SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

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

 

“Preferred Stock” means the 3,000 shares of the Company’s Series A Convertible Preferred Stock issued or issuable hereunder having the rights, preferences and privileges set forth in the Certificate of Designation, in the form of Exhibit A hereto.

 

“Pre-Notice” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.17.

 

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

 

“Pro-Rata Portion” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.17.

 

“Public Information Failure” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.3(b).

 

“Public Information Failure Payments” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.3(b).

 

“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.10.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Required Minimum” means, as of any date, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock then issued or potentially issuable in the future pursuant to the Transaction Documents, including any Underlying Shares issuable upon exercise in full of all Warrants or conversion in full of all shares of Preferred Stock, ignoring any conversion or exercise limits set forth therein, and assuming that any previously unconverted shares of Preferred Stock will be held until the third anniversary of the Initial Closing Date.

 

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

 

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

 

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

“Securities” means the Preferred Stock, the Warrants, and the Underlying Shares.

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

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

 

“Stated Value” means $1,000 per share of Preferred Stock.

 

“Stock Option Plan” means the Stock Option Plan of the Company in effect as the date of this Agreement, the principal terms of which have been disclosed in the SEC Reports.

 

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

 

“Subsequent Closing” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.4.

“Subsequent Closing Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.4 hereof.

“Subsequent Closing Escrow Agreement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.4 hereof.

“Subsequent Closing Option Date” means the date that is eighteen (18) months after the Initial Closing Date.

 

“Subsequent Financing” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.17.

 

“Subsequent Financing Notice” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.17.

 

“Subsidiary” means with respect to any entity at any date, any direct or indirect corporation, limited or general partnership, limited liability company, trust, estate, association, joint venture or other business entity of which (A) more than 30% of (i) the outstanding capital stock having (in the absence of contingencies) ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other managing body of such entity, (ii) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, the interest in the capital or profits of such partnership or limited liability company or (iii) in the case of a trust, estate, association, joint venture or other entity, the beneficial interest in such trust, estate, association or other entity business is, at the time of determination, owned or controlled directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, by such entity, or (B) is under the actual control of the Company.

 

“Termination Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1.

 

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

 

“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE AMEX, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the OTC Bulletin Board, the OTCQB or the OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).

 

 “Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Certificate of Designation, the Warrants, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

“Transfer Agent” means American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, with offices located at 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

“Underlying Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issued and issuable upon conversion or redemption of the Preferred Stock and upon exercise of the Warrants and issued and issuable in lieu of the cash payment of dividends on the Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms of the Certificate of Designation.

 

“Variable Priced Equity Linked Instruments” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.13.

 

“Variable Rate Transaction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.13.

 

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

 

“Warrants” means, collectively, the Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto.

 

“Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.

 

 

2.1           Closing.  On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, an aggregate of 1,500 shares of Preferred Stock with an aggregate Stated Value for each Purchaser equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser, and Warrants as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a) (such purchase and sale being the “Initial Closing”).  Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, and the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective shares of Preferred Stock and Warrants, as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing.  Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Initial Closing shall occur at the offices of G&M or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Closing Date shall occur on or before April 4, 2014 (“Termination Date”).  If a Closing is not held on or before the Termination Date, the Company shall cause all subscription documents and funds to be returned, without interest or deduction to each prospective Purchaser.

 

2.2           Deliveries.

 

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

 

(i)

this Agreement duly executed by the Company;

 

(ii)            a legal opinion of Company Counsel, substantially in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto;

 

(iii)           the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by the Company;

 

(iv)           a certificate evidencing a number of shares of Preferred Stock equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Stated Value, registered in the name of such Purchaser, and evidence of the filing and acceptance of the Certificate of Designation from the Secretary of State of New York;

 

(v)           a Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 150% of such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by $0.20, with an exercise price equal to $0.25 per share, subject to adjustment as provided therein;

 

(vi)           the Escrow Agreement duly executed by the Company; and

 

(vii)           the Lockup Agreement in the form of Exhibit G, signed by each of the holders of the Company’s securities identified on Schedule 2.2(a)(vii).

 

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

 

(i)

this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;

 

(ii)            the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;

 

(iii)           such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount by wire transfer or as otherwise permitted under the Escrow Agreement, to the Escrow Agent; and

 

(iv)           the Escrow Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser.

 

(ii)            all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser to be performed at or prior to the Subsequent Closing Date shall have been performed;

 

(iii)           the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.5(b) of this Agreement;

(iv)           the Escrow Agent shall have received Subsequent Closing Subscription Amounts from Purchasers in good funds in the amount designated in the Exercise Notice.

 

(b)          The respective obligations of a Purchaser hereunder in connection with the Subsequent Closing, unless waived by such Purchaser, are subject to the following conditions being met:

 

(i)             the accuracy in all material respects (determined without regard to any materiality, Material Adverse Effect or other similar qualifiers therein) on the Subsequent Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);

 

(ii)            all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company under this Agreement required to be performed at or prior to the Subsequent Closing Date shall have been performed;

 

(iii)           the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.5(a) of this Agreement;

 

(iv)          there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof;

 

(v)           from the date hereof to the Subsequent Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s principal Trading Market, and, at any time from the date of this Agreement and prior to the Subsequent Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the Subsequent  Closing; and

(vi)        the Escrow Agent shall have received Exercise Notices and the Escrow Agent shall have received the Subscription Amounts designated on such Exercise Notices from such Purchasers in good funds.

 

 

 

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

 

(a)           Subsidiaries.  All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company and the Company’s ownership interests therein are set forth on Schedule 3.1(a).  The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.  If the Company has no Subsidiaries relevant to any component of this Agreement, then such reference shall not be applicable.

 

(b)           Organization and Qualification.  The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents.  Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, 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 Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.

 

(c)           Authorization; Enforcement.  The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder.  The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals.  This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) to the extent the indemnification provisions contained in this Agreement may be limited by applicable law and principles of public policy.

