Exhibit
10.1
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement
(this “ Agreement ”) is dated as of
June 1, 2007, by and among Wilsons The Leather Experts Inc., a
Minnesota corporation (the “ Company ”),
and the purchasers set forth on Schedule 1 attached hereto
(each a “ Purchaser ” and collectively,
the “ Purchasers ”).
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to
Section 4(2) of the Securities Act (as defined below) and
Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, the Company desires to issue
and sell to the Purchasers, and the Purchasers desire to purchase
from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described
in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of
the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which
are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Purchasers agree as
follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions . In addition
to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes
of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated
in this Section 1.1:
“ Action ”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 3.1(j).
“ Affiliate
” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one
or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under
common control with a Person as such terms are used in and
construed under Rule 144 under the Securities Act. With
respect to a Purchaser, any investment fund or managed account that
is managed on a discretionary basis by the same investment manager
as such Purchaser will be deemed to be an Affiliate of such
Purchaser.
“ Affiliate
Transaction ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such
term in Section 4.9(e).
“ Board of
Directors ” means, at any time, the board of
directors of the Company.
“ Business Day
” means any day except Saturday, Sunday and any day which is
a federal legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions in
the State of Minnesota or State of New York are authorized or
required by law or other governmental action to close.
“Capital
Lease” means any lease required to be capitalized in
accordance with GAAP.
“ Certificate
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 2.1.
“ Closing ”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 2.2.
“ Closing Date
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 2.2.
“ Closing Fee
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 5.3.
“ Common Stock
” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per
share, and any other class of securities into which such securities
may hereafter have been reclassified or changed.
“ Common Stock
Equivalents ” means any securities of the Company or
any Subsidiary which entitle the holder thereof to acquire Common
Stock at any time, including, without limitation, any debt,
preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that
is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for,
or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common
Stock.
“ Company Counsel
” means Faegre and Benson LLP.
“ Company Group
” means, collectively, the Company and its
Subsidiaries.
“ Company
Shareholders’ Meeting ” shall have the meaning
ascribed to such term in Section 4.10(b).
“ Conversion
Shares ” means the shares of Common Stock
issuable upon conversion of the Shares and all shares of Common
Stock issued in exchange or substitution therefor.
“ Disclosure
Schedules ” means the Disclosure Schedules of the
Company delivered concurrently herewith.
“ EBITDA ”
means, for any period, the net income of the Company Group for such
period plus (a) without duplication and to the extent deducted
in determining such net income, the sum of (i) consolidated
interest expense for such period, (ii) consolidated income tax
expense for such period, and (iii) all amounts attributable to
depreciation and amortization for such period, and minus
(b) to the extent included in determining such net income, any
extraordinary gains and all non-cash items of income for such
period, all determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with
GAAP.
“ Effective Date
” means the date that the initial Registration Statement
filed by the Company pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement
is first declared effective by the SEC.
“ Environmental and
Safety Requirements ” means all federal, state, local
and foreign statutes, regulations, ordinances and other provisions
having the force or effect of law, all judicial and administrative
orders and determinations and all common law concerning public
health and safety, worker health and safety, and pollution or
protection of the environment, including all those relating to the
presence, use, production, generation, handling, transportation,
treatment, storage, disposal, distribution, labeling, testing,
processing, discharge, release, threatened release, control, or
cleanup of any hazardous materials, substances or wastes, chemical
substances or mixtures, pesticides,
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pollutants,
contaminants, toxic chemicals, petroleum products or by-products,
asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, noise or radiation.
“ Evaluation Date
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 3.1(r).
“ Exchange Act
” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“ Exchange Cap
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the
Certificate.
“ GAAP ”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 3.1(h).
“ Guarantee
” of or by any Person means any obligation, contingent or
otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic
effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any
other Person except the Company or a wholly owned Subsidiary (the
“ primary obligor ”) in any manner,
whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of
such Person, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or
advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such
Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or
supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment of
such Indebtedness or other obligation, (b) to purchase or
lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring
the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment
of such Indebtedness or other obligation or (c) to maintain
working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement
condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the
primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation;
provided , however , that the term
“Guarantee” shall not include endorsements for the
collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business of the
Company consistent with past practice.
“ Governmental
Agency ” means any federal, state, local, foreign or
other governmental agency, instrumentality, commission, authority,
board or body.
“ Indebtedness
” of any Person, means, without duplication, (a) all
obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to
deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such
Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar
instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person upon which interest
charges are customarily paid, (d) all obligations such Person
under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating
to property or assets purchased by such Person, (e) all
obligations of such Person issued or assumed as the deferred
purchase price of property or services (excluding trade accounts
payable and accrued obligations incurred in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice), (f) all Indebtedness
of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness
has an existing rights, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by)
any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or
not the obligations secured thereby have been assumed, (g) all
Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (h) all
obligations under Capital Leases of such Person, (i) all
obligations of such Person as an account party in respect of
letters of credit, and (j) all obligations of such Person in
respect of bankers’ acceptances, provided that Indebtedness
shall not include any indebtedness of the Company solely to
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one or more
wholly owned Subsidiaries or any indebtedness of any wholly owned
Subsidiary solely to one or more of the Company or another wholly
owned Subsidiary. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the
Indebtedness of any partnership in which such Person is a general
partner.
“ Intellectual Property
Rights ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term
in Section 3.1(o).
“ Liens ”
means a lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of
first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“ Losses ”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 4.12(a).
“ Material Adverse
Effect ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term
in Section 3.1(b).
“ Material
Permits ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such
term in Section 3.1(m).
“ Person ”
means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust,
incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited
liability company, joint stock company, Governmental Agency or
other entity of any kind.
“ Plan ” or
“ Plans ” shall have the meaning ascribed
to such term in Section 3.1(hh).
“ Proceeding
” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding
(including, without limitation, an investigation or partial
proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or
threatened.
“ Proxy Statement
” shall mean a proxy statement relating to the Company
Shareholders’ Meeting, as amended or supplemented from time
to time.
“ Purchaser 1
” shall mean Marathon Fund Limited Partnership V.
“ Purchaser 1
Directors ” shall mean the two individuals designated
by Purchaser 1 in writing to the Company, which two individuals
shall initially be Michael T. Sweeney and Darren L. Acheson, or any
successor Purchaser 1 Directors subsequently designated by
Purchaser 1 in writing to the Company.
“ Purchaser Party
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 4.7.
“ Registration Rights
Agreement ” means the Registration Rights Agreement,
dated the date hereof, by and among the Company and the Purchasers,
in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
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“ Registration
Statement ” means a registration statement meeting
the requirements set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement and
covering the resale by the Purchasers of the Conversion Shares, the
Warrant Shares, or both.
“ Required
Approvals ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such
term in Section 3.1(e).
“ Rule 144
” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC 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 SEC having
substantially the same effect as such Rule.
“ SEC ”
means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“ SEC Reports
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 3.1(h).
“ Securities
” means the Shares, Warrants, Conversion Shares, and Warrant
Shares.
“ Securities Act
” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“ Shares ”
means the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value
per share , issued or issuable to the Purchasers
pursuant to the Transaction Documents.
“ Subsidiary
” means any subsidiary of the Company as defined in
Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the SEC pursuant to
the Exchange Act.
“ Subscription
Amount ” means, with respect to any Purchaser, the
amount set forth opposite such Purchaser’s name in the
appropriate column on Schedule 1 attached hereto.
“ Support
Agreement ” means the Support Agreement, dated the
date hereof, by and among the Company and the Purchasers, in the
form of Exhibit B attached hereto.
“ Threshold
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 4.7(a).
“ Trading Day
” means (i) a day on which the Common Stock is traded on
a Trading Market, or (ii) if the Common Stock is not quoted on
any Trading Market, a day on which the Common Stock is quoted in
the over-the-counter market as reported by the Pink Sheets, LLC (or
any similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of
reporting prices); provided, that in the event that the Common
Stock is not listed or quoted as set forth in (i) and (ii)
hereof, then Trading Day shall mean a Business Day.
“ Trading Market
” means whichever of the New York Stock Exchange, the
American Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the
NASDAQ Global Market, the NASDAQ Capital Market or the OTC Bulletin
Board on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on
the date in question.
“ Transaction
Documents ” means this Agreement, the Registration
Rights Agreement, the Support Agreement, the Certificate, the
Warrants and any other
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documents or
agreements executed in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereunder.
“ Warrants
” means the warrants, dated the date hereof, issued by the
Company to each of the Purchasers, to purchase shares of Common
Stock, each such warrant in the form of Exhibit C
attached hereto, and all warrants issued in exchange or
substitution therefor.
“ Warrant Shares
” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of
the Warrants and all shares of Common Stock issued in exchange or
substitution therefor.
ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Certificate of Designation;
Purchase and Sale of Shares and Warrants . The Company shall
adopt and file with the Secretary of State of Minnesota on or
before the Closing, a Certificate of Designation of Series A
Preferred Stock in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D
(the “ Certificate ”). At the Closing,
upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein,
concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the
Company agrees to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each
Purchaser agrees to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the
Company (a) the number of Shares set forth opposite such
Purchaser’s name in the appropriate column on Schedule 1
attached hereto, and (b) a Warrant to purchase the number of
shares of Common Stock set forth opposite such Purchaser’s
name in the appropriate column on Schedule 1 attached hereto.
The aggregate purchase price to be paid by each Purchaser for the
Shares and the Warrant such Purchaser is hereby purchasing shall be
an amount equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription
Amount.
