At-The-Market Sales Agreement, dated December 29, 2023, by and between Atlanticus Holdings Corporation and BTIG, LLC
Exhibit 1.1
ATLANTICUS HOLDINGS CORPORATION
UP TO $50,000,000 OF COMMON STOCK
(no par value per share)
AT-THE-MARKET SALES AGREEMENT
December 29, 2023
BTIG, LLC
600 Montgomery Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Atlanticus Holdings Corporation, a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with BTIG, LLC (“BTIG” and, together with the Company, the “Parties”), as follows:
1. Issuance and Sale of Shares. The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell to or through BTIG, as sales agent and/or principal, up to that number of shares of the Company’s common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price of $50,000,000 (the “Shares”); provided, however, that in no event shall the Company issue or sell to or through BTIG such number of Shares that would (a) exceed the number or amount of shares of Common Stock then available for offer and sale under the currently effective Registration Statement (as defined below) pursuant to which the offering hereunder and under any Terms Agreement (as defined below) is being made or (b) exceed the number of authorized but unissued shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the lesser of (a) and (b), the “Maximum Amount”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Parties acknowledge and agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 1 on the Maximum Amount of Shares that may be issued and sold under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement (as defined below) shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and that BTIG shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The Company agrees that whenever it determines to sell Shares directly to BTIG, as principal, it will enter into a separate agreement (each, a “Terms Agreement”) in a form to be agreed upon by the Company and BTIG relating to such sale in accordance with Section 2(b) of this Agreement (each such transaction being referred to as a “Principal Transaction”). Each transaction pursuant to this Agreement in which the Company determines to sell Shares through BTIG, as sales agent, is hereinafter referred to as an “Agency Transaction.” The issuance and sale of Shares to or through BTIG will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and which was declared effective under the Securities Act (as defined below) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”).
The Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), with the Commission, not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof, a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-255834), including a base prospectus, with respect to offerings of certain securities of the Company, including the Shares, and which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”). The Company has prepared a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus included as part of such registration statement at the time it became effective specifically relating to the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement (the “Prospectus Supplement”). The Company will furnish to BTIG, for use by BTIG, copies of the base prospectus included as part of such registration statement at the time it became effective, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, as declared effective by the Commission, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, as applicable, to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness and all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in the Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, collectively, are herein called the “Registration Statement,” and the base prospectus included in the registration statement at the time it became effective, including all documents incorporated therein by reference to the extent such information has not been superseded or modified in accordance with Rule 412 under the Securities Act (as qualified by Rule 430B(g) of the Securities Act), as it may be supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, together with any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act (“Rule 433”), relating to the Shares that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company or (ii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i), in each case, in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g), is herein called the “Prospectus.” If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional securities of the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, then any reference to the Registration Statement in this Agreement shall also be deemed to include such abbreviated registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission deemed to be incorporated by reference therein (such documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference are herein called the “Incorporated Documents”). For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system, or if applicable, the Interactive Data Electronic Applications system when used by the Commission (collectively, “EDGAR”).
2. Placements; Principal Transactions.
(a) Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell Shares hereunder in an Agency Transaction (each, a “Placement” and Shares sold thereunder, “Placement Shares”), it will notify BTIG by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the Parties) of the amount of Shares requested to be sold or the gross proceeds to be raised in a given time period, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the amount of Shares that may be sold in any single day, any minimum price below which sales may not be made or any minimum price requested for sales in a given time period and any other instructions relevant to such requested sales (a “Placement Notice”), the form of which is attached hereto as Schedule 1. A Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individual representatives of the Company set forth on Schedule 3, and shall be addressed to each of the individual representatives of BTIG set forth on Schedule 3, as such Schedule 3 may be amended from time to time. Provided the Company is otherwise in compliance with the terms of this Agreement, the Placement Notice shall be effective unless and until (i) BTIG, in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, declines to accept the terms contained therein for any reason, in its sole discretion (which shall not be deemed a breach of BTIG’s agreement herein), (ii) the entire amount of the Shares thereunder have been sold or the aggregate Shares sold under this Agreement and all Terms Agreements equals the Maximum Amount, whichever occurs first, (iii) the Company, in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, suspends or terminates the Placement Notice or sales thereunder, (iv) BTIG, in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, suspends sales under the Placement Notice, (v) the Company issues a subsequent Placement Notice with parameters superseding those on the earlier dated Placement Notice or (vi) this Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 12. The amount of any commission to be paid by the Company to BTIG in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares effected through BTIG, as agent, in an Agency Transaction shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in Schedule 2. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor BTIG will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Shares unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to BTIG and BTIG does not decline such Placement Notice pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified therein and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice, the terms of the Placement Notice will control.
(b) If the Company wishes to issue and sell Shares hereunder in a Principal Transaction, it will notify BTIG by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the Parties) of the proposed terms of the Principal Transaction. If BTIG, acting as principal, wishes to accept such proposed terms (which it may decline to do for any reason in its sole discretion) or, following discussions with the Company, wishes to accept amended terms, the Company and BTIG shall enter into a Terms Agreement setting forth the terms of such Principal Transaction. Neither the Company nor BTIG shall have any obligation to enter into a Principal Transaction. The terms set forth in a Terms Agreement shall not be binding on the Company or BTIG, unless and until the Company and BTIG have each executed such Terms Agreement accepting all of the terms of such Terms Agreement. Any such Terms Agreement shall specify the number or amount of Shares to be sold by the Company to and purchased by BTIG pursuant thereto, the per share purchase price to be paid to the Company for such Shares (specifying and giving effect to all market price discounts applicable to such Principal Transaction), all other compensation and/or other fees or expenses payable by the Company to or for the benefit of BTIG in connection with such Principal Transaction, the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company, the time, date and place of delivery of and payment for such Shares (to the extent the settlement terms for sales of such Shares are intended to differ from those set forth in Section 5 hereof), and the other terms upon which such sale is to occur. A Terms Agreement may also specify certain provisions relating to the reoffering of such Shares by BTIG. Each of the Parties acknowledges and agrees that such Principal Transaction shall be based on compensation that is mutually agreeable to both the Company and BTIG. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Terms Agreement, the terms of the Terms Agreement will control. The commitment of BTIG to purchase the Shares as principal pursuant to any Terms Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained in this Agreement and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. Each of the Parties acknowledges and agrees that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, BTIG may engage in sales and other transactions in respect of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Shares deliverable to BTIG pursuant to a Terms Agreement, whether or not BTIG has taken possession of such Shares at the time of such sales or other transactions, and nothing contained in this Agreement or any Terms Agreement shall limit or be deemed to limit BTIG’s ability to engage in such sales or other transactions.