 

(d)           No Conflicts.  The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby to which it is a party do not and will not: (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, (ii) subject to Required Approvals, conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(e)           Filings, Consents and Approvals.  The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.6 of this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, (iii) the notice and/or application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the issuance and sale of the Preferred Stock and Warrant Shares and the listing of the Underlying Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (iii) the filing of Form D with the Commission and such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).

 

(f)           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 imposed by the Company.  The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock a number of shares of Common Stock for issuance of the Underlying Shares at least equal to the Required Minimum on the date hereof.

 

(g)           Capitalization.  The capitalization of the Company is as set forth in Schedule 3.1(g). The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Stock Option Plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Stock Option Plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act described on Schedule 3.1(g).  No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.  Except as disclosed on Schedule 3.1(g), there are no outstanding options, employee or incentive stock option plans 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 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. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), the issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in material compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.  No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the 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.

 

(h)           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 Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension.  As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing.  Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.

 

(i)            Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments.  Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as 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 could 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 the existing Stock Option Plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information.  Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on Schedule 3.1(i), no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, 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 two Trading Days prior to the date that this representation is made.

 

(j)             Litigation.  Except as described in the SEC Reports, there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, 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 which is presently required to be disclosed pursuant to any relevant law, rule or regulation including the Securities Act and Exchange Act and which if disclosed presently or in the future could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  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 which is presently required to be disclosed pursuant to any relevant law, rule or regulation including the Securities Act and Exchange Act and which if disclosed presently or in the future  could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.

 

(k)            Labor Relations.  No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good.  To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters.  The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(l)            Compliance.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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

 

(n)           Title to Assets.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(n), the Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property (if any) owned by them and 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 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.

 

(o)           Intellectual Property.

 

(i)           The term “Intellectual Property Rights” includes:

 

1.      the name of the Company and each Subsidiary, all fictional business names, trading names, registered and unregistered trademarks, service marks, and applications of the Company and each Subsidiary (collectively, “Marks'');

 

2.      all patents, patent applications, and inventions and discoveries that may be patentable of the Company and each Subsidiary  (collectively, “Patents'');

 

3.      all copyrights in both unpublished works and published works of the Company and each Subsidiary (collectively, “Copyrights”);

 

4.      all rights in mask works of the Company and each Subsidiary (collectively, “Rights in Mask Works''); and

 

5.      all know-how, trade secrets, confidential information, customer lists, software, technical information, data, process technology, plans, drawings, and blue prints (collectively, “Trade Secrets''); owned, used, or licensed by the Company and each Subsidiary as licensee or licensor

 

(ii)           Agreements. Except as disclosed in the Reports, there are no outstanding and, to Company’s knowledge, no threatened disputes or disagreements with respect to any agreements relating to any Intellectual Property Rights to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound.

 

(iii)           Know-How Necessary for the Business.  The Intellectual Property Rights are all those necessary for the operation of the Company’s businesses as it is currently conducted. The Company is the owner of all right, title, and interest in and to each of the Intellectual Property Rights, free and clear of all liens, security interests, charges, encumbrances, equities, and other adverse claims, and has the right to use all of the Intellectual Property Rights.  To the Company’s knowledge, no employee of the Company has entered into any contract that restricts or limits in any way the scope or type of work in which the employee may be engaged or requires the employee to transfer, assign, or disclose information concerning his work to anyone other than of the Company.

 

(iv)           Patents. The Company is the owner of all right, title and interest in and to each of the Patents, free and clear of all Liens and other adverse claims.  All of the issued Patents are currently in compliance with formal legal requirements (including payment of filing, examination, and maintenance fees and proofs of working or use), are valid and enforceable, and are not subject to any maintenance fees or taxes or actions falling due within ninety days after the Initial Closing Date.  No Patent has been or is now involved in any interference, reissue, reexamination, or opposition proceeding.  To the Company’s knowledge except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(o): (1) there is no potentially interfering patent or patent application of any third party, and (2) no Patent is infringed or has been challenged or threatened in any way. To the Company’s knowledge, none of the products manufactured and sold, nor any process or know-how used, by the Company infringes or is alleged to infringe any patent or other proprietary right of any other Person.

 

(v)           Trademarks. The Company is the owner of all right, title, and interest in and to each of the Marks, free and clear of all Liens and other adverse claims.  All Marks that have been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office are currently in compliance with all formal legal requirements (including the timely post-registration filing of affidavits of use and incontestability and renewal applications), are valid and enforceable, and are not subject to any maintenance fees or taxes or actions falling due within ninety days after the Initial Closing Date.  Except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(o), no Mark has been or is now involved in any opposition, invalidation, or cancellation and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such action is threatened with respect to any of the Marks.  To the Company’s knowledge: (1) there is no potentially interfering trademark or trademark application of any third party, and (2) no Mark is infringed or has been challenged or threatened in any way. To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Marks used by the Company infringes or is alleged to infringe any trade name, trademark, or service mark of any third party.

 

(vi)           Copyrights. The Company is the owner of all right, title, and interest in and to each of the Copyrights, free and clear of all Liens and other adverse claims.  All the Copyrights have been registered and are currently in compliance with formal requirements, are valid and enforceable, and are not subject to any maintenance fees or taxes or actions falling due within ninety days after the date of the Closing.  To the Company’s knowledge, no Copyright is infringed or has been challenged or threatened in any way. To the Company’s knowledge, none of the subject matter of any of the Copyrights infringes or is alleged to infringe any copyright of any third party or is a derivative work based on the work of a third party. All works encompassed by the Copyrights have been marked with the proper copyright notice.

