[●] Shares American Resources Corporation Underwriting Agreement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Agreement to Sell and Purchase.

 

(a) Purchase of Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell, severally and not jointly, to the several Underwriters, an aggregate of [_____] Firm Shares of the Company at a purchase price (net of discounts and commissions) of $[___] per Firm Share. The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule I attached hereto and made a part hereof at a purchase price (net of discounts and commissions) of $[___] per Firm Share.

 

(b) Purchase of Option Shares. Subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company grants to the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters the Option to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to [__] Option Shares. The purchase price to be paid for the Option Shares (net of discounts and commissions) will be $[____] per Option Share. The Option may be exercised in whole or in part at any time on or before the 45th day after the date of this Agreement, upon written notice (the “Option Notice”) by the Representative to the Company no later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, at least one and no more than five business days before the date specified for closing in the Option Notice (the “Option Closing Date”) setting forth the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock to be purchased and the time and date for such purchase. Upon exercise of the Option, the Company will become obligated to convey to the Underwriters, and, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Underwriters will become obligated to purchase, the number of shares of Common Stock specified in the Option Notice. If any Option Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Option Shares (as adjusted by the Representative in such manner as it deems advisable to avoid fractional securities) that bears the same proportion to the number of Firm Shares to be purchased by it as set forth on Schedule I opposite such Underwriter’s name as the total number of Option Shares to be purchased bears to the total number of Firm Shares.

 

(c) Representative’s Warrants. The Company hereby agrees to issue to the Representative (and/or its designees) on the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, as the case may be, Warrants to purchase an aggregate of seven percent (7%) of the shares of Common Stock issued at such closing (the “Representative’s Warrants”). The Representative’s Warrants shall be exercisable, in whole or in part, commencing 180 days after the Effective Date and expiring on the three-year anniversary thereof, at an initial exercise price of $[●] per share, which is equal to one hundred and ten percent (110%) of the initial public offering price of the Firm Shares issued at such closing. The Representative’s Warrants and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrants are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Representative’s Securities” and the Representative’s Securities together with the Shares are hereinafter referred to as the “Securities.”

 

2. Delivery and Payment.

 

(a) Closing.  Delivery of the Firm Shares shall be made to the Representative through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the respective accounts of the Underwriters against payment of the Purchase Price by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company. Such payment shall be made at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second business day (the third business day, should the offering be priced after 4:00 p.m., New York City Time) after the date of this Agreement or at such time on such other date, not later than ten business days after such date, as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative (such date is hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date”).

 

(b) Option Closing.  To the extent the Option is exercised, delivery of the Option Shares against payment by the Underwriters (in the manner and at the location specified above) shall take place at the time and date (which may be the Closing Date, but not earlier than the Closing Date) specified in the Option Notice.

 

(c) Electronic Transfer.  Electronic transfer of the Shares shall be made at the time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as the Representative shall specify.

 

(d) Tax Stamps.  The cost of original issue tax stamps, if any, in connection with the issuance and delivery of the Shares by the Company to the Underwriters shall be borne by the Company. The Company shall pay and hold each Underwriter and any subsequent holder of the Shares harmless from any and all liabilities with respect to or resulting from any failure or delay in paying United States federal and state and foreign stamp and other transfer taxes, if any, which may be payable or determined to be payable in connection with the original issuance, sale and delivery to such Underwriter of the Securities.

 

3. Representations and Warranties of the Company.

 

(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements.  A registration statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-226042) relating to the Securities, including a preliminary prospectus and such amendments to such registration statement as may have been required prior to the date of this Agreement, has been prepared by the Company under the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (collectively referred to as the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder, and has been filed with the Commission. Copies of such registration statement and of each amendment thereto, if any, including the related preliminary prospectuses, heretofore filed by the Company with the Commission have been delivered to the Underwriters. The term “Registration Statement” means such registration statement on Form S-1 as amended at the time it becomes or became effective, including financial statements, all exhibits and any information deemed to be included or incorporated by reference therein, including any information deemed to be included pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430B of the Rules and Regulations, as applicable. If the Company files a registration statement to register a portion of the Securities and relies on Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations for such registration statement to become effective upon filing with the Commission (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference to the “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include the Rule 462 Registration Statement, as amended from time to time. The term “preliminary prospectus” as used herein means a preliminary prospectus as contemplated by Rule 430 or Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations included at any time as part of, or deemed to be part of or included in, the Registration Statement. The term “Prospectus” means the final prospectus in connection with this offering as first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations or, if no such filing is required, the form of final prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the effective date, except that if any revised prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be provided to the Representative by the Company for use in connection with the Shares which differs from the Prospectus (whether or not such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement is required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b)), the term “Prospectus” shall also refer to such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, as the case may be, from and after the time it is first provided to the Representative for such use. Any reference herein to the terms “amend”, “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include: (i) the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) after the effective date of the Registration Statement, the date of such preliminary prospectus or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, which is incorporated therein by reference, and (ii) any such document so filed.