2.2 Closing . The closing of
the purchase and sale of the Shares and Warrants pursuant to this
Agreement (the “ Closing ”) shall occur
upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Sections 2.4,
at the offices of Dorsey & Whitney LLP, 50 Sixth Street South,
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, or such other location as the parties
hereto shall mutually agree (the date of such closing, the “
Closing Date ”). Subject to the terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the Closing, the Company
shall deliver to each Purchaser the Shares and Warrant being
purchased by such Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement and such
Purchaser shall pay to the Company such Purchaser’s
Subscription Amount.
2.3 Deliveries.
(a) On the Closing Date, the Company
shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the
following:
(i) a certificate or certificates
representing the Shares, registered in the name of such
Purchaser;
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(ii) a Warrant, exercisable for the
number of Warrant Shares set forth opposite such Purchaser’s
name in the appropriate column on Schedule 1 attached
hereto;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate as
filed with the Secretary of State of Minnesota, certified by the
Secretary of State of Minnesota;
(iv) the Registration Rights
Agreement duly executed by the Company; and
(v) a legal opinion of Company
Counsel opining on matters of due authorization, execution and
delivery; no required consents of governmental authorities; no
conflicts with applicable laws, charter documents, known court
orders or material contracts; due authorization of Shares;
reservation and due authorization of Common Stock upon conversion
of Shares and exercise of Warrants; no registration under federal
securities laws; and enforceability against the Company of the
Transaction Documents, subject in each case to customary
assumptions, qualifications and exceptions, including those
disclosed in this Agreement or the Disclosure Schedule. Such
Company Counsel may state that its opinion is limited to matters
governed by the federal laws of the United States of American and
the laws of the State of Minnesota.
(b) On the Closing Date, each
Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company the
following:
(i) the Registration Rights Agreement
duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(ii) such Purchaser’s
Subscription Amount by wire transfer to an account as specified in
writing by the Company at least two Business Days prior to the
Closing.
2.4 Closing Conditions .
(a) The obligations of the Company
hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the
following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material
respects when made and on the Closing Date of the representations
and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein;
(ii) all obligations, covenants and
agreements of the Purchasers required to be performed at or prior
to the Closing Date shall have been performed in all material
respects; and
(iii) the delivery by the Purchasers
of the items set forth in Section 2.3(b) of this
Agreement.
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(b) The obligations of the Purchasers
hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the
following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy when made and on the
Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company
contained herein, except to the extent any inaccuracies,
individually or in the aggregate, would not have or be reasonably
likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect (provided that solely
for purposes of this Section 2.4(b)(i), any representation or
warranty in Section 3.1 that is qualified by materiality or
Material Adverse Effect language shall be read as if such language
were not present);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and
agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to
the Closing Date shall have been performed in all material
respects;
(iii) the delivery by the Company of
the items set forth in Section 2.3(a) of this Agreement;
(iv) there shall have been no
Material Adverse Effect since the date hereof;
(v) application for the listing of
the Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares shall have been completed
by the Company and the Company shall not have any reason to believe
that official notice of issuance will not be given by the Trading
Market prior to the Company Shareholders’ Meeting;
(vi) representatives of Purchaser 1
shall have met with a representative of each of the four landlords
identified in Schedule 2.4(b) of the Disclosure Schedule with
respect to proposed modifications (of a nature that do not include
financial or duration modifications) to the Leases controlled by
such landlords to enable the Company to execute the future business
strategy for the Company in substantially the manner discussed by
Purchaser 1 with the Company (and Purchaser 1 agrees to use its
commercially reasonable efforts to facilitate such meetings as soon
as reasonably practicable after the execution of this Agreement);
and, following such meetings, Purchaser 1 shall be satisfied, in
its reasonable discretion, that such landlords will make such
modifications in their Leases within a reasonable time after the
date of such meetings; and
(vii) The Company and General
Electric Capital Corporation (“GE Credit”) shall have
entered into an amendment of the Fifth Amended and Restated Credit
Agreement, dated as of December 29, 2006, as amended as of
February 12, 2007, and related pledge agreements and guaranty,
containing substantially the terms set forth in the term sheet
received by the Company and Purchaser 1 from GE Credit and
consenting to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, in
form reasonably satisfactory to Purchaser 1.
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ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties
of the Company . Except as set forth under the corresponding
section of the Disclosure Schedules, the Company hereby represents
and warrants to each of the Purchasers as of the date hereof and as
of the Closing Date as follows:
(a) Subsidiaries . All direct
and indirect Subsidiaries of the Company are set forth on
Schedule 3.1(a) . Except as set forth on
Schedule 3.1(a), the Company owns, directly or
indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of
each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all the issued and
outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary were validly
issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive
and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.
(b) Organization and
Qualification . The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an
entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing
and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation or organization (as applicable), with the requisite
power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to
carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary is in violation or default of any of the
provisions of its respective certificate or articles of
incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents.
Each of the Company and each Subsidiary is duly qualified to
conduct its respective business and is in good standing as a
foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which
the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes
such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so
qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have
or reasonably be expected to result in (i) a material and
adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any
Transaction Document, (ii) a material and adverse effect on
the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition
(financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken
as a whole (other than (1) such effect generally affecting the
industry in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate, except
to the extent that such effect disproportionately affects the
Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (2) general
economic or securities market conditions in the United States,
except to the extent that such conditions disproportionately affect
the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (3) the
public announcement or existence of this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby, (4) acts of terrorism or war
(whether or not declared), or (5) such effect resulting from
or relating to compliance with the terms of, or the taking of
action required by, this Agreement, or (iii) a material
adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any
material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any
Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “
Material Adverse Effect ”), and no Proceeding
has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or
curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and
authority or qualification.
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(c) Authorization; Enforcement
. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to
enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by each
of the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its
obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of
each of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the
consummation by it of the transactions contemplated thereby have
been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the
Company and no further action is required by the Company, its Board
of Directors or its shareholders in connection therewith other than
in connection with the Required Approvals. Each Transaction
Document has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed
by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms
hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding
obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in
accordance with its terms except (i) as such enforceability
may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium, liquidation and other similar laws of
general application affecting enforcement of creditors’
rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the
availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other
equitable remedies, and (iii) insofar as indemnification and
contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No Conflicts . The
execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by
the Company, the issuance and sale of the Securities, and the
consummation by the Company of the other transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or
violate any provision of the Company’s or any
Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws
or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict
with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or
lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the
creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the
Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of
termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or
without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit
facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or
Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the
Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or
asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or
(iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or
result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order,
judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or
Governmental Agency to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject
(including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or
by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is
bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses
(ii) and (iii), such as would not have, and would not
reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse
Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and
Approvals . The Company is not required to obtain any consent,
waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any
filing or registration with, any court or other Governmental Agency
or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and
performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than
(i) filings required pursuant to Sections 4.4 and 4.6 of
this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the SEC of the
Registration Statement, (iii) an application to the NASDAQ
Global Market for the listing of the Conversion Shares and Warrant
Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby,
(iv) the filing of
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Form D with the
SEC and such filings as are required to be made under applicable
state securities laws, and (v) the filing of the Certificate
with the Secretary of State of Minnesota (collectively, the “
Required Approvals ”).
(f) Issuance of the Securities
. The Shares and Warrants are duly authorized and, when issued and
paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents,
will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free
and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company other than
restrictions on transfer provided for in the Transaction Documents.
The Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance
with the terms of the Transaction Documents, will be validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens
imposed by the Company. As of the Closing, the Company will have
reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number
of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Shares
and upon exercise of the Warrants, in each case, as of the Closing
Date.
(g) Capitalization . The
capitalization of the Company is as set forth on
Schedule 3.1(g) . The Company has not issued any
capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under
the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee
stock options or the issuance of shares of Common Stock to
employees under any Plans, as the case may be or pursuant to the
conversion or exercise of outstanding Common Stock Equivalents. No
Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of
participation, or any similar right to participate in the
transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a
result of the purchase and sale of the Securities and as set forth
in the Company’s most recently filed periodic report under
the Exchange Act, there are no outstanding options, warrants,
script rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any
character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or
obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or
giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares
of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or
arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may
become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common
Stock Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not
obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other
securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not
result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the
exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under such
securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
Company are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been
issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws,
and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any
preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase
securities. No further approval or authorization of any
shareholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the
issuance and sale of the Securities. All grants of employee stock
options comply with the terms of the Plans, as approved by the
Company’s shareholders, pursuant to such grants were made,
and with the terms of any policies and procedures with respect to
stock option grants as adopted by the Board of Directors. The
Company has not granted stock options to its employees or directors
for which the grant date as determined under FAS 123R is different
from the date of the action taken to grant the option, except when
the action taken preceded the commencement of an employee’s
employment and the grant was effective upon commencement of the
employee’s employment. The Company has not
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coordinated the
grant date for employee or director stock options or restricted
stock grants in a manner to benefit the option holders from the
public release of material non-public information regarding the
Company. Any statements in the SEC Reports (as defined below)
regarding employee and director stock options are complete and
accurate in all material respects. There are no shareholders
agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with
respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company
is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among
any of the Company’s shareholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Financial
Statements . The Company has filed all reports, schedules,
forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it
under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant
to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the
date hereof (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits
thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being
collectively referred to herein as the “ SEC
Reports ”) on a timely basis or has received a valid
extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports
prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their
respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects
with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act
and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder,
and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the
Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects
with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and
regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect at the
time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in
accordance with United States generally accepted accounting
principles (“ GAAP ”) applied on a
consistent basis during the periods involved, except as may be
otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes
thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not
contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all
material respects the financial position of the Company and its
consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the
results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended,
subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal,
immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.
