UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 19, 2021

 

THEMAVEN, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

DELAWARE		1-12471		68-0232575
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)		(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

225 Liberty Street, 27th Floor, New York, New York		10281
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 775-600-2765

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name on exchange on which registered
N/A		N/A		N/A

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

[  ]	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

[  ]	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

[  ]	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

[  ]	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

* Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter)

 

Emerging growth company [  ]

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [  ]

 

 

 

Item 1.01 Entry into Material Definitive Agreement

 

Amendment No. 2 to Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement

 

On May 19, 2021, theMaven, Inc. (“Maven”) entered into Amendment No. 2 to Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (“Amendment No. 2”) with Maven Coalition, Inc., TheStreet, Inc., Maven Media Brands, LLC, BRF Finance Co., LLC, an accredited investor, in its capacity as agent for the purchasers from time to time party thereto (“Agent”), and as purchaser (in such capacity, the “Purchaser”), which further amended the Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement, dated March 24, 2020, as amended (and as further amended, restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Note Purchase Agreement”). The Note Purchase Agreement amended and restated the Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 14, 2019, as amended (the “Original A&R NPA”), pursuant to which Maven issued a 15% delayed draw term note (the “Delayed Draw Term Note”). Pursuant to Amendment No. 2, (i) the interest rate on the Existing Notes (as defined in the Original A&R NPA) decreased from a rate of 12% per annum to a rate of 10% per annum; (ii) the interest rate on the Delayed Draw Term Note decreased from a rate of 15% per annum to a rate of 10% per annum; and (iii) Maven agreed that within one (1) business day after receipt of cash proceeds from any issuance of equity interests, it will prepay the Obligations (as defined in the Original A&R NPA) in an amount equal to such cash proceeds, net of underwriting discounts and commissions; provided, that, this mandatory prepayment obligation does not apply to any proceeds that Maven received from (A) the sale of shares of Series K Convertible Preferred Stock during the 90-day period commencing on October 23, 2020 or (B) shares of Maven common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”) issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (as defined below) during the 90-day period commencing on May 20, 2021.

 

The foregoing is only a brief description of the respective material terms of Amendment No. 2 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to Amendment No. 2 that is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K (this “Report”) and incorporated by reference herein.

 

Securities Purchase Agreement

 

On May 20 and 25, 2021, Maven entered into securities purchase agreements (collectively, the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with several accredited investors signatories thereto (collectively, the “Purchasers”), pursuant to which Maven sold an aggregate of 21,445,718 shares of Common Stock, at a per share price of $0.70 (the “Purchase Price”) for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $14.71 million (the “Private Placement”). Maven intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes.

 

The Securities Purchase Agreement contains customary representations and warranties and agreements of Maven and the Purchasers and customary indemnification rights and obligations of the parties. Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, Maven agreed to reimburse B. Riley Securities, Inc., the non-accountable sum of $100,000 for its legal fees and expenses.

 

Additionally, Maven and the Purchasers entered into registration rights agreements (collectively, the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which Maven agreed to register the shares of Common Stock issued to the Purchasers in the Private Placement. Maven has committed to file the registration statement on the earlier of (i) in the event Maven does not obtain a waiver from the holders of the shares of Common Stock that were issued upon the conversion of the Series K Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Waiver”), within ten (10) calendar days following the date Maven’s Registration Statement(s) on Form S-1, registering for resale shares of Common Stock that were issued in connection with offerings prior to the date of the Registration Rights Agreement (the “Prior Registration Statements”), is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and (ii) in the event Maven does obtain the Waiver, the earliest practicable date on which the Company is permitted by Commission guidance to file the initial registration statement following the filing of the Prior Registration Statements (the “Filing Date”). Maven has also committed to cause the registration statement to become effective by no later than 90 days after the Filing Date (or, in the event of a full review by the staff of the Commission, 120 days following the Filing Date). The Registration Rights Agreement provides for liquidated damages upon the occurrence of certain events up to a maximum amount of 6% of the aggregate amount invested by such Purchaser pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement.

 

 

The foregoing is only a brief description of the respective material terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and is qualified in their entirety by reference to the form of Securities Purchase Agreement and the form of Registration Rights Agreement that are filed as Exhibits 10.2 and 10.3, respectively, to this Report and incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

 

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from Item 1.01 hereof.

 

The securities sold in the Private Placement have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), pursuant to an exemption under Section 4(a)(2) of the Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder for transactions of an issuer not involving a public offering, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the Act or an exemption from such registration requirements. Each of the Purchasers signatory to the Securities Purchase Agreement represented in the Securities Purchase Agreement that it is an accredited investor within the meaning of Rule 501 of Regulation D, and is acquiring the shares in a private placement for investment only and not with a view toward, or for resale in connection with, the public sale or distribution thereof. The shares sold in the Private Placement were offered without any general solicitation by Maven or its representatives. Neither this Report, nor the exhibits attached hereto, is an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the shares described herein.

 

Item 9.01 — Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.		Description
10.1		Amendment No. 2 to Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 19, 2021, by and among TheMaven, Inc., Maven Coalition, Inc., TheStreet, Inc., Maven Media Brands, LLC, the Agent, and the Purchaser
10.2		Form of Securities Purchase Agreement among TheMaven, Inc. and each of the several purchasers signatory thereto
10.3		Form of Registration Rights Agreement among TheMaven, Inc. and each of the several purchasers signatory thereto

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

	THEMAVEN, INC.
Dated: May 25, 2021	By:	/s/ Douglas B. Smith
	Name:	Douglas B. Smith
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Amendment No. 2”) is made and entered into as of May 19, 2021, by and among theMaven, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors from time to time party to the Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below), each of the Purchasers from time to time named on Schedule I to the Note Purchase Agreement, and BRF Finance Co., LLC, in its capacity as agent for the Purchasers (in such capacity, “Agent”). Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in the Note Purchase Agreement, as amended hereby

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement dated as of March 24, 2020 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Note Purchase Agreement”), by and among the Borrower, the Guarantors from time to time party thereto, the Purchasers from time to time party thereto, and the Agent, the Purchasers have purchased certain Notes from the Borrower, and the Guarantors have guaranteed the payment of the Obligations, all upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein; and

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested that the Purchasers and the Agent make certain amendments to the Note Purchase Agreement, including, among other things, to exclude certain issuances of Equity Interests from the mandatory prepayment provisions and to reduce the interest rate applicable to the Notes;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

I.	AMENDMENTS TO NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT ON THE AMENDMENT NO. 2 EFFECTIVE DATE:

 

Effective as of the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date, the Note Purchase Agreement is amended as follows:

 

(1)

Definitions.

 

Section 1.1 of the Note Purchase Agreement is amended by amending and restating the following definitions in their entirety, or adding the following new definitions in appropriate alphabetical order, as indicated below in brackets following such definitions:

 

“Amendment No. 2” means Amendment No. 2 to Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 19, 2021, by and among the Borrower, the Guarantors, the Purchasers and the Agent. [New Definition]

 

“Amendment No. 2 Effective Date” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Amendment No. 2. [New Definition]

 

“First Closing Date” means the first Closing Date (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement).

 

 

“Note Documents” means this Agreement, Amendment No. 1, Amendment No. 2, the Security Documents, the Notes (if any), the BRF Finance Co. Letter of Credit, the Fee Letters, the Perfection Certificate, the Fast Pay Intercreditor Agreement, any Subordination Agreements, the Side Letter, the Confirmation and Ratification Agreement, and all other agreements executed by or on behalf of any Note Party and delivered concurrently herewith or at any time hereafter to or for the Agent or any Purchaser in connection with the Notes, all as amended, restated, supplemented or modified from time to time. [Restated Definition]

 

“Securities Purchase Agreement” means that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 19, 2021, by and among the Borrower and the purchasers identified on the signature pages thereto, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time. [New Definition]

 

(2)

Amended Provisions.

 

(a)       Amendment to Section 2.1(C)(1). Section 2.1(C)(1) of the Note Purchase Agreement is amended by replacing “12.00%” with “10.00%”.

 

(b)       Amendment to Section 2.1(C)(2). Section 2.1(C)(2) of the Note Purchase Agreement is amended by replacing “15.00%” with “10.00%”.

 

(c)       Amendment to Section 2.4(A)(2). Section 2.4(A)(2) of the Note Purchase Agreement is amended and restated in its entirety as follows:

 

(2)       Prepayments from Equity Issuances. Promptly, but in no event later than one (1) Business Day after receipt by the Borrower of cash proceeds from any issuance of Equity Interests, the Borrower shall prepay the Obligations in an amount equal to such cash proceeds, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and other reasonable costs associated therewith. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 2.4(A)(2) shall not apply to proceeds received from issuances of (x) Series K Preferred Stock during the ninety (90) day period commencing on October 23, 2020 (the “Series K Exception Period”) or (y) shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement during the ninety (90) day period commencing on the First Closing Date.