3. Sale of Shares by BTIG. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the Company’s issuance of a Placement Notice in an Agency Transaction, and unless the sale of the Shares described therein has been declined, suspended or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, BTIG, as sales agent for the Company, will use its commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of The NASDAQ Global Select Market (the “Exchange”), for the period specified in the Placement Notice to sell such Shares up to the amount specified by the Company in, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of, such Placement Notice. If acting as sales agent in an Agency Transaction, BTIG will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day (as defined below) next following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Shares hereunder, setting forth the number of Shares sold on such day, the compensation payable by the Company to BTIG with respect to such sales pursuant to Section 2 (it being hereby acknowledged and agreed that such compensation shall not apply when BTIG acts as principal, in which case such compensation, discounts or other fees shall be set forth in the applicable Terms Agreement), and the Net Proceeds payable to the Company, with an itemization of the deductions made by BTIG (as set forth in Section 5(a)) from the gross proceeds for the Shares that it receives from such sales. BTIG may sell Shares, as sales agent in an Agency Transaction, by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at-the-market” offering as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act, including, without limitation, sales made directly on the Exchange, on any other existing trading market for the Common Stock or to or through a market maker or through an electronic communications network. After consultation with the Company and subject to the terms of a Placement Notice, BTIG may also sell Shares, as sales agent in an Agency Transaction, in privately negotiated transactions. During the term of this Agreement and notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, BTIG agrees that in no event will it or any of its affiliates engage in any market making, bidding, stabilization or other trading activity with regard to the Common Stock if such activity would be prohibited under Regulation M or other anti-manipulation rules under the Exchange Act. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that BTIG will be successful in selling Placement Shares in any Agency Transaction hereunder, (ii) BTIG will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Shares in any Agency Transaction for any reason other than a failure by BTIG to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Shares as required under this Section 3, and (iii) BTIG shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as may otherwise be specifically agreed by each of BTIG and the Company pursuant to a Terms Agreement, and then only to the extent permitted by applicable law and the rules and regulations of the Exchange. For the purposes hereof, “Trading Day” means any day on which Common Stock is purchased and sold on the principal market on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted.
4. Suspension of Sales.
(a) The Company or BTIG may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individual representatives of the other party set forth on Schedule 3, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable email correspondence to each of the individual representatives of the other party set forth on Schedule 3), suspend this offering and any sale of Shares in an Agency Transaction for a period of time (a “Suspension Period”); provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Shares sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. Each of the Parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against the other unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Schedule 3 hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time. During a Suspension Period, the Company shall not issue any Placement Notices and BTIG shall not sell any Shares hereunder. The party that issued a suspension notice under this Section 4 shall notify the other party in writing of the Trading Day on which the Suspension Period shall expire not later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to such Trading Day. During a Suspension Period, any obligations under Section 7(l), 7(m), 7(n), 7(o) and 7(p) with respect to the delivery of certificates, opinions or comfort letters to BTIG, shall be waived.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, the Company shall not offer or sell, or request the offer or sale of, any Shares and, by notice to BTIG given by telephone (confirmed promptly by verifiable email), shall cancel any instructions for the offer or sale of any Shares, and BTIG shall not be obligated to offer or sell any Shares, (i) during any period in which the Company is, or may be deemed to be, in possession of material non-public information or (ii) except as expressly provided in Section 4(c) below, at any time from and including the date (each, an “Announcement Date”) on which the Company shall issue a press release containing, or shall otherwise publicly announce, its earnings, revenues or other results of operations (each, an “Earnings Announcement”) through and including the time that is 24 hours after the time that the Company files (a “Filing Time”) a quarterly report on Form 10-Q or an annual report on Form 10-K that includes consolidated financial statements as of and for the same period or periods, as the case may be, covered by such Earnings Announcement.
(c) If the Company wishes to offer, sell or deliver Shares at any time during the period from and including an Announcement Date through and including the time that is 24 hours after the corresponding Filing Time, the Company shall, as conditions to the giving or continuation of any Placement Notice with respect to an Agency Transaction or the execution by BTIG of any Terms Agreement with respect to a Principal Transaction, (i) prepare and deliver to BTIG (with a copy to counsel to BTIG) a report on Form 8-K which shall include substantially the same financial and related information as was set forth in the relevant Earnings Announcement (other than any earnings or other projections, similar forward-looking data and officers’ quotations) (each, an “Earnings 8-K”), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to BTIG and its counsel, (ii) provide BTIG with the officer’s certificate called for by Section 7(m), dated the date of the Placement Notice for such Agency Transaction or the Settlement Date (as defined below) of such Principal Transaction, as applicable, which certificate shall be deemed to remain in effect during the applicable period unless withdrawn by the Company, and the opinion of Company Counsel (or Reliance Letter, as applicable) and Comfort Letter called for by Sections 7(n) and 7(o), respectively, dated the date of the Placement Notice for such Agency Transaction or the Settlement Date of such Principal Transaction, as applicable, (iii) afford BTIG the opportunity to conduct a due diligence review in accordance with Section 7(k) hereof and (iv) file such Earnings 8-K with the Commission (so that it is deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act). The provisions of clause (ii) of Section 4(b) shall not be applicable for the period from and after the time at which the conditions set forth in the immediately preceding sentence shall have been satisfied (or, if later, the time that is 24 hours after the time that the relevant Earnings Announcement was first publicly released) through and including the time that is 24 hours after the Filing Time of the relevant Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K, as the case may be. For purposes of clarity, the Parties agree that (A) the delivery of any officers’ certificate, opinion of Company Counsel (or Reliance Letter, as applicable) and Comfort Letter pursuant to this Section 4(c) shall not relieve the Company from any of its obligations under this Agreement with respect to any quarterly report on Form 10-Q, annual report on Form 10-K, or report on Form 8-K, as the case may be, including, without limitation, the obligation to deliver the officers’ certificate, opinion of Company Counsel (or Reliance Letter, as applicable) and Comfort Letter called for by Sections 7(m), 7(n) and 7(o), respectively, which Sections shall have independent application, and (B) this Section 4(c) shall in no way affect or limit the operation of the provisions of clause (i) of Section 4(b), which shall have independent application.
5. Settlement.
(a) Settlement of Shares. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice or Terms Agreement (as applicable), settlement for sales of Shares will occur on the second (2nd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Shares sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by BTIG for the Shares, after deduction for (i) BTIG’s commission for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof in an Agency Transaction, or BTIG’s compensation, discounts or other fees pursuant to the terms of the applicable Terms Agreement in a Principal Transaction, as applicable, (ii) any other amounts due and payable by the Company to BTIG hereunder and under any Terms Agreement, as applicable, pursuant to Section 7(g) (Expenses) hereof and (iii) any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales.
(b) Delivery of Shares. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, issue and electronically transfer the Shares being sold by crediting BTIG’s or its designee’s (provided BTIG shall have given the Company written notice of such designee prior to the Settlement Date) account at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the Parties, which Shares in all cases shall be freely tradeable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, BTIG will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company prior to the Settlement Date. The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent, defaults in its obligation to deliver Shares on a Settlement Date pursuant to the terms of any Agency Transaction or Terms Agreement, in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 10(a) (Indemnification by the Company), the Company will (i) hold BTIG, its directors, officers, members, partners, employees and agents of BTIG and each person, if any, who (A) controls BTIG within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or (B) is controlled by or is under common control with BTIG (other than the Company and its subsidiaries) (a “BTIG Affiliate”), harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or expense (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) and (ii) pay to BTIG any commission or other compensation (including the value of any market price discounts in any applicable Principal Transaction) to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.
(c) Limitations on Offering Size. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Shares pursuant to this Agreement or any Terms Agreement (i) if, after giving effect to the sale of such Shares, the aggregate number of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement and all Terms Agreements would exceed the lesser of (A) the Maximum Amount and (B) the number or amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Company’s board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to BTIG in writing, or (ii) at a price lower than the minimum price therefor authorized from time to time by the Company’s board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to BTIG in writing. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Placement Shares in any Agency Transaction pursuant to this Agreement or cause the offer or sale to BTIG of any Shares in any Principal Transaction pursuant to this Agreement and any Terms Agreement, in each case, at a price lower than the minimum price therefor authorized from time to time by the Company’s board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to BTIG in writing. Under no circumstances shall the aggregate number of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement and all Terms Agreements exceed the Maximum Amount. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Parties acknowledge and agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 5(c) on the number or amount of Shares that may be issued and sold under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and that BTIG shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance.
6. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, BTIG that as of (i) the date of this Agreement, (ii) each Representation Date (as defined in Section 7(m)) on which a certificate is required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(m), (iii) the date on which any Placement Notice is delivered by the Company hereunder, (iv) the date on which any Terms Agreement is executed by the Company and BTIG and (v) each time of sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement or any Terms Agreement (each such time of sale, an “Applicable Time”), as the case may be:
(a) Assuming no act or omission on the part of BTIG that would make this statement untrue, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for and comply with the conditions for the use of Form S‑3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission and has been declared effective under the Securities Act. The Prospectus Supplement will name BTIG as the agent in the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.” The Company has not received, and has no notice of, any order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, or threatening or instituting proceedings for that purpose. The Registration Statement and the offer and sale of Shares as contemplated hereby meet the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act and comply in all material respects with said Rule. Any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed, as applicable. Copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any such amendments or supplements and all documents incorporated by reference therein that were filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement have been delivered, or are available through EDGAR, to BTIG and its counsel. The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of each Settlement Date and completion of the distribution of the Shares, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) to which BTIG has consented, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, or that is required by applicable law or the listing maintenance requirements of the Exchange. The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from the Exchange to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of the Exchange. To the Company’s knowledge, it is in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements.
(b) At each Settlement Date, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of such date, will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. The Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not, and will not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendment and supplement thereto, on the date thereof and at each Applicable Time, did not or will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement did not, and any further documents filed and incorporated by reference therein will not, when filed with the Commission, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such document or necessary to make the statements in such document, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and each such Incorporated Document conformed in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act. The foregoing shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, any such document made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Company by BTIG specifically for use in the preparation thereof.
(c) The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Securities Act) or other offering material in connection with this offering other than the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(d) The Company and any subsidiary that is a significant subsidiary (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission) (each, a “Significant Subsidiary,” collectively, the “Significant Subsidiaries”), have been duly incorporated, formed or organized, as applicable, are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of incorporation, formation or organization, as applicable. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries are duly licensed or qualified for the transaction of business and in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such license or qualification, and have all organizational power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the assets, business, operations, earnings, properties, condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(e) The Company owns directly or indirectly, all of the equity interests of the Significant Subsidiaries free and clear of any lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal or other restriction, and all the equity interests of the Significant Subsidiaries are validly issued and are fully paid, nonassessable and free of preemptive and similar rights. Attached hereto as Schedule 4 is an accurate and complete list of the Significant Subsidiaries. At the date of filing with the Commission, the Company did not have any Significant Subsidiary not listed on Exhibit 21 to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K which was required to be so listed.
(f) The Company has full legal right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and each Terms Agreement and perform the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including to issue and sell the Shares as contemplated herein and therein.
(g) This Agreement and each Terms Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that (i) enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles and (ii) the indemnification and contribution provisions of Section 10 hereof may be limited by federal or state securities laws and public policy considerations in respect thereof.
(h) The Shares, when issued and delivered pursuant to the terms approved by the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof, against payment therefor as provided in this Agreement, will be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim, including any statutory or contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights.
(i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and at the time of filing each subsequent Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company met the then applicable requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, including compliance with General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3, as applicable.
(j) No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or any governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and any Terms Agreements, and the issuance and sale by the Company of the Shares as contemplated hereby, except (i) as may be required under applicable state securities laws or by the by-laws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or the Exchange, including any notices that may be required by the Exchange, in connection with the sale of the Shares, (ii) as may be required under the Securities Act, and (iii) as have been previously obtained by the Company or the absence of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(k) Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has not been (i) any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that would result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) any transaction which is material to the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iii) any obligation or liability, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries, which is material to the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iv) any material change in the Company’s capital stock (other than (A) the grant of additional options or other equity awards under the Company’s existing stock option and equity incentive plans, (B) changes in the number of shares of outstanding Common Stock of the Company due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise or conversion of securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock outstanding on the date hereof, or (C) any repurchases of capital stock of the Company) or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, other than in each case above (x) in the ordinary course of business or as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus (including any document incorporated by reference therein) and (y) dividends declared on the Company’s 7.625% Series B Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock.
(l) Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary is (i) in violation of its articles of incorporation or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other similar agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, except, in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, no other party under any material contract or other material agreement to which it or any Significant Subsidiary is a party is in default in any respect thereunder where such default would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) (i) No person, as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act (each, a “Person”) has the right to act as an underwriter or as a financial advisor to the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, and (ii) no Person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to require the Company to register under the Securities Act any shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company, or to include any such shares or other securities in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby, whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise, except in each case for such rights as have been waived on or prior to the date hereof or such rights which, if not waived, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) The issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and, other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or similar rights. The description of the Shares in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is complete and accurate in all material respects.
(o) Each prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act with respect to the offering of the Shares, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(p) Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares, will be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(q) The Company and each of the Significant Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except, in the case of any of clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) above, for any such failure to comply or failure to receive required permits, licenses, other approvals or liability as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) (i) Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, the Significant Subsidiaries, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any of their respective directors or executive officers has, in the past five years, made any unlawful contributions to any candidate for any political office (or failed fully to disclose any contribution in violation of applicable law) or made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state, municipal, or foreign office or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duty in violation of any applicable law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus; (ii) no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, the Significant Subsidiaries or any affiliate of any of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers and shareholders of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, the Significant Subsidiaries, on the other hand, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that is not so described; (iii) no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries or any affiliate of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders or directors of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, the Significant Subsidiaries, on the other hand, that is required by the rules of FINRA to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that is not so described; (iv) there are no material outstanding loans or advances or material guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, the Significant Subsidiaries to or for the benefit of any of their respective officers or directors or any of the members of the families of any of them; and (v) the Company has not offered, or caused any placement agent to offer, Shares to any person with the intent to influence unlawfully (A) a customer or supplier of the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries or (B) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries or any of their respective products or services, and, (vi) neither the Company nor the Significant Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries has made any payment of funds of the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation (including, without limitation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977), which payment, receipt or retention of funds is of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
(s) The operations of the Company and the Significant 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, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions to which the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries are subject, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), except where the failure to be in such compliance would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; 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 Significant Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(t) (i) Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary (collectively, the “Entity”), director, officer nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Entity, is a government, individual, or entity (in this paragraph (t), “Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:
(1) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union (“EU”), Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor
(2) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions.