(i) Material Changes . Since
the date of the latest audited financial statements included within
the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in the SEC
Reports, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or
development that has had, or that could reasonably be expected to
result in, a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not
incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than
(A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the
ordinary course of business of the Company consistent with past
practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in
the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or
required to be disclosed in filings made with the SEC, (iii) the
Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the
Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of
cash or other property to its shareholders or purchased, redeemed
or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its
capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity
securities to any
12
officer,
director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Plans. The
Company does not have pending before the SEC any request for
confidential treatment of information.
(j) Litigation . There is no
action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or
investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened in writing against or affecting the Company, any
Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any
court, arbitrator, or Governmental Agency (collectively, an “
Action ”) which (i) adversely affects or
challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the
Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) would, if
there were an unfavorable decision, individually or in the
aggregate, have, or would reasonably be expected to result in, a
Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary,
nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of
any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under
federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary
duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company,
there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the SEC
involving the Company or any current or former director or officer
of the Company. The SEC has not issued any stop order or other
order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement
filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or
the Securities Act.
(k) Labor Relations . No
material labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company,
is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company
which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(l) Compliance . Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is in default under or in
violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived
that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a
default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the
Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in
default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or
credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it
is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound
(whether or not such default or violation has been waived),
(ii) is in violation of any order of any court, arbitrator or
Governmental Agency, or (iii) is or has been in violation of
any statute, rule or regulation of any Governmental Agency,
including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local
laws applicable to its business except in each case as would not
have, and would not reasonably be expected to result in, a Material
Adverse Effect.
(m) Regulatory Permits . The
Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates,
authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal,
state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct
their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except
where the failure to possess such permits would not have, and would
not reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect
(“ Material Permits ”), and neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings
relating to the revocation or modification of any Material
Permit.
(n) Title to Assets .
13
(i) The Company and the Subsidiaries
do not own any real property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have
good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them
that is material to the business of the Company and the
Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for
Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do
not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made
of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and Liens for
the payment of federal, state or other taxes, the payment of which
is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties.
(ii) Any real property and facilities
held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries (such leases,
collectively, the “ Leases ”) are set
forth on Schedule 3.1(n)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule and,
except for those Leases, the Company is not a party to any other
oral or written agreement conveying any interest in real property,
including, without limitation, leases, subleases and licenses. The
Company has delivered, or will deliver prior to the Closing Date,
to Purchaser 1 true and complete copies of all Leases listed on
Schedule 3.1(n)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedule.
(iii) Each Lease is presently in full
force and effect.
(iv) Each Lease, including all
amendments thereof and modifications thereto, represents the entire
agreement under which the respective tenant occupies the
corresponding premises, and there are no material verbal or
otherwise unwritten agreements or understandings.
(v) There are no material uncured
defaults on the part of a landlord or a tenant under one or more
Leases, and there are no events which have occurred that, with the
giving of notice or the passage of time or both, would result in a
material default by either party thereunder.
(vi) All material improvements
required by the terms of one or more Leases to be made by a
landlord have been completed and the tenant thereunder is satisfied
with such improvements ,other than improvements that are in process
or are planned to commence after the date hereof, none of which
improvements are expected to be completed after the date
contemplated by the terms of the applicable Lease therefor.
(o) Patents and Trademarks .
The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all
patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications,
service marks, trade names, copyrights, licenses and other similar
rights that are necessary or material for use in connection with
their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and
which the failure to so have would have, or would reasonably be
expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the
“ Intellectual Property Rights ”).
Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has since February 1,
2004, (i) received a written notice that the Intellectual
Property Rights used by the Company or any Subsidiary violates or
infringes upon the rights of any Person, or (ii) received a
written invitation to license any Intellectual Property Rights of a
Person in order to avoid such a
14
violation or
infringement. To the knowledge of the Company, all material
Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no
existing infringement by another Person of any material
Intellectual Property Rights.
(p) Insurance . The Company
and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized
financial responsibility against such losses and risks, including,
without limitation, products liability, and in such amounts as are
prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and
the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to,
directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to
$40,000,000. To the best knowledge of the Company, such insurance
contracts and policies are accurate and complete. Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will
not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when
such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar
insurers as may be necessary to continue its business on terms
consistent with market for the Company’s and such
Subsidiaries respective lines of business.
(q) Transactions With Affiliates
and Employees . Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of
the officers or directors of the Company, or any person who served
as an officer or director in the 12 months prior to the date
of this Agreement, and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of
the employees of the Company is presently a party to any
transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for
services as employees, officers and directors), including any
contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the
furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or
personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or
from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of
the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such
employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director,
trustee or partner, in each case in excess of $10,000 other than
(i) for payment of salary or consulting fees for services
rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf
of the Company and (iii) for other employee benefits,
including stock option agreements under any Plan.
(r) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal
Accounting Controls . The Company is in material compliance
with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which are
applicable to it. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a
system 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-15(e) and
15d-15(e)) for the Company and designed such disclosure controls
and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the
Company, including its Subsidiaries, is made known to the
certifying officers by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which the Company’s most recently filed
periodic report under the Exchange Act, as the case may be, is
being prepared. The Company’s certifying officers have
15
evaluated the
effectiveness of the Company’s controls and procedures as of
the date prior to the filing date of the most recently filed
periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “
Evaluation Date ”). The Company presented in
its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act 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 changes in the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f)
of the Exchange Act) that has materially affected, or, to the
knowledge of the Company, is reasonably likely to materially
affect, the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting.
(s) Certain Fees . Except for
the fees payable to Greene Holcomb & Fisher LLC, no brokerage
or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the
Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder,
placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with
respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction
Documents. No Purchaser shall have any obligation with respect to
any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of
Greene Holcomb & Fisher LLC or any other Persons for fees of a
type contemplated in this Section 3.1(s) that may be due in
connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction
Documents.
(t) Private Placement .
Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and
warranties set forth in Section 3.2, no registration under the
Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Securities
by the Company to the Purchasers as contemplated hereby. The
issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene
the rules and regulations of the Trading Market.
(u) Investment Company. The
Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after
receipt of payment for the Shares and Warrants, will not be or be
an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the
meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“ Investment Company Act ”).
(v) Registration Rights .
Other than the Purchasers, no Person has any right to cause the
Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any
securities of the Company.
(w) Listing and Maintenance
Requirements . The Company’s Common Stock is registered
pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and listed on the
NASDAQ Global Market, and the Company has taken no action designed
to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of,
terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange
Act, or the valid listing of the Common Stock on the NASDAQ Global
Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the SEC
is contemplating terminating such registration or that the NASDAQ
Global Market is contemplating terminating such listing. The
authorization and issuance of the Securities will not violate any
listing or maintenance requirement of the Trading Market, or
prevent the Company from listing the Conversion Shares or the
Warrant Shares on the Trading Market. After giving effect to the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
16
Agreement, the
Company shall have satisfied the listing requirements of the NASDAQ
Manual.
(x) Application of Takeover
Protections . Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’
representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, the
Company and its Board of Directors have taken all necessary action,
if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share
acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any
distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar
anti-takeover provision under the Company’s Articles of
Incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its
state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to any
Purchaser as a result of the such Purchaser and the Company
fulfilling their respective obligations or exercising their rights
under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a
result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and such
Purchaser’s ownership of the Securities.
(y) Disclosure . All
disclosure provided to the Purchasers regarding the Company, its
business and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the
Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, furnished by or on behalf
of the Company with respect to the representations and warranties
made herein are true and correct with respect to such
representations and warranties and do not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The
Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser has made any
representations or warranties with respect to the transactions
contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in
Section 3.2 hereof.
(z) No Integrated Offering .
Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and
warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor
any of its affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf
has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any
security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under
circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to
be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of
the Securities Act or any applicable shareholder approval
provisions, including, without limitation, under the rules and
regulations of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of
the Company are listed or designated.
(aa) Solvency . Based on the
financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date after
giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from
the sale of the Securities hereunder, (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 for the current fiscal year 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 and
anticipated cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds
the Company would receive were it to liquidate all of its
17
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). Assuming the receipt by the Company
of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, the
Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead
it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation
under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction
within one year from the Closing Date. The SEC Reports set forth as
of the dates thereof all outstanding secured and unsecured
Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the
Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. Neither the Company nor
any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness in
excess of $50,000.
(bb) Form S-3 Eligibility
. The Company is eligible to register the resale of the Conversion
Shares and the Warrant Shares for resale by the Purchasers on Form
S-3 promulgated under the Securities Act.
(cc) Tax Status . Except for
matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have, or
would reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse
Effect, the Company and each Subsidiary has filed all necessary
federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and has
paid or accrued all taxes shown as due thereon, and the Company has
no knowledge of a tax deficiency which has been asserted or
threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary.
(dd) No General Solicitation .
Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company
has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general
solicitation or general advertising. The Company has offered the
Securities for sale only to the Purchasers.
(ee) Foreign Corrupt
Practices. Neither the Company, nor to the knowledge of the
Company, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company,
has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful
contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses
related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made
any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or
employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or
campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully
any contribution made by the Company (or made by any person acting
on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation
of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision
of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
(ff) Accountants . The
Company’s accountants are set forth in the SEC Reports. To
the knowledge of the Company, such accountants, who the Company
expects will express their opinion with respect to the financial
statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ending February 2, 2008, are a
registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities
Act.
(gg) Manipulation of Price .
The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its
behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action
designed to cause
18
or to result in
the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of
the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the
Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid any
compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities
(other than for the placement agent’s placement of the
Securities), or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any person any
compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other
securities of the Company.