 

(b) Effectiveness of Registration.  The Registration Statement, any Rule 462 Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto have been declared effective by the Commission under the Act or have become effective pursuant to Rule 462 of the Rules and Regulations. The Company has responded to all requests, if any, of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462 Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission.

 

(c) Accuracy of Registration Statement.  Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462 Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, when any document filed under the Exchange Act was or is filed and at all subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times when a prospectus is delivered or required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) by applicable law to be delivered in connection with sales of Securities, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made. Each preliminary prospectus (including the preliminary prospectus or prospectuses filed as part of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto) complied when so filed in all material respects with Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations, and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Representative for use in connection with this offering is identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission on EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. The foregoing representations and warranties in this Section 3(c) do not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representative specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto. For all purposes of this Agreement, the information set forth in the Prospectus (i) in the third paragraph under the caption "Underwriting" setting forth the amount of the selling concession, and (ii) in the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth paragraphs under the caption "Underwriting" regarding stabilization, short positions and penalty bids constitutes the only information (the “Underwriters’ Information”) relating to the Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representative specifically for inclusion in the preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.

 

(d) Company Not Ineligible Issuer.  (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement relating to the Securities and (ii) as of the date of the execution and delivery of this Agreement (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations).

 

(e) Disclosure at the Time of Sale.  As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the most recent preliminary prospectus related to this offering, and the information included on Schedule II hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the General Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representative specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters consists of the Underwriters’ Information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.  Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with the Underwriters’ Information. If at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Securities or included an untrue statement of material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified the Representative and has promptly amended or supplemented, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(g) Distribution of Offering Material by the Company.  The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date, any Option Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Securities, any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities, the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus, the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses reviewed and consented to by the Representative and included in Schedule II hereto, and the Prospectus.  None of the Marketing Materials, as of their respective issue dates and at all subsequent times through the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement. If at any time following the issuance of any Marketing Material there occurred an event or development as a result of which such Marketing Material conflicted with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Securities or included an untrue statement of material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified the Representative and has promptly amended or supplemented, at its own expense, such Marketing Material to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(h) Subsidiaries. The names and jurisdictions of incorporation or formation of each of the Company’s subsidiaries (the “Subsidiaries”) are set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) the Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity that is “significant” to the Company within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X and (ii) the Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other similar restriction (each, a “Lien”), 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.

 

(i) 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, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, the Warrant Agreement (as hereinafter defined), the Warrants, the Underwriters’ Warrants or any other agreement, document, certificate or instrument required to be delivered pursuant to this Agreement (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”), (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, 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 action, claim, suit or proceeding (including, without limitation, a partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened (each, a “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.

 

(j) 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 (as hereinafter defined in Section 3(l)). 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, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Representative, 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.

 

(k) 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 Securities 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, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental 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 would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(l) 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 filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (ii) application(s) to the Nasdaq Capital Market for the listing of the Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, (iii) such filings, if any, as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws, (iv) such notices, filings or authorizations as are required to be obtained or made under applicable rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and The Nasdaq Stock Market, and (v) such notices, filings or authorizations as have been obtained, given or made as of the date hereof (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).

 

(m) Issuance of the Securities. The Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens.

 

(n) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of the date hereof is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees, directors or consultants pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of 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 (“Common Stock Equivalents”) and is outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. No 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 (each, a “Person”) has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities or as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, 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. 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 Underwriters) 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. There are no securities of the Company or any Subsidiary that have any anti-dilution or similar adjustment rights (other than adjustments for stock splits, recapitalizations, and the like) to the exercise or conversion price, have any exchange rights, or reset rights. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, 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 in all material respects 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 Securities. 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.

  

(o) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the 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, together with the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 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 Company has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Act. 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. The agreements and documents described in the SEC Reports conform to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder to be described in the SEC Reports or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the SEC Reports, or (ii) is material to the Company’s business, has been duly authorized and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefore may be brought. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, none of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in default thereunder and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default thereunder. To the best of the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses, including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations.

 

(p) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as reflected or specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any material 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) 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 equity incentive plans or as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement, 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.

