Exhibit
4.9
ESCROW
AGREEMENT
THIS ESCROW AGREEMENT
(this “ Agreement
”) is made and entered into as of January 5, 2006
IGNIS PETROLEUM GROUP, INC., a Nevada corporation
(the “ Company ”); the Buyer(s) listed on the
Securities Purchase Agreement, dated the date hereof (also
referred to as the “ Investor(s) ”), and
DAVID GONZALEZ, ESQ. , as Escrow Agent hereunder
(the “ Escrow Agent ”).
BACKGROUND
WHEREAS , the Company and the Investor(s) have entered
into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “ Securities
Purchase Agreement ”), dated as of the date hereof,
pursuant to which the Company proposes to sell secured convertible
debentures (the “ Convertible Debentures ”)
which shall be convertible into the Company’s Common Stock,
par value $0.001 per share (the “ Common Stock
”), for a total purchase price of up to Five Million Dollars
($5,000,000). The Securities Purchase Agreement provides that the
Investor(s) shall deposit the purchase amount in a segregated
escrow account to be held by Escrow Agent in order to effectuate a
disbursement to the Company at a closing to be held as set forth in
the Securities Purchase Agreement (the “ Closing
”).
WHEREAS , the Company intends to sell Convertible
Securities (the “ Offering ”).
WHEREAS , Escrow Agent has agreed to accept, hold, and
disburse the funds deposited with it in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement.
WHEREAS , in order to establish the escrow of funds and
to effect the provisions of the Securities Purchase Agreement, the
parties hereto have entered into this Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE , in consideration of the foregoing, it is
hereby agreed as follows:
1.
Definitions . The following terms shall
have the following meanings when used herein:
a.
“ Escrow Funds ” shall mean the funds deposited
with Escrow Agent pursuant to this Agreement.
b.
“ Joint Written Direction ”
shall mean a written
direction executed by the Investor(s) and
the Company directing Escrow Agent to disburse all or a portion of
the Escrow Funds or to take or refrain from taking any action
pursuant to this Agreement.
c.
“ Escrow Period ” shall begin with the
commencement of the Offering and shall terminate upon the earlier
to occur of the following dates:
(i)
The date upon which Escrow Agent confirms that it has received in
the Escrow Account all of the proceeds of the sale of the
Convertible Debentures;
(ii) The
expiration of twenty (20) days from the date of commencement of the
Offering (unless extended by mutual written agreement between the
Company and the Investor(s) with a copy of such extension to Escrow
Agent); or
(iii) The
date upon which a determination is made by the Company and the
Investor(s) to terminate the Offering prior to the sale of all the
Convertible Debentures.
During the Escrow Period, the Company and the
Investor(s) are aware that they are not entitled to any funds
received into escrow and no amounts deposited in the Escrow Account
shall become the property of the Company or the Investor(s) or any
other entity, or be subject to the debts of the Company or the
Investor(s) or any other entity.
2.
Appointment of and Acceptance by Escrow Agent
. The Investor(s) and the Company hereby appoint Escrow
Agent to serve as Escrow Agent hereunder. Escrow Agent hereby
accepts such appointment and, upon receipt by wire transfer of the
Escrow Funds in accordance with Section 3 below, agrees to hold,
invest and disburse the Escrow Funds in accordance with this
Agreement.
a.
The Company hereby acknowledges that the Escrow Agent is general
counsel to the Investor(s), a partner in the general partner of the
Investor(s), and counsel to the Investor(s) in connection with the
transactions contemplated and referred herein. The Company agrees
that in the event of any dispute arising in connection with this
Escrow Agreement or otherwise in connection with any transaction or
agreement contemplated and referred herein, the Escrow Agent shall
be permitted to continue to represent the Investor(s) and the
Company will not seek to disqualify such counsel.
3.
Creation of Escrow Funds . On or prior to
the date of the commencement of the Offering, the parties shall
establish an escrow account with the Escrow Agent, which escrow
account shall be entitled as follows: Ignis Petroleum Group,
Inc./Cornell Capital Partners, LP Escrow Account for the deposit of
the Escrow Funds. The Investor(s) will instruct subscribers to wire
funds to the account of the Escrow Agent as follows:
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Bank:
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Wachovia, N.A.
of New Jersey
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Routing
#:
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031201467
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Account
#:
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2000014931134
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Name on
Account:
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David Gonzalez
Attorney Trust Account
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Name on
Sub-Account:
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Ignis Petroleum
Group, Inc./Cornell Capital Partners, LP Escrow Account
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4.
Deposits into the Escrow Account . The
Investor(s) agrees that they shall promptly deliver funds for the
payment of the Convertible Debentures to Escrow Agent for deposit
in the Escrow Account.
5.
Disbursements from the Escrow Account
.
a.
The Escrow Agent will continue to hold such funds until Cornell
Capital Partners, LP on behalf of the Investor(s) and Company
execute a Joint Written Direction directing the Escrow Agent to
disburse the Escrow Funds pursuant to Joint Written Direction
signed by the Company and the Investor(s). In disbursing such
funds, Escrow Agent is authorized to rely upon such Joint Written
Direction from the Company and the Investor(s) and may accept any
signatory from the Company listed on the signature page to this
Agreement and any signature from the Investor(s) that the Escrow
Agent already has on file.
b.
