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Exhibit
10.10
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT
This REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is made and entered into as of
January 31, 2008 by and between DPAC TECHNOLOGIES CORP., a
California corporation (the “Company”), and Canal
Mezzanine Partners, L.P. (“Investor”).
R E C
I T A L S
WHEREAS, the Company, the
Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, QUATECH, INC., an Ohio
corporation (“Quatech”), and Investor have entered into
that certain Senior Subordinated Note and Warrant Purchase
Agreement (together with all promissory notes and related
agreements executed in connection therewith, including without
limitation the warrant to purchase shares of the Company’s
common stock executed in connection therewith (the
“Warrant”), and any amendments thereto, the “Note
Agreement”), dated as of the same date herewith, pursuant to
which Investor will loan to Quatech certain funds under the terms
and conditions of such Note Agreement; and
WHEREAS, as a condition and
as an inducement to the willingness of Investor to make such loans
as are contemplated by the Note Agreement, the Company is required
to enter into this Agreement with respect to shares of Company
common stock, no par value per share (“DPAC Common
Stock”) issuable pursuant to exercise of the Warrant, as well
as other shares of DPAC Common Stock that may be issued to Investor
pursuant to Section 3 of the Warrant (“Preemptive
Stock”); and
WHEREAS, the Company is party
to that Shareholder and Registration Rights Agreement dated
May 11, 2005 (the “Existing Rights Agreement”),
and it is the intention of the parties hereto that the rights
contained in this Agreement be coordinated to reflect the
Company’s obligations under such prior registration rights
agreement, and the rights of the Shareholders (as defined therein)
party thereto.
A G R
E E M E N
T
NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the foregoing, for good and valuable
considerations, receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement hereby agree as
follows:
1. Definitions . As used
herein:
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1.1 |
The term “Advice” is defined in
Section 2.9. |
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1.2 |
The term “Blocking Right” is defined in
Section 2.1. |
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1.3 |
The term “Commission” means the Securities and
Exchange Commission. |
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1.4 |
The term “Exchange Act” means the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. |
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1.5 |
The term “Existing Holder” means any of the
following persons owning or having the right to acquire Registrable
Shares or any permitted assignee of rights under this Agreement:
Development Capital Ventures, LP; William Roberts, an individual;
and Steve Runkel, an individual. |
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1.6 |
The term “Institutional Shareholder” shall mean
Development Capital Ventures, L.P. |
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1.7 |
The term “Public Offering” means and includes the
closing of an underwritten public offering pursuant to an effective
registration statement under the Securities Act, covering the offer
and sale of securities to the general public for the account of the
Company. |
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1.8 |
The terms “register,” “registered” and
“registration” refer to a registration effected by
preparing and filing a registration statement in compliance with
the Securities Act (as defined below) and the applicable rules and
regulations thereunder, and the declaration or ordering of the
effectiveness of such registration statement. |
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1.9 |
For the purposes hereof, the term “Registrable
Shares” means and includes the shares of the DPAC Common
Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrant, and the Preemptive
Stock (and where the context so includes, shall also mean
Registrable Shares together with the “Registrable
Shares”, as defined in the Existing Rights
Agreement). |
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1.10 |
The term “Securities Act” means the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended. |
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1.11 |
The descriptive headings herein are inserted for convenience of
reference only and are not intended to be part of or to affect the
meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. |
2. Registration Rights
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2.1 Demand
Registration.
Subject to Sections 2.6,
2.7 and 2.8, if at any time the Company shall receive a written
request from the Institutional Investor that the Company file with
the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act
covering the registration for offer and sale of outstanding
Registrable Shares (as defined in the Existing Rights Agreement)
held by such Institutional Investor, then the Company shall
promptly notify in writing the Investor of such request. Within 20
days after such notice has been given by the Company, Investor and
any Existing Holder may give written notice to the Company of its
election to include its Registrable Shares in the registration. As
soon as practicable after the expiration of such 20-day period, the
Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the
registration of all Registrable Shares of Investor with respect to
which registration has been so requested. If the Institutional
Investor intends to distribute its Registrable Shares covered by
their request by means of an underwriting, the right of Investor to
include its Registrable Shares in such registration shall be
conditioned upon Investor’s participation in such
underwriting and the inclusion of Investor’s Registrable
Shares in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. Investor
shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with
the underwriters selected for such underwriting. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if the underwriter advises the Institutional
Shareholder in writing that marketing factors require a limitation
of the number of shares to be underwritten, then the Company shall
so advise Investor, and the number of shares of Registrable Shares
that may be included in the underwriting shall be allocated among
Investor and the Existing Holders, including the Institutional
Shareholder, in proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the amount
of Registrable Shares of the Company owned by each such
person.