(hh) ERISA; Employee Benefits
. Section 3.1(hh) of the Disclosure Schedules sets
forth a complete and correct list of each employee benefit plan (as
such term is defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“
ERISA ”)) and each other material benefit plan,
program or arrangement maintained, established, sponsored,
contributed, or required to be contributed, to by any member of the
Company Group, or with respect to which the Company Group has any
material liability (each a “ Plan ” and
collectively, the “ Plans ”). The Company
Group does not maintain, contribute to, or have any liability under
(or with respect to) any “defined benefit plan” (as
defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA), or any
“multiemployer plan” (as defined in Section 3(37)
of ERISA), and does not otherwise have any current or potential
liability under Title IV of ERISA. No Plan that is required to be
funded has any unfunded or underfunded liabilities. Each Plan that
is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so
qualified. Each of the Plans has been maintained, funded and
administered in material compliance with its terms and with the
applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code, and any other applicable
laws. The Company Group has no current or potential liability under
ERISA or the Code by reason of being considered a single employer
under Section 414 of the Code with any Person other than a
member of the Company Group.
(ii) Environment, Health and
Safety .
(i) Each
member of the Company Group has complied and is in compliance with
all Environmental and Safety Requirements that are applicable to
the Company Group’s business, except where the failure to
comply would not have, and would not reasonably be expected to
result in, a Material Adverse Effect;
(ii) Since
February 1, 2004, no member of the Company Group has received
any written notice, report or other information regarding any
material liabilities or potential liabilities, including any
investigatory, remedial or corrective obligations, relating to such
member of the Company Group or such member’s facilities and
arising under Environmental and Safety Requirements; and
(iii) No
member of the Company Group has, either expressly or by operation
of law, assumed or undertaken any liability, including any
obligation for corrective or remedial action, of any other Person
relating to Environmental and Safety Requirements, which liability
has not been fully discharged.
3.2 Representations and Warranties
of the Purchasers . Each Purchaser hereby represents and
warrants, severally and not jointly, as of the date hereof and as
of the Closing Date to the Company as follows:
19
(a) Organization; Authority .
Such Purchaser is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
organization with full right, corporate or partnership power and
authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry
out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution,
delivery and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized by all
necessary corporate or similar action on the part of such
Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has
been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such
Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the
valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable
against it in accordance with its terms, except (i) as such
enforceability may be limited by general equitable principles and
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium,
liquidation and other similar laws of general application affecting
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as
limited by laws relating to the availability of specific
performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and
(iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions
may be limited by applicable law.
(b) Own Account . Such
Purchaser understands that the Securities are restricted securities
and have not been registered under the Securities Act or any
applicable state securities law and such Purchaser is acquiring the
Securities as principal for its own account and not with a view to
or for distributing or reselling the Securities or any part thereof
in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state
securities law, has no present intention of distributing any of
such Securities in violation of the Securities Act or any
applicable state securities law and has no arrangement or
understanding with any other persons regarding the distribution of
the Securities (this representation and warranty not limiting such
Purchaser’s right to sell the Conversion Shares or the
Warrant Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise
in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws) in
violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities
law. Such Purchaser does not have any agreement or understanding,
directly or indirectly, with any Person to distribute any of the
Securities.
(c) Purchaser Status . At the
time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and at the
date hereof it is, and on each date on which it converts any Shares
into Conversion Shares, or exercises a Warrant for Warrant Shares,
it will be either: (i) an “accredited investor” as
defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7) or (a)(8)
under the Securities Act or (ii) a “qualified
institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A(a) under
the Securities Act. Such Purchaser is not required to be registered
as a broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Exchange Act.
(d) Experience of Purchasers .
Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives,
has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and
financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and
risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so
evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser
is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the
Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete
loss of such investment.
20
(e) General Solicitation .
Such Purchaser is not purchasing the Securities as a result of any
advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the
Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or
broadcast over television or radio or presented at any seminar or
any other general solicitation or general advertisement.
(f) Access to Information .
Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has reviewed the Disclosure
Schedules and has been afforded (i) the opportunity to ask
such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive
answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms
and conditions of the offering of the Securities and the merits and
risks of investing in the Securities; (ii) access to
information about the Company and the Subsidiaries and their
respective financial condition, results of operations, business,
properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to
evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain
such additional information that the Company possesses or can
acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to
make an informed investment decision with respect to the
investment. Neither such inquiries nor any other investigation
conducted by or on behalf of such Purchaser or its representatives
or counsel shall modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s
right to rely on the truth, accuracy and completeness of the
Disclosure Schedules and the Company’s representations and
warranties contained in the Transaction Documents.
(g) Disclosure . Such
Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the Company is not making,
nor has made, any representations or warranties with respect to the
transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set
forth in Section 3.1 hereof, and the Transaction
Documents.
(h) Independent Investment
Decision . Such Purchaser has independently evaluated the
merits of its decision to purchase Securities pursuant to the
Transaction Documents, and such Purchaser confirms that it has not
relied on the advice of any other Purchaser’s business and/or
legal counsel in making such decision.
(i) Facts Related to
Inapplicability of Takeover Protection . Purchaser 1 represents
and warrants that immediately prior to the execution and delivery
of this Agreement, it is not the beneficial owner of 10% or more of
the voting power of the outstanding shares entitled to vote of the
Company and is not, immediately prior to the execution and delivery
of this agreement, an affiliate or associate of the Company, for
which purposes the terms “beneficial owner,”
“affiliate,” and “associate” shall have the
meanings set forth in the respective definitions thereof in the
Minnesota Business Corporation Act. Purchaser 2 represents and
warrants that it has been the beneficial owner of 10% or more of
the voting power of the outstanding shares entitled to vote of the
Company for more than four years.
(j) GE Credit . Assuming the
full cooperation of the Company and no significant deterioration in
its business after the date hereof, and credit committee approval
by GE Credit, Purchaser 1 is not aware of any facts suggesting that
GE Credit will not agree to the amendment set forth in
Section 2.4(b)(vii).
21
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Transfer Restrictions
.
(a) The Securities may only be
disposed of in compliance with state and federal securities laws.
In connection with any transfer of the Securities other than
pursuant to an effective registration statement or Rule 144,
to the Company or to an affiliate of a Purchaser who is an
“accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under
the Securities Act, or in connection with a pledge as contemplated
in Section 4.1(b), the Company may require the transferor
thereof to provide to the Company an opinion of counsel selected by
the transferor and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the form
and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to
the Company, to the effect that such transfer does not require
registration of such transferred Securities under the Securities
Act.
(b) Each Purchaser agrees to the
imprinting, so long as is required by this Section 4.1(b), of a
legend on any of the Securities in the following form:
THESE
SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN
RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES
ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND,
ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN
EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR
PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT
SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND
IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY
A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE
SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY.
THESE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE
MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR”
AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.
The Company acknowledges and agrees
that any Purchaser may from time to time pledge or grant a security
interest in some or all of the Securities to a financial
institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined
in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and who agrees to be bound
by the provisions of this Agreement, the Registration Rights
Agreement, and the Support Agreement and, if required under the
terms of such arrangement, such Purchaser may transfer pledged or
secured Securities to the pledgees or secured parties. Such a
pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval of the Company
and no legal opinion of legal counsel of the pledgee, secured party
or pledgor shall be required in connection therewith. Further, no
notice shall be required of such
22
pledge. At the
applicable Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and
deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party
of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or
transfer of the Securities, including, if the Conversion Shares or
the Warrant Shares are subject to registration pursuant to the
Registration Rights Agreement, the preparation and filing of any
required prospectus supplement under Rule 424(b)(3) under the
Securities Act or other applicable provision of the Securities Act
to appropriately amend the list of selling shareholders
thereunder.
(c) Certificates evidencing the
Securities shall not contain any legend (including the legend set
forth in Section 4.1(b)), (i) following the resale of
Securities pursuant to an effective registration statement
(including the Registration Statement) covering the resale of such
Securities under the Securities Act, if applicable, or
(ii) following any sale of such Securities pursuant to
Rule 144 (assuming the transferor is not an Affiliate of the
Company), or (iii) if such Securities are eligible for sale
under Rule 144(k), or (iv) if such legend is not required
under applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the rules
and regulations promulgated thereunder (including judicial
interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the SEC).
The Company shall cause its counsel to issue a legal opinion to the
Company’s transfer agent promptly after the Effective Date if
required by the Company’s transfer agent to effect the
removal of the legend hereunder, as applicable. If all or any
portion of the Shares are converted, or all or any portion of a
Warrant is exercised, at a time when there is an effective
registration statement to cover the resale of the Conversion
Shares, the Warrant Shares, or both, as applicable, such Conversion
Shares, Warrant Shares or both, as applicable, shall be issued free
of all legends.
(d) The Company agrees that following
the Effective Date or at such time as such legend is no longer
required under Section 4.1(c), it will, no later than three
Trading Days following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company
or the Company’s transfer agent of (i) a certificate
representing Shares, Conversion Shares, or Warrant Shares, as the
case may be, or (ii) a Warrant, in each case, issued with a
restrictive legend, deliver or cause to be delivered to such
Purchaser a certificate or replacement Warrant, as the case may be,
representing such shares or Warrant, as the case may be, that is
free from all restrictive and other legends. The Company may not
make any notation on its records or give instructions to any
transfer agent of the Company that enlarge the restrictions on
transfer set forth in this Section 4.1. Certificates for
Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares subject to legend removal
hereunder shall be transmitted by the transfer agent of the Company
to the Purchasers by crediting the account of the Purchaser’s
prime broker with the Depository Trust Company System.