 

(q) Litigation. There is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation or proceeding 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 Securities or (ii) would, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, 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 Act.

 

(r) 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 would 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 would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(s) Compliance. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports and except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, 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 would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(t) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance in all material respects 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 would be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(u) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.

 

(v) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (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 in all material respects.

  

(w) Intellectual Property. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all 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 notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement, except where such action would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 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 would 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 would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge that it lacks or will be unable to obtain any rights or licenses to use all Intellectual Property Rights that are necessary to conduct its business.

 

(x) 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 Purchase Price. 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.

 

(y) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, 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.

 

(z) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective and applicable to the Company 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 Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as applicable. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company 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. 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) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

(aa) Certain Fees; FINRA Affiliation. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary 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. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its stockholders that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA. The Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, investing fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who provided capital to the Company, (ii) any FINRA member, or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member within the 12-month period prior to the date on which the Registration Statement was filed with the Commission (the “Filing Date”) or thereafter. To the Company’s knowledge, no (i) officer or director of the Company or its subsidiaries, (ii) owner of 5% or more of the Company’s unregistered securities or that of its subsidiaries or (iii) owner of any amount of the Company’s unregistered securities acquired within the 180-day period prior to the Filing Date, has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member. The Company will advise the Underwriters and their respective counsel if it becomes aware that any officer, director or stockholder of the Company or its subsidiaries is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering.  

 

(bb) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be or be an affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(cc) Registration Rights. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(dd) 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 Common Stock has been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Exchange”) subject to notice of issuance on the Exchange, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, delisting the Common Stock from the Exchange, nor has the Company received any notification that the Exchange is contemplating terminating such listing. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, the Company is, 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 or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

(ee) No Integrated Offering. Neither the Company or any Person acting on its behalf, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with the Company (as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Act) (each, an “Affiliate”) or any Person acting on their behalf, has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company.

 

(ff) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date and as of the Option Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, may be insufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as applicable. The Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.

 

(gg) 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, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries (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.

 

(hh) 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 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.

 

(ii) Accountants. The Company’s accounting firm is MaloneBailey, LLP (the “Accountants”). The Accountants have certified the financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and are independent registered public accountants as required by the Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations, and such Accountants are not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 with respect to the Company.

 

(jj) 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 Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Underwriters in connection with the offering.

 

(kk) 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”).

 

(ll) 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 the Representative’s request.

 

(mm) 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.

 

(nn) 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.

 

(oo) Benefit Plans. Any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company or its “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA; “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company, any member of any group of organizations described in Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company is a member; no “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur (other than events as to which the requirement of notice has been waived by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation) with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates (without regard to Code Sections 414(m) and (o)) for which the Company would have any material liability; no “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA); neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any material liability under (A) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (B) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code; each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification. Each share option granted by the Company under the Company’s share option plans was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s share option plans and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date such share option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No share option granted under the Company’s share option 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, share options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of share options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects

 

(pp) Statistical Data. Any statistical and market related data contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company believes are reliable and accurate and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required;

 

(qq) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries delivered to the Representative or its counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

 

4. Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

 

(a) Amendments and Supplements to Registration Statement.  The Company shall not, either prior to any effective date or thereafter during such period as the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 of the Rules and Regulations or any similar rule) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”) in connection with sales of the Securities by an Underwriter or dealer, amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, unless a copy of such amendment or supplement thereof shall first have been submitted to the Representative within a reasonable period of time prior to the filing or, if no filing is required, the use thereof and the Representative shall not have objected thereto in good faith.

 

(b) Amendments and Supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus and Other Act Matters.  During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Act, as now and hereafter amended, and by the Rules and Regulations, as from time to time in force, and by the Exchange Act so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof, the General Disclosure Package, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event or development shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representative it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the  General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or to file a new registration statement containing the Prospectus, in order to comply with the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Rules, including in connection with the delivery of the Prospectus, the Company agrees to (i) promptly notify the Representative of any such event or condition and (ii) promptly prepare (subject to Section 4(a) and 4(f) hereof), file with the Commission (and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement to be declared effective) and furnish at its own expense to the Representative (and, if applicable, to dealers), amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any new registration statement, necessary in order to make the statements in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or so that the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Rules or any other applicable law.