In the event Escrow Agent does not receive the amount of the Escrow
Funds from the Investor(s), Escrow Agent shall notify the Company
and the Investor(s). Upon receipt of payment instructions from the
Company, Escrow Agent shall refund to each subscriber without
interest the amount received from each Investor(s), without
deduction, penalty, or expense to the subscriber. The purchase
money returned to each subscriber shall be free and clear of any
and all claims of the Company, the Investor(s) or any of their
creditors.
c.
In the event Escrow Agent does receive the amount of the Escrow
Funds prior to expiration of the Escrow Period, in no event will
the Escrow Funds be released to the Company until such amount is
received by Escrow Agent in collected funds. For purposes of this
Agreement, the term “collected funds” shall mean all
funds received by Escrow Agent which have cleared normal banking
channels and are in the form of cash.
6.
Collection Procedure . Escrow Agent is
hereby authorized to deposit the proceeds of each wire in the
Escrow Account.
7.
Suspension of Performance: Disbursement Into Court
. If at any time, there shall exist any dispute between
the Company and the Investor(s) with respect to holding or
disposition of any portion of the Escrow Funds or any other
obligations of Escrow Agent hereunder, or if at any time Escrow
Agent is unable to determine, to Escrow Agent’s sole
satisfaction, the proper disposition of any portion of the Escrow
Funds or Escrow Agent’s proper actions with respect to its
obligations hereunder, or if the parties have not within thirty
(30) days of the furnishing by Escrow Agent of a notice of
resignation pursuant to Section 9 hereof, appointed a successor
Escrow Agent to act hereunder, then Escrow Agent may, in its sole
discretion, take either or both of the following
actions:
a.
suspend the performance of any of its obligations (including
without limitation any disbursement obligations) under this Escrow
Agreement until such dispute or uncertainty shall be resolved to
the sole satisfaction of Escrow Agent or until a successor Escrow
Agent shall be appointed (as the case may be); provided however,
Escrow Agent shall continue to invest the Escrow Funds in
accordance with Section 8 hereof; and/or
b.
petition (by means of an interpleader action or any other
appropriate method) any court of competent jurisdiction in any
venue convenient to Escrow Agent, for instructions with respect to
such dispute or uncertainty, and to the extent required by law, pay
into such court, for holding and disposition in accordance with the
instructions of such court, all funds held by it in the Escrow
Funds, after deduction and payment to Escrow Agent of all fees and
expenses (including court costs and attorneys’ fees) payable
to, incurred by, or expected to be incurred by Escrow Agent in
connection with performance of its duties and the exercise of its
rights hereunder.
c.
Escrow Agent shall have no liability to the Company, the
Investor(s), or any person with respect to any such suspension of
performance or disbursement into court, specifically including any
liability or claimed liability that may arise, or be alleged to
have arisen, out of or as a result of any delay in the disbursement
of funds held in the Escrow Funds or any delay in with respect to
any other action required or requested of Escrow Agent.
8.
Investment of Escrow Funds . Escrow Agent
shall deposit the Escrow Funds in a non-interest bearing
account.
If Escrow Agent has not received a Joint Written
Direction at any time that an investment decision must be made,
Escrow Agent shall maintain the Escrow Funds, or such portion
thereof, as to which no Joint Written Direction has been received,
in a non-interest bearing account.
9.
Resignation and Removal of Escrow Agent .
Escrow Agent may resign from the performance of its duties
hereunder at any time by giving thirty (30) days’ prior
written notice to the parties or may be removed, with or without
cause, by the parties, acting jointly, by furnishing a Joint
Written Direction to Escrow Agent, at any time by the giving of ten
(10) days’ prior written notice to Escrow Agent as provided
herein below. Upon any such notice of resignation or removal, the
representatives of the Investor(s) and the Company identified in
Sections 13a.(iv) and 13b.(iv), below, jointly shall appoint a
successor Escrow Agent hereunder, which shall be a commercial bank,
trust company or other financial institution with a combined
capital and surplus in excess of $10,000,000.00. Upon the
acceptance in writing of any appointment of Escrow Agent hereunder
by a successor Escrow Agent, such successor Escrow Agent shall
thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers,
privileges and duties of the retiring Escrow Agent, and the
retiring Escrow Agent shall be discharged from its duties and
obligations under this Escrow Agreement, but shall not be
discharged from any liability for actions taken as Escrow Agent
hereunder prior to such succession. After any retiring Escrow
Agent’s resignation or removal, the provisions of this Escrow
Agreement shall inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or
omitted to be taken by it while it was Escrow Agent under this
Escrow Agreement. The retiring Escrow Agent shall transmit all
records pertaining to the Escrow Funds and shall pay all funds held
by it in the Escrow Funds to the successor Escrow Agent, after
making copies of such records as the retiring Escrow Agent deems
advisable and after deduction and payment to the retiring Escrow
Agent of all fees and expenses (including court costs and
attorneys’ fees) payable to, incurred by, or expected to be
incurred by the retiring Escrow Agent in connection with