 

(vii)         Trade Secrets. With respect to each Trade Secret, the documentation relating to such Trade Secret is current, accurate, and sufficient in detail and content to identify and explain it and to allow its full and proper use without reliance on the knowledge or memory of any individual. The Company has taken all reasonable precautions to protect the secrecy, confidentiality, and value of its Trade Secrets.  The Company has good title and an absolute (but not necessarily exclusive) right to use the Trade Secrets. The Trade Secrets are not part of the public knowledge or literature, and, to the Company’s knowledge, have not been used, divulged, or appropriated either for the benefit of any Person (other the Company) or to the detriment of the Company. No Trade Secret is subject to any adverse claim or has been challenged or threatened in any way.

 

 

(p)        Insurance.  The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to the aggregate Subscription Amount.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.

 

(q)       Transactions With Affiliates and Employees.  Except as set forth in the SEC Reports or as disclosed on Schedule 3.1(q), 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 $100,000 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 except as disclosed on Schedule 3.1(g).

 

(r)        Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls.  The Company and the Subsidiaries are in material compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date.  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.

 

(s)       Certain Fees.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(s), no brokerage, finder’s fees, commissions or due diligence fees 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.  The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any such fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section 3.1(s) that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

 

(t)        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.  The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(u)        Registration Rights.  No Person, other than the Purchasers, has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(u).

 

(v)        Reporting Company/Shell Company.  The Company is a publicly-held company subject to reporting obligations pursuant to Sections 12(g), 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.  Pursuant to the provisions of the Exchange Act, the Company has timely filed all reports and other materials required to be filed by the Company thereunder with the SEC during the preceding twelve months.  As of the Closing Date, the Company is not a “shell company” nor “former shell company” as those terms are employed in Rule 144 under the Securities Act.  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.

 

(w)       Application of Takeover Protections.  The Company and the Board of Directors will have taken as of the Closing Date all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.

 

(x)         Disclosure.  Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information.  The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.  All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, when taken together as a whole, is true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do 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, in light of the circumstances under which they were made and when made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth herein.

 

(bb)     Foreign Corrupt Practices.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has: (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is  in violation of law or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of FCPA.

 

(cc)      Accountants and Lawyers.  The Company’s accounting firm is set forth on Schedule 3.1(cc) of the Disclosure Schedules.  To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm: (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2013. There are no disagreements of any kind presently existing, or reasonably anticipated by the Company to arise, between the Company and the accountants and lawyers formerly or presently employed by the Company and the Company is current with respect to any fees owed to its accountants and lawyers which could affect the Company’s ability to perform any of its obligations under any of the Transaction Documents.

 

(dd)      Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby.  The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities.  The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.

 

 (ee)     Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity.  Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Section 4.16 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term, (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities, (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, may presently have a “short” position in the Common Stock and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction.  The Company further understands and acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, including, without limitation, during the periods that the value of the Underlying Shares deliverable with respect to Securities are being determined, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders' equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted.  The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents, provided that such activities do not breach the Investors’ representations made in Section 3.2 of this Agreement.

 

(ff)       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.

 

(gg)     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, suit 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.

 

(hh)      Stock Option Plans. Each stock option granted by the Company under the Stock Option Plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Stock Option Plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date such stock option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Stock 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, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.

 

(ii)        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 is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).

 

(jj)        Private Placement. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Securities by the Company to the Purchasers as contemplated hereby. The issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market.

 

(kk)      No General Solicitation.  Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising.  The Company has offered the Securities for sale only to the Purchasers and certain other “accredited investors” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act.

 

(ll)        Listing and Maintenance Requirements.   The Common Stock is quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol ASPW.  The Company has not, in the twenty-four (24) months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market.

 

(mm)    Survival.  The foregoing representations and warranties shall survive the Closing Date.

 

(d)           Experience of Such Purchaser.  Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment.  Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.

 

(e)           Information on Company. Such Purchaser has been furnished with or has had access to the EDGAR Website of the Commission to the Company’s filings made with the Commission during the period from the date that is two years preceding the date hereof through the tenth business day preceding the Initial Closing Date in which such Purchaser purchases Securities hereunder, including but not limited to the Company’s amended registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the Commission on October 3, 2013 (hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Reports”).  Purchasers are not deemed to have any knowledge of any information not included in the Reports unless such information is delivered in the manner described in the next sentence.  In addition, such Purchaser may have received in writing from the Company such other information concerning its operations, financial condition and other matters as such Purchaser has requested, identified thereon as OTHER WRITTEN INFORMATION (such other information is collectively, the “Other Written Information”). Such Purchaser believes that it has received all the information such Purchaser considers necessary or appropriate for deciding whether to purchase the Securities and considered all factors such Purchaser deems material in deciding on the advisability of investing in the Securities.  Such Purchaser was afforded (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as such Purchaser deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the merits and risks of acquiring the Securities; (ii) the right of access to information about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable such Purchaser to evaluate the Securities; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to acquiring the Securities.

 

(f)           Compliance with Securities Act; Reliance on Exemptions. Such Purchaser understands and agrees that the Securities have not been registered under the 1933 Act or any applicable state securities laws, by reason of their issuance in a transaction that does not require registration under the 1933 Act, and that such Securities must be held indefinitely unless a subsequent disposition is registered under the 1933 Act or any applicable state securities laws or is exempt from such registration. Such Purchaser understands and agrees that the Securities are being offered and sold to such Purchaser in reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and regulations and that the Company is relying in part upon the truth and accuracy of, and such Purchaser’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of such Purchaser set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of such Purchaser to acquire the Securities.

 

(g)           Communication of Offer. Such Purchaser is not purchasing the Securities as a result of any “general solicitation” or “general advertising,” as such terms are defined in Regulation D, which includes, but is not limited to, any advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or on the internet or broadcast over television, radio or the internet or presented at any seminar or any other general solicitation or general advertisement.

 

(h)           No Governmental Review. Such Purchaser understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other governmental or state agency has passed on or made recommendations or endorsement of the Securities or the suitability of the investment in the Securities nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities.

