are required
under the Act to be described in the Prospectus that are not so
described.
(y) Each of the Company and the Subsidiary has, and
at the Closing Date will have, (i) all governmental licenses,
permits, consents, orders, approvals and other authorizations
necessary to carry on its respective business as presently
conducted except where the failure to have such governmental
licenses, permits, consents, orders, approvals and other
authorizations would not have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii)
complied with all laws, regulations and orders applicable to either
it or its business, except where the failure to so comply would not
have a Material Adverse Effect, and (iii) performed all its
obligations required to be performed, and is not, and at the
Closing Date will not be, in default, under any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, voting trust agreement, loan agreement,
bond, debenture, note agreement, lease, contract or other agreement
or instrument (collectively, a “contract or other
agreement”) to which it is a party or by which its property
is bound or affected, except where such default would not have a
Material Adverse Effect, and, to the Company’s best
knowledge, no other party under any material contract or other
agreement to which it is a party is in default in any respect
thereunder. The Company and the Subsidiary are not in violation of
any provision of their respective organizational or governing
documents.
(z) The Company has all corporate power and
authority to enter into the Transaction Documents, and to carry out
the provisions and conditions hereof and thereof, and all consents,
authorizations, approvals and orders required in connection
herewith and therewith have been obtained, except such as have been
obtained, such as may be required under state securities or Blue
Sky Laws or the by-laws and rules of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD”) or the Nasdaq
Capital Market in connection with the distribution of the Offered
Securities by the Placement Agent.
(aa) Neither the execution of the Transaction
Documents, nor the issuance, offering or sale of the Offered
Securities, nor the consummation of any of the transactions
contemplated herein or in the Escrow Agreement, nor the compliance
by the Company with the terms and provisions hereof or thereof will
conflict with, or will result in a breach of, any of the terms and
provisions of, or has constituted or will constitute a default
under, or has resulted in or will result in the creation or
imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or
assets of the Company or the Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of
any contract or other agreement to which the Company or the
Subsidiary may be bound or to which any of the property or assets
of the Company or the Subsidiary is subject, except such conflicts,
breaches or defaults as may have been waived; nor will such action
result in any violation of the provisions of the organizational or
governing documents of the Company or the Subsidiary, or any
statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company
or the Subsidiary or of any court or of any federal, state or other
regulatory authority or other government body having jurisdiction
over the Company or the Subsidiary.
(bb) There is no document or contract of a character
required to be described in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement which is not described or filed as required. All such
contracts to which the Company is a party have been authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company, constitute valid and binding
agreements of the Company, and are enforceable against the Company
in accordance with the terms thereof, subject to the effect of
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting
creditors’ rights generally and equitable principles of
general applicability.
(cc) No statement, representation or warranty made by
the Company in this Agreement or made in any certificate or
document required by the Transaction Documents to be delivered to
the Placement Agent, the Investors or the Escrow Agent was or will
be, when made, inaccurate, untrue or incorrect in any material
respect.
(dd) The Company and its directors, officers or
controlling persons have not taken, directly or indirectly, any
action intended, or which might reasonably be expected, to cause or
result, under the Act or otherwise, in, or which has constituted,
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the
Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Common
Stock.
(ee) No holder of securities of the Company has
rights to the registration of any securities of the Company as a
result of the filing of the Registration Statement or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights
as have been waived or satisfied.
(ff) The Common Stock is currently listed on the
Nasdaq Capital Market. Except as disclosed in the Company’s
public filings, the Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the
date hereof, received notice from the Nasdaq Capital Market to the
effect that the Company is not in compliance with its listing or
maintenance requirements. The Company is, and has no reason to
believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be,
in compliance with all such listing and maintenance
requirements.
(gg) The Company is not involved in any material
labor dispute nor is any such dispute known by the Company to be
threatened.