(ii) The Entity will not, directly or indirectly, knowingly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(1) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(2) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(iii) The Entity represents and covenants that, except as detailed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, for the past 5 years, it has not knowingly engaged in and is not now knowingly engaged in any dealing or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(u) The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries own or possess adequate enforceable rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), trade names, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, Internet domain name registrations, copyrights, copyright registrations, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”), necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as conducted as of the date hereof, except to the extent that the failure to own or possess adequate rights to use such Intellectual Property would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim of infringement or conflict which asserted Intellectual Property rights of others, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. There are no pending, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened judicial proceedings or interference proceedings challenging the Company’s or any Significant Subsidiary’s rights in or to or the validity of the scope of any of the Company’s or its Significant Subsidiaries’ patents, patent applications or proprietary information, except for such right or claim that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, no other entity or individual has any right or claim in any of the Company’s or any of its Significant Subsidiary’s patents, patent applications or any patent to be issued therefrom by virtue of any contract, license or other agreement entered into between such entity or individual and the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or by any non-contractual obligation, other than by written licenses granted by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, except for such right or claim that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received any written notice of any claim challenging the rights of the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries in or to any Intellectual Property owned, licensed or optioned by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary which claim, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(v) Neither the execution of this Agreement and each Terms Agreement by the Company, nor the issuance, offering or sale of the Shares, nor the consummation by the Company of any of the transactions contemplated herein, nor the compliance by the Company with the terms and provisions hereof will conflict with, or will result in a breach of, any of the terms and provisions of, or has constituted or will constitute a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or has resulted in or will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to the terms of any contract or other agreement to which the Company may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, except (i) such conflicts, breaches or defaults as may have been validly waived and (ii) such conflicts, breaches and defaults that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; nor will such action result (x) in any violation of the provisions of the organizational or governing documents of the Company, or (y) in any material violation of the provisions of any statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or of any court or of any federal, state or other regulatory authority or other government body having jurisdiction over the Company, except in the case of clause (y) where such violation would not have a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf), issued by the Company, the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries.
(w) The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries have good and valid title in fee simple to all items of real property and good and valid title to all personal property described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus as being owned by them that are material to the businesses of the Company or such Significant Subsidiary, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and claims, except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made of such property by the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries or (ii) would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Any real property described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus as being leased by the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries is held by them under valid, existing and enforceable leases, except those that (A) do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries or (B) would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) (i)(x) To the knowledge of the Company, there has been no material security breach or other compromise of the Company’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of them), equipment or technology used in the Company’s business (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and (y) the Company has not been notified of, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any material security breach or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company is presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, in the case of this clause (ii), individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) the Company has implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.
(y) The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed and paid all taxes shown thereon through the date hereof, to the extent that such taxes have become due and are not being contested in good faith, except where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any Significant Subsidiary which has had, or would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any federal, state or other governmental tax deficiency, penalty or assessment which has been asserted or threatened against it which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) The consolidated financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries for the periods specified (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments which will not be material, either individually or in the aggregate) and have been prepared in compliance in all material respects with the published requirements of the Securities Act and Exchange Act, as applicable, and in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis (except (i) for such adjustments to accounting standards and practices as are noted therein and (ii) in the case of unaudited interim financial statements, to the extent they may exclude footnotes or may be condensed or summary statements) during the periods involved. The other financial and statistical data with respect to the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are, in all material respects, accurately and fairly presented and prepared on a basis materially consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not included or incorporated by reference as required. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off balance sheet obligations), not described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus; and all disclosures contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, if any, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.
(aa) BDO USA, P.C. (the “Accountant”), whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company is filed with the Commission as part of the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the Commission and incorporated into the Registration Statement, is and, during the periods covered by its report, was an independent public accountant within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”). To the Company’s knowledge, the Accountant is not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) with respect to the Company.
(bb) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls designed 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 is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting (other than as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus). Since the date of the latest audited financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (other than as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus). The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of the most recent annual report on Form 10-K (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recent annual report on Form 10-K, the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the most recent Evaluation Date.
(cc) There are no transactions, arrangements and other relationships between and/or among the Company, and/or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its affiliates and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity (each, an “Off Balance Sheet Transaction”) that would affect materially the Company’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources, including those Off Balance Sheet Transactions described in the Commission Statement about Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Release Nos. 33-8056; 34-45321; FR-61), required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which have not been described as required.
(dd) To the knowledge of the Company, (i) each material employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred which would result in a material liability to the Company with respect to any such plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; and (iii) for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) equals or exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions, other than, in the case of (i), (ii) and (iii) above, as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ee) No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) (a “Forward-Looking Statement”) contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(ff) Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
(gg) The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries reasonably believe are adequate for the conduct of their business.
(hh) The Company has not been advised, and has no reason to believe, that it and each of its Significant Subsidiaries are not conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is conducting business, except where failure to be so in compliance would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable U.S. federal and state financial services or consumer protection laws, rules, regulations, licensing or other requirements applicable to the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries, except to the extent that any non-compliance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of the Significant Subsidiaries is a party to or otherwise subject to any consent decree, memorandum of understanding, cease and desist order, order of prohibition or suspension, written commitment, supervisory agreement, or other written agreement or order (collectively, “Regulatory Orders”) with any U.S. federal or state financial services or consumer protection regulatory authority (collectively, “Financial Regulatory Authorities”). None of the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries has been advised in writing or otherwise by any Financial Regulatory Authority that such Financial Regulatory Authority is contemplating issuing or requesting any Regulatory Order which could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(jj) The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries are, and at all prior times were, in compliance with all applicable state and federal data privacy and security laws and regulations, including without limitation California Consumer Privacy Act (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”), except where failure to be so in compliance would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To ensure compliance with the Privacy Laws, the Company has in place, complies with, and takes appropriate steps to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, processing, disclosure, handling, and analysis of Personal Data and Confidential Data (the “Policies”), except where failure to be so in compliance would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has at all times made all disclosures to users or customers required by applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and none of such disclosures made or contained in any Policy have been inaccurate or in violation of any applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements in any material respect. The Company further certifies that neither it nor any Significant Subsidiary: (i) has received notice of any actual or potential material liability under or relating to, or actual or potential material violation of, any of the Privacy Laws, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) is currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation, or other corrective action pursuant to any Privacy Law; or (iii) is a party to any order, decree, or agreement that imposes any material obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.
(kk) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Each of the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer of the Company (or each former principal executive officer of the Company and each former principal financial officer of the Company as applicable) has made all certifications required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it or furnished by it to the Commission during the past 12 months. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “principal executive officer” and “principal financial officer” shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15.
(ll) All agreements between the Company and third parties expressly referenced in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, other than such agreements that have expired by their terms or whose termination is disclosed in Incorporated Documents or the Prospectus, are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that (i) enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles and (ii) the indemnification provisions of certain agreements may be limited by federal or state securities laws or public policy considerations in respect thereof, and except for any unenforceability that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(mm) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and proceedings that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any Terms Agreement or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.
(nn) The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries possess or have obtained, all licenses, certificates, consents, orders, approvals, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted, as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (the “Permits”), except where the failure to possess, obtain or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary is in violation of, or in default under, or has received written notice of any proceeding relating to revocation or modification of any such Permit or has any reason to believe that such Permit will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where the violation, default, revocation, modification or failure to obtain the renewal of any such Permit would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(oo) Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary has defaulted on any installment on indebtedness for borrowed money or on any rental on one or more long-term leases, which defaults, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not filed a report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the filing of its last annual report on Form 10-K indicating that it (i) has failed to pay any dividend or sinking fund installment on preferred stock or (ii) has defaulted on any installment on indebtedness for borrowed money or on any rental on one or more long-term leases, which defaults, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(pp) Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary has incurred or will incur any liability for any finder’s fees, brokerage commissions or similar payments in connection with the transactions herein contemplated, except as may otherwise exist with respect to BTIG pursuant to this Agreement.