 

(i)             No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and performance under the other Transaction Documents and the consummation by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby or relating hereto or thereto do not and will not (i) result in a violation of such Purchaser’s charter documents, bylaws or other organizational documents, if applicable, (ii) conflict with nor constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under any agreement to which such Purchaser is a party, nor (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or any order, judgment or decree of any court or governmental agency applicable to such Purchaser or its properties (except for such conflicts, defaults and violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on such Purchaser). Such Purchaser is not required to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency in order for it to execute, deliver or perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or perform under the other Transaction Documents nor to purchase the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof, provided that for purposes of the representation made in this sentence, such Purchaser is assuming and relying upon the accuracy of the relevant representations and agreements of the Company herein.

 

(j)             Survival. The foregoing representations and warranties shall survive the Closing Date.

 

The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby.

 

 

4.1           Transfer Restrictions.

 

(a)           The Securities may only be disposed of in compliance with state and federal securities laws.  In connection with any transfer of Securities other than pursuant to an effective registration statement or Rule 144, to the Company or to an Affiliate of a Purchaser or in connection with a pledge as contemplated in Section 4.1(b), the Company may require the transferor thereof to provide to the Company at the Company’s expense, an opinion of counsel selected by the transferor and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that such transfer does not require registration of such transferred Securities under the Securities Act.  As a condition of transfer, any such transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and the Registration Statement and and shall have the rights and obligations of a Purchaser under this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

(b)           The Purchasers agree to the imprinting, so long as is required by this Section 4.1, of a legend on any of the Securities in the following form:

 

 [NEITHER] THIS SECURITY [NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS [EXERCISABLE] [CONVERTIBLE]] HAS [NOT] BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY. THIS SECURITY [AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON [EXERCISE] [CONVERSION] OF THIS SECURITY] MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.

 

The Company acknowledges and agrees that a Purchaser may from time to time pledge pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement with a registered broker-dealer or grant a security interest in some or all of the Securities to a financial institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and who agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and, if required under the terms of such arrangement, such Purchaser may transfer pledge or secure Securities to the pledgees or secured parties.  Such a pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval of the Company and no legal opinion of legal counsel of the pledgee, secured party or pledgor shall be required in connection therewith.  Further, no notice shall be required of such pledge.  At the appropriate Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Securities, including, if the Securities are subject to registration pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the preparation and filing of any required prospectus supplement under Rule 424(b)(3) under the Securities Act or other applicable provision of the Securities Act to appropriately amend the list of selling stockholders thereunder.

 

(d)           In addition to such Purchaser’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Underlying Shares (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date such Securities are submitted to the Transfer Agent) delivered for removal of the restrictive legend and subject to Section 4.1(c), $10 per Trading Day for each Trading Day after the Legend Removal Date (increasing to $20 per Trading Day after the tenth Trading Day) until such certificate is delivered without a legend.  Nothing herein shall limit such Purchaser’s right to pursue actual damages for the Company’s failure to deliver certificates representing any Securities as required by the Transaction Documents, and such Purchaser shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief.

 

(e)           In the event a Purchaser shall request delivery of unlegended shares as described in this Section 4.1 and the Company is required to deliver such unlegended shares, the Company may not refuse to deliver unlegended shares based on any claim that such Purchaser or anyone associated or affiliated with such Purchaser has not complied with Purchaser’s obligations under the Transaction Documents, or for any other reason, unless, an injunction or temporary restraining order from a court, on notice, restraining and or enjoining delivery of such unlegended shares shall have been sought and obtained by the Company and the Company has posted a surety bond for the benefit of such Purchaser in the amount of the greater of (i) 15% of the amount of the aggregate purchase price of the Underlying Shares which is subject to the injunction or temporary restraining order, or (ii) the VWAP of the Common Stock on the trading day before the issue date of the injunction multiplied by the number of unlegended shares to be subject to the injunction,  which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/’litigation of the dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to such Purchaser to the extent Purchaser obtains judgment in Purchaser’s favor.

 

(f)            Buy-In. In addition to any other rights available to Purchaser, if the Company fails to deliver to a Purchaser unlegended shares as required pursuant to this Agreement and after the Legend Removal Date the Purchaser, or a broker on the Purchaser’s behalf, purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Purchaser of the shares of Common Stock which the Purchaser was entitled to receive in unlegended form from the Company (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall promptly pay in cash to the Purchaser (in addition to any remedies available to or elected by the Purchaser) the amount, if any, by which (A) the Purchaser’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (B) the aggregate purchase price of the shares of Common Stock delivered to the Company for reissuance as unlegended shares together with interest thereon at a rate of 15% per annum accruing until such amount and any accrued interest thereon is paid in full (which amount shall be paid as liquidated damages and not as a penalty). For example, if a Purchaser purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to $10,000 of purchase price of Shares delivered to the Company for reissuance as unlegended shares, the Company shall be required to pay the Purchaser $1,000, plus interest, if any. The Purchaser shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Purchaser in respect of the Buy-In.

 

(g)           Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, agrees with the Company that such Purchaser will sell the Securities pursuant to either the registration requirements of the Securities Act, including any applicable prospectus delivery requirements, or an exemption therefrom, and that if Securities are sold pursuant to a registration statement, they will be sold in compliance with the plan of distribution set forth therein, and acknowledges that the removal of the restrictive legend from certificates representing Securities as set forth in this Section 4.1 is predicated upon the Company’s reliance upon this understanding.

 

 

4.9           Use of Proceeds.   Except as set forth on Schedule 4.9, the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital purposes and shall not use such proceeds: (a) for the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and prior practices), (b) for the redemption of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, (c) for the settlement of any outstanding litigation or (d) in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations.  The proceeds of the offering will be employed by the Company substantially for the purposes set forth on Schedule 4.9.