4.2 Furnishing of Information
. As long as any Purchaser owns Securities, the Company covenants
to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file
within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be
filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange
Act. As long as any Purchaser owns Securities, if the Company is
not required to file reports pursuant to the Exchange Act, it will
prepare and furnish to such Purchaser and make publicly available
in accordance with Rule 144(c) such information as is required for
such Purchaser to sell the Securities under Rule 144. The Company
further covenants that it will take such further action as such
Purchaser may reasonably request, all to the extent required
from
23
time
to time to enable such Purchaser to sell Securities without
registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the
exemptions provided by Rule 144.
4.3 Integration . The Company
shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or
otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in
Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with
the offer or sale of the Securities in a manner that would require
the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the
Securities to the Purchasers or that would be integrated with the
offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and
regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require
shareholder approval of the sale of the Securities to the
Purchasers unless shareholder approval is obtained before the
closing of such subsequent transaction.
4.4 Confidentiality; Required
Disclosure . Each party hereto shall, and shall cause its
affiliates to, keep confidential and not to publish (by press
release, press interview, or otherwise) or otherwise divulge or use
for its own benefit or for the benefit of any third party any
information of a confidential or proprietary nature furnished to it
by any other party, or the existence and terms of this Agreement,
the Support Agreement, or the Registration Rights Agreement, or the
existence or results of the parties’ collaboration hereunder
or thereunder, without the prior written approval of each other
party, except to those of such party’s employees and
representatives as may need to know such information for purposes
of the transactions contemplated by the parties’ agreements,
and except as required by applicable law or by obligations pursuant
to any listing agreement with or rules of any Trading Market. In
the event of any such required disclosure, including the filings
described in below, the disclosing party will, to the extent
practical, (i) provide each other party with written notice of
the required disclosure at least 24 hours in advance of such
disclosure, and (ii) limit such disclosure to the minimum
reasonably deemed by such party to be required under the applicable
law or obligations. The confidentiality obligation described above
shall not apply to information of any party which: (a) was
already known by the recipient prior to the time of its disclosure
by the disclosing party to the recipient; (b) is publicly available
or later becomes publicly available through no fault of the
recipient; or (c) is disclosed to the recipient by a third party
having no similar confidentiality obligation. This obligation shall
terminate three years after execution of this Agreement.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth above, the
Company shall (i) timely file with the SEC a Current Report on
Form 8-K with respect to the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, the Warrants, the Support Agreement, and the
Registration Rights Agreement and may file this Agreement, the
Registration Rights Agreement, the Warrants or form of Warrant, and
the Support Agreement as an Exhibit to such 8-K or a Form 10-Q, and
(ii) make such other filings and notices in the manner and
time required by the SEC and the Trading Market, provided, in the
case of a filing or notice described in clause (i) or
(ii) above, that the information contained in such filing or
notice (other than the filing of such Transaction Documents) is
limited to the information reasonably deemed necessary by the
Company in order for the Company to comply with the Exchange Act
and the regulations promulgated thereunder or the other applicable
legal or Trading Market obligations.
4.5 Shareholder Rights Plan .
No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, to the
knowledge of the Company, any other Person that any Purchaser is an
“ Acquiring Person ” under any
shareholder rights plan or similar plan or arrangement in effect or
hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be
deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan
24
or
arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the
Transaction Documents. The Company shall conduct its business in a
manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company
Act.
4.6 Proxy Statement; Company
Shareholders’ Meeting; Recommendation of Board of
Directors .
(a)
Proxy Statement . As promptly as practicable following the
Closing Date, the Company shall prepare, and provide to Purchaser 1
for review and comment, the Proxy Statement. The Company shall
include any comments to the Proxy Statement as Purchaser 1 shall
reasonably request to be included. Subject to such review and
comment of Purchaser 1, as soon as practicable, and in any event no
later than 15 days, following the Closing Date, the Company
shall file the Proxy Statement with the SEC. The Company shall use
commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Proxy Statement to be
mailed to the Company’s shareholders as promptly as
practicable after the later of (i) ten (10) days after
the date the Company files the Proxy Statement with the SEC and
(ii) the date the Company receives notice from the SEC that it
has no further comments on the Proxy Statement. The Company shall
cooperate and provide Purchaser 1 with an opportunity to review and
comment on any amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement, and
shall include any comments to any such amendment or supplement as
Purchaser 1 shall reasonably request to be included. The Company
will advise Purchaser 1 promptly after it receives notice of any
request by the SEC for amendment of the Proxy Statement or comments
thereon and responses thereto or requests by the SEC for additional
information. If at any time any information relating to the
Company, or any of its Affiliates, officers or directors, should be
discovered by the Company which should be set forth in an amendment
or supplement to the Proxy Statement, so that any of such documents
would not include any misstatement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading, the party which discovers such information shall
promptly notify the other parties hereto and an appropriate
amendment or supplement.
(b)
Shareholders’ Meeting . The Company shall, as promptly
as practicable after the later of (i) ten (10) days after
the date the Company files the Proxy Statement with the SEC and
(ii) the date the Company receives notice from the SEC that it
has no further comments on the Proxy Statement, take all action
necessary in accordance with applicable law and the Company’s
articles of incorporation and by-laws, as each is amended, to duly
give notice of, convene and hold a meeting of its shareholders to
be held as promptly as practicable to consider the approval and
adoption of the elimination of the Exchange Cap (the “
Company Shareholders’ Meeting ”). The
Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to solicit from
its shareholders proxies in favor of the elimination of the
Exchange Cap, and will take all other action reasonably necessary
or advisable to secure the vote or consent of its shareholders
required by the rules of the NASDAQ Global Market or applicable law
to obtain such approvals. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained in this Agreement, the Company may adjourn or postpone
the Company Shareholders’ Meeting to the extent necessary to
ensure that any necessary supplement or amendment to the Proxy
Statement is provided to its shareholders in advance of a vote on
the elimination of the Exchange Cap or, if, as of the time for
which the Company Shareholders’ Meeting is originally
scheduled, there are insufficient shares of Common Stock
represented (either in person or by proxy) to constitute a quorum
necessary to
25
conduct the business of such meeting. The Company shall use
commercially reasonable efforts such that the Company
Shareholders’ Meeting is called, noticed, convened, held and
conducted, and that all proxies solicited in connection with the
Company Shareholders’ Meeting are solicited in compliance
with applicable law, the rules of the NASDAQ Global Market and the
Company’s articles of organization and by-laws, as each is
amended. Without the prior written consent of Purchaser 1, the
elimination of the Exchange Cap shall be the only matter which the
Company shall propose to be acted on by the Company’s
shareholders at the Company Shareholders’ Meeting.
(c) Recommendation of Board of
Directors .
(i) The Board of Directors shall
recommend that its shareholders vote in favor of the elimination of
the Exchange Cap at the Company Shareholders’ Meeting.
(ii) The Proxy Statement shall
include a statement to the effect that the Board of Directors has
recommended that the Company’s shareholders vote in favor of
the elimination of the Exchange Cap.
(iii) Neither the Board of Directors
nor any committee thereof shall withdraw, amend or modify, or
propose or resolve to withdraw, amend or modify in a manner adverse
to Purchaser 1, the recommendation of the Board of Directors that
the Company’s shareholders vote in favor of the elimination
of the Exchange Cap.
4.7 Indemnification of
Purchasers .
(a) Subject
to the provisions of this Section 4.7, the Company will
indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers,
stockholders, members, partners, employees and agents (each, a
“ Purchaser Party ”) harmless from any
and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies,
damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid
in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees
and costs of investigation (collectively, “
Losses ”) that any such Purchaser Party may
suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (i) any breach
of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements
made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction
Documents, without giving effect to any materiality, Material
Adverse Effect or any similar qualifications, or (ii) any
action instituted against any Purchaser, or any of them or their
respective Affiliates, by any shareholder of the Company who is not
an Affiliate of such Purchaser, with respect to any of the
transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such
action is based upon a breach of such Purchaser’s
representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction
Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser may
have with any such shareholder or any violations by the Purchaser
of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such
Purchaser which constitutes fraud, gross negligence, willful
misconduct or malfeasance); provided , however , that
the Company will not have any obligation under
Section 4.7(a)(i) above, unless and until the aggregate amount
of all Losses for which the Company is obligated thereunder exceeds
$200,000 (the “ Threshold ”), and if the
amount of such Losses exceeds the Threshold, then the Company will
be obligated for the entire portion of such Losses from the first
dollar thereof.
26
(b) If
any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect
of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such
Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing. The
Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this
Agreement (i) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected
without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not
be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (ii) to the extent,
but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is
attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the
representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the
Purchasers in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents.
The Company shall not approve the settlement of any claims against
a Purchaser Party without the written consent of such Purchaser
Party, unless such settlement holds such Purchaser Party harmless
and releases the Purchaser Party from all claims.
4.8 Conduct of the Business .
Between the date hereof and the earlier to of the Closing Date and
the date of termination of this Agreement pursuant to
Section 5.1, the Company shall be operated only in the
ordinary course of its business, under the direction and control of
its board of directors.
4.9 Notice of Certain Events and
Access to Information . Between the date hereof and the earlier
to of the Closing Date and the date of termination of this
Agreement pursuant to Section 5.1, the Company shall:
(a) promptly,
and no later than 24 hours after receipt thereof, provide to
Purchaser 1 notice, and all supporting documentation received by
the Company, of any inquiry, request, proposal, or offer, whether
oral or written, with respect to an investment in, or purchase of,
any securities or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
other than sales of inventory in the ordinary course of business;
provided that, the foregoing obligation shall be subject to any
contractual confidentiality obligations to which the Company is
subject immediately prior to the date of this Agreement;
(b) provide
full access at all reasonable times and upon reasonable notice to
the facilities, officers, employees, products, processes,
technology, business and financial records, contracts, business
plans, budget and projections, customers, suppliers and other
information regarding the Company and the Subsidiaries as Purchaser
1 may reasonably request, and, to the extent permitted by KPMG LLP,
the work papers of KPMG LLP, the Company’s independent
accountants, and otherwise provide such assistance as is reasonably
requested by Purchaser 1 in order that Purchaser 1 may have a full
opportunity to make such investigation and evaluation as it shall
reasonably desire to make of the business and affairs of the
Company and the Subsidiaries; and
(c) and
shall cause its officers and directors to cooperate fully
(including providing introductions where necessary) with Purchaser
1 to enable Purchaser 1 to use its commercially reasonable efforts
to satisfy the conditions set forth in Section 2.4(b)(vi) and
(vii).