(qq) No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(rr) Neither the Company, nor any Significant Subsidiary, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective directors, officers or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or that has constituted or would reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(ss) Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary (i) is required to register as a “broker” or “dealer” in accordance with the provisions of the Exchange Act or (ii) directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls or is a “person associated with a member” or “associated person of a member” (within the meaning set forth in the FINRA Manual). No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers or shareholders of the Company, on the other hand, which is required by the rules of FINRA to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, which is not so described.
(tt) The Company has not relied upon BTIG or legal counsel for BTIG for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(uu) The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto in all material respects.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to BTIG or to counsel for BTIG pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any Terms Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to BTIG as to the matters set forth therein as of the date or dates indicated therein.
7. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with BTIG that:
(a) Registration Statement Amendments. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to any Shares is required to be delivered by BTIG under the Securities Act (without regard to the effects of Rules 153, 172 and 173 under the Securities Act) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), (i) the Company will notify BTIG promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than the Incorporated Documents, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information, (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon BTIG’s request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in BTIG’s reasonable judgment, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Shares by BTIG (provided, however, that the failure of BTIG to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder and under any Terms Agreement, as applicable, or affect BTIG’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus relating to the Shares (except for the Incorporated Documents) unless a copy thereof has been submitted to BTIG a reasonable period of time before the filing and BTIG has not reasonably objected thereto (provided, however, (A) that the failure of BTIG to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder and under any Terms Agreement, as applicable, or affect BTIG’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement, (B) that, if BTIG objects thereto, BTIG may cease making sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement and/or may terminate any Terms Agreement and (C) that the Company has no obligation to provide BTIG any advance copy of such filing or to provide BTIG an opportunity to object to such filing if such filing does not name BTIG or does not relate to the transactions contemplated hereunder or under any Terms Agreement); (iv) the Company will furnish to BTIG at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via EDGAR; and (v) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) of the Securities Act) or, in the case of any Incorporated Document, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the Exchange Act, within the time period prescribed (the determination to file or not file any amendment or supplement with the Commission under this Section 7(a), based on the Company’s reasonable opinion or reasonable objections, shall be made exclusively by the Company).
(b) Notice of Commission Stop Orders. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will advise BTIG, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to, or other order preventing or suspending the use of, the Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation of any proceeding for any such purpose or any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Securities Act, or if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Shares; and it will promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued. Until such time as any stop order is lifted, BTIG shall cease making offers and sales under this Agreement or any Terms Agreement.
(c) Delivery of Prospectus; Subsequent Changes. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as from time to time in force, and to file on or before their respective due dates all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, 15(d) or any other provision of or under the Exchange Act. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify BTIG to suspend the offering of Shares during such period, and the Company will promptly amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.
(d) Listing of Shares. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shares to be listed on the Exchange. The Company will timely file with the Exchange all material documents and notices required by the Exchange of companies that have or will issue securities that are traded on the Exchange.
(e) Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to BTIG and its counsel (at the expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all Incorporated Documents) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that are filed with the Commission during the Prospectus Delivery Period, including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, in each case, as soon as reasonably practicable via e-mail in “.pdf” format to an e-mail account designated by BTIG and, at BTIG’s request, will also furnish copies of the Prospectus to each exchange or market on which sales of the Shares may be made; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document (other than the Prospectus) to BTIG to the extent such document is available on EDGAR.
(f) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 16 months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Securities Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) and Rule 158 of the Securities Act. The terms “earnings statement” and “make generally available to its security holders” shall have the meanings set forth in Rule 158 under the Securities Act.
(g) Expenses. The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder or under any Terms Agreement are consummated or this Agreement or any Terms Agreement is terminated in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 hereunder, will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder and under each Terms Agreement, including, but not limited to, expenses relating to: (i) the preparation, printing, filing and delivery to BTIG of the Registration Statement and each amendment and supplement thereto, of each Prospectus and of each amendment and supplement thereto, and of this Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares; (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Shares, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares to BTIG; (iii) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any Terms Agreement; (iv) the reimbursement for reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by BTIG, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel to BTIG, in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (which, for the avoidance of doubt, do not include the entry into any Terms Agreements), in an amount not to exceed $75,000; provided, however, that the Company shall also reimburse BTIG for all such reasonable documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with each Representation Date (as defined below) in an amount not to exceed an additional $7,500 per such Representation Date; (v) the qualification of the Shares under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(y), including filing fees, if any; (vi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing or qualification of the Shares for trading on the Exchange; (vii) the fees and expenses of the transfer agent or registrar for the Common Stock; and (viii) filing fees and expenses, if any, of the Commission and FINRA.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the Net Proceeds as described in the Prospectus Supplement in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds.”
(i) Other Sales. Without the prior written consent of BTIG, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock (other than the Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire, Common Stock during the period beginning on the second (2nd) Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which any Placement Notice is delivered to BTIG hereunder and ending on the second (2nd) Trading Day immediately following the final Settlement Date with respect to Shares sold pursuant to such Placement Notice (or, if the Placement Notice has been terminated or suspended prior to the sale of all Shares covered by a Placement Notice, the date of such suspension or termination); and will not directly or indirectly in any other “at-the-market” or continuous equity transaction offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock (other than the Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire, Common Stock prior to the later of the termination of this Agreement and the twentieth (20th) day immediately following the final Settlement Date with respect to Shares sold pursuant to such Placement Notice; provided, however, that such restrictions will not be required in connection with the Company’s issuance or sale of (i) Common Stock, options to purchase Common Stock, other equity awards to acquire Common Stock, or Common Stock issuable upon the exercise or vesting of options or other equity awards, pursuant to any employee or director equity awards or benefits plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan (but not Common Stock subject to a waiver to exceed plan limits in its dividend reinvestment plan) of the Company whether now in effect or hereafter implemented, (ii) Common Stock issuable upon exchange, conversion or redemption of securities or the exercise or vesting of warrants, options or other rights in effect or outstanding, and disclosed in filings by the Company available on EDGAR or otherwise in writing to BTIG, (iii) Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock as consideration for mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or strategic alliances, or offered and sold in a privately negotiated transaction to vendors, customers, lenders, investors, strategic partners or potential strategic partners, occurring after the date of this Agreement which are not issued primarily for capital raising purposes and (iv) shares of the Company’s 7.625% Series B Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock or 6.125% Senior Notes due 2026 pursuant to the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement, dated August 10, 2022, between the Company and B. Riley Securities, Inc., as amended from time to time, for gross proceeds up to an aggregate of $100,000,000.
(j) Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during the term of this Agreement, advise BTIG promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document required to be provided to BTIG pursuant to this Agreement.
(k) Due Diligence Cooperation. The Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by BTIG or its agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or any Terms Agreement, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as BTIG may reasonably request.
(l) Required Filings Relating to Placement of Shares. The Company shall disclose in its annual report on Form 10-K or its quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as applicable, in respect of such quarterly period and shall file such report with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such report under the Exchange Act, the number of Placement Shares sold to or through BTIG during such quarterly period (or other relevant period), the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid by the Company to BTIG with respect to such sales of Placement Shares.