 

4.10         Indemnification of Purchasers.   Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.10, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against Purchaser Parties in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is based upon a breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such  Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which constitutes fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or malfeasance). If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel.  The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of its representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such  Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which constitutes fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or malfeasance.  The indemnification required by this Section 4.10 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred.  The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.

 

4.11         Reservation and Listing of Securities.

 

(a)           The Company shall maintain a reserve from its duly authorized shares of Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Transaction Documents in such amount as may then be required to fulfill its obligations in full under the Transaction Documents, but not less than the Required Minimum.

 

(b)           If, on any date, the number of authorized but unissued (and otherwise unreserved) shares of Common Stock is less than the Required Minimum on such date, then the Board of Directors shall amend the Company’s certificate or articles of incorporation to increase the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to at least the Required Minimum at such time, as soon as possible and in any event not later than the 60th day after such date.

 

(c)           The Company hereby agrees to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is currently listed, and concurrently with each Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Underlying Shares at least equal to the Required Minimum on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the Underlying Shares at least equal to the Required Minimum on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Underlying Shares at least equal to the Required Minimum, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Underlying Shares at least equal to the Required Minimum to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible.  The Company will then take all action necessary to continue the listing or quotation and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market until the later of (i) at least five years after the Closing Date, and (ii) for so long as the Warrants are outstanding, and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market at least until five years after the Closing Date and for so long as the Warrants are outstanding.  In the event the aforedescribed listing is not continuously maintained for five years after the Closing Date (a “Listing Default”), then in addition to any other rights the Purchasers may have hereunder or under applicable law, on the first day of a Listing Default and on each monthly anniversary of each such Listing Default date (if the applicable Listing Default shall not have been cured by such date) until the applicable Listing Default is cured, the Company shall pay to each Purchaser an amount in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, equal to 2% of the aggregate Subscription Amount and purchase price of Warrant Shares held by such Purchaser on the day of a Listing Default and on every thirtieth day (pro-rated for periods less than thirty days) thereafter until the date such Listing Default is cured.  If the Company fails to pay any liquidated damages pursuant to this Section in a timely manner, the Company will pay interest thereon at a rate of 1.5% per month (pro-rated for partial months) to the Purchaser.

 

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

 

4.13          Subsequent Equity Sales.   Without prior written approval from Holder, from the date hereof until such time as the Preferred Stock and Warrants are no longer outstanding, the Company will not, without the consent of the Purchasers, enter into any Equity Line of Credit or similar agreement, nor issue nor agree to issue any common stock, floating or Variable Priced Equity Linked Instruments nor any of the foregoing or equity with price reset rights (subject to adjustment for stock splits, distributions, dividends, recapitalizations and the like) (collectively, the “Variable Rate Transaction”).   For purposes hereof, “Equity Line of Credit” shall include any transaction involving a written agreement between the Company and an investor or underwriter whereby the Company has the right to “put” its securities to the investor or underwriter over an agreed period of time and at an agreed price or price formula, and “Variable Priced Equity Linked Instruments” shall include: (A) any debt or equity securities which are convertible into, exercisable or exchangeable for, or carry the right to receive additional shares of Common Stock either (1) at any conversion, exercise or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security, or (2) with a fixed conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security due to a change in the market price of the Company’s Common Stock since date of initial issuance, and (B) any amortizing convertible security which amortizes prior to its maturity date, where the Company is required or has the option to (or any investor in such transaction has the option to require the Company to) make such amortization payments in shares of Common Stock which are valued at a price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security (whether or not such payments in stock are subject to certain equity conditions).  For purposes of determining the total consideration for a convertible instrument (including a right to purchase equity of the Company) issued, subject to an original issue or similar discount or which principal amount is directly or indirectly increased after issuance, the consideration will be deemed to be the actual cash amount received by the Company in consideration of the original issuance of such convertible instrument.  Until twenty-four (24) months after the Initial Closing Date, the Company will not issue any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents to officers, directors, employees, consultants and service providers of the Company except in the amounts and on the terms set forth on Schedule 4.13.  Except as may be issued to the Purchasers pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will not issue or reissue any Preferred Stock.   For so long as Preferred Stock or Warrants are outstanding, the Company will not amend the terms of any securities or Common Stock Equivalents or of any agreement outstanding or in effect as of the date of this Agreement pursuant to which same were or may be acquired nor issue any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, if such issuance or the result of such amendment would be at an effective price per share of Common Stock less than the higher of the Conversion Price or Warrant Exercise Price in effect at the time of such lower price issuance or amendment or would be issued or made on terms more favorable to such other holder or recipient than the Purchaser, with respect to the terms of the offering pursuant to the Transaction Documents.  For so long as any Preferred Stock is outstanding, the Company will not incur any Indebtedness.

 

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

 

4.15         Capital Changes.  Until the one year anniversary of the Initial Closing Date, the Company shall not undertake a reverse or forward stock split or reclassification of the Common Stock without 10 days prior written notice to the Purchasers, unless such reverse split is made in conjunction with the listing of the Common Stock on a national securities exchange.

 

4.16         Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it, nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release or Form 8-K as described in Section 4.6.  Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press release or Form 8-K as described in Section 4.6, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in the Transaction Documents and the Disclosure Schedules.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release or Form 8-K as described in Section 4.6, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced in a press release or pursuant to the Form 8-K as described in Section 4.6 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality to the Company or its Subsidiaries after the filing of the Form 8-K or disclosed in the initial press release as described in Section 4.6.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.

