Exhibit 4.2
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT
This Registration Rights Agreement
(this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as
of September 22, 2005, by and between Stroud Energy, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (“ Raymond James
”) for the benefit of the purchasers of the Company’s
common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“ Common
Stock ”), as participants (“ Participants
”) in the offering by the Company and certain of its
stockholders of shares of Common Stock (the “ Offering
”), and the direct and indirect transferees of each of the
Participants.
This Agreement is made pursuant to
the Placement Agreement (the “ Placement Agreement
”), dated as of September 15, 2005, by and among the Company,
the stockholders of the Company set forth on Schedule 1
thereto, and Raymond James, in its capacity as lead Placement Agent
and representative of the co-placement agents set forth on
Schedule 2 thereto (the “ Placement Agents
”), in connection with the placement of an aggregate of
9,400,000 shares of the Common Stock (plus an additional 1,410,000
shares to cover over-allotments, if any) in connection with the
Offering. In order to induce Raymond James to enter into the
Placement Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide the
registration rights provided for in this Agreement to the
Participants and their direct and indirect transferees. The
execution of this Agreement is a condition to the closing of the
transactions contemplated by the Placement Agreement.
The parties hereby agree as
follows:
1.
Definitions
As used in this Agreement, the
following terms shall have the following meanings:
Agreement : As defined in the preamble.
Affiliate : As to any specified Person, (i) any Person
directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding, with power
to vote, ten (10) percent or more of the outstanding voting
securities of such other Person, (ii) any Person ten (10) percent
or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or
indirectly owned, controlled or held, with power to vote, by such
other Person, (iii) any Person directly or indirectly controlling,
controlled by or under common control with such other Person, (iv)
any executive officer, director, trustee or general partner of such
Person and (v) any legal entity for which such Person acts as an
executive officer, director, trustee or general partner. An
indirect relationship shall include circumstances in which a
Person’s spouse, children, parents, siblings or mother-,
father-, sister- or brother-in-law is or has been associated with a
Person.
Business Day
: With respect to any act to be
performed hereunder, each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York,
New York or other applicable places where such act is to occur are
authorized or obligated by applicable law, regulation or executive
order to close.
Closing Date
: The date of this Agreement or such
other time or such other date as Raymond James and the Company may
agree.
Commission
: The Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Common Stock
: As defined in the
preamble.
Company : As defined in the preamble.
Controlling Person
: As defined in Section 6(a)
hereof.
End of Suspension
Notice : As defined in
Section 5(b) hereof.
Exchange Act
: The Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the
Commission pursuant thereto.
Existing Registration Rights
Agreement : The
Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of
September 19, 2005, by and among the Company and the stockholders
of the Company party thereto.
Holder : Each record owner of any Registrable Shares
from time to time.
Indemnified Party
: As defined in Section 6(c)
hereof.
Indemnifying Party
: As defined in Section 6(c)
hereof.
IPO Registration
Statement : As defined in
Section 2(b) hereof.
Liabilities
: As defined in Section 6(a)
hereof.
NASD : The National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc.
No Objections Letter
: As defined in Section 4(t)
hereof.
Participant
: As defined in the
preamble.
Person : An individual, partnership, corporation,
trust, unincorporated organization, government or agency or
political subdivision thereof, or any other legal
entity.
Placement Agents:
As defined in the
preamble.
Placement Agreement:
As defined in the
preamble.
Proceeding
: An action, claim, suit or
proceeding (including without limitation, an investigation or
partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or, to
the knowledge of the Person subject thereto, threatened.
Prospectus
: The prospectus included in any
Registration Statement, including any preliminary prospectus, and
all other amendments and supplements to any such prospectus,
including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated
by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference, if any, in
such prospectus.
2
Purchaser Indemnitee
: As defined in Section 6(a)
hereof.
Raymond James
: As defined in the
preamble.