 

(c) Notifications to the Underwriters.  The Company shall use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective, and shall notify the Representative promptly, and shall confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement  has become effective and when any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information, (iii) of the commencement by the Commission or by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of any of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose, including, without limitation, the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose or the threat thereof, (iv) of the happening of any event during the Prospectus Delivery Period that in the judgment of the Company makes any statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus misleading (including by omission) or untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading (including by omission),  and (v) of receipt by the Company or any representative of the Company of any other communication from the Commission relating to the Company, the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus. If at any time the Commission shall issue any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company shall use best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible moment. The Company shall comply with the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the Commission pursuant to Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B and 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations and to notify the Representative promptly of all such filings.

 

(d) Executed Registration Statement.  The Company shall furnish to the Representative, without charge, one signed copy of the Registration Statement, and of any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and all exhibits thereto, and shall furnish to the Representative, without charge, a copy of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules but without exhibits.

 

(e) Undertakings.  The Company shall comply with all the provisions of any undertakings contained and required to be contained in the Registration Statement.

 

(f) Prospectus.  The Company shall prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representative and shall file such Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations with a filing date not later than the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. Promptly after the effective date of the Registration Statement, and thereafter from time to time during the period when the Prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172 under the Act, would be required) to be delivered, the Company shall deliver to the Representative, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto as the Representative may reasonably request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto by the Representative and by all dealers to whom the Securities may be sold, both in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities and for any period of time thereafter during the Prospectus Delivery Period. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period any event shall occur that in the judgment of the Company or counsel to the Underwriters should be set forth in the Prospectus in order to make any statement therein, in the light of the circumstances under which it was made, not misleading (including by omission), or if it is necessary to supplement or amend the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company shall forthwith prepare and duly file with the Commission an appropriate supplement or amendment thereto, and shall deliver to the Representative, without charge, such number of copies thereof as the Representative may reasonably request.

 

(g) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company represents and agrees that it has not made and, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative, will not make, any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations, required to be filed with the Commission  or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations; provided that the prior written consent of the Representative hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule II hereto. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative is herein referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. If at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Securities or would include an untrue statement of material fact or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement, or omission. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.

 

(h) Compliance with Blue Sky Laws.  Prior to any public offering of the Securities by the Underwriters, the Company shall cooperate with the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters in connection with the registration or qualification (or the obtaining of exemptions from the application thereof) of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may request limitation, provided, however, that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify a public offering outside the United States or to do business as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified, to qualify or register as a dealer in securities, to take any action which would subject it to general service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject or subject itself to ongoing taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not so subject.

 

(i) Delivery of Financial Statements.  During the period of five years commencing on the effective date of the Registration Statement applicable to the Underwriters, the Company shall furnish to the Representative and each other Underwriter who may so request copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company may from time to time distribute generally to the holders of any class of its capital stock, and will furnish to the Representative and each other Underwriter who may so request a copy of each annual or other report it shall be required to file with the Commission; provided, however, that the availability of electronically transmitted copies filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR shall satisfy the Company’s obligation to furnish copies hereunder.

 

(j) Availability of Earnings Statements.  The Company shall make generally available to holders of its securities as soon as may be practicable but in no event later than the last day of the fifteenth (15th) full calendar month following the calendar quarter in which the most recent effective date occurs in accordance with Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations, an earnings statement (which need not be audited but shall be in reasonable detail) for a period of twelve (12) months ended commencing after the effective date, and satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act (including Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations).

 

(k) Consideration; Payment of Expenses.  In consideration of the services to be provided for hereunder, the Underwriters or their respective designees their pro rata portion (based on the Securities purchased) of the following compensation with respect to the Securities they are offering:

 

(i) An underwriting discount equal to seven percent (7%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Offering; and

 

(ii) The Representative’s Warrants.

 

(iii) Additionally, the Company grants the Representative the right of first refusal for a period of twelve (12) months from the effective date of the Registration Statement to act as lead managing underwriter and sole book runner (or minimally as a co-lead manager and co-book runner and/or co-lead placement agent with at least 80% of the economics) for any and all future public or private equity, equity-linked or debt offerings (excluding commercial bank debt) undertaken by the Company, its Subsidiary(ies), or any successor thereto. The Company shall provide written notice to the Representative with the terms of such offering and if the Representative fails to accept in writing any such proposal within twenty (20) days after receipt of such written notice, then the Representative will have no claim or right with respect to any such offering(s).

 

(iv) The Representative reserves the right to reduce any item of compensation or adjust the terms thereof as specified herein in the event that a determination shall be made by FINRA to the effect that the Underwriters’ aggregate compensation is in excess of FINRA rules or that the terms thereof require adjustment.