 

4.17         Participation in Future Financing.

 

(a)           From the date hereof until the date that is the twelve month anniversary of the Closing Date, upon any proposed issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents for cash consideration, Indebtedness or a combination thereof, other than (i) a rights offering to all holders of Common Stock (which may include extending such rights offering to holders of Preferred Stock) or (ii) an Exempt Issuance, (a “Subsequent Financing”), each Purchaser shall have the right to participate in up to an amount of the Subsequent Financing equal to 100% of the Subsequent Financing (the “Participation Maximum”) on the same terms, conditions and price provided for in the Subsequent Financing, unless the Subsequent Financing is an underwritten public offering, in which case the Company shall offer each Purchaser the right to participate in such public offering when it is lawful for the Company to do so, but no Purchaser shall be entitled to purchase any particular amount of such public offering.

 

(b)           At least seven (7) Trading Days prior to the closing of the Subsequent Financing, the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser a written notice of its intention to effect a Subsequent Financing (“Pre-Notice”), which Pre-Notice shall ask such Purchaser if it wants to review the details of such financing (such additional notice, a “Subsequent Financing Notice”).  Upon the request of a Purchaser, and only upon a request by such Purchaser, for a Subsequent Financing Notice, the Company shall promptly, but no later than one (1) Trading Day after such request, deliver a Subsequent Financing Notice to such Purchaser.  The requesting Purchaser shall be deemed to have acknowledged that the Subsequent Financing Notice may contain material non-public information.  The Subsequent Financing Notice shall describe in reasonable detail the proposed terms of such Subsequent Financing, the amount of proceeds intended to be raised thereunder and the Person or Persons through or with whom such Subsequent Financing is proposed to be effected and shall include a term sheet or similar document relating thereto as an attachment.

 

(c)           Any Purchaser desiring to participate in such Subsequent Financing must provide written notice to the Company by not later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the fifth (5th) Trading Day after all of the Purchasers have received the Pre-Notice that the Purchaser is willing to participate in the Subsequent Financing, the amount of such Purchaser’s participation, and representing and warranting that such Purchaser has such funds ready, willing, and available for investment on the terms set forth in the Subsequent Financing Notice.  If the Company receives no such notice from a Purchaser as of such fifth (5th) Trading Day, such Purchaser shall be deemed to have notified the Company that it does not elect to participate.

 

(d)           If by 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the fifth (5th ) Trading Day after all of the Purchasers have received the Pre-Notice, notifications by the Purchasers of their willingness to participate in the Subsequent Financing (or to cause their designees to participate) is, in the aggregate, less than the total amount of the Subsequent Financing, then the Company may affect the remaining portion of such Subsequent Financing on the terms and with the Persons set forth in the Subsequent Financing Notice.

 

(e)           If by 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the fifth (5th) Trading Day after all of the Purchasers have received the Pre-Notice, the Company receives responses to a Subsequent Financing Notice from Purchasers seeking to purchase more than the aggregate amount of the Participation Maximum, each such Purchaser shall have the right to purchase its Pro Rata Portion (as defined below) of the Participation Maximum.  “Pro Rata Portion” means the ratio of (x) the Subscription Amount of shares of Preferred Stock and Warrants purchased hereunder by a Purchaser participating under this Section 4.17 and (y) the sum of the aggregate Subscription Amounts of Securities purchased hereunder by all Purchasers participating under this Section 4.17.

 

(f)           The Company must provide the Purchasers with a second Subsequent Financing Notice, and the Purchasers will again have the right of participation set forth above in this Section 4.17, if the Subsequent Financing subject to the initial Subsequent Financing Notice is not consummated for any reason on the terms set forth in such Subsequent Financing Notice within thirty (30) Trading Days after the date of the initial Subsequent Financing Notice.

 

(g)           The Company and each Purchaser agree that if any Purchaser elects to participate in the Subsequent Financing, the transaction documents related to the Subsequent Financing shall not include any term or provision whereby such Purchaser shall be required to agree to any restrictions on trading as to any of the Securities purchased hereunder (for avoidance of doubt, the securities purchased in the Subsequent  Financing shall not be considered securities purchased hereunder) or be required to consent to any amendment to or termination of, or grant any waiver, release or the like under or in connection with, this Agreement, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser.

 

(h)           Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4.17 and unless otherwise agreed to by such Purchaser, the Company shall either confirm in writing to such Purchaser that the transaction with respect to the Subsequent Financing has been abandoned or shall publicly disclose its intention to issue the securities in the Subsequent Financing, in either case in such a manner such that such Purchaser will not be in possession of any material, non-public information, by the tenth (10th) Business Day following delivery of the Subsequent Financing Notice.  If by such tenth (10th) Business Day, no public disclosure regarding a transaction with respect to the Subsequent Financing has been made, and no notice regarding the abandonment of such transaction has been received by such Purchaser, such transaction shall be deemed to have been abandoned and such Purchaser shall not be deemed to be in possession of any material, non-public information with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

 

4.24          Purchaser’s Exercise Limitations.  The Company shall not effect any exercise of the option granted to each Purchaser in Sections 2.4, 4.17 and 4.23 of this Agreement, and a Purchaser shall not have the right to exercise any portion of such option, pursuant to Sections 2.4, 4.17 and 4.23 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Exercise Notice, the Purchaser (together with the Purchaser’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Purchaser or any of the Purchaser’s Affiliates), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below).  For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Purchaser and its Affiliates shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the option with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of the option beneficially owned by the Purchaser or any of its Affiliates and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Preferred Stock or other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Purchaser or any of its Affiliates.  Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 4.24, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Purchaser that the Company is not representing to the Purchaser that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Purchaser is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith.   To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 4.24 applies, the determination of whether the option is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Purchaser together with any Affiliates) and of which portion of the option is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Purchaser, and the submission of an Exercise Notice shall be deemed to be the Purchaser’s determination of whether the option is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Purchaser together with any Affiliates) and of which portion of the option is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation.  To ensure compliance with this restriction, a Purchaser will be deemed to represent to the Company when it delivers an Exercise Notice that such Exercise Notice has not violated the restrictions set forth in this paragraph, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination.   In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.  For purposes of this Section 4.24, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Purchaser may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding.  Upon the written or oral request of a Purchaser, the Company shall within two Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Purchaser the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding.  In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including the Warrants, by the Purchaser or its Affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported.  The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 9.99%, unless a Purchaser elects on its signature page hereto a different amount for its own Beneficial Ownership Limitation (which shall also apply to and supercede the corresponding Beneficial Ownership Limitation as same relates to the Warrants issued to such electing Purchaser) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the option.  The Purchaser may decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation at any time and the Purchaser, upon not less than 61 days’ prior notice to the Company, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 4.24, provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the option held by the Purchaser and the provisions of this Section 4.24 shall continue to apply.  Any such increase will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company.  The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 4.24 to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of the option right.  In the event the limitations in this Section 4.24 would prevent the exercise of a Purchaser’s rights under Sections 2.4, 4.17 or 4.23, then such Purchaser may exercise all such rights and comply with all obligations applicable thereto except that the delivery of Common Stock will be deferred until such time as such Purchaser provides notice to the Company that such Purchaser may receive or beneficially own such Common Stock which exceeds the Beneficial Ownership Limitation without exceeding the then applicable Beneficial Ownership Limitation.