 

II.	CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS:

 

This Amendment No. 2 shall become effective as of the first date upon which each of the following conditions is satisfied (the “Amendment No. 2 Effective Date”):

 

(1)       Amendment Documents. The Borrower shall have delivered or caused to be delivered to the Agent this Amendment No. 2.

 

(2)       First Closing Date. The First Closing Date shall have occurred.

 

(3)       Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties set forth in the Note Purchase Agreement and the other Note Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects (or in all respects with respect to any representation or warranty which by its terms is limited as to materiality, in each case, after giving effect to such qualification) on and as of the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date.

 

(4)       No Default. Both before and after giving effect to Amendment No. 2 and the transactions contemplated thereby, no event shall have occurred or be continuing or would result from the amendments contemplated hereby that would constitute an Event of Default or a Default.

 

 

(5)       No Prohibition. No order, judgment or decree of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority shall purport to enjoin or restrain Agent or any Purchaser from entering into this Amendment No. 2 or consummating the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(6)       Fees and Expenses. The Borrower shall have paid all documented or invoiced fees, costs and expenses due and payable on or prior to the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date under the Note Purchase Agreement and the other Note Documents.

 

III.	MISCELLANEOUS:

 

(1)       Ratification, Etc. Except as expressly amended hereby, the Note Purchase Agreement and the other Note Documents and all documents, instruments and agreements related thereto are hereby ratified and confirmed in all respects and shall continue in full force and effect. This Amendment No. 2 and the Note Purchase Agreement shall hereafter be read and construed together as a single document, and all references in the Note Purchase Agreement, any other Note Document or any agreement or instrument related to the Note Purchase Agreement shall hereafter refer to the Note Purchase Agreement as amended by this Amendment No. 2. This Amendment No. 2 shall constitute a Note Document for all purposes of the Note Purchase Agreement and the other Note Documents.

 

(2)       Reaffirmation. Each of the Note Parties as borrower, debtor, grantor, chargor, pledgor, assignor, guarantor, or in other any other capacity in which such Note Party grants Liens or security interests in its property, assets or undertakings or acts as a guarantor or co-obligor, as the case may be, hereby (a) ratifies and reaffirms all of its payment and performance obligations, contingent or otherwise, under each of the Note Documents to which it is a party and (b) to the extent such Note Party granted Liens on or security interests in any of its property, assets or undertakings pursuant to any such Note Document as security for or otherwise guaranteed the Obligations, ratifies and reaffirms such guarantee and grant of security interests and Liens and confirms and agrees that such security interests and Liens shall continue in full force and effect and ranks as continuing security for the payment and discharge of the liabilities and obligations secured or guaranteed thereunder (as the case may be) including, without limitation, all of the Obligations as amended hereby.

 

(3)       No Waiver. Nothing contained in this Amendment No. 2 shall be deemed to (a) constitute a waiver of any Default or Event of Default that may hereafter occur or heretofore have occurred and be continuing, (b) except as a result of the amendments expressly set forth in Section I of this Amendment No. 2, otherwise modify any provision of the Note Purchase Agreement or any other Note Document, or (c) give rise to any defenses or counterclaims to the Agent’s or any Purchaser’s right to compel payment of the Obligations when due or to otherwise enforce their respective rights and remedies under the Note Purchase Agreement and the other Note Documents.

 

(4)       Release. Each Note Party hereby remises, releases, acquits, satisfies and forever discharges the Agent and the Purchasers, their agents, employees, officers, directors, predecessors, attorneys and all others acting on behalf of or at the direction of the Agent or the Purchasers, of and from any and all manner of actions, causes of action, suit, debts, accounts, covenants, contracts, controversies, agreements, variances, damages, judgments, claims and demands whatsoever, in law or in equity, which any of such parties ever had, or now has, to the extent arising from or in connection with any act, omission or state of facts taken or existing on or prior to the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date, against the Agent and the Purchasers, their agents, employees, officers, directors, attorneys and all persons acting on behalf of or at the direction of the Agent or the Purchasers (“Releasees”), for, upon or by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatsoever arising under, or in connection with, or otherwise related to, the Note Documents through the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Note Party hereby waives and affirmatively agrees not to allege or otherwise pursue any defenses, affirmative defenses, counterclaims, claims, causes of action, setoffs or other rights they have or may have under, or in connection with, or otherwise related to, the Note Documents as of the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date, including, but not limited to, the rights to contest any conduct of the Agent, the Purchasers or other Releasees on or prior to the Amendment No. 2 Effective Date.

 

 

(5)       Governing Law. THIS AMENDMENT NO. 2 SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT ANY SUCH OTHER NOTE DOCUMENT EXPRESSLY SELECTS THE LAW OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION AS GOVERNING LAW THEREOF, IN WHICH CASE THE LAW OF SUCH OTHER JURISDICTION SHALL GOVERN.

 

(6)       Counterparts; Effectiveness. This Amendment No. 2 may be executed via facsimile or other electronic method of transmission in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be deemed an original, but all of which counterparts together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has duly executed this Amendment No. 2 to Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first set forth above.

 

	NOTE PARTIES:
	theMaven, Inc., as the Borrower
	By:	/s/ Douglas B. Smith
	Name:	Douglas B. Smith
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer
	Maven Coalition, Inc., as a Guarantor
	By:	/s/ Douglas B. Smith
	Name:	Douglas B. Smith
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer
	THESTREET, INC., as a Guarantor
	By:	/s/ Douglas B. Smith
	Name:	Douglas B. Smith
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer
	MAVEN MEDIA BRANDS, LLC, as a Guarantor
	By:	/s/ Douglas B. Smith
	Name:	Douglas B. Smith
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer

 

[Signature Page – Amendment No. 2 to Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement]

 

 

	AGENT AND PURCHASERS:
	BRF Finance Co., LLC, as Agent and a Purchaser
	By:	/s/ Bryant R. Riley
	Name:	Bryant R. Riley
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page – Amendment No. 2 to Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement]

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of ________, 2021, by and between theMaven, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”).

 

WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires 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 adequacy and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS

 

1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:

 

“Acquiring Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.5.

 

“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 405 under the Securities Act.

 

“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.

 

“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal, legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.

 

“Closing” means the closing or closings, as applicable, of the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to Section 2.1.

 

“Closing Date” means the closing date or closing dates, as applicable, which will be the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents for those investors whose Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Shares, in each case, have been satisfied or waived as of that date.

 

“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“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 be reclassified or changed.

 

“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant, 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 Baker & Hostetler LLP, with offices located at 11601 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1400, Los Angeles, California 90025-0509.

 

 

“Disclosure Schedules” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1.

 

“Effective Date” means the earliest of the date that (a) the initial Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission, (b) all of the Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to Rule 144 or may be sold pursuant to Rule 144 without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions, (c) following the one-year anniversary of the applicable Closing Date provided that a holder of the Registrable Securities is not an Affiliate of the Company, or (d) all of the Registrable Securities may be sold pursuant to an exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(1) of the Securities Act without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and Company Counsel has delivered to such holders a standing written unqualified opinion that resales may then be made by such holders of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such exemption, which opinion shall be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to such holders.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.

 

“GAAP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).

 

“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(p).

 

“Legend Removal Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.1(c).

 

“Liens” means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.

 

“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(n).

 

“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof), or other entity of any kind.

 

“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation, or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.

 

“Public Information Failure” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.2(b).

 

“Public Information Failure Payments” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.2(b).

“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.

 

“Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated on or about the date hereof, among the Company and the Purchasers, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.

 

“Registrable Securities” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

“Registration Statement” means a registration statement meeting the requirements set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement and covering the resale of the Registrable Securities by each Purchaser, as provided for in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

 

“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).

 

“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).

 

“Shares” means the shares of Common Stock purchased hereunder.

 

“Short Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to include locating and/or borrowing shares of Common Stock).

 

“Subscription Amount” shall mean, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for the Shares purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.

 

“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a) and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.

 

“Threshold Amount” means beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, on a fully diluted basis, in excess of 14.99% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or the voting power of the Company.

 

“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.

 

“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the OTC Markets Group Inc. (the “OTC Markets”) OTCQB® Venture Market (the “OTCQB”), the OTC Markets’ OTCQX® Best Market (the “OTCQX”), or the OTC Markets’ Pink Open Market (the “Pink Open Market”) (or any successors to any of the foregoing).

 

“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Transfer Agent Instruction Letter, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto, and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

“Transfer Agent” means American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, the current transfer agent of the Company, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

“Transfer Agent Instruction Letter” means the irrevocable letter from the Company to the Transfer Agent that instructs the Transfer Agent to issue the Shares purchased hereunder.

 

“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if the OTCQB or the OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the OTCQB or the OTCQX, as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTCQB or the OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the Pink Open Market published by the OTC Markets (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Shares then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

 

 

ARTICLE II.

PURCHASE AND SALE

 

2.1 Closing. On the applicable Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, up to an aggregate of $25,000,000 of the Shares at a purchase price per share of $0.70, with an aggregate value for each Purchaser equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser. Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company, via wire transfer or a certified check, immediately available funds equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount and the Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to each Purchaser its respective Shares, and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the applicable Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, each Closing shall occur remotely via the electronic exchange of documents and signatures or at such other time and place as shall be agreed upon by the Company and each Purchaser. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Purchasers acknowledge and agree that, at the election of the Company, the transactions contemplated here may consist of one or more Closings.