 

(v) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company hereby agrees to pay the following:

 

(1) all expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, formatting for EDGAR and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any and all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers;

 

(2) all filing fees in connection with filings with FINRA’s Public Offering System;

 

(3) all fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other agents and representatives in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and the Offering;

 

(4) all expenses in connection with the qualifications of the Securities for offering and sale under state or foreign securities or blue sky laws (including, without limitation, all filing and registration fees, and the fees and disbursements of Underwriters’ counsel;

 

(5) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Securities on a national securities exchange;

 

(6) all expenses, including travel and lodging expenses, of the Company’s officers, directors and employees and any other expense of the Company incurred in connection with attending or hosting meetings with prospective purchasers of the Securities and any fees and expenses associated with the i-Deal system and NetRoadshow;

 

(7) any stock transfer taxes or other taxes incurred in connection with this Agreement or the offering, including any stock transfer taxes payable upon the transfer of securities to the Underwriters;

 

(8) the costs associated with preparing, printing and delivering certificates representing the Securities;

 

(9) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities;

 

(10) (subject to the following proviso, other costs (including Underwriters’ counsel’s fees and expenses) and expenses incident to the Offering that are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section 4(k);

 

(11) costs relating to background checks of the Company’s officers and directors, up to $15,000 in the aggregate;

 

(l) Reimbursement of Expenses upon Termination of Agreement.  If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Company pursuant to any of the provisions hereof or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations or to fulfill any conditions hereunder, or if the Underwriters shall terminate this Agreement pursuant to the last paragraph of Section 5, Section 7(a), Section 7(e) or Section 7(f), the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriter) actually incurred by the Underwriters in connection herewith and as allowed under FINRA Rule 5110; provided, however, that the maximum amount of costs and expenses to be reimbursed by Company to the Underwriters pursuant to this Section 4(l) shall not exceed $125,000 (including the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriters). The Company has paid $5,000 to the Underwriters as an advance to be applied towards reasonable out-of-pocket accountable expenses (the “Advance”). Any portion of the Advance shall be returned back to the Company to the extent not actually incurred.

(m) No Stabilization or Manipulation.  The Company shall not at any time, directly or indirectly, take any action intended to cause or result in, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which will constitute, stabilization or manipulation, under the Act or otherwise, of the price of the Shares or the Securities to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities.

 

(n) Use of Proceeds.  The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the offering and sale of the Securities to be sold by the Company in the manner set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds” and shall file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required in accordance with Rule 463 under the Act.

 

(o) Lock-Up Agreements of Company, Management and Affiliates.  The Company shall not, for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days after the Closing Date (the “Lock-Up Period”), without the prior written consent of Maxim (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act to register, any shares of common stock, warrants, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock or (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly disclose the intention to enter into any transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above.  The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of common stock issued pursuant to a trading plan established prior to July 1, 2018 pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act, and (C) the issuance of Common Stock upon the exercise of warrants as disclosed as outstanding in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, provided that such warrants have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such warrants or warrant shares or to decrease the exercise price of such warrants or to extend the term of such warrants. The Company has caused each of its officers and directors and certain shareholders of five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company (other than Golden Properties, Ltd. and/or Alex Lau, the control person of Golden Properties, Ltd.) to enter into agreements with the Representative in the form set forth in Annex II.

 

(p) Lock-Up Releases.  If Maxim, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section 4(o) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Annex III hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of such release or waiver, or any other method that satisfies the obligations described in FINRA Rule 5131(d)(2) at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

(q) NASDAQ listing. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market for at least three (3) years after the Closing Date.

 

(r) Accountants. Upon conclusion of the Offering, the Company will continue the engagement of the Accountants for no less than three (3) years from the Closing Date, or another nationally recognized, PCAOB-registered mutually acceptable to the Company’s audit committee and the Representative.

 

(s) Resales of Representative’s Securities. The Company shall use its best efforts to maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and a current Prospectus relating thereto for as long as the Warrants and the Represenative’s Warrants remain outstanding. During any period when the Company fails to have maintained an effective Registration Statement or a current Prospectus relating thereto and a holder of a Representative’s Warrant desires to exercise such warrant and, in the opinion of counsel to the holder, Rule 144 is not available as an exemption from registration for the resale of the shares of Common Stock underlying such warrant (such shares, the “Warrant Shares”), the Company shall immediately file a registration statement registering the resale of the Warrant Shares and use its best efforts to have it declared effective by the Commission within thirty (30) days.

 

 

(t) Key Person Insurance. The Company has obtained and will use its good faith best efforts to maintain its key person life insurance in the amount of $[____] on the life of [____] in full force and effect for a period of three (3) years from the Closing Date. The Company is and shall be the sole beneficiary of such policy.