(m) Representation Dates; Certificate. On or prior to the date the first Placement Notice is given pursuant to this Agreement, each time Shares are delivered to BTIG as principal on a Settlement Date with respect to a Principal Transaction and each time the Company (i) files the Prospectus relating to the Shares or amends or supplements the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Shares (other than a supplement or amendment that relates to an offering of securities other than the Shares) by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement, but not by means of incorporation of document(s) by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Shares; (ii) files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act (including any Form 10-K/A containing amended financial information or a material amendment to the previously filed Form 10-K); (iii) files a quarterly report on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or (iv) files a report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than information “furnished” pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or to provide disclosure pursuant to Item 8.01 of Form 8-K relating to the reclassifications of certain properties as discontinued operations in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144) under the Exchange Act (each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a “Representation Date”); the Company shall furnish BTIG within three (3) Trading Days after each Representation Date (but in the case of clause (iv) above only if BTIG reasonably determines that the information contained in such Form 8-K is material) with a certificate, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m). The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(m) shall be automatically waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice or Terms Agreement is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date), Shares are delivered to BTIG as principal on a Settlement Date with respect to a Principal Transaction and the next occurring Representation Date; provided, however, that such waiver shall not apply for any Representation Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide BTIG with a certificate under this Section 7(m), then before the Company delivers the Placement Notice or BTIG sells any Shares in an Agency Transaction, or on the applicable Settlement Date with respect to a Principal Transaction, the Company shall provide BTIG with a certificate, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m), dated the date of the Placement Notice for such Agency Transaction or the Settlement Date of such Principal Transaction, as applicable.
(n) Legal Opinions. On or prior to the earlier of (i) the date the first Placement Notice is given pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) Shares are delivered to BTIG as principal on a Settlement Date with respect to the first Principal Transaction pursuant to the first Terms Agreement and this Agreement, the Company shall cause to be furnished to BTIG the written opinions and negative assurance of Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP, as issuer’s counsel to the Company, or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to BTIG (“Company Counsel”), substantially in the form previously agreed between the Parties. Thereafter, each time Shares are delivered to BTIG as principal on a Settlement Date with respect to a Principal Transaction and within three (3) Trading Days after each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable pursuant to Section 7(m), and not more than once per calendar quarter, the Company shall cause to be furnished to BTIG the written opinions and negative assurance of Company Counsel substantially in the form previously agreed between the Parties, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented; provided, however, that if Company Counsel has previously furnished to BTIG such written opinions and negative assurance substantially in the form previously agreed between the Parties, Company Counsel may, in respect of any future Representation Date, furnish BTIG with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) in lieu of such opinions and negative assurance to the effect that BTIG may rely on the prior opinions and negative assurance of Company Counsel delivered pursuant to this Section 7(n) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such Reliance Letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented to the date of such Reliance Letter).
(o) Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date the first Placement Notice is given pursuant to this Agreement, each time Shares are delivered to BTIG as principal on a Settlement Date with respect to a Principal Transaction and within three (3) Trading Days after each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable pursuant to Section 7(m), the Company shall cause its independent accountants to furnish BTIG a letter, dated as of such date (the “Comfort Letter”), in form and substance satisfactory to BTIG, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the PCAOB and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letter, the “Initial Comfort Letter”) and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letter with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letter had it been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.
(p) Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate. If requested by BTIG, on or prior to the date the first Placement Notice is given pursuant to this Agreement, each time Shares are delivered to BTIG as principal on a Settlement Date with respect to a Principal Transaction and within three (3) Trading Days after each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable pursuant to Section 7(m), the Company shall have delivered to BTIG a certificate, in form and substance satisfactory to BTIG, executed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (“CFO Certificate”), dated as of such date, in form and substance satisfactory to BTIG.
(q) Market Activities. The Company shall not, and shall cause its Significant Subsidiaries and its and their respective directors, officers and controlling persons not to, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to stabilize or manipulate, or which constitutes or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of, the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase the Shares to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting the purchases of the Shares, other than BTIG.
(r) Insurance. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries shall maintain, or cause to be maintained, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks the Company reasonably deems adequate.
(s) Compliance with Laws. The Company and each of its Significant Subsidiaries shall maintain, or cause to be maintained, all material permits, licenses and other authorizations required by federal, state and local law in order to conduct their businesses as described in the Prospectus, and the Company and each of its Significant Subsidiaries shall conduct their businesses, or cause their businesses to be conducted, in substantial compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations and with applicable laws, except where the failure to maintain or be in compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of, or dealings in, the Shares as contemplated by the provisions hereof and any Terms Agreement and the Prospectus. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act (giving effect to permissible extensions in accordance with Rule 12b-25 under the Exchange Act).
(u) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company, and each of the Significant Subsidiaries, will 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 authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded book value for assets is compared with the fair market value of such assets (computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission and the Exchange promulgated thereunder.
(v) No Offer To Sell. Other than a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) approved in advance in writing by the Company and BTIG in its capacity as agent hereunder or as principal hereunder and under any Terms Agreement, neither BTIG nor the Company (including its agents and representatives other than BTIG in its capacity as such) will, directly or indirectly, make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any free writing prospectus relating to the Shares to be sold by BTIG as agent hereunder or as principal hereunder and under any Terms Agreement.
(w) Investment Company Act. The Company shall conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that neither it nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries will be or become, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement, an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(x) Transfer Agent. The Company shall maintain, at its sole expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock.
(y) Blue Sky and Other Qualifications. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts, in cooperation with BTIG, to qualify the Shares for offering and sale, or to obtain an exemption for the Shares to be offered and sold, under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as BTIG may designate and to maintain such qualifications and exemptions in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Shares (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Shares have been so qualified or exempt, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification or exemption, as the case may be, in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Shares (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement).
(z) Renewal of Registration Statement. If, immediately prior to the third (3rd) anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement (the “Renewal Date”), any of the Shares remain unsold and this Agreement has not been terminated for any reason, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Date, file a new shelf registration statement or, if applicable, an automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Shares, in a form reasonably satisfactory to BTIG and its counsel, and, if such registration statement is not an automatic shelf registration statement, will use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Date. The Company will take all other reasonable actions necessary or appropriate to permit the public offer and sale of the Shares to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Shares. From and after the effective date thereof, references herein to the “Registration Statement” shall include such new shelf registration statement or such new automatic shelf registration statement, as the case may be.
8. Representations and Covenants of BTIG. BTIG represents and warrants that it is duly registered as a broker-dealer under FINRA, the Exchange Act and the applicable statutes and regulations of each state in which the Placement Shares will be offered and sold, except such states in which BTIG is exempt from registration or such registration is not otherwise required. BTIG shall continue, for the term of this Agreement, to be duly registered as a broker-dealer under FINRA, the Exchange Act and the applicable statutes and regulations of each state in which the Placement Shares will be offered and sold, except in such states in which BTIG is exempt from registration or such registration is not otherwise required, during the term of this Agreement. BTIG will comply with all applicable laws and regulations in connection with the sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement and any Terms Agreement, including, but not limited to, Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
9. Conditions to BTIG’s Obligations. The obligations of BTIG hereunder with respect to a Placement in any Agency Transaction, and the obligations of BTIG with respect to a Principal Transaction pursuant to any Terms Agreement and this Agreement, will in each case be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties made by the Company herein, to the due performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and under any Terms Agreement, as applicable, to the completion by BTIG of a due diligence review satisfactory to BTIG in its reasonable judgment, and to the continuing satisfaction (or waiver by BTIG in its sole discretion) of the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Statement Effective. The Registration Statement shall be effective and shall be available for the offer and sale of all Shares that have been issued or are contemplated to be issued pursuant to all Placement Notices that have been delivered to BTIG by the Company and all Terms Agreements that have been executed by the Parties.