Registrable Shares
: The Shares, upon original issuance
thereof, and at all times subsequent thereto, including upon the
transfer thereof by the original holder or any subsequent holder
and any shares or other securities issued in respect of such
Registrable Shares by reason of or in connection with any stock
dividend, stock distribution, stock split, purchase in any rights
offering or in connection with any exchange for or replacement of
such Registrable Shares or any combination of shares,
recapitalization, merger or consolidation, or any other equity
securities issued pursuant to any other pro rata distribution with
respect to the Common Stock, until, in the case of any such Share,
the earliest to occur of (i) the date on which it has been
registered effectively pursuant to the Securities Act and disposed
of in accordance with the Registration Statement relating to it,
(ii) the date on which either it is distributed to the public
pursuant to Rule 144 (or any similar provision then in effect) or
is eligible for sale without registration pursuant to Rule 144(k)
promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or
(iii) the date on which it is sold to the Company.
Registration Expenses
: Any and all expenses incident to
the performance of or compliance with this Agreement, including,
without limitation: (i) all Commission, securities exchange, NASD
(if any) registration, listing, inclusion and filing fees; (ii) all
fees and expenses incurred in connection with compliance with
international, federal or state securities or blue sky laws
(including, without limitation, any registration, listing and
filing fees and reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel in
connection with blue sky qualification of any of the Registrable
Shares and the preparation of a blue sky memorandum and compliance
with the rules of the NASD); (iii) all expenses in preparing or
assisting in preparing, word processing, duplicating, printing,
delivering and distributing any Registration Statement, any
Prospectus, any amendments or supplements thereto, any underwriting
agreements, securities sales agreements, certificates and any other
documents relating to the performance under and compliance with
this Agreement; (iv) all fees and expenses incurred in connection
with the listing or inclusion of any of the Registrable Shares on
any securities exchange or The Nasdaq Stock Market pursuant to
Section 4(n) of this Agreement; (v) the fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Company and of the independent public accountants
of the Company (including, without limitation, the expenses of any
special audit and “cold comfort” letters required by or
incident to such performance); and (vi) any fees and disbursements
customarily paid in issues and sales of securities (including the
fees and expenses of any experts retained by the Company in
connection with any Registration Statement); provided ,
however , that Registration Expenses shall exclude
brokers’ or underwriters’ discounts and commissions, if
any, relating to the sale or disposition of Registrable Shares by a
Holder.
Registration Statement
: Any registration statement of the
Company that covers the resale of Registrable Shares pursuant to
the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus,
amendments and supplements to such registration statement or
Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all
exhibits thereto and all material incorporated by reference or
deemed to be incorporated by reference, if any, in such
registration statement.
3
Rule 144 : Rule 144, and any of its referenced
paragraphs, promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the
Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, or
any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission
as a replacement thereto having substantially the same effect as
such rule.
Rule 144A : Rule 144A promulgated by the Commission
pursuant to the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from
time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted
by the Commission as a replacement thereto having substantially the
same effect as such rule.
Rule 158 : Rule 158 promulgated by the Commission
pursuant to the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from
time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted
by the Commission as a replacement thereto having substantially the
same effect as such rule.
Rule 415 : Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission
pursuant to the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from
time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted
by the Commission as a replacement thereto having substantially the
same effect as such rule.
Rule 424 : Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission
pursuant to the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from
time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted
by the Commission as a replacement thereto having substantially the
same effect as such rule.
Rule 429 : Rule 429 promulgated by the Commission
pursuant to the Securities Act, as such rule maybe amended from
time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted
by the Commission as a replacement thereto having substantially the
same effect as such rule.
Securities Act
: The Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the
Commission thereunder.
Shares : The shares of Common Stock being offered and
sold in the Offering.
Shelf Registration
Statement : As defined in
Section 2(a) hereof.
Suspension Event
: As defined in Section 5(b)
hereof.
Suspension Notice
: As defined in Section 5(b)
hereof.
Underwritten Offering
: A sale of securities of the
Company to an underwriter or underwriters for reoffering to the
public.
2.