27
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination . This
Agreement may be terminated by the Purchasers or the Company by
written notice to the other parties hereto, if the Closing has not
been consummated on or before July 31, 2007; provided that, if
the conditions set forth in Section 2.4(b)(vi) and
(vii) shall not have been satisfied on or prior to
June 15, 2007 and the Purchasers shall not have waived the
conditions to Closing pursuant to Section 2.4(b)(vi) and
(vii) on or prior to June 15, 2007 that are not satisfied
by that date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company. In
the event this Agreement is terminated pursuant to the preceding
sentence, all provisions of this Agreement shall terminate and
there shall be no liability on the part of any party hereto, or
their respective officers, directors, managing directors, members
or shareholders, except for willful misconduct by any party hereto
and except that the following Sections shall survive any such
termination indefinitely: Sections 5.2, 5.3 (second sentence
only), 5.16 and 5.17.
5.2 Fees and Expenses . Except
as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the
contrary, including in Section 5.3 below, each party shall pay
the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and
other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such
party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery
and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all
transfer agent fees, stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied
in connection with the delivery of any Securities.
5.3 Closing Fee; Purchasers’
Fees and Expenses . On the Closing Date, in consideration for
the services Purchaser 1 performed in structuring and arranging the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Transaction
Documents, the Company will pay to Purchaser 1 a transaction fee
equal to 1% of Purchaser 1’s Subscription Amount in
connection with the purchase and sale of the Securities hereunder
(the “ Closing Fee ”), by wire transfer of
immediately available funds to an account indicated to the Company
by such Purchaser. In addition, the Company shall reimburse the
Purchasers for (i) the reasonable fees and expenses of Dorsey
& Whitney LLP incurred by Purchasers in connection with the
documentation, negotiation and consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and the Transaction Documents and
(ii) all other reasonable fees and out-of-pocket expenses
incurred by the Purchasers in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereunder (collectively, “ Purchaser
Expenses ”), provided that the aggregate amount which the
Company shall be required to reimburse shall not exceed $500,000
and if the Purchaser Expenses exceed $500,000, Purchaser 1’s
Purchaser Expenses shall be reimbursed before the other
Purchasers’ Purchase Expenses and if Purchaser 1’s
Purchaser Expenses do not exceed $500,000, the other Purchasers
shall be reimbursed pro rata based upon their total Purchaser
Expenses. After the Closing Date, the Company agrees to reimburse
the Purchasers for all fees and expenses incurred in connection
with any future amendment to, waiver of or the enforcement by the
Purchasers of any of their rights arising under this Agreement or
any of the Transaction Documents, or in connection with the review
of the Company’s proxy statement for any meeting of the
Company’s shareholders.
5.4 Entire Agreement . The
Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules
thereto, contain the entire understanding of the parties with
respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior
agreements and understandings, oral or written, with
28
respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been
merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
5.5 Notices . Any and all
notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted
to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed
given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of
transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via
facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages
attached hereto prior to 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) on a Trading Day,
(b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if
such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the
facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto
on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (Eastern
Time) on any Trading Day, (c) the 2 nd Trading Day
following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally
recognized overnight courier service, or (d) upon actual
receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.
The address for such notices and communications shall be as set
forth on the signature pages attached hereto until changed by
notice given in accordance with this Section.
5.6 Amendments; Waivers . No
provision of this Agreement may be waived or amended except in a
written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the
Company and each Purchaser or, in the case of a waiver, by the
party against whom enforcement of any such waiver is sought. No
waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or
requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing
waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a
waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor
shall any delay or omission of either party to exercise any right
hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such
right.
5.7 Headings . The headings
herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this
Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the
provisions hereof. The language used in this Agreement will be
deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their
mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied
against any party.
5.8 Successors and Assigns .
This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of
the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The Company
may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations
hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser. Any
Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement
to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any
Securities, provided such transferee agrees in writing to be bound,
with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions
hereof that apply to the “Purchasers.”
5.9 No Third-Party
Beneficiaries . This Agreement is intended for the benefit of
the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted
assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof
be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in
Section 4.12.
5.10 Governing Law . All
questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and
interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by
and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of
the State of Minnesota, without regard to the principles of
conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal
proceedings concerning the
29
interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents
(whether brought against a party hereto or its respective
affiliates, directors, officers, stockholders, employees or agents)
shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts
located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, U.S.A. Each party hereto
hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the
state and federal courts located in Hennepin County, Minnesota,
U.S.A. for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in
connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or
discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any
of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and
agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim
that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such
court, that such suit, action or proceeding has been commenced in
an improper or inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party
hereto hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and
consents to process being served in any such suit, action or
proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified
mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such
party at the address in effect for notices to it under this
Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and
sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained
herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve
process in any manner permitted by law. Each party hereto hereby
irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding
arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions
contemplated hereby.
5.11 Survival . The
representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained
herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the
Securities.
5.12 Execution . This
Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which
when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement
and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by
each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood
that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event
that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, such
signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party
executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the
same force and effect as if such facsimile signature page were an
original thereof.
5.13 Severability . If any
provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable
in any respect, the validity and enforceability of the remaining
terms and provisions of this Agreement shall not in any way be
affected or impaired thereby and the parties will attempt to agree
upon a valid and enforceable provision that is a reasonable
substitute therefor, and upon so agreeing, shall incorporate such
substitute provision in this Agreement.
5.14 Replacement of Securities
. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is
mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or
cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon
cancellation thereof, or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a
new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or
destruction and customary and reasonable indemnity, if requested.
The applicants for a new certificate or instrument under such
circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs
associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities. If a
replacement certificate or instrument evidencing any
Securities
30
is
requested due to a mutilation thereof, the Company may require
delivery of such mutilated certificate or instrument as a condition
precedent to any issuance of a replacement.
5.15 Remedies . In addition to
being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by
law, including recovery of damages, each Purchaser and the Company
will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction
Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be
adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach
of obligations described in the foregoing sentence and hereby
agrees to waive in any action for specific performance of any such
obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be
adequate.
5.16 Payment Set Aside . To
the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any
Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or such Purchaser
enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or
payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any
part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be
fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by
or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the
Company, a trustee, receiver or any other person under any law
(including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or
federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the
extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof
originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued
in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or
such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
5.17 Independent Nature of
Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights . The obligations of
each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not
joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser
shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the
obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document.
Nothing contained herein or in any Transaction Document, and no
action taken by any Purchaser pursuant thereto, shall be deemed to
constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint
venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that
the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with
respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the
Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to
independently protect and enforce its rights, including without
limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the
other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any
other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any
proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by
its own separate legal counsel in their review and negotiation of
the Transaction Documents. The Company has elected to provide all
Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the
convenience of the Company and not because it was required or
requested to do so by the Purchasers.
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the
parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be
duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the
date first indicated above.
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| WILSONS THE LEATHER
EXPERTS INC. |
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7401 Boone Avenue North |
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Brooklyn Park, MN 55428 |
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Attn: Chief Financial Officer |
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Fax No.: (763) 391-4000 |
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By:
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/s/ Stacy A. Kruse |
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Name: Stacy A. Kruse |
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Title: Chief Financial Officer |
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With a copy to: |
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Faegre & Benson LLP
2200 Wells Fargo Center |
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90 South Seventh Street |
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Minneapolis, MN 55402 |
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Attn: Philip S. Garon |
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Fax No.: (612) 766-1600 |
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
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| PURCHASER: |
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Address for Notice : |
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| MARATHON FUND
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP V |
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90 South Seventh Street,
Suite 3700 |
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Minneapolis, MN 55402 |
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Attn: Michael T. Sweeney |
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| By: Miltiades, LLP |
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Fax No.: (612) 338-2860 |
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| Its: General Partner |
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With a copy to: |
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| By: Marathon Ultimate GP,
LLC |
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| Its: General Partner |
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Dorsey & Whitney LLP |
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50 South Sixth Street |
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Suite 1500 |
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By:
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/s/ Michael S. Israel
Name: Michael S. Israel |
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Minneapolis, MN 55402
Attn: Robert A. Rosenbaum |
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Title: Manager |
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Fax: (612) 340-7800 |
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[SIGNATURE PAGE TO SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
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| PURCHASER: |
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Address for Notice : |
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| PENINSULA
INVESTMENT PARTNERS, L.P. |
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404B East Main Street, 2 nd Floor |
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Charlottesville, VA 22902 |
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| By: Peninsula Capital
Appreciation, LLC |
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Attention: Mr. R. Ted
Weschler |
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| Its: General Partner |
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Fax No.: (434) 220-9321 |
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By:
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/s/ R. Ted Weschler
Name: R. Ted Weschler |
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Title: Managing Member |
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[SIGNATURE PAGE TO SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
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| PURCHASER: |
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Address for Notice : |
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| QUAKER CAPITAL
PARTNERS I, L.P. |
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401 Wood Street, Suite 1300 |
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Pittsburgh, PA 15222 |
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| By: Quaker Premier,
LP |
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Attention: Mark G. Schoeppner |
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| Its: General Partner |
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Fax No.: (412) 281-0323 |
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| By: Quaker Capital
Management Corp. |
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| Its: General Partner |
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By:
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/s/ Mark G. Schoeppner
Name: Mark G. Schoeppner |
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Title: President |
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[SIGNATURE PAGE TO SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
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| PURCHASER: |
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Address for Notice : |
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| QUAKER CAPITAL
PARTNERS II, L.P. |
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401 Wood Street, Suite 1300 |
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Pittsburgh, PA 15222 |
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| By: Quaker Premier II,
LP |
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Attention: Mark G. Schoeppner |
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| Its: General Partner |
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Fax No.: (412) 281-0323 |
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| By: Quaker Capital
Management Corp. |
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| Its: General Partner |
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By:
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/s/ Mark G. Schoeppner
Name: Mark G. Schoeppner |
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Title: President |
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Schedule 1
Purchasers
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Purchaser |
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Shares |
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Warrant Shares |
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Subscription Amount |
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Marathon Fund
Limited Partnership V
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35,000 |
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11,666,667 |
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$ |
35,000,000 |
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Peninsula
Investment Partners, L.P.