(hh) The business and operations of the Company and
the Subsidiary have been and are being conducted in compliance with
all applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, licenses,
permits, approvals, plans, authorizations or requirements relating
to occupational safety and health, or pollution, or protection of
health or the environment (including, without limitation, those
relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases
of pollutants, contaminants or hazardous or toxic substances,
materials or wastes into ambient air, surface water, groundwater or
land, or relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution,
use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of
chemical substances, pollutants, contaminants or hazardous or toxic
substances, materials or wastes, whether solid, gaseous or liquid
in nature) of any governmental department, commission, board,
bureau, agency or instrumentality of the United States, any state
or political subdivision thereof, or any foreign jurisdiction, and
all applicable judicial or administrative agency or regulatory
decrees, awards, judgments and orders relating thereto, except
where the failure to be in such compliance will not, individually
or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither
the Company nor the Subsidiary has received any notice from any
governmental instrumentality or any third party alleging any
material violation thereof or liability thereunder (including,
without limitation, liability for costs of investigating or
remediating sites containing hazardous substances and/or damages to
natural resources).
(ii) To the Company’s knowledge, each of the
Company and the Subsidiary owns, is licensed or otherwise possesses
all rights to use, all patents, patent rights, inventions, know-how
(including trade secrets and other unpatented or unpatentable or
confidential information, systems, or procedures), trademarks,
service marks, trade names, copyrights and other intellectual
property rights (collectively, the “Intellectual
Property”) necessary for the conduct of its business as
described in the Registration Statement. No claims have been
asserted against the Company or the Subsidiary by any person with
respect to the use of any such Intellectual Property or challenging
or questioning the validity or effectiveness of any such
Intellectual Property.
(jj) Except as disclosed in the Registration
Statement, (i) to the Company’s knowledge, each of the
Company and the Subsidiary owns or has obtained valid and
enforceable licenses or options for the inventions, patent
applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and
unregistered), trade names, copyrights and trade secrets necessary
for the conduct of its respective business as currently conducted
(collectively, the “Intellectual Property”); and (ii)
(a) to the Company’s knowledge, there are no third parties
who have any ownership rights to any Intellectual Property that is
owned by, or has been licensed to, the Company or the Subsidiary
for the products described in the Registration Statement that would
preclude the Company or the Subsidiary from conducting its business
as currently conducted and have a Material Adverse Effect, except
for the ownership rights of the owners of the Intellectual Property
licensed or optioned by the Company or the Subsidiary; (b) to the
Company’s knowledge, there are currently no sales of any
products that would constitute an infringement by third parties of
any Intellectual Property owned, licensed or optioned by the
Company or the Subsidiary, which infringement would have a Material
Adverse Effect; (c) there is no pending or, to the Company’s
knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others
challenging the rights of the Company or the Subsidiary in or to
any Intellectual Property owned, licensed or optioned by the
Company or the Subsidiary, other than claims which would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (d) there
is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened
action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the
validity or scope of any Intellectual Property owned, licensed or
optioned by the Company or the Subsidiary, other than non-material
actions, suits, proceedings and claims, or other than normal patent
application examination procedures; and (e) there is no pending or,
to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit,
proceeding or claim by others that the Company or the Subsidiary
infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright,
trade secret or other proprietary right of others, other than
non-material actions, suits, proceedings and claims.
(kk) Each of the Company and the Subsidiary has filed
all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax
returns and have paid or accrued all taxes shown as due thereon,
and the Company has no knowledge of any tax deficiency which has
been or might be asserted or threatened against it or the
Subsidiary which could have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ll) On the Closing Date, all stock transfer or other
taxes (other than income taxes) which are required to be paid in
connection with the sale and transfer of the Offered Securities to
be sold hereunder will be, or will have been, fully paid or
provided for by the Company and all laws imposing such taxes will
be or will have been fully complied with.