Registration
Rights
(a)
Mandatory Shelf Registration . As set forth in Section 4
hereof, the Company agrees to file with the Commission as soon as
reasonably practicable following the date of this Agreement (but in
no event later than the date that is 90 days after the Closing
Date) a shelf Registration Statement on Form S-1 or such other form
under the Securities Act then available to the Company providing
for the resale of any Registrable Shares pursuant to Rule 415 from
time to time by the Holders (a “ Shelf Registration
Statement ”). The Company shall use its commercially
reasonable efforts to cause such Shelf Registration Statement to be
declared
4
effective by the
Commission as soon as practicable. Any Shelf Registration Statement
shall provide for the resale from time to time, and pursuant to any
method or combination of methods legally available (including,
without limitation, an Underwritten Offering, a direct sale to
purchasers or a sale through brokers or agents) by the Holders of
any and all Registrable Shares.
(b)
IPO Registra tion. If the Company proposes to file a
registration statement on Form S-1 or such other form under the
Securities Act providing for the initial public offering of shares
of Common Stock (the “ IPO Registration Statement
”), the Company will notify each Holder of the proposed
filing and afford each Holder an opportunity to include in the IPO
Registration Statement all or any part of the Registrable Shares
then held by such Holder. Each Holder desiring to include in the
IPO Registration Statement all or part of the Registrable Shares
held by such Holder shall, within twenty (20) days after receipt of
the above-described notice from the Company, so notify the Company
in writing, and in such notice shall inform the Company of the
number of Registrable Shares such Holder wishes to include in the
IPO Registration Statement. Any election by any Holder to include
any Registrable Shares in the IPO Registration Statement will not
affect the inclusion of such Registrable Shares in the Shelf
Registration Statement until such Registrable Shares have been sold
under the IPO Registration Statement.
(i)
Right to Terminate IPO Registration . The Company, in its
sole discretion, shall have the right to terminate or withdraw the
IPO Registration Statement initiated by it referred to in this
Section 2(b) prior to the effectiveness of such registration
whether or not any Holder has elected to include Registrable Shares
in such registration.
(ii)
Shelf Registration not Impacted by IPO Registration
Statement . The Company’s obligation to file the Shelf
Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof shall not be
affected by the filing or effectiveness of the IPO Registration
Statement.
(c)
Underwriting . The Company shall advise all Holders of the
managing underwriter(s) for the Underwritten Offering proposed
under the IPO Registration Statement. The right of any such
Holder’s Registrable Shares to be included in the IPO
Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof shall be
conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such
underwriting and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable
Shares in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All
Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Shares through
such underwriting shall enter into an underwriting agreement in
customary form with the managing underwriter(s) selected for such
underwriting and complete and execute any questionnaires, powers of
attorney, indemnities, securities escrow agreements and other
documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting,
and furnish to the Company such information as the Company may
reasonably request in writing for inclusion in the Registration
Statement; provided , however , that no Holder shall
be required to make any representations or warranties to or
agreements with the Company or the underwriters other than
representations, warranties or agreements regarding such Holder and
such Holder’s intended method of distribution and any other
representation required by law or reasonably requested by the
underwriters. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, if the managing underwriter(s) determine(s) in good
faith that marketing factors require a limitation on the number of
shares to be included, then the managing underwriter(s) may exclude
shares
5
(including
Registrable Shares) from the IPO Registration Statement and
Underwritten Offering, and any shares included in such IPO
Registration Statement and Underwritten Offering shall be allocated
first, to the Company, and second, to each of the Holders
requesting inclusion of their Registrable Shares in such IPO
Registration Statement (on a pro rata basis based on the total
number of Registrable Shares then held by each such Holder who is
requesting inclusion); provided , however , that
after one hundred eighty (180) days following the effective date of
the Shelf Registration Statement, any shares included in such IPO
Registration Statement and Underwritten Offering Shall be allocated
first, to the Company, and second, to each of the Holders
requesting inclusion of their Registrable Shares in such IPO
Registration Statement pursuant to this Agreement and the holders
of shares of Common Stock requesting inclusion of their shares in
such IPO Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to the Existing
Registration Rights Agreement (on a pro rata basis based on the
aggregate of (i) the total number of Registrable Shares then held
by each such Holder who is requesting inclusion under this
Agreement and (ii) the total number of shares of Common Stock then
held by each such holder who is requesting inclusion under the
Existing Registration Rights Agreement).