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5,000 |
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1,666,667 |
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$ |
5,000,000 |
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Quaker Capital
Partners I, L.P.
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3,150 |
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1,050,000 |
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$ |
3,150,000 |
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Quaker Capital
Partners II, L.P.
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1,850 |
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616,666 |
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$ |
1,850,000 |
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List of Exhibits
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Exhibit A
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Form of Registration Rights
Agreement |
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Exhibit B
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Form of Support Agreement |
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Exhibit C
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Form of Warrant |
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Exhibit D
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Form of Certificate |
EXHIBIT A
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This
Registration Rights Agreement (this “ Agreement
”) is made and entered into as of
, 2007, among Wilsons The Leather Experts Inc., a Minnesota
corporation (the “ Company ”), and the
purchasers set forth on Schedule 1 attached hereto (each a
“ Purchaser ” and collectively, the
“ Purchasers ”).
This
Agreement is made pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement,
dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Company and the
Purchasers (the “ Purchase Agreement
”).
The
Company and the Purchasers hereby agree as follows:
1. Definitions .
Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are
defined in the Purchase Agreement shall have the meanings given
such terms in the Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement,
the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“ Advice ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 10(d).
“Board of
Directors ” means, at any time, the board of
directors of the Company.
“ Excluded
Registration ” means (i) a registration relating
to the sale of securities to employees of the Company or a
subsidiary pursuant to a stock option, stock purchase, or similar
plan; (ii) a registration relating to an SEC Rule 145
transaction; (iii) a registration on any form that does not
include substantially the same information as would be required to
be included in a Registration Statement covering the sale of the
Registrable Securities; or (iv) a registration in which the
only Common Stock being registered is Common Stock issuable upon
conversion of debt securities that are also being registered.
“ Holder ”
or “ Holders ” means the holder or
holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable
Securities or securities convertible into Registrable
Securities.
“ Holder 1
” means Marathon Fund Limited Partnership V.
“ Immediate Family
Member ” means a child, stepchild, grandchild,
parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, life partner (provided
such individual lives in the same household), sibling,
mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law,
brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships,
of a natural person referred to herein.
“ Indemnified
Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(c).
“ Indemnifying
Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(c).
“ Losses ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).
“ PQ Registrable
Securities ” means all Registrable Securities held by
Peninsula Investment Partners, L.P., Quaker Capital Partners I,
L.P. and Quaker Capital Partners II, L.P.
“ Proceeding
” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding
(including, without limitation, an investigation or partial
proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or
threatened.
“ Prospectus
” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement
(including, without limitation, a prospectus that includes any
information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of
an effective Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A
promulgated under the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented
by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the
offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a
Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to
the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all
material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by
reference in such Prospectus.
“ Registrable
Securities ” means as of the date in question all of
(a) the Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares issued or
issuable, (b) any Common Stock issued or issuable (i) upon
conversion of any capital stock of the Company acquired by the
Purchasers after the date hereof, or (ii) upon exercise of any
option, warrant, or other right to acquire Common Stock acquired by
the Purchasers after the date hereof, (c) any shares of Common
Stock issued or issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other
distribution, recapitalization or similar event with respect to the
shares referenced in clauses (a) and (b) above,
(d) any Common Stock issued as (or issuable upon the
conversion or exercise of any warrant, right, or other security
that is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect
to, or in exchange for or in replacement of, the shares referenced
in clauses (a), (b), and (c) above; excluding in all cases,
however, any Registrable Securities sold by a Person in a
transaction in which the applicable rights under this Agreement are
not assigned pursuant to Section 10(g); provided, however,
that none of the above described securities shall be treated as
Registrable Securities if (a) they have been sold to or
through a broker or dealer or underwriter in a public distribution
or a public securities transaction, or (b) they have been sold in a
transaction exempt from the registration and prospectus delivery
requirements of the Securities Act so that all transfer
restrictions and restrictive legends with respect thereto are
removed upon the consummation of such sale.
“ Registration
Statement ” means the registration statements
required to be filed hereunder, including (in each case) 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 in such
registration statement.
“ Rule 144
” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC 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 SEC having
substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
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“ SEC ”
shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission.
“ Selling Shareholder
Questionnaire ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.
2. Registration Rights
.
(a)
Demand Registration .
(i) Upon a written request from
Holder 1, the Company shall (A) within ten (10) days after the
date such request is given, give notice thereof (the “
Demand Notice ”) to all Holders other than the
Holder 1, and (B) as soon as practicable, and in any event
within sixty (60) days after the date such request is given by
the Holder 1, file a Registration Statement under the Securities
Act covering all Registrable Securities that the Holder 1 requested
to be registered and any additional Registrable Securities
requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders,
as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company
within thirty (30) days of the date the Demand Notice is
given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of
Sections 2(a)(ii), 2(a)(iii), and 3(a) below.
(ii) Notwithstanding the
Company’s obligations pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) above,
after receipt of any written request from Holder 1 to file a
Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2(a)(i), if the
Company furnishes to Holder 1 a certificate signed by the
Company’s chief executive officer stating that in the good
faith judgment of the Board of Directors it would be materially
detrimental to the Company and its shareholders for such
Registration Statement to either become effective or remain
effective for as long as such Registration Statement otherwise
would be required to remain effective, because such action would
(A) materially interfere with a significant acquisition,
corporate reorganization, or other similar transaction involving
the Company; (B) require premature disclosure of material
information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for
preserving as confidential; or (C) render the Company unable
to comply with requirements under the Securities Act or Exchange
Act, then the Company shall have the right to defer taking action
with respect to such filing, and any time periods with respect to
filing or effectiveness thereof shall be tolled correspondingly,
for a period of not more than sixty (60) days after the
request of Holder 1 is given; provided , however ,
that the Company may not invoke this right more than once in any
twelve (12) month period; and provided further that the
Company shall not register any securities for its own account or
that of any other shareholder during such sixty (60) day
period other than an Excluded Registration.
(iii) The Company shall not be
obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any
registration pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) after the Company has
effected two registrations pursuant to Section 2(a)(i). A
registration shall not be counted as “effected” for
purposes of this Section 2(a)(iii) until such time as
the
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applicable
Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC,
unless Holder 1 withdraws its request for such registration.
(iv) The Company shall not be
obligated to effect, or take any action to effect, any registration
pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) during the period starting with
the date forty-five (45) days prior to the Company’s
good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date
ninety (90) days after the effective date of, a registration
initiated by the Company for its own issuance of securities;
provided however , that the Company is actively
employing in good faith all reasonable efforts to cause such
registration statement to become effective and the Company complied
with its obligations under Section 2(b) with respect to such
registration. The Company may not invoke this right more than once
in any twelve (12) month period.
(b) Piggy-Back Registrations .
If the Company proposes to register (including, for this purpose, a
registration effected by the Company for shareholders other than
the Holders) any of its Common Stock under the Securities Act in
connection with the public offering of such securities solely for
cash (other than in an Excluded Registration), the Company shall,
at such time, promptly give each Holder notice of such
registration. Upon the request of each Holder given within twenty
(20) days after such notice is given by the Company, the
Company shall, subject to the provisions of Section 3(b),
cause to be registered all of the Registrable Securities that each
such Holder has requested to be included in such registration. The
Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any
registration initiated by it under this Section 2(b) before the
effective date of such registration, whether or not any Holder has
elected to include Registrable Securities in such
registration.
(c) Termination of Registration
Rights . In addition to the other limitations contained in this
Agreement, no Holder shall be entitled to exercise any rights
provided in this Agreement after such time as such Holder may
freely sell all of such Holder’s Registrable Securities
within a three-month period pursuant to Rule 144, or without
regard to the volume limitations of Rule 144 pursuant to
Rule 144(k).