(mm) Each of the Company and the Subsidiary maintains
insurance of the types and in the amounts that the Company
reasonably believes is adequate for their respective businesses,
including, but not limited to, insurance covering all real and
personal property owned or leased by the Company or the Subsidiary
against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and all other
risks customarily insured against by similarly situated companies,
all of which insurance is in full force and effect.
(nn) Neither the Company nor the Subsidiary, nor, to
the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent or
employee has directly or indirectly, (i) made any unlawful
contribution to any candidate for public office, or failed to
disclose fully any contribution in violation of law, (ii) made any
payment to any federal or state governmental officer or official,
or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duties,
other than payments required or permitted by the laws of the United
States or any jurisdiction thereof, (iii) violated or is in
violation of any provisions of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices
Act of 1977 or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence
payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.
(oo) Each officer and director of the Company listed
on Schedule 3 hereto has delivered to the Placement Agent an
agreement in the form of Exhibit C hereto to the effect that he or
she will not, for a period of 90 days after the date hereof,
without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, except as
permitted in such agreement, offer to sell, sell, contract to sell,
grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose (or announce any
offer, sale, grant of any option to purchase or other disposition)
of any shares of capital stock, directly or indirectly, of the
Company or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or
exercisable for, shares of capital stock of the Company.
(pp) The Company has delivered to the Placement Agent
an agreement in the form of Exhibit D hereto to the effect that it
will not, for a period of 90 days after the date hereof, without
the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, offer to sell,
sell, contract to sell, grant any option to purchase or otherwise
dispose (or announce any offer, sale, grant of any option to
purchase or other disposition) of any shares of capital stock of
the Company or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or
exercisable for, shares of capital stock of the Company, except
with respect to the (i) issuance of shares of Common Stock upon the
exercise of stock options and warrants outstanding as of the date
hereof and (ii) grant of restricted stock or restricted stock units
and the issuance of Common Stock or stock options under any benefit
plan of the Company existing on the date hereof, including, without
limitation, the Company’s deferred compensation arrangements,
and described in the Prospectus.
(qq) The Company has not distributed and, prior to
the later to occur of the Closing Date and completion of the
distribution of the Offered Securities, will not distribute any
offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the
Offered Securities other than the Prospectus and any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus to which the Placement Agent has
consented.
(rr) Each material employee benefit plan, within the
meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained,
administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its
affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company and the
Subsidiary has been maintained in material compliance with its
terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders,
rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”);
no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of
ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred which would result
in a material liability to the Company with respect to any such
plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or
administrative exemption; and for each such plan that is subject to
the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of
ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined
in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not
waived, and the fair market value of the assets of each such plan
(excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions)
exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan
determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions.
(ss) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists
between or among the Company or the Subsidiary, on the one hand,
and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers
of the Company or the Subsidiary, on the other, which is required
by the Act to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus and is not so disclosed.
(tt) The Company has not sold or issued any
securities that would be integrated with the offering of the
Offered Securities contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the
Act, the Rules and Regulations or the interpretations thereof by
the Commission.
(uu) Neither the Company nor the Subsidiary is a
party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person
(other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim
against the Company or the Subsidiary or the Placement Agent for a
brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in
connection with the offering and sale of the Offered
Securities.
(vv) No forward-looking statement (within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the
Exchange Act) (a “Forward Looking Statement”) contained
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been made or
reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other
than in good faith. The Forward Looking Statements incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus from the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2005 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the
periods ending March 31, 2006, June 30, 2006 and September 30, 2006
(in each case under the heading “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations) (i) are within the coverage of the safe harbor for
forward looking statements set forth in Section 27A of the Act,
Rule 175(b) under the Act or Rule 3b-6 under the Exchange Act, as
applicable, (ii) were made by the Company with a reasonable basis
and in good faith and reflect the Company’s good faith
reasonable best estimate of the matters described therein, and
(iii) have been prepared in accordance with Item 10 of Regulation
S-K under the Act.