If any Holder disapproves of the
terms of any such underwriting, such Holder may elect to withdraw
therefrom by written notice to the Company and the underwriter,
delivered at least ten (10) Business Days prior to the effective
date of the IPO Registration Statement, provided that the Holder
may agree to waive this right to withdraw with the Company, the
underwriters or any custodial agent in any custody agreement and/or
power of attorney executed by such Holder in connection with the
underwriting. Any Registrable Shares excluded or withdrawn from
such underwriting shall be excluded and withdrawn from the
registration.
(d)
Expenses . The Company shall pay all Registration Expenses
in connection with the registration of the Registrable Shares
pursuant to this Agreement. Each Holder participating in a
registration pursuant to this Section 2 shall bear such
Holder’s proportionate share (based on the total number of
Registrable Shares sold in such registration) of all discounts and
commissions payable to underwriters or brokers in connection with a
registration of Registrable Shares pursuant to this
Agreement.
(e)
Executive Bonuses . If the Company does not file a
Registration Statement registering the resale of the Shares within
90 days after the Closing Date then Patrick J. Noyes, the President
and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, or his successor, shall
forfeit 1.0% of the $500,000 cash bonus to be paid to Mr. Noyes by
the Company upon the effectiveness of such Registration Statement
for each Business Day the registration default
continues.
3.
Rules 144 and 144A
Reporting
With a view to making available the
benefits of certain rules and regulations of the Commission that
may at any time permit the sale of the Registrable Shares to the
public without registration, the Company agrees to:
(a)
use commercially reasonable efforts to make and keep available
adequate current public information, as those terms are understood
and defined in Rule 144, at all times after the effective date of
the first registration under the Securities Act filed by the
Company for an offering of its securities to the general
public;
6
(b)
use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the Commission in
a timely manner all reports and other documents required to be
filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act
(at any time after it has become subject to such reporting
requirements);
(c)
so long as a Holder owns any Registrable Shares, if the Company is
not required to file reports and other documents under the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act, it will make available other
information as required by, and so long as necessary to permit
sales of Registrable Shares pursuant to, Rule 144 or Rule 144A;
and
(d)
so long as a Holder owns any Registrable Shares, to furnish to the
Holder promptly upon request (i) a written statement by the Company
as to its compliance with the reporting requirements of Rule 144
(at any time after ninety (90) days after the effective date of the
first registration statement filed by the Company for an offering
of its securities to the general public), and of the Securities Act
and the Exchange Act (at any time after it has become subject to
the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act), (ii) a copy of the
most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company, and (iii)
such other reports and documents of the Company, and take such
further actions, as a Holder may reasonably request in availing
itself of any rule or regulation of the Commission allowing a
Holder to sell any such Registrable Shares without
registration.
4.
Registration
Procedures
In connection with the obligations
of the Company with respect to any registration pursuant to this
Agreement, (i) the Company shall use its commercially reasonable
efforts to effect or cause to be effected the registration of the
Registrable Shares under the Securities Act to permit the sale of
such Registrable Shares by the Holder or Holders in accordance with
the Holder’s or Holders’ intended method or methods of
distribution, and (ii) the Company shall:
(a)
notify Raymond James, in writing, at least ten (10) Business Days
prior to filing a Registration Statement, of its intention to file
a Registration Statement with the Commission and, at least five (5)
Business Days prior to filing, provide a copy of the Registration
Statement to Raymond James and its counsel for review and comment;
prepare and file with the Commission, as specified in this
Agreement, a Registration Statement(s), which Registration
Statement(s) (x) shall comply as to form in all material respects
with the requirements of the applicable form and include all
financial statements required by the Commission to be filed
therewith and (y) shall be acceptable to Raymond James and its
counsel; notify Raymond James, in writing, at least five (5)
Business Days prior to filing of any amendment or supplement to
such Registration Statement and, at least three (3) Business Days
prior to filing, provide a copy of such amendment or supplement to
Raymond James and its counsel for review and comment; promptly
following receipt from the Commission, provide to Raymond James and
its counsel copies of any comments made by the staff of the
Commission relating to such Registration Statement and of the
Company’s responses thereto for review and comment; and use
its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration
Statement to become effective as soon as practicable after filing
and to remain effective, subject to Section 5 hereof, until the
earlier of (i) such time as all Registrable Shares covered thereby
have been sold in accordance with the intended distribution of such
Registrable Shares, (ii) there are no Registrable Shares
outstanding (including as a result
7
of such Shares
having become eligible to be sold pursuant to Rule 144(k)) or (iii)
the second anniversary of the effective date of such Registration
Statement (subject to extension as provided in Section 5(c)
hereof); provided , further , that if the Company has
an effective Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-1 under the
Securities Act and becomes eligible to use Form S-3 or such other
short-form registration statement form under the Securities Act,
the Company may, upon thirty (30) Business Days prior written
notice to all Holders, register any Registrable Shares registered
but not yet distributed under the effective Shelf Registration
Statement on such a short-form Shelf Registration Statement and,
once the shortform Shelf Registration Statement is declared
effective, de-register such shares under the previous Registration
Statement or transfer the filing fees from the previous
Registration Statement (such transfer pursuant to Rule 429, if
applicable) unless any Holder registered under the initial Shelf
Registration Statement notifies the Company within twenty (20)
Business Days of receipt of the Company notice that such a
registration under a new Registration Statement and de-registration
of the initial Shelf Registration Statement would interfere with
its distribution of Registrable Shares already in
progress;
(b)
subject to Section 4(i) hereof, (i) prepare and file with the
Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to each
such Registration Statement as may be necessary to keep such
Registration Statement effective for the period described in
Section 4(a) hereof, (ii) cause each Prospectus contained therein
to be supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement, and as so
supplemented to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 or any similar rule
that may be adopted under the Securities Act, (iii) amend or
supplement each such Registration Statement to include the
Company’s quarterly and annual financial information and
other material developments (until the Company is eligible to
incorporate such information by reference into the Registration
Statement), during which time sales of the Registrable Securities
under the Registration Statement will be suspended until such
amendment or supplement is filed and effective, and (iv) comply
with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the
disposition of all securities covered by each Registration
Statement during the applicable period in accordance with the
intended method or methods of distribution by the selling Holders
thereof;
(c)
furnish to the Holders, without charge, as many copies of each
Prospectus, including each preliminary Prospectus, and any
amendment or supplement thereto and such other documents as such
Holder may reasonably request, in order to facilitate the public
sale or other disposition of the Registrable Shares; the Company
consents to the use of such Prospectus, including each preliminary
Prospectus, by the Holders, if any, in connection with the offering
and sale of the Registrable Shares covered by any such
Prospectus;
(d)
use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify, or
obtain exemption from registration or qualification for, all
Registrable Shares by the time the applicable Registration
Statement is declared effective by the Commission under all
applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws of such
jurisdictions as Raymond James or any Holder of Registrable Shares
covered by a Registration Statement shall reasonably request in
writing, keep each such registration or qualification or exemption
effective during the period such Registration Statement is required
to be kept effective pursuant to Section 4(a) and do any and all
other acts and things that may be reasonably necessary or advisable
to enable such Holder to consummate the disposition in each such
jurisdiction of such Registrable Shares owned by such
Holder;
8
provided
, howeve
r, that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify generally
to do business in any jurisdiction or to register as a broker or
dealer in such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be
required to qualify but for this Section 4(d) and except as may be
required by the Securities Act, (ii) subject itself to taxation in
any such jurisdiction, or (iii) submit to the general service of
process in any such jurisdiction;
(e)
use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause all Registrable
Shares covered by such Registration Statement to be registered and
approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may
be necessary to enable the Holders thereof to consummate the
disposition of such Registrable Shares;
(f)
notify Raymond James and each Holder promptly and, if requested by
Raymond James or any Holder, confirm such advice in writing (i)
when a Registration Statement has become effective and when any
post-effective amendment or supplement thereto is filed, (ii) of
the issuance by the Commission or any state securities authority of
any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a
Registration