3. Underwriting .
(a) If, pursuant to
Section 2(a)(i), Holder 1 intends to distribute the
Registrable Securities covered by its request by means of an
underwriting, it shall so advise the Company as a part of its
request made pursuant to Section 2(a)(i), and the Company
shall include such information in the Demand Notice. The
underwriter(s) will be selected by Holder 1. In such event, the
right of any Holder to include such Holder’s Registrable
Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such
Holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion
of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting
to the extent provided herein. All Holders proposing to distribute
their securities through such underwriting shall (together with the
Company as provided in Section 4(l)) enter into an underwriting
agreement in customary form with the underwriter(s) selected for
such underwriting. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Section 3(a), if the managing underwriter(s) advise(s) Holder
1 in writing that
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marketing
factors require a limitation on the number of shares to be
underwritten, then Holder 1 shall so advise all Holders of
Registrable Securities that otherwise would be underwritten
pursuant hereto, and the number of Registrable Securities that may
be included in the underwriting shall be allocated among such
Holders of Registrable Securities, including Holder 1, in
proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the number of Registrable
Securities owned by each Holder or in such other proportion as
shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling Holders;
provided , however , that (i) the number of
Registrable Securities held by the Holders to be included in such
underwriting shall not be reduced unless all other securities are
first entirely excluded from the underwriting, and (ii) any
Registrable Securities which are not PQ Registrable Securities
shall not be excluded from such underwriting unless all PQ
Registrable Securities are first excluded from such offering. To
facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above
provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the number of
shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest 100 shares. For
purposes of the provision in this Section 3(a) concerning
apportionment, for any selling Holder that is a partnership,
limited liability company, or corporation, the partners, members,
retired partners, retired members, stockholders, and Affiliates of
such Holder, or the estates and Immediate Family Members of any
such partners, retired partners, members, and retired members and
any trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing Persons, shall
be deemed to be a single “selling Holder,” and any pro
rata reduction with respect to such “selling Holder”
shall be based upon the aggregate number of Registrable Securities
owned by all Persons included in such “selling Holder,”
as defined in this sentence.
(b) In connection with any offering
involving an underwriting of shares of the Company’s capital
stock pursuant to Section 2(b), the Company shall not be
required to include any of the Holders’ Registrable
Securities in such underwriting unless the Holders accept the terms
of the underwriting as agreed upon between the Company and its
underwriters, and then only in such quantity as the underwriters in
their sole discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of
the offering by the Company. If the total number of securities,
including Registrable Securities, requested by shareholders to be
included in such offering exceeds the number of securities to be
sold (other than by the Company) that the underwriters in their
reasonable discretion determine is compatible with the success of
the offering, then the Company shall be required to include in the
offering only that number of such securities, including Registrable
Securities, which the underwriters and the Company in their sole
discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of the
offering. If the underwriters determine that less than all of the
Registrable Securities requested to be registered can be included
in such offering, then the Registrable Securities that are included
in such offering shall be allocated among the selling Holders in
proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the number of Registrable
Securities owned by each selling Holder or in such other
proportions as shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling
Holders. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with
the above provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the
number of shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest 100 shares.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall (i) the
number of Registrable Securities included in such offering be
reduced unless all other securities (other than securities to be
sold by the Company) are first entirely excluded from the offering,
or (ii) the number of Registrable Securities included in the
offering be reduced below thirty percent (30%) of the total number
of
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securities
included in such offering or (iii) notwithstanding
(ii) above, any Registrable Securities which are not PQ
Registrable Securities be excluded from such underwriting unless
all PQ Registrable Securities are first excluded from such
offering. For purposes of the provision in this Section 3(b)
concerning apportionment, for any selling Holder that is a
partnership, limited liability company, or corporation, the
partners, members, retired partners, retired members, stockholders,
and Affiliates of such Holder, or the estates and Immediate Family
Members of any such partners, retired partners, members, and
retired members and any trusts for the benefit of any of the
foregoing Persons, shall be deemed to be a single “selling
Holder,” and any pro rata reduction with respect to such
“selling Holder” shall be based upon the aggregate
number of Registrable Securities owned by all Persons included in
such “selling Holder,” as defined in this
sentence.
(c) For purposes of
Section 2(a)(i), a registration shall not be counted as
“effected” if, as a result of an exercise of the
underwriter’s cutback provisions in Section 3(a), fewer
than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of Registrable
Securities that Holders have requested to be included in such
Registration Statement are actually included.
4. Registration
Procedures . Whenever required under Section 2 to effect
the registration of any Registrable Securities, the Company
shall:
(a) not less than five Trading Days
prior to the filing of each Registration Statement or any related
Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any
document that would be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated
therein by reference), (i) furnish to each Holder copies of
all such documents proposed to be filed (except for any document
incorporated or document to be incorporated by reference and such
post effective amendments or supplements that are solely for the
purpose of incorporating the information contained in the periodic
and/or current reports filed by the Company under the Exchange Act
into the Registration Statement or related Prospectus), which
documents will be subject to the review of such Holders, and
(ii) cause its officers and directors, and use commercially
reasonable efforts to cause its counsel and independent registered
public accounting firm, to respond to such inquiries as shall be
necessary, in the reasonable opinion of respective counsel to each
Holder to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of
the Securities Act;
(b) not file a Registration Statement
or any such Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto if
Holder 1 shall reasonably object in good faith, provided that, the
Company is notified of such objection in writing no later than five
(5) Trading Days after the Holders have been so furnished
copies of any Registration Statement or one (1) day after the
Holders have been so furnished copies of any related Prospectus or
any amendment or supplement;
(c) promptly (i) make available
for inspection by the selling Holders, any managing underwriter(s)
participating in any disposition pursuant to such Registration
Statement, and any attorney or accountant or other agent retained
by any such underwriter or selected by the selling Holders, all
financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents, and
properties of the Company, and (ii) cause the
Company’s
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officers and
directors, and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the
Company’s counsel and independent registered public
accounting firm, to supply all information reasonably requested by
any such selling Holder, managing underwriter, attorney,
accountant, or agent, in each case, as necessary or advisable to
verify the accuracy of the information in such Registration
Statement and to conduct appropriate due diligence in connection
therewith;
(d) subject to Sections 4(a) and (b),
prepare and file, as expeditiously as reasonably possible, with the
SEC a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable
Securities and use commercially reasonable efforts to
(i) cause such Registration Statement to become effective as
promptly as possible after the filing thereof and (ii) upon
the request of Holder 1, keep such Registration Statement effective
for a period of up to one hundred eighty (180) days or, if
earlier, until the distribution contemplated in the Registration
Statement has been completed; provided , however ,
that (A) such one hundred eighty (180) day period shall
be extended for a period of time equal to the period the Holder
refrains, at the request of an underwriter of Common Stock (or
other securities) of the Company, from selling any securities
included in such registration, and (B) in the case of any
registration of Registrable Securities on Form S-3 that are
intended to be offered on a continuous or delayed basis, subject to
compliance with applicable SEC rules, such one hundred eighty
(180) day period shall be extended for up to 360 days, if
necessary, to keep the Registration Statement effective until all
such Registrable Securities are sold;
(e) subject to Sections 4(a) and (b),
prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to
such Registration Statement, and the Prospectus used in connection
with such Registration Statement, as may be necessary to comply
with the Securities Act in order to enable the disposition of all
Registrable Securities covered by such Registration
Statement;
(f) respond as promptly as reasonably
possible to any comments received from the SEC with respect to a
Registration Statement or any amendment thereto and as promptly as
reasonably possible provide the Holders true and complete copies of
all correspondence from and to the SEC relating to a Registration
Statement;
(g) comply with the provisions of the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition
of all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement
during the applicable period in accordance (subject to the terms of
this Agreement) with the intended methods of disposition by the
Holders thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so
amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented;
(h) promptly notify the Holders of
Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant to
clauses (ii) through (vi) hereof, be accompanied by an
instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the
requisite changes have been made) as promptly as reasonably
possible (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than five
Trading Days prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such
Holder) confirm such notice in writing no later than one Trading
Day following the day (i) (A) when a Prospectus or any
Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a
Registration
7
Statement is
proposed to be filed; (B) when the SEC notifies the Company
whether there will be a “review” of such Registration
Statement and whenever the SEC comments in writing on such
Registration Statement (the Company shall provide true and complete
copies thereof and all written responses thereto to each of the
Holders); and (C) with respect to a Registration Statement or
any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective;
(ii) of any request by the SEC or any other federal or state
governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a
Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information;
(iii) of the issuance by the SEC or any other federal or state
governmental authority of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of
the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for
that purpose; (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any
notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or
exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities
for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of
any Proceeding for such purpose; (v) of the occurrence of any
event or passage of time that makes the financial statements
included in a Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion
therein or any statement made in a Registration Statement or
Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or
that requires any revisions to a Registration Statement, Prospectus
or other documents so that, in the case of a Registration Statement
or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any 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; and (vi) the occurrence or
existence of any pending corporate development with respect to the
Company that the Company believes may be material and that, in the
determination of the Company, makes it not in the best interest of
the Company to allow continued availability of a Registration
Statement or Prospectus; provided that any and all of such
information shall remain confidential to each Holder until such
information otherwise becomes public, unless disclosure by a Holder
is required by law, in which case the Holder shall provide the
Company with the opportunity to make such disclosure. If the
Company notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses
(ii) through (vi) of this Section 4(h) to suspend the use
of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus
have been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such
Prospectus. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to
ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as
is practicable;
(i) furnish to each Holder, without
charge, at least one conformed copy of each such Registration
Statement and each amendment thereto, including financial
statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to
be incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by
such Holder, and all exhibits to the extent requested by such
Holder (including those previously furnished or incorporated by
reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the
SEC;
(j) promptly deliver to each Holder,
without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus or Prospectuses
(including each form of prospectus) and each amendment or
supplement thereto as such Holder may reasonably request in
connection with resales by the Holder of Registrable Securities.
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company hereby consents
to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or
8
supplement
thereto by each of the selling Holders in connection with the
offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such
Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, except after
the giving of any notice pursuant to Section 4(h);
(k) prior to any resale of
Registrable Securities by a Holder, use commercially reasonable
efforts to register or qualify in connection with the registration
or qualification (or exemption from the Registration or
qualification) of such Registrable Securities for the resale by the
Holder under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions
within the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in
writing, and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably
necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the
Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement;
provided , that the Company shall not be required to
(i) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where
it is not then so
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