(ww) The operations of the Company and the Subsidiary
are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance
with applicable financial record keeping and reporting requirements
of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as
amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions to
which the Company or the Subsidiary are subject, the rules and
regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules,
regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any
governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering
Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any
court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator
involving the Company or the Subsidiary with respect to the Money
Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the
Company, threatened.
(xx) Neither the Company, nor the Subsidiary, nor, to
the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent,
employee or other person acting on behalf of the Company or the
Subsidiary have, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of,
the Company (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful
contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses
relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect
unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or
employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of
any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as
amended; or (iv) made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence
payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any foreign or
domestic government official or employee.
(yy) Based on the financial condition of the Company
as of the Closing Date after giving effect to the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents, (i) the Company’s
fair saleable value of its assets exceeds the amount that will be
required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s
existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent
liabilities) as they mature; (ii) the Company’s assets do not
constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business
through June 30, 2007 as now conducted and as proposed to be
conducted including its capital needs taking into account the
particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the
Company, and projected capital requirements and capital
availability thereof; and (iii) the current cash flow of the
Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were
it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all
anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all
amounts on or in respect of its debt when such amounts are required
to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its
ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the
timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its
debt).
4.
Agreements of the
Company . The Company
covenants and agrees with the Placement Agent as
follows:
(a) The Registration Statement has become effective,
and if Rule 430A is used or the filing of the Prospectus is
otherwise required under Rule 424(b), the Company will file the
Prospectus (properly completed if Rule 430A has been used), subject
to the prior approval of the Placement Agent, pursuant to Rule
424(b) within the prescribed time period and will provide a copy of
such filing to the Placement Agent promptly following such
filing.
(b) The Company will not, during such period as the
Prospectus would be required by law to be delivered in connection
with sales of the Offered Securities by an underwriter or dealer in
connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, file
any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus unless a copy thereof shall first have been submitted to
the Placement Agent within a reasonable period of time prior to the
filing thereof and the Placement Agent shall not have reasonably
objected thereto in good faith.
(c) The Company will notify the Placement Agent
promptly, and will, if requested, confirm such notification in
writing, (1) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration
Statement becomes effective, but only during the period mentioned
in Section 4(b); (2) of any request by the Commission for any
amendments to the Registration Statement or any amendment or
supplements to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
or for additional information, but only during the period mentioned
in Section 4(b); (3) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop
order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose
or the threat thereof, but only during the period mentioned in
Section 4(b); (4) of becoming aware of the occurrence of any event
during the period mentioned in Section 4(b) that in the judgment of
the Company makes any statement made in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus untrue in any material respect or that requires
the making of any changes in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances in which they are made, not misleading; and (5) of
receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to any
suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities for offer
and sale in any jurisdiction. If at any time the Commission shall
issue any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement in connection with the offering contemplated hereby, the
Company will make every reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal
of any such order at the earliest possible moment. If the Company
has omitted any information from the Registration Statement,
pursuant to Rule 430A, it will use its best efforts to comply with
the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the
Commission pursuant to said Rule 430A and to notify the Placement
Agent promptly of all such filings.
(d) If, at any time when a Prospectus relating to
the Offered Securities is required to be delivered under the Act,
the Company becomes aware of the occurrence of any event as a
result of which the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented,
would, in the reasonable judgment of counsel to the Company or
counsel to the Placement Agent, include any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading, or the Registration
Statement, as then amended or supplemented, would, in the
reasonable judgment of counsel to the Company or counsel to the
Placement Agent, include any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, or if for any other reason it is necessary,
in the reasonable judgment of counsel to the Company or counsel to
the Placement Agent, at any time to amend or supplement the
Prospectus or the Registration Statement to comply with the Act or
the Rules and Regulations, the Company will promptly notify the
Placement Agent and, subject to Section 4(b) hereof, will promptly
prepare and file with the Commission, at the Company’s
expense, an amendment to the Registration Statement or an amendment
or supplement to the Prospectus that corrects such statement or
omission or effects such compliance and will deliver to the
Placement Agent, without charge, such number of copies thereof as
the Placement Agent may reasonably request. The Company consents to
the use of the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by
the Placement Agent.