 

2.2 Deliveries.

 

(a)

On or prior to each Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:

 

(i)

this Agreement duly executed by the Company for the Subscription Amounts accepted as of such date;

 

	(ii)	the Transfer Agent Instruction Letter, duly executed by the Company and the Transfer Agent, instructing the Transfer Agent to issue, in book-entry form, the number of Shares set forth below each Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement registered in the name of such Purchaser, as more fully described in Section 4.1(d);
	(iii)	the Company shall have provided each Purchaser with the Company’s wire instructions, on Company letterhead and executed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer; and
	(iv)	the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by the Company.

 

(b)

On or prior to each Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company the following:

 

	(i)	this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;
	(ii)	such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount by wire transfer to the account specified in writing by the Company; and
	(iii)	the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser.

 

 

2.3 Closing Conditions.

 

(a)

The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with each Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:

 

	(i)	the accuracy in all material respects on (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) on the applicable Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);
	(ii)	all obligations, covenants, and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the applicable Closing Date shall have been performed; and
	(iii)	the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.

 

(b)

The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with a Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:

 

	(i)	the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the applicable Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);
	(ii)	all obligations, covenants, and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the applicable Closing Date shall have been performed;
	(iii)	the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;
	(iv)	there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof; and
	(v)	from the date hereof to the applicable Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s principal Trading Market and, at any time prior to the applicable Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Shares at the applicable Closing.

 

 

ARTICLE III.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation or otherwise made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in the corresponding section of the Disclosure Schedules, the Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:

 

	(a)	Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect Subsidiaries of the Company are 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 of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. If the Company has no Subsidiaries, all other references to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be disregarded.
	(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, 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 nor 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 the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct 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 adverse effect on the legality, validity, or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, 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.
	(c)	Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors, or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party 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 limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and other 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 by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation by it of the 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, (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 authority 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 could not have or 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 federal, state, local, or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery, and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) the consents of the holders of a majority of interest of the shares of Common Stock that are subject to the Registration Rights Agreement between the Company and certain purchasers of the Series K Convertible Preferred Stock as to the Registration Rights Agreement, (iii) the filing(s) with the Commission pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, (iv) the filing of any requisite notice(s) and/or application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the issuance and sale of the Shares and the listing of the Shares for trading or quotation, as the case may be, thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (v) the filing of a Form D with the Commission under Regulation D of the Securities Act and such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
	(f)	Issuance of the Shares. The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of 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.
	(g)	Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of the date hereof is as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), which Schedule 3.1(g) shall also include the number of shares of Common Stock owned beneficially, and of record, by Affiliates of the Company as of the date hereof. Except 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 under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), 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 set forth on Schedule 3.1(g) and, as a result of the purchase and sale of the Shares, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip 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 the capital stock of any Subsidiary, 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 or capital stock of any Subsidiary. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), the issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary 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 any of such securities. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings, or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, 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 stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Shares. There are no stockholders 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 stockholders.

 

 

	(h)	SEC Reports; Financial Statements. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(h), the Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements, and other documents required to be filed by the Company 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 (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”). As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, 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 Commission 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 applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), 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; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities, or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(i), (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 consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) other than as disclosed in its SEC Reports, the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders 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 officer, director, or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement, or as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g) or (i), no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence, or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets, or financial condition, that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.

 

 

	(j)	Litigation. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(j), there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding, or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary, or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental, or administrative agency, or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local, or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity, or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Shares or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or 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 Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission 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 labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement, or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local, and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
	(l)	Compliance. Except as disclosed in Schedule 3.1(l), 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 judgment, decree, or order of any court, arbitrator, or other governmental authority, or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance, or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state, and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety, and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

	(m)	Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all federal, state, local, and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface, or subsurface strata), including laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases, or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans, or regulations, issued, entered, promulgated, or approved thereunder (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits, licenses, or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license, or approval where in each clause (i), (ii), and (iii), the failure to so comply could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
	(n)	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 could 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.
	(o)	Title to Assets. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(o), the Company and the Subsidiaries do not own any real property and 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 (i) 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 (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state, or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting, and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.
	(p)	Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses, and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a written notice that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated, or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as could not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality, and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

	(q)	Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks 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 the aggregate Subscription Amount. 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 without a significant increase in cost.
	(r)	Transactions with Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports or as is set forth on Schedule 3.1(r), none of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary, 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, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to 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, stockholder, member, or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company, and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
	(s)	Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the applicable Closing Date. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports describing certain weaknesses, 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. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports describing certain weaknesses, the Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by 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, which includes discussion of certain weaknesses. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

 

	(t)	Certain Fees. No brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiaries 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. The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
	(u)	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 Shares by the Company to the Purchasers as contemplated hereby. The issuance and sale of the Shares hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market.
	(v)	Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Shares, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
	(w)	Registration Rights. Other than as set forth on Schedule 3.1(w) and each of the Purchasers, no Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiaries.
	(x)	Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, 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 nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports and as disclosed in Section 3.1(s) hereof, once the Company files the delinquent SEC Reports identified on Schedule 3.1(h), the Company believes it will be, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company (the “DTC”) or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the DTC (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.
	(y)	Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all 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 certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Shares and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Shares.

 

	(z)	Disclosure. The Company confirms that it has not provided, and to the knowledge of the Company, none of its officers or directors nor any other Person acting on its or their behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries except (i) insofar as the existence, provisions, and terms of the Transaction Documents and the proposed transactions hereunder may constitute such information, all of which will be disclosed by the Company as contemplated by Section 4.4 hereof or (ii) to such Purchaser, prior to such disclosure, that has executed a written agreement regarding the confidentiality and use of such information. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct and does 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 the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
	(aa)	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 Shares to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of (i) the Securities Act, which would require the registration of any such securities under the Securities Act, or (ii) any applicable stockholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
	(bb)	Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state, and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports, and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports, and declarations, and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.
	(cc)	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 Shares for sale only to the Purchasers, all of whom qualify as “accredited investors” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act.
	(dd)	Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, 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 any Subsidiary (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 FCPA.
	(ee)	Accountants. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is Marcum LLP.

 

 

	(ff)	No Disagreements with Accountants and Lawyers. There are no disagreements of any kind presently existing, or reasonably anticipated by the Company to arise, between the Company and the accountants and lawyers formerly or presently employed by the Company and the Company is current with respect to any fees owed to its accountants and lawyers that could affect the Company’s ability to perform any of its obligations under any of the Transaction Documents.
	(gg)	Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of the Shares. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Shares. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.
	(hh)	Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(g) and 4.11 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Shares for any specified term, (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities, (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, may presently have a “short” position in the Common Stock, and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders’ equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.
	(ii)	Regulation M Compliance. 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 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 Shares, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Shares, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company.
	(jj)	Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee, or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).

 

	(kk)	U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon Purchaser’s request.
	(ll)	Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
	(mm)	Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no Action or Proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
	(nn)	No Disqualification Events. With respect to the Shares to be offered and sold hereunder in reliance on Rule 506 under the Securities Act, none of the Company, any of its predecessors, any affiliated issuer, any director, executive officer, other officer of the Company participating in the offering hereunder, any beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Company’s outstanding voting equity securities, calculated on the basis of voting power, nor any promoter (as that term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) connected with the Company in any capacity at the time of sale (each, an “Issuer Covered Person” and, together, “Issuer Covered Persons”) is subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the Securities Act (a “Disqualification Event”), except for a Disqualification Event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3). The Company has exercised reasonable care to determine whether any Issuer Covered Person is subject to a Disqualification Event. The Company has complied, to the extent applicable, with its disclosure obligations under Rule 506(e), and has furnished to the Purchasers a copy of any disclosures provided thereunder.
	(oo)	Other Covered Persons. The Company is not aware of any person (other than any Issuer Covered Person) that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with the sale of any Shares.
	(pp)	Notice of Disqualification Events. The Company will notify the Purchasers in writing, prior to the applicable Closing Date of (i) any Disqualification Event relating to any Issuer Covered Person and (ii) any event that would, with the passage of time, become a Disqualification Event relating to any Issuer Covered Person.
	(qq)	Stock Option Plans. Each stock option and warrant granted by the Company under the Company’s stock option plan and other equity incentive plans was granted in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan or other equity incentive plan. No stock option or warrant granted under the Company’s stock option plan or equity incentive plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.