(u) Public Relations Firm. Upon conclusion of the Offering, the Company will engage (for no less than two (2) years from the Closing Date) a financial public relations firm mutually acceptable to the Company and the Representative.

 

(v) Transfer Agent. The Company has or will retain a transfer agent reasonably acceptable to the Representative for the Shares and shall continue to retain such transfer agent for a period of three (3) years following the Closing Date.

 

 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Securities on the Closing Date or the Option Securities on the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein is subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company, the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

 

(a) Post Effective Amendments and Prospectus Filings.  Notification that the Registration Statement has become effective shall be received by the Representative not later than 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement or at such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representative and all filings made pursuant to Rules 424, 430A, or 430B of the Rules and Regulations, as applicable, shall have been made or will be made prior to the Closing Date in accordance with all such applicable rules.

 

(b) No Stop Orders, Requests for Information and No Amendments.  (i) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending or are, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, (ii) no order suspending the qualification or registration of the Securities under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction shall be in effect and no proceeding for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened or contemplated by the authorities of any such jurisdiction, (iii) any request for additional information on the part of the staff of the Commission or any such authorities shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the staff of the Commission or such authorities and (iv) after the date hereof no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall have been filed unless a copy thereof was first submitted to the Representative and the Representative did not object thereto in good faith, and the Representative shall have received certificates, dated the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date and signed by the Chief Executive Officer or the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company in their capacities as such, and not individually, (who may, as to proceedings threatened, certify to their knowledge), to the effect of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii).

 

(c) No Material Adverse Changes.  Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (i) there shall not have been a Material Adverse Change, (ii) the Company shall not have incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, (iii) the Company shall not have entered into any material transactions not in the ordinary course of business other than pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions referred to herein, (iv) the Company shall not have issued any securities (other than the Securities or the Shares issued in the ordinary course of business pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) or declared or paid any dividend or made any distribution in respect of its capital stock of any class or debt (long-term or short-term), and (v) no material amount of the assets of the Company shall have been pledged, mortgaged or otherwise encumbered.

 

(d) No Actions, Suits or Proceedings.  Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there shall have been no actions, suits or proceedings instituted, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting, the Company or its subsidiaries or any of their respective officers in their capacity as such, before or by any federal, state or local court, commission, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign.

 

(e) All Representations True and Correct and All Conditions Fulfilled.  Each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct as of the date of the Agreement and at the Closing Date as if made at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and all covenants and agreements contained herein to be performed by the Company and all conditions contained herein to be fulfilled or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, shall have been duly performed, fulfilled or complied with.

 

(f) Opinions of Counsel to the Company.  The Underwriters shall have received the opinion, dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, from the Law Office of Clifford J. Hunt, P.A., as corporate/securities counsel.

 

(g) Accountants’ Comfort Letter.  On the date of the Prospectus, the Representative shall have received from the Accountants a letter dated the date of its delivery, addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Representative shall have received from the Accountants a letter dated such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to the preceding sentence and have conducted additional procedures with respect to certain financial figures included in the Prospectus, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

 (h) Officers’ Certificates.  At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, there shall be furnished to the Representative an accurate certificate, dated the date of its delivery, signed by each of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in their capacities as such, and not individually, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters, to the effect that:

 

(i) each signer of such certificate has carefully examined the Registration Statement and the Prospectus;

 

(ii) there has not been a Material Adverse Change; and

 

(iii) with respect to the matters set forth in Sections 5(b)(i) and 5(e).

 

(i) Transfer Agent’s Certificate.  The Company’s transfer agent shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representative a certificate satisfactory to the Representative of one of its authorized officers with respect to the issuance of the and such other customary matters related thereto as the Representative may reasonably request.

 

(j) Eligible for DTC Clearance.  At or prior to the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Shares shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of the DTC.

 

(k) Lock-Up Agreements.  At the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received the executed “lock-up” agreements referred to in Section 4(o) hereof from the Company’s officers and directors.

 

(l) Compliance with Blue Sky Laws.  The Securities shall be qualified for sale in such states and jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably request, including, without limitation, qualification for exemption from registration or prospectus delivery requirements in the provinces and territories of Canada and other jurisdictions outside the United States, and each such qualification shall be in effect and not subject to any stop order or other proceeding on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date.

 

(m) Stock Exchange Listing.  The Shares shall have been duly authorized for listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market, subject to official notice of issuance.