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Notwithstanding the provisions set forth
above in this Section 2.1, the Company shall not be obligated
to effect any registration pursuant to this Section within 180 days
after a Public Offering. In addition, the Company may postpone for
up to 90 days the filing or effectiveness of a registration
statement pursuant to a request under this Section if the Board of
Directors (with the concurrence of the managing underwriters, if
any) determines in good faith that such registration would be
reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on any
proposal or plan by the Company to engage in any acquisition or
sale of assets, merger, consolidation, tender offer, financing or
similar transaction (a “ Blocking Right ”). The
Company may not assert a Blocking Right more than once in any
twelve month period. In the event of any postponement described in
this subsection the Investor shall, upon written notice to the
Company, be entitled to withdraw such request and, if such request
is withdrawn, such request shall not count as a request for
registration pursuant to this Section.
2.2 Piggyback
Registration.
Subject to Sections 2.6
and 2.7, if at any time after the date hereof the Company proposes
to register any of its securities under the Securities Act, either
for its own account or for the account of others, in connection
with the public offering of such securities solely for cash, on a
registration form that would also permit the registration of
Registrable Shares, the Company shall promptly give Investor
written notice of such proposal. Upon the written request of
Investor given within 20 days after any such notice is given,
subject to Sections 2.6 and 2.7, the Company shall use its
commercially reasonable best efforts to cause to be included in
such registration all Registrable Shares with respect to which
registration has been so requested.
2.3 Registration
Obligations of the Company.
Whenever required under this
Agreement to use commercially reasonable best efforts to effect the
registration of any Registrable Shares, the Company shall, as
expeditiously as reasonably possible:
(a) prepare and file with the
Commission a registration statement covering such Registrable
Shares and use reasonable efforts to cause such registration
statement to be declared effective by the Commission as
expeditiously as possible and to keep such registration effective
until the date when all Registrable Shares covered by the
registration statement have been sold; provided, that before filing
a registration statement or prospectus or any amendments or
supplements thereto, the Company will furnish to Investor and the
underwriters, if any, copies of all such documents proposed to be
filed (excluding exhibits, unless any such person shall
specifically request exhibits in writing), which documents will be
subject to the review of Investor and the underwriters, and the
Company will not file such registration statement or any amendment
thereto or any prospectus or any supplement thereto with the
Commission if (A) a majority of the group constituting the
Existing Holders and Investor (the “Rights Group”)
reasonably object to such filing (unless such registration is
pursuant to Section 3 and is in connection with a Public
Offering) or (B) information in such registration statement or
prospectus concerning Investor has changed or is otherwise
inaccurate and Investor or the underwriters, if any, shall
reasonably and promptly object;
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(b) prepare and file with the
Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to such
registration statement as may be necessary to keep such
registration statement effective during the period referred to in
subsection (a) above, and cause the prospectus to be
supplemented by any required prospectus supplement, and as so
supplemented to be filed with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 424 under the Securities Act;
(c) furnish to Investor and
to each underwriter, if any, such reasonable numbers of copies of
such registration statement, each amendment thereto, the prospectus
included in such registration statement (including each preliminary
prospectus), each supplement thereto and such other documents as
they may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition
of Registrable Shares owned by them;
(d) use its best efforts to
register and qualify the Registrable Shares under such other
securities laws of such United States jurisdictions as shall be
reasonably requested by a majority of the Rights Group or any
underwriters or, in the alternative, to obtain exemptions from the
registration requirements of such securities laws, and do any and
all other acts and things which may be reasonably necessary or
advisable to enable Investor and underwriters to consummate the
disposition of the Registrable Shares owned by Investor and
underwriters in such jurisdictions; provided, that the Company
shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition
thereto to qualify to transact business, subject itself to taxation
or to file a general consent to service of process in any such
jurisdiction;
(e) promptly after becoming
aware thereof, notify Investor, at any time when a prospectus
relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities
Act, of the happening of any event as a result of which the
prospectus included in such registration statement contains an
untrue statement of a material fact or omits any fact necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading and, at the request of
Investor, the Company will promptly prepare a supplement or
amendment to such prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to
the purchasers of such Registrable Shares, such prospectus will not
contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
fact necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading;