 

 

3.2 Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the applicable Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate as of such date):

 

	(a)	Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership, limited liability company, or similar 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 and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company, or similar action, as applicable, 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 limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and other 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)	No Conflicts. The execution, delivery, and performance by such Purchaser of this Agreement and the consummation by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (i) result in a violation of the organizational documents of such Purchaser, if applicable, (ii) conflict with or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration, or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture, or instrument to which such Purchaser is a party, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, or decree (including federal and state securities laws) applicable to such Purchaser, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for such conflicts, defaults, rights, or violations, which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the ability of such Purchaser to perform its obligations hereunder.
	(c)	Own Account. Such Purchaser understands that the Shares are “restricted securities” and have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and is acquiring the Shares as principal for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Shares 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 Shares in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Shares in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). Such Purchaser is acquiring the Shares hereunder in the ordinary course of its business.
	(d)	Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Shares, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, and on each Closing Date, it will be an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act.
	(e)	Experience of Such Purchaser. 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 Shares, 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 Shares and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.

 

	(f)	General Solicitation. Such Purchaser is not, to such Purchaser’s knowledge, purchasing the Shares as a result of any advertisement, article, notice, or other communication regarding the Shares published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or presented at any seminar or, to the knowledge of such Purchaser, any other general solicitation or general advertisement.
	(g)	Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including all exhibits and schedules thereto) and the SEC Reports 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 Shares and the merits and risks of investing in the Shares; (ii) access to information about the Company and its 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.
	(h)	Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly, executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement or to such Purchaser’s representatives, including, without limitation, its officers, directors, partners, legal and other advisors, employees, agents, and Affiliates, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
	(i)	No “Bad Actor” Disqualification. Neither (i) such Purchaser nor (ii) any entity that controls such Purchaser or is under the control of, or under common control with, such Person, is subject to any Disqualification Event, except for Disqualification Events covered by Rule 506(d)(ii) or (iii) or (d)(3) of the Securities Act and disclosed in writing in reasonable detail to the Company. Such Purchaser has exercised reasonable care to determine the accuracy of the representation made by such Purchaser in this paragraph, and agrees to notify the Company if such Purchaser becomes aware of any fact that made the representation given by such Purchaser hereunder inaccurate.

 

 

	(j)	Reliance on Exemptions. Such Purchaser understand that the Shares being offered and sold to it in reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying in part upon the truth and accuracy of, and such Purchaser’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements, and understandings of such Purchaser set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of such Purchaser to acquire the Shares.
	(k)	Regulation M. Such Purchaser is aware that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of Common Stock and other activities with respect to the Common Stock by the Purchasers.
	(l)	Beneficial Ownership. Other than Purchasers with holdings of Company securities in excess of the Threshold Amount prior to any purchases pursuant to this Agreement (“Existing Investors”), the purchase by such Purchaser of the Shares issuable to it at the Closing will not result in such Purchaser (individually or together with any other Person with whom such Purchaser has identified, or will have identified, itself as part of a “group” in a public filing made with the Commission involving the Company’s securities) (when added to any other securities of the Company that it or they then own or have the right to acquire) acquiring, or obtaining the right to acquire, in excess of the Threshold Amount on a post-transaction basis that assumes that such Closing shall have occurred. Other than Existing Investors, such Purchaser does not presently intend to, alone or together with others, make a public filing with the Commission to disclose that it has (or that it together with such other Persons have) acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, as a result of such Closing (when added to any other securities of the Company that it or they then own or have the right to acquire), in excess of the Threshold Amount on a post transaction basis that assumes that each Closing shall have occurred.
	(m)	Residency. Such Purchaser’s residence (if an individual) or offices in which its investment decision with respect to the Shares was made (if an entity) are located at the address immediately below such Purchaser’s name on its signature page hereto.
	(n)	Delinquent Reports. Each Purchaser acknowledges that (i) the Company is not “current” in its reporting obligations with the Commission and (ii) that the Shares will not be available for resale under the provisions of Rule 144 of the Securities Act after the requisite holding period set forth in such rule until such time, if ever, that the Company files all delinquent reports and other information with the Commission and is considered “current” in its filing obligations for a period of twelve months.

 

The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend, or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.

 

 

ARTICLE IV.

OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES

 

4.1 Transfer Restrictions.

 

	(a)	Compliance with Laws. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article IV, each Purchaser covenants that the Shares may only be disposed of only pursuant to an effective registration statement under, and in compliance with the requirements of, 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 compliance with any applicable state and federal securities laws. In connection with any transfer of Shares other than (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement, (ii) to the Company or to an Affiliate of a Purchaser, (iii) pursuant to Rule 144 (provided, that, the Purchaser acknowledges that the earliest date Rule 144 may be available is one year after the Company becomes current in its Exchange Act filing obligations with the Commission and, provided, further, that, when Rule 144 become available, the Purchaser provides the Company with reasonable assurances (in the form of seller and, if applicable, broker representation letters), that the securities may be sold pursuant to such rule), or (iv) in connection with a bona fide 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 Shares under the Securities Act or applicable state securities law. As a condition of transfer, any such transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and shall have the rights and obligations of a Purchaser under this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement with respect to such transferred Shares.
	(b)	Legends. Any certificates or book-entry notations shall bear a legend as required by the “blue sky” laws of any state and a restrictive legend in substantially the following form, until such time as they are not required under Section 4.1(c):
		THE OFFER AND SALE OF THESE SECURITIES HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF (I) IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR (B) AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN EACH CASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR BLUE SKY LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND ITS TRANSFER AGENT OR (II) UNLESS SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES; PROVIDED, THAT, IN CONNECTION WITH ANY FORECLOSURE OR TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES, THE TRANSFEROR SHALL COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS HEREIN, IN THE SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT, AND UPON FORECLOSURE OR TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES, SUCH FORECLOSING PERSON OR TRANSFEREE SHALL COMPLY WITH ALL PROVISIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, IN THE SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT.

 

The Company acknowledges and agrees that a Purchaser may from time to time pledge pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement with a registered broker-dealer or grant a security interest in some or all of the Shares to a financial institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and, if required under the terms of such arrangement, such Purchaser may transfer pledged or secured Shares 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 pledge. At the appropriate Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of the Shares may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Shares, including, if the 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 Stockholders (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) thereunder. Each Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that, except as otherwise provided in Section 4.1(c), any Shares subject to a pledge or security interest as contemplated by this Section 4.1(b) shall continue to bear the legend set forth in this Section 4.1(b) and be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in Section 4.1(a).

 

 

	(c)	Removal of Legends. The legend set forth in Section 4.1(b) above shall be removed and the Company shall issue a book-entry position (or certificate, as applicable) to such holder or issue to such holder by electronic delivery at the applicable balance account at the DTC, if (i) such Shares are registered for resale under the Securities Act (provided, that, if the Purchaser is selling pursuant to an effective registration statement registering the Shares for resale, the Purchaser hereby agrees to only sell such Shares during such time that such registration statement is effective and not withdrawn, or suspended, and only as permitted by such registration statement), (ii) such Shares are sold or transferred pursuant to Rule 144 (if the transferor is not an Affiliate of the Company), or (iii) such Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144, without the requirement of the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Shares and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions. Following the earlier of (y) the Effective Date and (z) Rule 144 becoming available for resale of the Shares, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Shares and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions, the Company shall cause Company Counsel to issue to the Transfer Agent a legal opinion. Any fees (with respect to the Transfer Agent, Company Counsel, or otherwise) associated with the issuance of such opinion or the removal of such legend shall be borne by the Company. Following the Effective Date, or at such earlier time as a legend is no longer required for certain Shares, the Company will promptly following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company (with written notice to the Company) of a book-entry notation representing the Shares (endorsed or with stock powers attached, signatures guaranteed, and otherwise in the form necessary to affect the reissuance and/or transfer) and an opinion of counsel to the extent required by Section 4.1(a) (such date, the “Legend Removal Date”), deliver or cause to be delivered to such Purchaser a certificate or evidence of a book-entry notation representing such Shares that is free from all restrictive and other legends. The Company may not make any notation on its records or give instructions to the Transfer Agent that enlarge the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section 4.1(c). Book-entry notations subject to legend removal hereunder may be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Purchasers by crediting the account of the Purchaser’s prime broker with DTC as directed by such Purchaser.
	(d)	Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instruction Letter. The Company shall issue an irrevocable Transfer Agent Instruction Letter to its transfer agent to issue to the Purchasers (or in such nominee’s name(s) as designated by a Purchaser) book-entry notations representing the Shares set forth under “Number of Shares to be Acquired” on the signature pages hereto. The Company represents and warrants that no instruction other than the Transfer Agent Instruction Letter referred to in this Section 4.1(d) (or instructions that are consistent therewith) will be given by the Company to the Transfer Agent in connection with this Agreement and that the Shares shall otherwise be freely transferable on the books and records of the Company as and to the extent provided in this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and applicable law. The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations under this Section 4.1(d) will cause irreparable harm to a Purchaser. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that the remedy at law for a breach of its obligations under this Section 4.1(d) will be inadequate and agrees, in the event of a breach by the Company of the provisions of this Section 4.1(d), that a Purchaser shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an order and/or injunction restraining any breach and requiring immediate issuance and transfer, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required.