 

(n) Exchange Act Registration.  One or more registration statements in respect of the Shares have been filed on Form 8-A pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, each of which registration statement complies in all material respects with the Exchange Act.

 

(o) Good Standing.  At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries Quest Energy Inc., McCoy Elkhorn Coal LLC, Deane Mining LLC, Knott County Coal LLC, Wyoming County Coal LLC, ERC Mining Indiana Corp. and Quest Processing LLC, in their respective jurisdictions of organization (to the extent the concept of “good standing” or such equivalent concept exists under the laws of the applicable jurisdictions) and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.  If the applicable jurisdiction does not have a concept of “good standing,” the Company will furnish evidence in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities that the relevant company was duly incorporated and remains duly registered in the jurisdiction of its incorporation.

 

(p) Company Certificates.  The Company shall have furnished to the Representative such certificates, in addition to those specifically mentioned herein, as the Representative may have reasonably requested as to the accuracy and completeness at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date of any statement in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as to the accuracy at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, as to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, or as to the fulfillment of the conditions concurrent and precedent to the obligations hereunder of the Underwriters.

 

(q) No Objection.  FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.

 

 

6. Indemnification.

 

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters.  The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, the directors, officers, employees and agents of such Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any and all investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding between any of the indemnified parties and any indemnifying parties or between any indemnified party and any third party, or otherwise, or any claim asserted), to which they, or any of them, may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement  (or any amendment thereto), including the information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to Rules 430A and 430B of the Rules and Regulations, as applicable, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) (collectively, Marketing Materials”) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iv) in whole or in part any inaccuracy in any material respect in the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable to the extent that such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage is based on any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with Underwriters’ Information. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.

 

(b) Indemnification of the Company.  Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its affiliates, the directors, officers, employees and agents of the Company and each other person or entity, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever, as incurred (including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees and any and all reasonable expenses whatsoever, incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to Rules 430A and 430B of the Rules and Regulations, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement to any of them, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense (or action in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon the Underwriters’ Information; provided, however, that in no case shall any Underwriter be liable or responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount and commissions applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. The parties agree that such information provided by or on behalf of the Underwriters through the Representative consists solely of the material referred to in the last sentence of Section 3(c) hereof.

 

(c) Indemnification Procedures.  Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 6 shall, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 6, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provisions of this Section 6 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable out-of-pocket costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by one of the indemnifying parties in connection with the defense of such action, (ii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded that a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party), (iv) the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, or (v) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges shall be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. An indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 6 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless (x) such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising or that may arise out of such claim, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party, and (y) the indemnifying party confirms in writing its indemnification obligations hereunder with respect to such settlement, compromise or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a) effected without its written consent if (A) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (B) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

(d) Contribution.  In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 6 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than the Underwriters, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who may also be liable for contribution), to which the Company and the Underwriter may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Underwriters shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (x) the total proceeds from the Offering (net of underwriting discount and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company bears to (y) the underwriting discount and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the statements or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 6(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) which does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 6(d) shall be deemed to include, for purpose of this Section 6(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6(d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by it. No person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 6(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Act will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, and each director, officer, employee, counsel or agent of an Underwriter will have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 6(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify will not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 6(d). The obligations of the Underwriters to contribute pursuant to this Section 6(d) are several in proportion to the respective number of Securities to be purchased by each of the Underwriters hereunder and not joint.  No party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld).

 

 

(e) Survival.  The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 6 and the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling Person thereof, (ii) acceptance of any of the Securities and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.

 

7. Termination.  The obligations of the Underwriters under this Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing Date (or, with respect to the Option Securities, on or prior to the Option Closing Date), by notice to the Company from the Representative, without liability on the part of the Underwriters to the Company, if, prior to delivery and payment for the Firm Securities (or the Option Securities, as the case may be), in the sole judgment of the Representative, any of the following shall occur:

 

(a) trading or quotation in any of the equity securities of the Company shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission, The Nasdaq Stock Market or by an exchange or otherwise;

 

(b) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT, the NASDAQ Capital Market, the NASDAQ Global Market, the NASDAQ Global Select Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on such exchange, or additional material governmental restrictions, not in force on the date of this Agreement, shall have been imposed upon trading in securities generally by such exchange or by order of the Commission or any court or other governmental authority;

 

(c) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of U.S. federal, New York authorities;

 

(d) the United States shall have become engaged in new hostilities, there shall have been an escalation in hostilities involving the United States or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such), or any other calamity or crisis shall have occurred, the effect of any of which is such as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus;

 

(e) the Company shall have sustained a loss material or substantial to the Company by reason of flood, fire, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage, or other calamity or malicious act, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, the effect of any of which is such as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus; or

 

(f) there shall have been a Material Adverse Change.