(b) Prospectus Supplement. The Company shall have filed with the Commission the Prospectus Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second Business Day following the date of this Agreement.
(c) No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or other order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; or (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any material document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, related Prospectus or documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, that in the case of the Prospectus, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(d) No Misstatement or Material Omission. BTIG shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in BTIG’s reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in BTIG’s opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(e) Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, or disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any material adverse change, on a consolidated basis, in the authorized capital stock of the Company or any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Effect, or a downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to any of the Company’s securities by any rating organization or a public announcement by any rating organization that it has under surveillance or review its rating of any of the Company’s securities, the effect of which, in the case of any such action by a rating organization described above, in the reasonable judgment of BTIG (without relieving the Company of any obligation or liability it may otherwise have), is so material as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, as the case may be, and the Prospectus.
(f) Legal Opinion. BTIG shall have received the opinions and negative assurances required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(n) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinions and negative assurances are required pursuant to Section 7(n).
(g) Comfort Letter. BTIG shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o) on or before the date on which such delivery of such Comfort Letter is required pursuant to Section 7(o).
(h) Representation Certificate. BTIG shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(m) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(m).
(i) CFO Certificate. If reasonably requested by BTIG, BTIG shall have received the CFO Certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(p) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(p).
(j) No Suspension. Trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended on the Exchange and the Common Stock shall not have been delisted from the Exchange.
(k) Other Materials. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(m), the Company shall have furnished to BTIG such appropriate further information, certificates and documents as BTIG may have reasonably requested. All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof. The Company shall have furnished BTIG with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents as BTIG shall have reasonably requested.
(l) Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424(b) and Rule 433 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder or the Settlement Date with respect to any Principal Transaction under any Terms Agreement, as applicable shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) of the Securities Act) and Rule 433.
(m) Approval for Listing. The Shares shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to notice of issuance.
(n) No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred any event that would permit BTIG to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 12(a).
10. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless BTIG, its directors, officers, members, partners, employees and agents and each BTIG Affiliate, if any, as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be delayed or withheld; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as reasonably incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by BTIG), in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission, or alleged untrue statement or omission, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to BTIG and its activities that has been furnished in writing to the Company by BTIG expressly for inclusion in any document described in clause (i) of this Section 10(a). This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.
(b) Indemnification by BTIG. BTIG agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who (i) controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with the Company against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses described in the indemnity contained in Section 10(a), as and when incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to BTIG and its activities that has been furnished to the Company by BTIG expressly for inclusion in any document as described in clause (i) of Section 10(a).
(c) Procedure. Any indemnified party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 10 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 10, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from (i) any liability that it might have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 10 and (ii) any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provision of this Section 10 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (1) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (2) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (3) a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (4) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. An indemnifying party will not, in any event, be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 10 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (1) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising or that may arise out of such claim, action or proceeding and (2) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 10 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable from the Company or BTIG, the Company and BTIG will contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted) to which the Company and BTIG may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and BTIG on the other. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and BTIG on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the sale of the Shares (net of commissions to BTIG but before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total compensation received by BTIG from the sale of Shares on behalf of the Company. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and BTIG, on the other, with respect to the statements or omission that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or BTIG, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and BTIG agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 10(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense, or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 10(d) shall be deemed to include, for the purpose of this Section 10(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim to the extent consistent with Section 10(c) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10(d), BTIG shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the commissions received by it under this Agreement and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 10(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any officers, directors, members, partners, employees or agents of BTIG, will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 10(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify will not relieve that party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 10(d) except to the extent that the failure to so notify such other party materially prejudiced the substantive rights or defenses of the party from whom contribution is sought. Except for a settlement entered into pursuant to the last sentence of Section 10(c) hereof, no party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent if such consent is required pursuant to Section 10(c) hereof.
11. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 10 of this Agreement and all representations and warranties of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto shall survive, as of their respective dates, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of BTIG, any controlling persons, or the Company (or any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons), (ii) delivery and acceptance of the Shares and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.
12. Termination.
(a) BTIG shall have the right, by giving notice as hereinafter specified in Section 13, at any time to terminate this Agreement and/or any Terms Agreement (including at any time at or prior to the Settlement Date with respect to the Shares to be sold under such Terms Agreement) if: (i) any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that has actually occurred and that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, has occurred that, in the reasonable judgment of BTIG, may materially impair the ability of BTIG to sell the Shares hereunder or as contemplated in any Terms Agreement or the Prospectus; (ii) there has occurred any (A) material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, (B) outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or (C) change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which, in the reasonable judgment of BTIG, may materially impair the ability of BTIG to sell the Shares hereunder or as contemplated in any Terms Agreement or the Prospectus; (iii) trading in the Common Stock has been suspended or limited by the Commission or the Exchange, or if trading generally on the Exchange has been suspended or limited (including automatic halt in trading pursuant to market-decline triggers other than those in which solely program trading is temporarily halted), or minimum prices for trading have been fixed on the Exchange; (iv) any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market shall have occurred and be continuing; (v) a major disruption of securities settlements or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred and be continuing; or (vi) a banking moratorium has been declared by either U.S. Federal or New York authorities. The Company may not terminate any Terms Agreement without the prior written consent of BTIG. Any such termination pursuant to this Section 12(a) shall be without liability of any party to any other party, except that the provisions of Section 7(g) (Expenses), Section 10 (Indemnification), Section 11 (Survival of Representations), Section 12(f), Section 17 (Applicable Law; Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 18 (Waiver of Jury Trial) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(b) The Company shall have the right, by giving five (5) days notice as hereinafter specified in Section 13, to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party, except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 10, Section 11, Section 12(f), Section 17 and Section 18 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(c) BTIG shall have the right, by giving five (5) days notice as hereinafter specified in Section 13, to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 10, Section 11, Section 12(f), Section 17 and Section 18 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(d) Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 12, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Shares to or through BTIG on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein and any Terms Agreement; provided that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 10, Section 11, Section 12(f), Section 17 and Section 18 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(e) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 12(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the Parties; provided, however, that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 7(g), Section 10, Section 11, Section 12(f), Section 17 and Section 18 shall remain in full force and effect.
(f) Any termination of this Agreement or any Terms Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by BTIG or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination, other than a termination of any Terms Agreement pursuant to Section 12(a) above, shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Shares, such termination shall not become effective until the close of business on such Settlement Date and such Shares shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement (it being hereby acknowledged and agreed that a termination of any Terms Agreement pursuant to Section 12(a) above shall become effective in accordance with the first sentence of this Section 12(f) and shall relieve the Parties of their respective obligations under such Terms Agreement, including, without limitation, with respect to the settlement of the Shares subject to such Terms Agreement).