 

 

	(e)	Remedies. In addition to such Purchaser’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, (i) as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Shares (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date such Shares are submitted to the Transfer Agent) delivered for removal of the restrictive legend and subject to Section 4.1(c), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day after respect to any Trading Date that is five (5) Trading Days after such damages have begun to accrue) for each Trading Day after the Legend Removal Date until such certificate or other instrument is delivered without a legend and (ii) if the Company fails to (a) issue and deliver (or cause to be delivered) to a Purchaser by the Legend Removal Date a certificate or other instrument representing the Shares so delivered to the Company by such Purchaser that is free from all restrictive and other legends and (b) if after the Legend Removal Date such Purchaser purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Purchaser of all or any portion of the number of shares of Common Stock, or a sale of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to all or any portion of the number of shares of Common Stock that such Purchaser anticipated receiving from the Company without any restrictive legend, then, an amount equal to the excess of such Purchaser’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions and other out-of-pocket expenses, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased (including brokerage commissions and other out-of-pocket expenses, if any) (the “Buy-In Price”) over the product of (A) such number of Shares that the Company was required to deliver to such Purchaser by the Legend Removal Date multiplied by (B) the lowest closing sale price of the Common Stock on any Trading Day during the period commencing on the date of the delivery by such Purchaser to the Company of the applicable Shares (as the case may be) and ending on the date of such delivery and payment under this clause (ii).
	(f)	Acknowledgment. Each Purchaser hereunder acknowledges its primary responsibilities under the Securities Act and, accordingly, will not sell or otherwise transfer the Shares or any interest therein without complying with the requirements of the Securities Act. While the Registration Statement remains effective, each Purchaser hereunder may sell the Shares in accordance with the plan of distribution contained in the Registration Statement and, if it does so, it will comply therewith and with the related prospectus delivery requirements unless an exemption therefrom is available. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, agrees that if it is notified by the Company in writing at any time that the Registration Statement registering the resale of the Shares is not effective or that the prospectus included in such Registration Statement no longer complies with the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act, the Purchaser will refrain from selling such Shares until such time as the Purchaser is notified by the Company that such Registration Statement is effective or such prospectus is compliance with Section 10 of the Securities Act, unless such Purchaser is able to, and does, sell such Shares pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act. Both the Company and its Transfer Agent, and their respective directors, officers, employees, and agents, may rely on this Section 4.1(f) and each Purchaser hereunder will indemnify and hold harmless each of such persons from any breaches or violations of this Section 4.1(f).

 

4.2 Furnishing of Information; Public Information.

 

(a)

Reporting Requirements; Filing of Public Information. If the Common Stock is not registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act on the date hereof, the Company agrees to cause the Common Stock to be registered under Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act on or before the 60th calendar day following the date hereof. Until the time that no Purchaser owns the Shares, the Company covenants to maintain the registration of the Common Stock under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and 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 even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

 

(b)

Public Information Failure. At any time during the period commencing from the twelve (12) month anniversary of the date the Company becomes current in its Exchange Act filing obligations and ending at such time that all of the Shares may be sold without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with Rule 144(c)(1) and otherwise without restriction or limitation pursuant to Rule 144, if the Company (i) shall fail for any reason to satisfy the current public information requirement under Rule 144(c) or (ii) has ever been an issuer described in Rule 144(i)(1)(i) or becomes an issuer in the future, and the Company shall fail to satisfy any condition set forth in Rule 144(i)(2) (a “Public Information Failure”) then, in addition to such Purchaser’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, by reason of any such delay in or reduction of its ability to sell the Shares, an amount in cash equal to one percent (1.0%) of the aggregate Subscription Amount of such Purchaser’s Shares then held by the Purchaser on the day of a Public Information Failure and on every thirtieth (30th) day (pro-rated for periods totaling less than thirty days) thereafter until the earlier of (a) the date such Public Information Failure is cured up to a maximum of five (5) 30-day periods and (b) such time that such public information is no longer required for the Purchasers to transfer the Shares pursuant to Rule 144. The payments to which a Purchaser shall be entitled pursuant to this Section 4.2(b) are referred to herein as “Public Information Failure Payments.” Public Information Failure Payments shall be paid on the earlier of (i) the last day of the calendar month during which such Public Information Failure Payments are incurred and (ii) the third (3rd) Business Day after the event or failure giving rise to the Public Information Failure Payments is cured. In the event the Company fails to make Public Information Failure Payments in a timely manner, such Public Information Failure Payments shall bear interest at the rate of 1.0% per month (prorated for partial months) until paid in full. Nothing herein shall limit such Purchaser’s right to pursue actual damages for the Public Information Failure, and such Purchaser shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief.

 

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 Shares in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the Shares or that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Shares for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require stockholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless stockholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.

 

4.4 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the Commission within the time required by the Exchange Act. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with (i) any registration statement contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement and (ii) the filing of final Transaction Documents with the Commission and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b).

 

 

4.5 Stockholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement), or similar anti-takeover 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 or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Shares under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers.

 

4.6 Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, which shall be disclosed pursuant to Section 4.4, and subject to any confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements between the Company and a Purchaser, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have consented to the receipt of such information and agreed with the Company to keep such information confidential. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company delivers any material, non-public information to a Purchaser without such Purchaser’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Purchaser shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees, or Affiliates, or a duty to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees, or Affiliates not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided, that, the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.

 

4.7 Use of Proceeds. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.7 attached hereto, the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares hereunder for working capital purposes and shall not use such proceeds: (a) for the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt, (b) for the redemption of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, (c) for the settlement of any outstanding litigation, or (d) in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations.

 

4.8 Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.8, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, stockholders, members, partners, employees, and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, stockholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (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 that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants, or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against the Purchaser Parties in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is solely based upon a material breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties, or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which is finally judicially determined to constitute fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct). 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, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel, or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed or (z) 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 such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents. The indemnification required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.

 

 

4.9 Listing of Securities. The Company shall, if applicable: (a) in the time and manner required by the principal Trading Market, prepare and file with such Trading Market an additional shares listing application covering the Shares, (b) take all steps necessary to cause such Shares to be approved for listing or quotation on such Trading Market as soon as possible thereafter, (c) provide to the Purchasers evidence of such listing or quotation, and (d) maintain the listing or quotation of such Common Stock on any date at least equal to the number of Shares on such date on such Trading Market or another Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Common Stock for electronic transfer through the DTC or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the DTC or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

4.10 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of any Transaction Document) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.

 

4.11 Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it, nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and June 2, 2021 (such date, the “Cleansing Date”). Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in the Disclosure Schedules. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty, or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the Cleansing Date, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the Cleansing Date, and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality or duty not to trade in the securities of the Company to the Company or its Subsidiaries after the Cleansing Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.

 

4.12 Form D; Blue Sky Filings. The Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the Shares as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof, promptly upon request of any Purchaser. The Company shall take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to qualify the Shares for, sale to the Purchasers at the applicable Closing under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States, and shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon request of any Purchaser.

 

4.13 Filing of Exchange Act Reports. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to file (a) its Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, (b) all its required Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020, September 30, 2020, and March 31, 2021, and (c) except as disclosed on Schedule 4.13, any current reports on Form 8-K Reports required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, at the earliest practicable date, but in no event later than July 31, 2021.

 

 

ARTICLE V.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if a Closing has not been consummated on or before the fifth (5^th) Trading Day following the date hereof; provided, however, that no such termination will affect the right of any party to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).

 

5.2 Fees and Expenses. At the Closing, the Company has agreed to reimburse B. Riley Securities, Inc. the non-accountable sum of $100,000.00 for its legal fees and expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, 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 (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company and any conversion or exercise notice delivered by a Purchaser), stamp taxes, and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.

 

5.3 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 thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits, and schedules.

 

5.4 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 or email attachment at the e-mail address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or email attachment at the facsimile number or e-mail address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (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. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

5.5 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented, or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and Purchasers of at least a majority in interest of the Shares then held by the Purchasers, or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought, provided that if any amendment, modification, or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Purchaser (or group of Purchasers), the consent of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or group of Purchasers) shall also be required. 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 any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right. Any proposed amendment or waiver that disproportionately, materially, and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Purchaser relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Purchasers shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Purchaser. Any amendment effected in accordance with this Section 5.5 shall be binding upon each Purchaser and holder of the Shares and the Company.

 

 

5.6 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.

 

5.7 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 (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Shares, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Shares, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”

 

5.8 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 4.8 and this Section 5.8.

 

5.9 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 New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal Proceedings concerning the 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, partners, members, employees, or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan 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 Action or Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such Action or Proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such Proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such 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 other manner permitted by law. If any party shall commence an Action or Proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.8, the prevailing party in such Action or Proceeding shall be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such Action or Proceeding.

 

5.10 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive a Closing and the delivery of the Shares.

 

5.11 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 each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, 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 or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.

 

5.12 Severability. If any term, provision, covenant, or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void, or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants, and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired, or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant, or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants, and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void, or unenforceable.

 

 

5.13 Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand, or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand, or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights.

 

5.14 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any of the Shares is mutilated, lost, stolen, or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), 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. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Shares.

 

5.15 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers 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 contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any Action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

5.16 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 or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or 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 its 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 any of the Purchasers. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.

 

5.17 Liquidated Damages. The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.

 

5.18 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

5.19 Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and shares of Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations, and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.

 

5.20 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.

 

(Signature Pages Follow)

 

 

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.

 

THEMAVEN, INC.		Address for Notice:
By:			Email:
Name:			Fax:
Title:

 

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Baker & Hostetler LLP

Attention: Jeffrey Berg

11601 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1400,

Los Angeles, California 90025-0509

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]

 

 

[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO MaVEN SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.

 

Name of Purchaser:
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser:
Name of Authorized Signatory:
Title of Authorized Signatory:
Email Address of Authorized Signatory:
Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory:
Address for Notice to Purchaser:
Delivery Instructions for Shares:
Subscription Amount: $
Number of Shares to be Acquired:
EIN Number:

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Registration Rights Agreement

 

See attached.

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.3

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of May __, 2021, between theMaven, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the several purchasers signatory hereto (each such purchaser, a “Purchaser” and, collectively, the “Purchasers”).

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of May __, 2021 between the Company and each Purchaser (the “Purchase Agreement”), the Company has agreed, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement, to issue and sell, to the Purchasers up to an aggregate of $25,000,000 of the Shares (as defined below).

 

WHEREAS, in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide the Purchasers certain registration rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder, and applicable state securities laws.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the adequacy and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser 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 7(b)

 

“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 be reclassified or changed.

 

“Commission Guidance” means (i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance of the Commission staff, or any comments, requirements, or requests of the Commission staff, (ii) the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and (iii) the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Effectiveness Date” means, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required to be filed hereunder, the 90th calendar day following the Filing Date (or, in the event of a “full review” by the Commission, the 120th calendar day following the Filing Date hereof) and with respect to any additional Registration Statements that may be required pursuant to Section 2(c), the 90th calendar day following the date on which an additional Registration Statement is required to be filed hereunder (or, in the event of a “full review” by the Commission, the 120th calendar day following the date such additional Registration Statement is required to be filed hereunder); provided, however, that in the event the Company is notified by the Commission that one or more of the above Registration Statements will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further review and comments, the Effectiveness Date as to such Registration Statement shall be the fifth Trading Day following the date on which the Company is so notified if such date precedes the dates otherwise required above, provided, further, if such Effectiveness Date falls on a day that is not a Trading Day, then the Effectiveness Date shall be the next succeeding Trading Day.

 

“Effectiveness Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).

 

“Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).

 

“Event Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).

 

“Filing Date” means, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the earlier of (i) in the event the Company does not obtain the Waiver, within ten (10) calendar days following the date the Company’s Registration Statement(s) on Form S-1, registering for resale shares of Common Stock that were issued in connection with offerings prior to the date hereof (the “Prior Registration Statements”), is declared effective by the Commission and (ii) in the event the Company does obtain the Waiver, the earliest practicable date on which the Company is permitted by Commission Guidance to file the Initial Registration Statement following the filing of the Prior Registration Statements, and, with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 2(b), the earliest practical date on which the Company is permitted by Commission Guidance to file such additional Registration Statements related to the Registrable Securities.

 

 

“Holder” or “Holders” means the holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable Securities.

 

“Indemnified Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).

 

“Indemnifying Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).

 

“Initial Registration Statement” means the initial Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement.

 

“Losses” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

 

“Plan of Distribution” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).

 

“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 by the Commission pursuant to 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 any date of determination, (a) the Shares issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and (b) any securities issued or then issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other distribution, recapitalization or similar event with respect to the foregoing; provided, however, that any such Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) for so long as (a) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such Registrable Securities is declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act and such Registrable Securities have been disposed of by the Holder in accordance with such effective Registration Statement, (b) such Registrable Securities have been previously sold in accordance with Rule 144 or otherwise by the Holder, or (c) such securities become eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without current public information pursuant to Rule 144 as set forth in a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed, delivered and acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holders (assuming that such securities and any securities issuable upon exercise, conversion, or exchange of which, or as a dividend upon which, such securities were issued or are issuable, were at no time held by any Affiliate of the Company).

 

“Registration Statement” means any registration statement required to be filed hereunder pursuant to Section 2(a) and any additional registration statements contemplated by Section 2(b), including (in each case) the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to any 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 any such registration statement.

 

“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

 

 

“Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

“Seasoned Issuer” means an issuer eligible to use Form S-3 under the Securities Act and who is not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405.

 

“Selling Stockholder Questionnaire” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).

 

“Waiver” means a waiver to be obtained from holders of the shares of Common Stock that were issued upon the conversion of the Series K Preferred Stock, which holders were granted certain registration rights.

 

2.

Shelf Registration.

 

(a)

On or prior to each Filing Date, the Company shall prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities that are not then registered on an existing and effective Registration Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. Each Registration Statement filed hereunder shall be on an appropriate form covering the resale of the Registrable Securities and, subject to any comments from the Commission, shall contain (unless otherwise directed by at least 60% in interest of the Holders) substantially the “Plan of Distribution” attached hereto as Annex A and substantially the “Selling Stockholder” section attached hereto as Annex A; provided, however, that no Holder shall be required to be named as an “underwriter” without such Holder’s express prior written consent. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall use its commercial best efforts to cause a Registration Statement filed under this Agreement be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, but in any event no later than the applicable Effectiveness Date, and shall use its commercial best efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act as to a Holder until the date that the Registrable Securities of the Holder covered by such Registration Statement (i) have been sold, thereunder or pursuant to Rule 144, or (ii) may be sold without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 and without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144, as determined by Company Counsel pursuant to a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed and acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holders (the “Effectiveness Period”). The Company shall telephonically request effectiveness of a Registration Statement as of 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day. The Company shall promptly notify the Holders via facsimile or by e-mail of the effectiveness of a Registration Statement no later than one (1) Trading Day after the Company telephonically confirms effectiveness with the Commission, which shall be the date requested for effectiveness of such Registration Statement. The Company shall file a final Prospectus with the Commission as required by Rule 424 no later than 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) one (1) Trading Day after the effective date of such Registration Statement.

 

 

(b)

If at any time the Commission takes the position that the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act or requires any Holder to be named as an “underwriter,” the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to persuade the Commission that the offering contemplated by the Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering “by or on behalf of the issuer” as defined in Rule 415 and that none of the Holders is an “underwriter.” In the event that, despite the Company’s reasonable best efforts and compliance with the terms of this Section 2(b), the Commission refuses to alter its position, the Company shall (i) remove from the Registration Statement such portion of the Registrable Securities (the “Cut Back Shares”) and/or (ii) agree to such restrictions and limitations on the registration and resale of the Registrable Securities as the Commission may require to assure the Company’s compliance with the requirements of Rule 415 (collectively, the “SEC Restrictions”), provided, however, that the Company shall not agree to name any Holder as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement without the prior written consent of such Holder. Any cutback imposed on the Holders pursuant to this Section 2(b) shall be allocated among the Holders on a pro rata basis unless the SEC Restrictions otherwise require or provide or the Holders otherwise agree. In the event of a cutback hereunder, the Company shall give the Holders at least five (5) Trading Days prior written notice along with the calculations as to such Holder’s allotment. No liquidated damages shall accrue as to any Cut Back Shares until such date as the Company is able to effect the registration of such Cut Back Shares in accordance with any SEC Restrictions (such date, the “Restriction Termination Date” of such Cut Back Shares). From and after the Restriction Termination Date applicable to any Cut Back Shares, all of the provisions of this Section 2(b) (including the liquidated damages provisions) shall again be applicable to such Cut Back Shares; provided, however, that (x) the Filing Deadline for the Registration Statement including such Cut Back Shares shall be ten Business Days after such Restriction Termination Date and (y) the Effectiveness Deadline with respect to such Cut Back Shares shall be the ninetieth (90th) day immediately after the Restriction Termination Date or the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day if the Commission reviews such Registration Statement (but in any event no later than three (3) Business Days from the Commission indicating it has no further comments on such Registration Statement).

 

(c)

Subject to Section 2(b), if: (i) the Initial Registration Statement is not filed on or prior to its Filing Date (if the Company files the Initial Registration Statement without affording the Holders the opportunity to review and comment on the same as required by Section 3(a) herein, the Company shall be deemed to have not satisfied this clause (i)), (ii) the Company fails to file with the Commission a request for acceleration of a Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 461 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, within five (5) Trading Days of the date that the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the Commission that such Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review, (iii) prior to the effective date of a Registration Statement, the Company fails to file a pre-effective amendment and otherwise respond in writing to comments made by the Commission in respect of such Registration Statement within twenty-five (25) calendar days after the receipt of comments by or notice from the Commission that such amendment is required in order for such Registration Statement to be declared effective, (iv) a Registration Statement registering for resale all of the Registrable Securities is not declared effective by the Commission by the Effectiveness Date of the Initial Registration Statement, or (v) after the effective date of a Registration Statement, such Registration Statement ceases for any reason to remain continuously effective as to all Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement, or the Holders are otherwise not permitted to utilize the Prospectus therein to resell such Registrable Securities, for more than twenty-five (25) consecutive calendar days or more than an aggregate of fifty (50) calendar days (which need not be consecutive calendar days) during any 12-month period (any such failure or breach being referred to as an “Event”, and for purposes of clauses (i) and (iv), the date on which such Event occurs, and for purpose of clause (ii) the date on which such five (5) Trading Day period is exceeded, and for purpose of clause (iii) the date which such twenty-five (25) calendar day period is exceeded, and for purpose of clause (v) the date on which such twenty-five (25) or fifty (50) calendar day period, as applicable, is exceeded being referred to as “Event Date”), then, in addition to any other rights the Holders may have hereunder or under applicable law, on each such Event Date and on each monthly anniversary of each such Event Date (if the applicable Event shall not have been cured by such date) until the applicable Event is cured, the Company shall pay to each Holder an amount in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, equal to the product of 1.0% multiplied by the aggregate Subscription Amount paid by such Holder pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. If the Company fails to pay any partial liquidated damages pursuant to this Section in full within seven days after the date payable, the Company will pay interest thereon at a rate of 12% per annum (or such lesser maximum amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to the Holder, accruing daily from the date such partial liquidated damages are due until such amounts, plus all such interest thereon, are paid in full. The partial liquidated damages pursuant to the terms hereof shall apply on a daily pro rata basis for any portion of a month prior to the cure of an Event. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or the Purchase Agreement, the maximum amount of liquidated damages that a Holder may receive shall not exceed 6% of the Subscription Amount of such Holder.

 

 

(d)

For the avoidance of doubt, in addition to the Registrable Securities, the Company shall be permitted, in its discretion, to register for resale shares of Common Stock not held by the Holders on a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement. In the event the Commission takes the position that the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act or requires any Holder to be named as an “underwriter,” as more fully contemplated by Section 2(b), the Company hereby agrees that the Registrable Securities shall have priority and, the number of Registrable Securities included for resale in a Registration Statement shall be reduced last.

 

3.

Registration Procedures. In connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company shall:

 

(a)

Not less than five (5) Trading Days prior to the filing of each Registration Statement and not less than one (1) Trading Day prior to the filing of any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any document that would be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference), the Company shall (i) furnish to each Holder copies of all such documents proposed to be filed, which documents (other than those incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference) will be subject to the review of such Holders, and (ii) cause its officers and directors, counsel and independent registered public accountants 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. Each Holder agrees to furnish to the Company a completed questionnaire in the form attached to this Agreement as Annex B (a “Selling Stockholder Questionnaire”) on a date that is not less than two (2) Trading Days prior to the Filing Date or by the end of the fourth (4th) Trading Day following the date on which such Holder receives draft materials in accordance with this Section. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to furnish to the Holders any prospectus supplement being prepared and filed solely to name new or additional selling stockholders unless such Holders are named in such prospectus supplement. In addition, in the event that any Registration Statement is on Form S-1 (or other form which does not permit incorporation by reference), the Company shall not be required to furnish to the Holders any prospectus supplement containing information included in a report or proxy statement filed under the Exchange Act that would be incorporated by reference in a Registration Statement if such Registration Statement were on Form S-3 (or other form which permits incorporation by reference). The Company shall duly consider any comments made by Holders and received by the Company no later than two Trading Days prior to the filing of the Registration Statement, but shall not be required to accept any such comments to which it reasonably objects.

 

 

(b)

(i) Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, to each Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities, (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this Agreement), and, as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424, (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible to any comments received from the Commission with respect to each Registration Statement or any amendment thereto), and (iv) comply in all material respects with the applicable 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.

 

(c)

Notify the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant to clauses (iii) 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 three (3) Trading Days prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person) confirm such notice in writing no later than one (1) Trading Day following the day: (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement is proposed to be filed (but only to the extent notice is required under Section 3(a) above), (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and whenever the Commission comments in writing on such Registration Statement (in which case the Company shall, solely to the extent such comments related to the Selling Stockholders or the Plan of Distribution sections, provide true and complete copies thereof and all written responses thereto to each of the Holders that pertain to the Holders as a Selling Stockholder; for purposes of clarify the Company shall have no obligation to provide any information that it reasonably believes would constitute material and non-public information), and (C) with respect to a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has been declared effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information that pertains to the Holders as selling stockholders or the Plan of Distribution, (iii) of the issuance by the Commission 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 or incorporation by reference 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) of 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, however, that in no event shall any such notice contain any information which would constitute material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

 

(d)

Use its reasonable best efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order stopping or suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.

 

(e)

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 Person, and all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission; provided, that any such item which is available on the EDGAR system (or successor thereto) need not be furnished in physical form.

 

(f)

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or 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 3(d).

 

(g)

Prior to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its reasonable best efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders 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, to keep each registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period 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 qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject, or file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.

 

(h)

If requested by a Holder, cooperate with such Holder to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates or book-entry statements representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which certificates or book-entry statements shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holder may request.

 

(i)

Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 3(c)(v), as promptly as reasonably possible under the circumstances taking into account the Company’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its stockholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to a Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, neither a Registration Statement nor such Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses (iii) through (vi) of Section 3(c) above 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 its commercial best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable. The Company shall be entitled to exercise its right under this Section 3(i) to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus, subject to the payment of partial liquidated damages otherwise required pursuant to Section 2(c), for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days (which need not be consecutive days) in any 12-month period.

 

 

(j)

Otherwise use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 172 under the Securities Act, file any final Prospectus, including any supplement or amendment thereof, with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, promptly inform the Holders in writing if, at any time during the Effectiveness Period, the Company does not satisfy the conditions specified in Rule 172 and, as a result thereof, the Holders are required to deliver a Prospectus in connection with any disposition of Registrable Securities and take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate the registration of the Registrable Securities hereunder.

 

(k)

The Company may require each selling Holder to furnish to the Company a certified statement as to the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and, if required by the Commission, the natural persons thereof that have voting and dispositive control over the shares. During any periods that the Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of the Registrable Securities solely because any Holder fails to furnish such information within three (3) Trading Days of the Company’s request, any liquidated damages that are accruing at such time as to such Holder only shall be tolled and any Event that may otherwise occur solely because of such delay shall be suspended as to such Holder only, until such information is delivered to the Company.

 

4.

Holders’ Obligations. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to complete any registration pursuant to this Agreement with respect to the Registrable Securities of a Holder that such Holder shall timely furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it as shall be reasonably required by the Company to effect and maintain the effectiveness of the registration of such Registrable Securities and shall timely executive such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request. Any sale of any Registrable Securities by any Holder pursuant to a Prospectus delivered by such Holder shall constitute a representation and warranty by such Holder that the information regarding such Holder is as set forth in such Prospectus, and that such Prospectus does not as of the time of such sale contain any untrue statement of a material fact regarding such Holder or omit to state any material fact regarding such Holder necessary to make the statements in such Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, solely to the extent such facts are based upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder for use in such Prospectus.

 

5.

Registration Expenses. All fees and expenses incident to the Company’s performance of or compliance with its obligations shall be borne by the Company whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent registered public accountants) (A) with respect to filings made with the Commission, (B) with respect to filings required to be made with any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading or quotation, and (C) in compliance with applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws reasonably agreed to by the Company in writing (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company in connection with Blue Sky qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities), (ii) printing expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and (vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder. In no event shall the Company be responsible for any broker or similar commissions of any Holder or, except to the extent provided for in the Transaction Documents, any legal fees or other costs of the Holders.

 

 

6.

Indemnification.

 

(a)

Indemnification by the Company. The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors, members, partners, agents, brokers (including brokers who offer and sell Registrable Securities as principal as a result of a pledge or any failure to perform under a margin call of Common Stock), investment advisors and employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each of them, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers, directors, members, stockholders, partners, agents, and employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each such controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees), and expenses (collectively, “Losses”), as incurred, arising out of or relating to (1) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood that each Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose) or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading or (2) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder, in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that (i) such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, or to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a Registration Statement, such Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose) or (ii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(c)(iii)-(vi), the use by such Holder of an outdated, defective or otherwise unavailable Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated, defective, or otherwise unavailable for use by such Holder and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d). The Company shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat, or assertion of any Proceeding arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement of which the Company is aware. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such indemnified person and shall survive the transfer of any Registrable Securities by any of the Holders in accordance with Section 6(h).

 

(b)

Indemnification by Holders. Each Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, agents and employees, each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents, or employees of such controlling Persons, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses, as incurred, to the extent arising out of or based solely upon: any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading (i) to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so furnished in writing by such Holder to the Company expressly for inclusion in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or (ii) to the extent, but only to the extent, that such information relates to such Holder’s information provided in the Selling Stockholder Questionnaire or the proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a Registration Statement (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose), such Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto. In no event shall the liability of a selling Holder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net of all expenses paid by such Holder in connection with any claim relating to this Section 6 and the amount of any damages such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or omission) received by such Holder upon the sale of the Registrable Securities included in the Registration Statement giving rise to such indemnification obligation.