(e) The Company will furnish to the Placement Agent
and its counsel, without charge (i) one conformed copy of the
Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission and
each amendment thereto, including financial statements and
schedules, and all exhibits thereto, (ii) so long as a prospectus
relating to the Offered Securities is required to be delivered
under the Act, as many copies of each Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto
as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.
(f) The Company will comply with all the
undertakings contained in the Registration Statement.
(g) The Company will not make any offer relating to
the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Placement
Agent.
(h) The Company will retain in accordance with the
Rules and Regulations all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not
required to be filed pursuant to the Rules and
Regulations.
(i) Prior to the sale of the Offered Securities to
the Investors, the Company will cooperate with the Placement Agent
and its counsel in connection with the registration or
qualification of the Offered Securities for offer and sale under
the state securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the
Placement Agent may reasonably request; provided, that in no event
shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any
jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action
which would subject it to general service of process in any
jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
(j) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the
offering and sale of the Offered Securities in the manner set forth
in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of
Proceeds.”
(k) The Company will use its best efforts to ensure
that the Offered Shares are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market at
the time of the Closing.
(l) The Company will not at any time, directly or
indirectly, take any action intended, or which might reasonably be
expected, to cause or result in, or which will constitute,
stabilization of the price of the Offered Shares to facilitate the
sale or resale of any of the Offered Shares.
5.
Agreements of the Placement
Agent . The Placement
Agent agrees that it shall not include any “issuer
information” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act) in any
“free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) used
or referred to by such Placement Agent without the prior consent of
the Company (any such issuer information with respect to whose use
the Company has given its consent, “Permitted Issuer
Information”); provided that (i) no such consent shall be
required with respect to any such issuer information contained in
any document filed by the Company with the Commission prior to the
use of such free writing prospectus and (ii) “issuer
information,” as used in this Section 5 shall not be deemed
to include information prepared by such Placement Agent on the
basis of or derived from issuer information. The Placement Agent
also agrees to provide to each Investor, prior to the Closing, a
copy of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements
thereto.
6.
Expenses . Whether or not the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated,
the Company will pay all costs and expenses incident to the
performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement,
including but not limited to costs and expenses of or relating to
(1) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration
Statement (including each pre- and post-effective amendment
thereto) and exhibits thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus,
the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, including
all fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel and
accountants to the Company, (2) the preparation and delivery
of certificates representing the Offered Securities,
(3) furnishing (including costs of shipping and mailing) such
copies of the Registration Statement (including all pre- and
post-effective amendments thereto), the Prospectus and Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, as
may be requested for use in connection with the direct placement of
the Offered Securities, (4) the listing of the Common Stock on
the Nasdaq Capital Market, (5) any filings required to be made
by the Placement Agent with the NASD, and the fees, disbursements
and other charges of counsel for the Placement Agent in connection
therewith, (6) the registration or qualification of the
Offered Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue
Sky laws of such jurisdictions designated pursuant to Section 4(i),
including the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of
counsel to the Placement Agent in connection therewith and the
preparation and printing of preliminary, supplemental and final
Blue Sky memoranda, (7) fees, disbursements and other charges
of counsel to the Company, (8) fees and disbursements of the
Accountants incurred in delivering the letter(s) described in 7(f)
of this Agreement, (9) the fees of the Escrow Agent, (10) certain
actual-out-of-pocket expenses of the Placement Agent and (11) any
and all legal expenses incurred by the Placement Agent for services
provided by outside counsel up to a maximum of $75,000. The Company
shall reimburse the Placement Agent, on a fully accountable basis,
for all reasonable travel, in-house legal and other out-of-pocket
expenses.
7.