 

 

5.1           Termination.  This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Initial Closing has not been consummated on or before April 4, 2014; provided, however, that such termination will not affect the right of any party to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).

 

5.2           Fees and Expenses.  At the Initial Closing, the Company has agreed to pay G&M for the legal fees in connection with the Initial Closing of some, but not all, of the Purchasers in the amount of $20,000 ($5,000 of which has been paid, and of which the remaining $15,000 shall be paid from Escrow upon the Initial Closing).  Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents and on Schedule 3.1(s), each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.  The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company and any conversion or exercise notice delivered by a Purchaser), stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.

 

5.3           Entire Agreement.  The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.

 

5.4           Notices.  All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals, and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be (i) personally served, (ii) deposited in the mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (iii) delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or (iv) transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, or facsimile, addressed as set forth below or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice.  Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be deemed effective (a) upon hand delivery or delivery by facsimile, with accurate confirmation generated by the transmitting facsimile machine, at the address or number designated below (if delivered on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or the first business day following such delivery (if delivered other than on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received) or (b) on the second business day following the date of mailing by express courier service, fully prepaid, addressed to such address, or upon actual receipt of such mailing, whichever shall first occur. The addresses for such communications shall be: (i) if to the Company, to: Arista Power, Inc., 1999 Mt. Read Boulevard, Rochester, New York 14615, Attn: William Schmitz, CEO, facsimile: (585) 243-4142, with a copy by fax only to (which shall not constitute notice): Schwell Wimpfheimer & Associates LLP, 1430 Broadway, Suite 1615, New York, NY 10018, Attn: Dov Schwell, Esq., facsimile: (646) 360-5000, and (ii) if to the Purchasers, to: the addresses and fax numbers indicated on the signature pages hereto, with an additional copy by fax only to (which shall not constitute notice): Grushko & Mittman, P.C., 515 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream, New York 11581, facsimile: (212) 697-3575.

 

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

 

5.11         Execution.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart.  In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.

 

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

 

5.13          Rescission and Withdrawal Right.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may, at any time prior to the Company’s performance of such obligations, rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided, however, that in the case of a rescission of a conversion of the Preferred Stock or exercise of a Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any shares of Common Stock subject to any such rescinded conversion or exercise notice concurrently with the return to such Purchaser of the aggregate exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such Purchaser’s right to acquire such shares pursuant to such Purchaser’s Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right).

 

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

 

5.15          Remedies.  In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents.  The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

ARISTA POWER, INC.	Address for Notice:   1999 Mt. Read Boulevard Rochester, New York 14615 Fax: (585) 243-4142
By: __________________________________________        Name: William Schmitz        Title: Chief Executive Officer
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):   Schwell Wimpfheimer & Associates LLP 1430 Broadway, Suite 1615 New York, NY 10018 Attn: Dov Schwell, Esq. Fax: (646) 360-5000

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]

 

 

 

TO :         Arista Power, Inc.

1999 Mt. Read Boulevard

Rochester, New York 14615

Fax: (585) 243-4142

 

 

PLEASE ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS. If the appropriate answer is “None” or “Not Applicable”, so state.  Please print or type your answers to all questions. Attach additional sheets if necessary to complete your answers to any item.

 

Your answers will be kept strictly confidential at all times. However, Arista Power, Inc. (the “Company”) may present this Questionnaire to such parties as it deems appropriate in order to assure itself that the offer and sale of securities of the Company will not result in a violation of the registration provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or a violation of the securities laws of any state.

 

1.           Please provide the following information:

 

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Name of additional purchaser: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

(Please complete information in Question 5)

 

Date of birth, or if other than an individual, year of organization or incorporation:

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

2.           Residence address, or if other than an individual, principal office address:

 

 

 

Telephone number: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Social Security Number: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Taxpayer Identification Number: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

3.  Business address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Business telephone number: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

4.  Send mail to:                                           Residence ______                                           Business _______

 

5.           With respect to tenants in common, joint tenants and tenants by the entirety, complete only if information differs from that above:

 

Residence address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Telephone number: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Social Security Number: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Taxpayer Identification Number: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Business address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Business telephone number: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Send Mail to:                                           Residence _______                                           Business _______

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

7.           Please state whether you (i) are associated with or affiliated with a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Association, Inc. (“FINRA”), (ii) are an owner of stock or other securities of  FINRA member (other than stock or other securities purchased on the open market), or (iii) have made a subordinated loan to any FINRA member:

 

	_______	_______
	Yes	No

 

If you answered yes to any of (i) – (iii) above, please indicate the applicable answer and briefly describe the facts below:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

8.1           Does your net worth* (or joint net worth with your spouse) exceed $1,000,000?

 

 

	_______	_______
	Yes	No

 

8.3           Are you an executive officer of the Company?

 

	_______	_______
	Yes	No

 

* For purposes hereof, net worth shall be deemed to include ALL of your assets, liquid or illiquid MINUS any liabilities.