(f) cause all such
Registrable Shares to be listed on each securities exchange on
which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed and,
if not so listed, to be listed on the NASD automated quotation
system and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to
arrange for at least two market makers to register as such with
respect to such Registrable Shares with the NASD;
(g) provide a transfer agent
and registrar for all such Registrable Shares not later than the
effective date of such registration statement;
(h) enter into such customary
agreements (including underwriting agreements in customary form for
a primary offering) and take all such other actions as a majority
of the Rights Group or the underwriters, if any, reasonably request
in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such
Registrable Shares;
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(i) subject to compliance
with such confidentiality requirements as the Company may
reasonably impose, and subject to the requirements of federal and
state securities laws, the rules of the NASD and the rules of any
securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are
traded, make available for inspection by Investor, any underwriter
participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration
statement and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by
Investor or underwriter, provided, however, that the Investor shall
employ only one counsel, all pertinent financial and other records
and pertinent corporate documents of the Company, and cause the
officers, directors, employees and independent accountants of the
Company to supply all information reasonably requested by Investor
and any underwriter, attorney, accountant or agent in connection
with such registration statement;
(j) promptly notify Investor
and the underwriters, if any, of the following events and (if
requested by any such person) confirm such notification in writing:
(i) the filing of the prospectus or any prospectus supplement
and the registration statement and any amendment or post-effective
amendment thereto and, with respect to the registration statement
or any post-effective amendment thereto, the declaration of the
effectiveness of such documents; (ii) any requests by the
Commission for amendments or supplements to the registration
statement or the prospectus or for additional information;
(iii) the issuance or written threat of issuance by the
Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
registration statement or the initiation of any proceedings for
that purpose; and (iv) the receipt by the Company of any
notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of
the Registrable Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the
initiation or threat of initiation of any proceeding for such
purpose;
(k) make reasonable efforts
to prevent the entry of any order suspending the effectiveness of
the registration statement and obtain at the earliest possible
moment the withdrawal of any such order, if entered;
(l) if reasonably requested
by any underwriter or Investor in connection with any underwritten
offering, promptly incorporate in a prospectus supplement or
post-effective amendment such information as such underwriter or a
majority of the Rights Group agree should be included therein
relating to the sale of the Registrable Shares, including without
limitation information with respect to the number of Registrable
Shares being sold to such underwriter, the purchase price being
paid therefore by such underwriter and any other terms of the
underwritten (or best efforts underwritten) offering of the
Registrable Shares to be sold in such offering, and make all
required filings of such prospectus supplement or post-effective
amendment promptly after being notified of the matters to be
incorporated in such prospectus supplement or post-effective
amendment;
(m) upon the filing of any
document which is to be incorporated by reference into the
registration statement or the prospectus (after the initial filing
of the registration statement with the Commission),
(i) promptly provide copies of such document to counsel for
the requesting Investor and counsel for the underwriters, if any,
and (ii) make representatives of the Company available for
discussion of such document;
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(n) cooperate with Investor
and the underwriters, if any, to facilitate the timely preparation
and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Shares to be
sold and not bearing any restrictive legends, and enable such
Registrable Shares to be in such lots and registered in such names
as the underwriters may request at least two business days prior to
any delivery of Registrable Shares to the underwriters;
(o) if necessary, provide a
CUSIP number for all Registrable Shares not later than the
effective date of the registration statement; and
(p) prior to the
effectiveness of the registration statement and any post-effective
amendment thereto and at each closing of an underwritten offering,
do the following insofar as the requesting Investor are concerned
or affected: (i) make such representations and warranties to
Investor and the underwriters, if any, with respect to the
Registrable Shares and the registration statement as are
customarily made by issuers to holders and underwriters in primary
underwritten offerings; (ii) obtain opinions of counsel to the
Company and updates thereof (which counsel and opinions shall be
reasonably satisfactory to the underwriters, if any, and to a
majority of the Rights Group) addressed to each of Investor and the
Existing Holders and the underwriters, if any, covering the matters
customarily covered in opinions requested in underwritten offerings
and such other matters as may be reasonably requested
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