Conditions of the Obligations of
the Placement Agent . The
obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder are subject to the
following conditions:
(a) (i) No stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued,
and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending or threatened
by any securities or other governmental authority (including,
without limitation, the Commission), (ii) no order suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the
qualification or registration of the Offered Securities under the
securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction shall be in effect
and no proceeding for such purpose shall be pending before, or
threatened or contemplated by, any securities or other governmental
authority (including, without limitation, the Commission),
(iii) any request for additional information on the part of
the staff of any securities or other governmental authority
(including, without limitation, the Commission) shall have been
complied with to the satisfaction of the staff of the Commission or
such authorities and (iv) after the date hereof no amendment
or supplement to the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus shall have been filed unless a
copy thereof was first submitted to the Placement Agent and the
Placement Agent did not object thereto in good faith, and the
Placement Agent shall have received certificates of the Company,
dated the Closing Date and signed by the President and Chief
Executive Officer or the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Company, and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the
effect of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii).
(b) Since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, (i) there shall not have been a Material Adverse
Change, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary
course of business, in each case other than as set forth in or
contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and
(ii) the Company shall not have sustained any material loss or
interference with its business or properties from fire, explosion,
flood or other casualty, whether or not covered by insurance, or
from any labor dispute or any court or legislative or other
governmental action, order or decree, which is not set forth in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus, if in the judgment of
the Placement Agent any such development makes it impracticable or
inadvisable to consummate the sale and delivery of the Offered
Securities to Investors as contemplated hereby.
(c) Since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, there shall have been no litigation or other proceeding
instituted against the Company or any of its officers or directors
in their capacities as such, before or by any Federal, state or
local court, commission, regulatory body, administrative agency or
other governmental body, domestic or foreign, which litigation or
proceeding, in the reasonable judgment of the Placement Agent,
could have a Material Adverse Effect.
(d) Each of the representations and warranties of
the Company contained herein shall be true and correct in all
material respects at the Closing Date, as if made on such date, and
all covenants and agreements herein contained to be performed on
the part of the Company and all conditions herein contained to be
fulfilled or complied with by the Company at or prior to the
Closing Date shall have been duly performed, fulfilled or complied
with in all material respects.
(e) The Placement Agent shall have received
opinions, dated the Closing Date, of Edwards Angell Palmer &
Dodge LLP, (i) as counsel to the Company, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, with respect to the
matters set forth in Exhibit E hereto and (ii) as counsel for
intellectual property matters to the Company, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
(f) On the date hereof, the Accountants shall have
furnished to the Placement Agent a letter, dated the date of its
delivery (the “Comfort Letter”), addressed to the
Placement Agent and in form and substance satisfactory to the
Placement Agent, confirming that (i) they are independent public
accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the
Act and the Rules and Regulations; (ii) in their opinion, the
financial statements and any supplementary financial information
included in the Registration Statement and examined by them comply
as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations; (iii) on the
basis of procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance
with generally accepted auditing standards, set forth in detail in
the Comfort Letter, a reading of the latest available interim
financial statements of the Company, inspections of the minute
books of the Company since the latest audited financial statements
included in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company
responsible for financial and accounting matters and such other
inquiries and procedures as may be specified in the Comfort Letter
to a date not more than five days prior to the date of the Comfort
Letter, nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe
that: (A) as of a specified date not more than five days prior to
the date of the Comfort Letter, there have been any changes in the
capital stock of the Company or any increase in the long-term debt
of the Company, or any decreases in net current assets or net
assets or other items specified by the Placement Agent, or any
increases in any items specified by the Placement Agent, in each
case as compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet
included in the Prospectus, except in each case for changes,
increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred
or may occur or which are described in the Comfort Letter; and (B)
for the period from the date of the latest financial statements
included in the Prospectus to the specified date referred to in
Clause (A), there were any decreases in revenues or the total or
per share amounts of net income or other items specified by the
Placement Agent, or any increases in any items specified by the
Placement Agent, in each case as compared with the comparable
period of the preceding year and with any other period of
corresponding length specified by the Placement Agent, except in
each case for decreases or increases which the Prospectus discloses
have occurred or may occur or which are described in the Comfort
Letter; and (iv) in addition to the examination referred to in
their reports included in the Prospectus and the procedures
referred to in clause (iii) above, they have carried out certain
specified procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance
with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to certain
amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the
Placement Agent, which are derived from the general accounting,
financial or other records of the Company, as the case may be,
which appear in the Prospectus or in Part II of, or in exhibits or
schedules to, the Registration Statement, and have compared such
amounts, percentages and financial information with such
accounting, financial and other records and have found them to be
in agreement.