 

8. Underwriter Default.

 

(a) If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligation to purchase Firm Securities hereunder, and if the Securities with respect to which such default relates (the “Default Securities”) do not (after giving effect to arrangements, if any, made by the Representative pursuant to subsection (b) below) exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of the Firm Securities, each non-defaulting Underwriter, acting severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company that number of Default Securities that bears the same proportion to the total number of Default Securities then being purchased as the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule A hereto bears to the aggregate number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the names of the non-defaulting Underwriters; subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representative in its discretion shall make.

 

(b) In the event that the aggregate number of Default Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Firm Securities, the Representatives may in their discretion arrange for themselves or for another party or parties (including any non-defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters who so agree) to purchase the Default Securities on the terms contained herein. In the event that within five (5) calendar days after such a default the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of the Default Securities as provided in this Section 8, this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of the Company with respect thereto (except in each case as provided in Sections 4(k), 6 and 8) or the Underwriters, but nothing in this Agreement shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters of its or their liability, if any, to the other Underwriters and the Company for damages occasioned by its or their default hereunder.

 

(c) In the event that any Default Securities are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period, not exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which, in the reasonable opinion of Underwriters’ Counsel, may be necessary or advisable. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 8 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Firm Securities.

 

9. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) Notices.  Notice given pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified, shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied (a) if to the Company, at the office of the Company, 9002 Technology Lane, Fishers, IN 46038, telecopy number: [___], Attention:  Chief Executive Officer, or (b) if to the Representative or any Underwriter, to Maxim Group LLC, 405 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 100174, Attention: Legal Department, telecopy number: (212) 895-3555. Any such notice shall be effective only upon receipt. Any notice under Section 6 hereof may be made by telecopy or telephone, but if so made shall be subsequently confirmed in writing.

 

(b) No Third Party Beneficiaries.  This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and, with respect to Section 6, the controlling persons, directors, officers, employees, counsel and agents referred to in Section 6 hereof, and their respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” as used in this Agreement shall not include a purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter in his, her or its capacity as such a purchaser, as such purchaser of Securities from such Underwriter.

 

(c) Survival of Representations and Warranties.  All representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein or in certificates or other instruments delivered pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or any of their controlling persons and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities hereunder.

 

(d) Disclaimer of Fiduciary Relationship.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the Offering contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transaction, the Underwriters are and have been acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement and are not agents or fiduciaries of the Company or its securityholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed nor will it assume any advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter or its affiliates has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and each such Underwriter has no obligation to the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Underwriters and their affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) no Underwriter has provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the Offering contemplated by this Agreement and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

 

(e) Governing Law.  THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH STATE.

 

(f) Submission to Jurisdiction.  The Company irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or United States federal court sitting in The City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the offering of the Securities. The Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise) from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process with respect to itself or its property, the Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, such immunity in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding including without limitation, any immunity pursuant to the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended. Each of the Underwriters and the Company further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail or delivered by Federal Express via overnight delivery to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon an Underwriter mailed by certified mail or delivered by Federal Express via overnight delivery to the Underwriters’ address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon such Underwriter in any such suit, action or proceeding.

 

(g) Judgment Currency.  If for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder into any currency other than United States dollars, the parties hereto agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Underwriters could purchase United States dollars with such other currency in The City of New York on the business day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of the Company with respect to any sum due from it to an Underwriter or any person controlling such Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day following receipt by such Underwriter or controlling person of any sum in such other currency, and only to the extent that such Underwriter or controlling person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency. If the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, the Company agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter or controlling person against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, such Underwriter or controlling person agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder.

 

(h) Counterparts.  This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

 

(i) Survival of Provisions Upon Invalidity of Any Single Provision.  In case any provision in this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

(j) Waiver of Jury Trial.  The Company and each Underwriter each hereby irrevocably waive any right they may have to a trial by jury in respect of any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(k) Titles and Subtitles.  The titles of the sections and subsections of this Agreement are for convenience and reference only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.

 

(l) Entire Agreement.  This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or any provision hereof waived except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto.

 

 

	Very truly yours,
	AMERICAN RESOURCES CORPORATION.
	By:
		Name:
		Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underwriter	Total Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased	Number of Optional Shares to be Purchased if Maximum Option Exercised
Maxim Group LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Very truly yours,