13. Notices.
All notices or other communications required or permitted to be given by any party to any other party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or any Terms Agreement shall be in writing, unless otherwise specified, and if sent to BTIG, shall be delivered to
BTIG, LLC
600 Montgomery Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Attention: Equity Capital Markets
with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:
BTIG, LLC
600 Montgomery Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Attention: General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
and:
Covington & Burling LLP
The New York Times Building
620 8th Avenue,
New York, New York, 10016
Attention: Michael D. Maline, Esq.
and if to the Company, shall be delivered to:
Atlanticus Holdings Corporation
Five Concourse Parkway
Suite 300
Atlanta, Georgia 30328
Attention: Rosalind T. Drakeford
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP
600 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Suite 3000
Atlanta, GA 30308
Attention: Paul Davis Fancher
Each party may change such address for notices by sending to the other party to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose. Each such notice or other communication shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally on or before 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on a Business Day or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day, (ii) on the next Business Day after timely delivery to a nationally-recognized overnight courier and (iii) on the Business Day actually received if deposited in the U.S. mail (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). For purposes of this Agreement, “Business Day” shall mean any day on which the Exchange and commercial banks in the City of New York are open for business.
An electronic communication (“Electronic Notice”) shall be deemed written notice for purposes of this Section 13 if sent to the electronic mail address specified by the receiving party under separate cover. Electronic Notice shall be deemed received at the time the party sending Electronic Notice receives confirmation of receipt by the receiving party (other than pursuant to auto-reply). Any party receiving Electronic Notice may request and shall be entitled to receive the notice on paper, in a nonelectronic form (“Nonelectronic Notice”) which shall be sent to the requesting party within ten (10) days of receipt of the written request for Nonelectronic Notice.
14. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and BTIG and their respective successors and permitted assigns and, as to Sections 5(b) and 10, the other indemnified parties specified therein. References to any of the Parties contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the successors and permitted assigns of such party. Nothing in this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any other person any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement or any Terms Agreement. Neither party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement or any Terms Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, however, that BTIG may assign its rights and obligations hereunder or under any Terms Agreement to an affiliate of BTIG without obtaining the Company’s consent.
15. Adjustments for Stock Splits. The Parties acknowledge and agree that all share-related numbers contained in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any stock split, stock dividend or similar event effected with respect to the Common Stock.
16. Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto and Placement Notices and Terms Agreements issued pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the Parties with regard to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any term hereof or any Terms Agreement may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company and BTIG. In the event that any one or more of the terms or provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such term or provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the Parties as reflected in this Agreement.
17. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY TERMS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS. SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME. THE COMPANY AND BTIG EACH HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TERMS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.
18. CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR ANY TERMS AGREEMENT OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY, AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND AGREES NOT TO ASSERT IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING, ANY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH COURT, THAT SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM OR THAT THE VENUE OF SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS IMPROPER. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS AND CONSENTS TO PROCESS BEING SERVED IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF (CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED) TO SUCH PARTY AT THE ADDRESS IN EFFECT FOR NOTICES TO IT UNDER THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY TERMS AGREEMENT AND AGREES THAT SUCH SERVICE SHALL CONSTITUTE GOOD AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE THEREOF. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO LIMIT IN ANY WAY ANY RIGHT TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW.
19. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) BTIG is acting solely as agent in connection with the sale of the Shares in an Agency Transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transactions, and no fiduciary or advisory relationship between the Company or any of its respective affiliates, stockholders (or other equity holders), creditors or employees or any other party, on the one hand, and BTIG, on the other hand, has been or will be created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, irrespective of whether BTIG has advised or is advising the Company on other matters, and BTIG has no obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement;
(b) the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) BTIG has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate;
(d) the Company is aware that BTIG and its affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and BTIG has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and
(e) the Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against BTIG for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that BTIG shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, partners, employees or creditors of the Company.
20. Effect of Headings; Knowledge of the Company. The section and Exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof. All references in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement to the “knowledge of the Company” or the “Company’s knowledge” or similar qualifiers shall mean the actual knowledge of the directors and officers of the Company, after due inquiry.
21. Counterparts. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement or Terms Agreement by one party to the other may be made by electronic transmission.
[Signature Page Follows]
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and BTIG, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and BTIG.
| Very truly yours, | |
| ATLANTICUS HOLDINGS CORPORATION | |
| By: /s/ William R. McCamey | |
| Name: William R. McCamey Title: Chief Financial Officer | |
| ACCEPTED as of the date first above written: | |
| BTIG, LLC | |
| By: /s/ Jay Magee | |
| Name: Jay Magee Title: Managing Director |
SCHEDULE 1
FORM OF PLACEMENT NOTICE
| From: | [ ] |
| Cc: | [ ] |
| To: | [ ] |
| Subject: | Placement Notice |
Gentlemen:
Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Sales Agreement between Atlanticus Holdings Corporation (the “Company”), and BTIG, LLC (“BTIG”) dated December 29, 2023 (the “Agreement”), I hereby request on behalf of the Company that BTIG sell up to [[___] shares] [$[___] worth of shares] of the Company’s common stock, no par value per share, subject to the Maximum Amount (the “Shares”), at market prices not lower than $[____] per share, during the time period beginning [month, day, time] and ending [month, day, time].
[The company may include such other sales parameters as it deems appropriate, subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement.]
Terms used herein and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement.
SCHEDULE 2
COMPENSATION
BTIG shall be paid compensation equal to up to three percent (3.0%) of the gross proceeds from the sales of Shares pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
SCHEDULE 3
BTIG, LLC
Jay Magee
Harrison Boyle
Austin Hamilton
Carrie Taylor
ATLANTICUS HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Jeffrey A. Howard
William R. McCamey
Mitchell C. Saunders
Bettie Lass
SCHEDULE 4
SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES
Access Financing, LLC
Fortiva Holdings, LLC
Fortiva Funding, LLC
Access Financial Holdings, LLC
Perimeter Funding Corporation
FRC Funding Corporation
Exhibit 7(m)
OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE
The undersigned, the duly qualified and appointed _____________________ of Atlanticus Holdings Corporation, a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), does hereby certify in such capacity and on behalf of the Company, pursuant to Section 7(m) of the Sales Agreement, dated December 29, 2023 (the “Sales Agreement”), between the Company and BTIG, that:
| (i) | the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 6 of the Sales Agreement (A) to the extent such representations and warranties are subject to qualifications and exceptions contained therein relating to materiality or Material Adverse Effect, such representations and warranties are true and correct on and as of the date hereof, except for those representations and warranties that speak solely as of a specific date and which were true and correct as of such date, with the same force and effect as if expressly made on and as of the date hereof, and (B) to the extent such representations and warranties are not subject to any qualifications or exceptions, such representations and warranties are true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof as if made on and as of the date hereof, except for those representations and warranties that speak solely as of a specific date and which were true and correct as of such date, with the same force and effect as if expressly made on and as of the date hereof; |
| (ii) | the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied pursuant to the Sales Agreement at or prior to the date hereof; |
| (iii) | as of the date hereof, (i) the Registration Statement does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Prospectus does 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, not misleading and (iii) no event has occurred as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein not untrue or misleading for clauses (i) and (ii) above, respectively, to be true and correct; |
| (iv) | there has been no material adverse change since the date as of which information is given in the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented; |
| (v) | the Company does not possess any material non-public information; and |
| (vi) | the aggregate offering price of the Shares that may be issued and sold pursuant to the Sales Agreement and the maximum number or amount of Shares that may be sold pursuant to the Sales Agreement have been duly authorized by the Company’s board of directors or a duly authorized committee thereof. |
Terms used herein and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the Sales Agreement.
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
Date:
