ACACIA RESEARCH CORPORATION WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Warrant Agreements
EX-10.3 4 acacia_8k-ex1003.htm FORM OF INVESTOR WARRANT Form of Warrant
 
Exhibit 10.3
 
ACACIA RESEARCH CORPORATION
 
WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
 
December ___, 2006
 
Void After December ___, 2011
 
THIS CERTIFIES THAT, for value received, [             ], or permitted registered assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled to subscribe for and purchase at the Exercise Price (defined below) from Acacia Research Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), up to [       ] shares of the Company’s Acacia Research-CombiMatrix common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”).
 
1.    DEFINITIONS. As used herein, the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:
 
(a)    “Exercise Period” shall mean the period commencing on the date hereof and ending five (5) years from the date hereof, unless sooner terminated as provided below.
 
(b)    “Exercise Price” shall mean $________ per share, subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 5 below.
 
(c)    “Exercise Shares” shall mean the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant.
 
(d)    “Trading Day” shall mean (a) any day on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and traded on its primary Trading Market, (b) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted and traded on any Eligible Market, then a day on which trading occurs on the OTC Bulletin Board (or any successor thereto), or (c) if trading does not occur on the OTC Bulletin Board (or any successor thereto), any Business Day.

2.    EXERCISE OF WARRANT.  The rights represented by this Warrant may be exercised in whole or in part at any time during the Exercise Period, by delivery of the following to the Company at its address set forth on the signature page hereto (or at such other address as it may designate by notice in writing to the Holder):
 
(a)    An executed Notice of Exercise in the form attached hereto;

(b)    Payment of the Exercise Price either (i) in cash or by check, (ii) by cancellation of indebtedness, or (iii) pursuant to Section 2.1 below; and
 
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(c)    This Warrant.
 
The Holder shall not be required to deliver the original Warrant in order to effect the exercise hereunder. Execution and delivery of the Notice of Exercise shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original Warrant and issuance of a new Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Exercise Shares.

Certificates for shares purchased hereunder shall be transmitted by the transfer agent of the Company to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s prime broker with the  Depository Trust Company through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission system if the Company is a participant in such system, and otherwise by physical delivery to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise within three business days from the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, surrender of this Warrant and payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as set forth above.  This Warrant shall be deemed to have been exercised on the date the Exercise Price is received by the Company.  The Exercise Shares shall be deemed to have been issued, and Holder or any other person so designated to be named therein shall be deemed to have become a holder of record of such shares for all purposes, as of the date the Warrant has been exercised by payment to the Company of the Exercise Price.
 
In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to deliver to the Holder a certificate representing Exercise Shares by the third Trading Day after the date on which delivery of such certificate is required by this Warrant, and if after such third Trading Day the Holder purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares that the Holder anticipated receiving from the Company (a “Buy-In”), then in the Holder’s sole discretion, the Company shall within three Trading Days after the Holder’s request, either (i) pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased less the Exercise Price (the “Buy-In Price”), at which point the Company’s obligation to deliver such certificate (and to issue such Common Stock) shall terminate, or (ii) promptly honor its obligation to deliver to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing such Common Stock and pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Buy-In Price over the product of (A) such number of shares of Common Stock, times (B) the Closing Price on the date of the event giving rise to the Company’s obligation to deliver such certificate.
 
The person in whose name any certificate or certificates for Exercise Shares are to be issued upon exercise of this Warrant shall be deemed to have become the holder of record of such shares on the date on which this Warrant was surrendered and payment of the Exercise Price was made, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate or certificates, except that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date when the stock transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the holder of such shares at the close of business on the next succeeding date on which the stock transfer books are open.

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To the extent permitted by law, the Company’s obligations to issue and deliver Exercise Shares in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any person or entity or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by the Holder or any other person or entity of any obligation to the Company or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other person or entity, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of the Company to the Holder in connection with the issuance of Exercise Shares. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

This Warrant shall be non-callable.

2.1.    Net Exercise.  If during the Exercise Period, the fair market value of one share of the Common Stock is greater than the Exercise Price (at the date of calculation as set forth below), in lieu of exercising this Warrant by payment of cash or by check, or by cancellation of indebtedness, the Holder may elect to receive shares equal to the value (as determined below) of this Warrant (or the portion thereof being canceled) by surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company together with the properly endorsed Notice of Exercise in which event the Company shall issue to the Holder a number of shares of Common Stock computed using the following formula:
 
X = Y (A-B)
A
 
Where X = the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to the Holder
 
Y =
the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable under the Warrant or, if only a portion of the Warrant is being exercised, the portion of the Warrant being canceled (at the date of such calculation)
   
A =
the fair market value of one share of the Company’s Common Stock (at the date of such calculation)
   
B =
Exercise Price (as adjusted to the date of such calculation)
 
For purposes of the above calculation, the “fair market value” of one share of Common Stock shall mean (i) the average of the closing sales prices for the shares of Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Market or other trading market where such security is listed or traded as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets (or a comparable reporting service of national reputation selected by the Company and reasonably acceptable to the Holder if Bloomberg Financial Markets is not then reporting sales prices of such security) (collectively, “Bloomberg”) for the 10 consecutive trading days immediately preceding such date, or (ii) if the Nasdaq Global Market is not the principal trading market for the shares of Common Stock, the average of the reported sales prices reported by Bloomberg on the principal trading market for the Common Stock during the same period, or, if there is no sales price for such period, the last sales price reported by Bloomberg for such period, or (iii) if neither of the foregoing applies, the last sales price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the pink sheets or bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg, or if no sales price is so reported for such security, the last bid price of such security as reported by Bloomberg or (iv) if fair market value cannot be calculated as of such date on any of the foregoing bases, the fair market value shall be as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company in the exercise of its good faith judgment. 
 
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2.2.    Issuance of New Warrants.  Upon any partial exercise of this Warrant, the Company, at its expense, will forthwith and, in any event within five business days, issue and deliver to the Holder a new warrant or warrants of like tenor, registered in the name of the Holder, exercisable, in the aggregate, for the balance of the number of shares of Common Stock remaining available for purchase under the Warrant.
 
2.3.    Payment of Taxes and Expenses.  The Company shall pay any recording, filing, stamp or similar tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance of, and the preparation and delivery of certificates (if applicable) representing, (i) any Exercise Shares purchased upon exercise of this Warrant and/or (ii) new or replacement warrants in the Holder’s name or the name of any transferee of all or any portion of this Warrant.
 
3.       COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.
 
3.1.    Covenants as to Exercise Shares.  The Company covenants and agrees that all Exercise Shares that may be issued upon the exercise of the rights represented by this Warrant will, upon issuance in accordance with the terms hereof, be validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and nonassessable, and free from all taxes, liens and charges with respect to the issuance thereof.  The Company further covenants and agrees that the Company will at all times during the Exercise Period, have authorized and reserved, free from preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock to provide for the exercise of the rights represented by this Warrant.  If at any time during the Exercise Period the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock shall not be sufficient to permit exercise of this Warrant, the Company will take such corporate action as may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary to increase its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to such number of shares as shall be sufficient for such purposes.
 
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3.2.    No Impairment.  Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company will not, by amendment of its Certificate of Incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms to be observed or performed hereunder by the Company, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all the provisions of this Warrant and in the taking of all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order to protect the exercise rights of the Holder against impairment.
 
3.3.    Notices of Record Date and Certain Other Events.  In the event of any taking by the Company of a record of the holders of any class of securities for the purpose of determining the holders thereof who are entitled to receive any dividend (other than a cash dividend which is the same as cash dividends paid in previous quarters) or other distribution, the Company shall mail to the Holder, at least 20 days prior to the date on which any such record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend or distribution, a notice specifying such date.  In the event of any voluntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company, the Company shall mail to the Holder, at least 20 days prior to the date of the occurrence of any such event, a notice specifying such date. In the event the Company authorizes or approves, enters into any agreement contemplating, or solicits stockholder approval for any Fundamental Transaction, as defined in Section 7 herein, the Company shall mail to the Holder, at least twenty days prior to the date of the occurrence of such event, a notice specifying such date.
 
4.     [INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]
 
5.     ADJUSTMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE AND SHARES.
 
(a)    In the event of changes in the outstanding Common Stock of the Company by reason of stock dividends, split-ups, recapitalizations, reclassifications, combinations or exchanges of shares, separations, reorganizations, liquidations, consolidation, acquisition of the Company (whether through merger or acquisition of substantially all the assets or stock of the Company), or the like, the number, class and type of shares available under the Warrant in the aggregate and the Exercise Price shall be correspondingly adjusted to give the Holder of the Warrant, on exercise for the same aggregate Exercise Price, the total number, class, and type of shares or other property as the Holder would have owned had the Warrant been exercised prior to the event and had the Holder continued to hold such shares until the event requiring adjustment.  The form of this Warrant need not be changed because of any adjustment in the number of Exercise Shares subject to this Warrant.
 
(b)    If at any time or from time to time the holders of Common Stock of the Company (or any shares of stock or other securities at the time receivable upon the exercise of this Warrant) shall have received or become entitled to receive, without payment therefor,  
 
(i)    Common Stock or any shares of stock or other securities which are at any time directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, or any rights or options to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire any of the foregoing by way of dividend or other distribution (other than a dividend or distribution covered in Section 5(a) above),
 
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(ii)   any cash paid or payable otherwise than as a cash dividend or
 
(iii)   Common Stock or additional stock or other securities or property (including cash) by way of spinoff, split-up, reclassification, combination of shares or similar corporate rearrangement (other than shares of Common Stock pursuant to Section 5(a) above), then and in each such case, the Holder hereof will, upon the exercise of this Warrant, be entitled to receive, in addition to the number of shares of Common Stock receivable thereupon, and without payment of any additional consideration therefor, the amount of stock and other securities and property (including cash in the cases referred to in clauses (ii) and (iii) above) which such Holder would hold on the date of such exercise had such Holder been the holder of record of such Common Stock as of the date on which holders of Common Stock received or became entitled to receive such shares or all other additional stock and other securities and property.
 
(c)    Upon the occurrence of each adjustment pursuant to this Section 5, the Company at its expense will, at the written request of the Holder, promptly compute such adjustment in accordance with the terms of this Warrant and prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, including a statement of the adjusted Exercise Price and adjusted number or type of Exercise Shares or other securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (as applicable), describing the transactions giving rise to such adjustments and showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment is based. Upon written request, the Company will promptly deliver a copy of each such certificate to the Holder and to the Company’s transfer agent.
 
6.    FRACTIONAL SHARES.  No fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant as a consequence of any adjustment pursuant hereto.  All Exercise Shares (including fractions) issuable upon exercise of this Warrant may be aggregated for purposes of determining whether the exercise would result in the issuance of any fractional share.  If, after aggregation, the exercise would result in the issuance of a fractional share, the Company shall, in lieu of issuance of any fractional share, pay the Holder otherwise entitled to such fraction a sum in cash equal to the product resulting from multiplying the then current fair market value of an Exercise Share by such fraction.
 
7.    FUNDAMENTAL TRANSACTIONS.  If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company effects any merger of the Company with or into another entity, (ii) the Company effects any sale of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another individual or entity) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property or (iv) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for
 
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other securities, cash or property (other than as a result of a subdivision or combination of shares of Common Stock covered by Section 5 above) (in any such case, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder, (a) upon exercise of this Warrant, the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable upon or as a result of such reorganization, reclassification, merger, consolidation or disposition of assets by a Holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such event.   For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration.  If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction.  To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Company or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall issue to the Holder a new warrant consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holder’s right to exercise such warrant into Alternate Consideration. The terms of any agreement pursuant to which a Fundamental Transaction is effected shall include terms requiring any such successor or surviving entity to comply with the provisions of this Section 7 and insuring that this Warrant (or any such replacement security) will be similarly adjusted upon any subsequent transaction analogous to a Fundamental Transaction.
 
8.    NO STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS.  This Warrant in and of itself shall not entitle the Holder to any voting rights or other rights as a stockholder of the Company.
 
9.    TRANSFER OF WARRANT.  Subject to applicable laws, this Warrant and all rights hereunder are transferable, by the Holder in person or by duly authorized attorney, upon delivery of this Warrant and the form of assignment attached hereto to any transferee designated by Holder.
 
10.   LOST, STOLEN, MUTILATED OR DESTROYED WARRANT.  If this Warrant is lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed, the Company may, on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as it may reasonably impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Warrant, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Warrant of like denomination and tenor as the Warrant so lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed.  Any such new Warrant shall constitute an original contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed Warrant shall be at any time enforceable by anyone.
 
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11.    NOTICES, ETC.  All notices required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given: (a) upon personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) when sent by confirmed telex or facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, if not, then on the next business day, (c) five days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (d) one day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, specifying next day delivery, with written verification of receipt.  All communications shall be sent to the Company at the address listed on the signature page hereto and to Holder at the applicable address set forth on the applicable signature page to the Subscription Agreement or at such other address as the Company or Holder may designate by 10 days advance written notice to the other parties hereto.
 
12.    ACCEPTANCE.  Receipt of this Warrant by the Holder shall constitute acceptance of and agreement to all of the terms and conditions contained herein.
 
13.    GOVERNING LAW.  This Warrant and all rights, obligations and liabilities hereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
 
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its duly authorized officer as of December ___, 2006.
 
 
ACACIA RESEARCH CORPORATION
 
 
By:__________________________________
Name:
Title:
 
 
 
 
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NOTICE OF EXERCISE
 
TO:  ACACIA RESEARCH CORPORATION
 
(1)    o  The undersigned hereby elects to purchase            shares of the Acacia Research-CombiMatrix Common Stock (the “Common Stock”) of ACACIA RESEARCH CORPORATION  (the “Company”) pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant, and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
 
 o  The undersigned hereby elects to purchase            shares of Common Stock of the Company pursuant to the terms of the net exercise provisions set forth in Section 2.1 of the attached Warrant, and shall tender payment of all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
 
(2)    Please issue a certificate or certificates representing said shares of Common Stock of the Company in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
 
 
 
(Name)
 
 
(Address)
 

 
 
(Date)
  
_____________________________
(Signature)
 
 
 
_____________________________
(Signature)
 
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
 
(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information.  Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
 
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
 
 
Name:
 
 
Address:
 
 
Dated:        , 20___
_____________________________
(Please Print)
 
 
 
_____________________________
(Please Print)
 
       
Holder’s Signature: 
 
Holder’s Address:
 

 
 
 
NOTE:  The signature to this Assignment Form must correspond with the name as it appears on the face of the Warrant, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.  Officers of corporations and those acting in a fiduciary or other representative capacity should file proper evidence of authority to assign the foregoing Warrant.
 
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