(g) At the Closing Date, there shall be furnished to
the Placement Agent a certificate, dated the date of its delivery,
signed by each of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief
Financial Officer of the Company, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Placement Agent to the effect that each signer
has carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus
and the Pricing Disclosure Materials, and that to each of such
person’s knowledge:
(i) (A) As of the date of such certificate, (x) the
Registration Statement does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein
not misleading and (y) neither the Prospectus nor the Pricing
Disclosure Materials contains any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and
(B) no event has occurred as a result of which it is necessary to
amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements
therein not untrue or misleading in any material
respect.
(ii) Each of the representations and warranties of
the Company contained in this Agreement were, when originally made,
and are, at the time such certificate is delivered, true and
correct in all material respects.
(iii) Each of the covenants required herein to be
performed by the Company on or prior to the date of such
certificate has been duly, timely and fully performed and each
condition herein required to be complied with by the Company on or
prior to the delivery of such certificate has been duly, timely and
fully complied with.
(iv) No stop order or other order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any part thereof,
or the qualification or registration of the Offered Securities
under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction, has been
issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or
are contemplated by the Commission.
(v) Any request for additional information on the
part of the staff of any securities or other governmental authority
(including, without limitation, the Commission) shall have been
complied with to the satisfaction of the staff of the Commission or
such authorities.
(vi) Subsequent to the date of the most recent
financial statements in the Prospectus, there has been no Material
Adverse Change.
(h) The Offered Securities shall be qualified for
sale in such states as the Placement Agent may reasonably request,
and each such qualification shall be in effect and not subject to
any stop order or other proceeding on the Closing Date, as provided
in Sections 3(b) and 3(y) above.
(i) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be
furnished to the Placement Agent such certificates, in addition to
those specifically mentioned herein, as the Placement Agent may
have reasonably requested as to the accuracy and completeness at
the Closing Date of any statement in the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus, as to the accuracy at the Closing Date of the
representations and warranties of the Company as to the performance
by the Company of its obligations hereunder, or as to the
fulfillment of the conditions concurrent and precedent to the
obligations hereunder of the Placement Agent.
(j) The Placement Agent shall have received the
letters referred to in Section 3(oo) and (pp) hereof substantially
in the form of Exhibits C and D.
(a) The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless
the Placement Agent, its directors, officers, employees and agents
and each person, if any, who controls the Placement Agent within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange
Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities,
expenses and damages, joint or several, (including any and all
investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in
connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action,
suit or proceeding or any claim asserted), to which it, or any of
them, may become subject under the Act or other Federal or state
statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as
such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of
or are based on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement made by the Company in Section 3 of this Agreement,
(ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any
material fact contained in (A) the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (B) any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement
thereto, (C) any Permitted Issuer Information used or referred to
in any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule
405) used or referred to by the Placement Agent or (D) any
application or other document, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, executed by the Company based upon written information
furnished by or on behalf of the Company filed in any jurisdiction
in order to qualify the Offered Securities under the securities or
Blue Sky laws thereof or filed with the Commission or any
securities association or securities exchange (each, an
“Application”), or (iii) the omission or alleged
omission to state in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or
any Issuer F
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