 

 

(c)

Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. If any Proceeding shall be brought or asserted against any Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “Indemnified Party”), such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is sought (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party and the payment of all fees and expenses incurred in connection with defense thereof, provided, that the failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to the extent that it shall be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) that such failure shall have materially and adversely prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.

 

An Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties unless: (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses, (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding, or (3) the named parties to any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and counsel to the Indemnified Party shall reasonably believe that a material conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one separate counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party). The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding.

 

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all reasonable fees and expenses of the Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees and expenses to the extent incurred in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Proceeding in a manner not inconsistent with this Section) shall be paid to the Indemnified Party, as incurred, within ten Trading Days of written notice thereof to the Indemnifying Party, provided, that the Indemnified Party shall promptly reimburse the Indemnifying Party for that portion of such fees and expenses applicable to such actions for which such Indemnified Party is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) not to be entitled to indemnification hereunder.

 

 

(d)

Contribution. If the indemnification under Section 6(a) or 6(b) is unavailable to an Indemnified Party or insufficient to hold an Indemnified Party harmless for any Losses, then each Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of such Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or relates to information supplied by, such Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action, statement, or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of any Losses shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, any reasonable attorneys’ or other fees or expenses incurred by such party in connection with any Proceeding to the extent such party would have been indemnified for such fees or expenses if the indemnification provided for in this Section was available to such party in accordance with its terms.

 

The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6(d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. In no event shall the contribution obligation of a Holder of Registrable Securities be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net of all expenses paid by such Holder in connection with any claim relating to this Section 6 and the amount of any damages such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission) received by it upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such contribution obligation.

 

The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties.

 

7.

Miscellaneous.

 

(a)

Remedies. In the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder of any of their respective obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the Company, as the case may be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, shall be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. Each of the Company and each Holder agrees that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions of this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall not assert or shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

(b)

Discontinued Disposition. By its acquisition of Registrable Securities, each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3(c)(iii) through (vi), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under a Registration Statement until it is advised in writing (the “Advice”) by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus (as it may have been supplemented or amended) may be resumed. The Company will use its best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable. The Company agrees and acknowledges that any periods during which the Holder is required to discontinue the disposition of the Registrable Securities hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section 2(c).

 

 

(c)

Piggy-Back Registrations. If, at any time during the Effectiveness Period, there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement relating to an offering for its own account or the account of others under the Securities Act of any of its equity securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the Securities Act) or their then equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in connection with the Company’s stock option or other employee benefit plans, then the Company shall deliver to each Holder a written notice of such determination and, if within fifteen days after the date of the delivery of such notice, any such Holder shall so request in writing, the Company shall include in such registration statement all or any part of such Registrable Securities such Holder requests to be registered; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to register any Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 7(c) that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 (without volume restrictions or current public information requirements) promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or that are the subject of a then effective Registration Statement that is available for resales or other dispositions by such Holder.

 

(d)

Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and the Holders of 50.1% or more of the then outstanding Registrable Securities, provided, that, if any amendment, modification, or waiver adversely impacts a Holder (or group of Holders), the consent of such adversely impacted Holder (or group of Holders) shall be required. If a Registration Statement does not register all of the Registrable Securities pursuant to a waiver or amendment done in compliance with the previous sentence, then the number of Registrable Securities to be registered for each Holder shall be reduced pro rata among all Holders and each Holder shall have the right to designate which of its Registrable Securities shall be omitted from such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of a Holder or some Holders and that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given only by such Holder or Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which such waiver or consent relates; provided, however, that the provisions of this sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except in accordance with the provisions of the first sentence of this Section 7(d). No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration also is offered to all of the parties to this Agreement.

 

(e)

Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

 

(f)

Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties and shall inure to the benefit of each Holder. The Company may not assign (except by merger) its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of all of the Holders of the then outstanding Registrable Securities. Each Holder may assign their respective rights hereunder in the manner and to the Persons as permitted under Section 5.7 of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(g)

No Inconsistent Agreements. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered, as of the date hereof, nor shall the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on or after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities, that would have the effect of impairing the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof. Except as set forth on Schedule 7(g), neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has previously entered into any agreement granting any registration rights with respect to any of its securities to any Person that have not been satisfied in full.

 

(h)

Execution and Counterparts. 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 or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, 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 or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.

 

 

(i)

Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(j)

Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any other remedies provided by law.

 

(k)

Severability. If any term, provision, covenant, or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void, or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants, and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired, or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant, or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants, and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void, or unenforceable.

 

(l)

Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of the Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

 

(m)

Independent Nature of Holders’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Holder hereunder are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Holder hereunder, and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Holder hereunder. Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture, or any other kind of group or entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert or as a group or entity with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other matters, and the Company acknowledges that the Holders are not acting in concert or as a group, and the Company shall not assert any such claim, with respect to such obligations or transactions. Each Holder shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. The use of a single agreement with respect to the obligations of the Company contained was solely in the control of the Company, not the action or decision of any Holder, and was done solely for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Holder. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and a Holder, solely, and not between the Company and the Holders collectively and not between and among Holders.

 

(n)

Designation of Law Firm. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP is hereby designated as the law firm to review the Registration Statement on behalf of the Holders.

 

********************

(Signature Pages Follow)

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

	THEMAVEN, INC.
	By:
	Name:
	Title:

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE OF HOLDERS FOLLOWS]

 

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE OF HOLDERS TO MVEN RRA]

 

Name of Holder: __________________________

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Holder: __________________________

Name of Authorized Signatory: _________________________

Title of Authorized Signatory: __________________________

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]

 

 

Annex A

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

Each Selling Stockholder (the “Selling Stockholders”) of the securities and any of their pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their securities covered hereby on the principal Trading Market or any other stock exchange, market, or trading facility on which the securities are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. A Selling Stockholder may use any one or more of the following methods when selling securities:

 

	●	ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;
	●	block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;
	●	purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;
	●	an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;
	●	privately negotiated transactions;
	●	settlement of short sales;
	●	in transactions through broker-dealers that agree with the Selling Stockholders to sell a specified number of such securities at a stipulated price per security;
	●	through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;
	●	a combination of any such methods of sale; or
	●	any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

 

The Selling Stockholders may also sell securities under Rule 144 or any other exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), if available, rather than under this Prospectus.

 

Broker-dealers engaged by the Selling Stockholders may arrange for other brokers-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the Selling Stockholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of securities, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this Prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction not in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA Rule 2440; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA IM-2440.

 

In connection with the sale of the securities or interests therein, the Selling Stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The Selling Stockholders may also sell securities short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the securities to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The Selling Stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or create one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of securities offered by this prospectus, which securities such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this Prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).

 

The Selling Stockholders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the securities may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the securities purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. Each Selling Stockholder has informed the Company that it does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the securities.

 

The Company is required to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the Company incident to the registration of the securities. The Company has agreed to indemnify the Selling Stockholders against certain losses, claims, damages, and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

 

We agreed to keep this prospectus effective until the earlier of (i) the date on which the securities may be resold by the Selling Stockholders without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (ii) all of the securities have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect. The resale securities will be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states, the resale securities covered hereby may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.

 

Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the resale securities may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to the common stock for the applicable restricted period, as defined in Regulation M, prior to the commencement of the distribution. In addition, the Selling Stockholders will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of the common stock by the Selling Stockholders or any other person. We will make copies of this Prospectus available to the Selling Stockholders and have informed them of the need to deliver a copy of this Prospectus to each purchaser at or prior to the time of the sale (including by compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).

 

 

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

The shares of common stock registered hereunder are being offered by the Selling Stockholders. For additional information regarding the issuances of those shares of common stock, see “Private Placement of Common Stock” above. We are registering the shares of common stock in order to permit the Selling Stockholders to offer the shares for resale from time to time. Except (i) as disclosed under the section titled “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independent” and (ii) for the ownership of the shares of common stock, the Selling Stockholders have not had any material relationship with us within the past three years.

 

The table below lists the Selling Stockholders and other information regarding the beneficial ownership of the shares of common stock by each of the Selling Stockholders. The second column lists the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by each Selling Stockholder, based on its ownership of the shares of common stock, as of ________, 2021.

 

The third column lists the shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus by the Selling Stockholders.

 

In accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement with the Selling Stockholders, this Prospectus generally covers the resale of all of the shares of common stock issued to the Selling Stockholders pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. The fourth column assumes the sale of all of the shares offered by the Selling Stockholders pursuant to this Prospectus.

 

The Selling Stockholders may sell all, some, or none of their shares in this offering. See “Plan of Distribution.”

 

Name of Selling Stockholder		Number of shares of Common Stock Owned Prior to Offering		Maximum Number of shares of Common Stock to be Sold Pursuant to this Prospectus		Number of shares of Common Stock Owned After Offering

 

 

Annex B

 

THEMAVEN, INC.

 

Selling Stockholder Notice and Questionnaire