 

** For purposes hereof, the term “income” is not limited to “adjusted gross income” as that term is defined for federal income tax purposes, but rather includes certain items of income which are deducted in computing “adjusted gross income”. For investors who are salaried employees, the gross salary of such investor, minus any significant expenses personally incurred by such investor in connection with earning the salary, plus any income from any other source including unearned income, is a fair measure of “income” for purposes hereof. For investors who are self-employed, “income” is generally construed to mean total revenues received during the calendar year minus significant expenses incurred in connection with earning such revenues.

 

 

8.B           Applicable to Corporations, Partnerships, Trusts, Limited Liability Companies and other Entities ONLY:

 

The purchaser is an accredited investor because the purchaser falls within at least one of the following categories (Check all appropriate lines):

 

___

(i) a bank as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Act or a savings and loan association or other institution as defined in Section 3(a)(5)(A) of the Act whether acting in its individual or fiduciary capacity;

 

___

(ii) a broker-dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

 

___

(iii) an insurance company as defined in Section 2(13) of the Act;

 

___

(iv) an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Act”) or a business development company as defined in Section 2(a)(48) of the Investment Act;

 

___

(v) a Small Business Investment Company licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration under Section 301(c) or (d) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, as amended;

 

___

(vi) a plan established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions, for the benefit of its employees, where such plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000;

 

___

(vii) an employee benefit plan within the meaning of Title 1 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (the “Employee Act”), where the investment decision is made by a plan fiduciary, as defined in Section 3(21) of the Employee Act, which is either a bank, savings and loan association, insurance company, or registered investment adviser, or an employee benefit plan that has total assets in excess of $5,000,000, or a self-directed plan the investment decisions of which are made solely by persons that are accredited investors;

 

___

(viii) a private business development company, as defined in Section 202(a)(22) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended;

 

 

___

(x) a trust, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, whose purchase is directed by a “sophisticated” person, as described in Rule 506(b)(2)(ii) promulgated under the Act, who has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that he or she is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment;

 

 

___

(xi) an entity in which all of the equity investors are persons or entities described above (“accredited investors”). ALL EQUITY OWNERS MUST COMPLETE “EXHIBIT A” ATTACHED HERETO.

 

9.A           Do you have sufficient knowledge and experience in financial and business matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks associated with investing in the Company?

ANSWER QUESTION 9B ONLY IF THE ANSWER TO QUESTION 9A WAS “NO.”

 

9.B           If the answer to Question 9A was “NO,” do you have a financial or investment adviser (a) that is acting in the capacity as a purchaser representative and (b) who has sufficient knowledge and experience in financial and business matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks associated with investing in the Company?

If you have a financial or investment adviser(s), please identify each such person and indicate his or her business address and telephone number in the space below. (Each such person must complete, and you must review and acknowledge, a separate Purchaser Representative Questionnaire which will be supplied at your request).

 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

10.           You have the right, will be afforded an opportunity, and are encouraged to investigate the Company and review relevant factors and documents pertaining to the officers of the Company, and the Company and its business and to ask questions of a qualified representative of the Company regarding this investment and the properties, operations, and methods of doing business of the Company.

 

Have you or has your purchaser representative, if any, conducted any such investigation, sought such documents or asked questions of a qualified representative of the Company regarding this investment and the properties, operations, and methods of doing business of the Company?

 

If so, briefly describe: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

If so, have you completed your investigation and/or received satisfactory answers to your questions?

 

 

11.           Do you understand the nature of an investment in the Company and the risks associated with such an investment?

12.           Do you understand that there is no guarantee of any financial return on this investment and that you will be exposed to the risk of losing your entire investment?

 

13.           Do you understand that this investment is not liquid?

 

14.           Do you have adequate means of providing for your current needs and personal contingencies in view of the fact that this is not a liquid investment?

 

15.           Are you aware of the Company’s business affairs and financial condition, and have you acquired all such information about the Company as you deem necessary and appropriate to enable you to reach an informed and knowledgeable decision to acquire the Interests?

 

16.           Do you have a “pre-existing relationship” with the Company or any of the officers of the Company?

 

(For purposes hereof, “pre-existing relationship” means any relationship consisting of personal or business contacts of a nature and duration such as would enable a reasonably prudent investor to be aware of the character, business acumen, and general business and financial circumstances of the person with whom such relationship exists.)

 

If so, please name the individual or other person with whom you have a pre-existing relationship and describe the relationship:

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

Dated: _______________, 2014

 

If purchaser is one or more individuals (all individuals must sign):

 

(Type or print name of prospective purchaser)

 

Signature of prospective purchaser

Social Security Number

 

(Type or print name of additional purchaser)

 

Signature of spouse, joint tenant, tenant in common or other signature, if required

 

Social Security Number

 

 

EXHIBIT “A” TO ACCREDITED INVESTOR QUESTIONNAIRE

 

ACCREDITED CORPORATIONS, PARTNERSHIPS, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES, TRUSTS OR OTHER ENTITIES INITIALING QUESTION 8B(xi) MUST PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION.

 

I hereby certify that set forth below is a complete list of all equity owners in __________________ [NAME OF ENTITY], a                                                 [TYPE OF ENTITY] formed pursuant to the laws of the State of                                     . I also certify that EACH SUCH OWNER HAS INITIALED THE SPACE OPPOSITE HIS OR HER NAME and that each such owner understands that by initialing that space he or she is representing that he or she is an accredited individual investor satisfying the test for accredited individual investors indicated under “Type of Accredited Investor.”

 

	signature of authorized corporate officer, general partner or trustee

 

	Name of Equity Owner	Type of Accredited Investor1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.