Form of Underwriting Agreement

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 a2238646zex-1_1.htm EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

 

AXCELLA HEALTH, INC.

 

        Shares of Common Stock

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

        , 2019

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

SVB Leerink LLC

 

As Representatives of the
 several Underwriters listed
 in Schedule 1 hereto

 

c/o                               Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
                                                200 West Street
                                                New York, New York 10282

 

c/o                               J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
                                                383 Madison Avenue
                                                New York, New York 10179

 

c/o                               SVB Leerink LLC

1301 Avenue of the Americas, 12th Floor

New York, New York 10019

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Axcella Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), an aggregate of          shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Company (the “Underwritten Shares”) and, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional          shares of common stock of the Company (the “Option Shares”).  The Underwritten Shares and the Option Shares are herein referred to as the “Shares”.  The shares of common stock of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale of the Shares are referred to herein as the “Stock”.

 

The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:

 


 

1.                                      Registration Statement.  The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement (File No. 333-230822), including a prospectus, relating to the Shares.  Such registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before effectiveness, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Shares.  If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement.  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

At or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively with the pricing information set forth on Annex A, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated April 30, 2019, 2019 and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex A hereto.

 

“Applicable Time” means          P.M., New York City time, on         , 2019.

 

2.                                      Purchase of the Shares.  (a)  The Company agrees to issue and sell the Underwritten Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”), and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase at a price per share of $         (the “Purchase Price”) from the Company the respective number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto.

 

In addition, the Company agrees to issue and sell the Option Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company the Option Shares at the Purchase Price less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Underwritten Shares but not payable on the Option Shares.  If any Option Shares are to be purchased, the number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Option Shares which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares being purchased from the Company by the several Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional Shares as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make.

 

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The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase Option Shares at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, on or before the thirtieth day following the date of the Prospectus, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company.  Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for, which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than the tenth full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 hereof).  Any such notice shall be given at least two business days prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein.

 

(b)                                 The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Shares as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable, and initially to offer the Shares on the terms set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Shares to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter.

 

(c)                                  Payment for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives in the case of the Underwritten Shares, at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, Massachusetts  02116, at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on         , 2019, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the Option Shares, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representatives in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares.  The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is referred to herein as the “Closing Date” and the time and date for such payment for the Option Shares, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date.”

 

Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased on such date with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Shares duly paid by the Company.  Delivery of the Shares shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct. The certificates for the Shares will be made available for inspection and packaging by the Representatives at the office of DTC or its designated custodian not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(d)                                 The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Representatives and the other Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person.  Additionally, none of the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction.  The Company shall consult with their own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Representatives nor the

 

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Underwriters shall have any responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto.  Any review by the Representatives or the other Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.

 

3.                                      Representations and Warranties of the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:

 

(a)                                 Preliminary Prospectus.  No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.

 

(b)                                 Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.  No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package and no statement of material fact included in the Pricing Disclosure Package that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.

 

(c)                                  Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.  Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A hereto,

 

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each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representatives, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed.  Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complies in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, when taken together with any other Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) and the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.

 

(d)                                 Emerging Growth Company.  From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).  “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act.

 

(e)                                  Testing-the-Waters Materials.  The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications by virtue of a writing substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto.  The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Annex B hereto.  “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.  Any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in

 

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order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(f)                                   Registration Statement and Prospectus.  The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission.  No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Shares has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.

 

(g)                                  Financial Statements.  The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, except in the case of unaudited financial statements, which are subject to normal year end adjustment and do not contain certain footnotes as permitted by the applicable rules of the Commission, and any supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby; no “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) are disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

 

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(h)                                 No Material Adverse Change.  Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of stock options and warrants described as outstanding in, and the grant of options and awards under existing equity incentive plans described in, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in  a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(i)                                     Organization and Good Standing.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, 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, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”).  The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement.  The subsidiaries listed in Schedule 2 to this Agreement are the only significant subsidiaries of the Company.

 

(j)                                    Capitalization.  The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares

 

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of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.

 

(k)                                 Stock Options.  With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Stock Plans”), (i) each Stock Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Stock Option was by its terms to be effective (the “Grant Date”) by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto, (iii) each such grant was made in all material respects in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and (iv) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company.

 

(l)                                     Due Authorization.  The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.

 

(m)                             Underwriting Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(n)                                 The Shares.  The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, will be fully paid and nonassessable and will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

 

(o)                                 Descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement.  This Agreement conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

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(p)                                 No Violation or Default.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter 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 agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries 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, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(q)                                 No Conflicts.  The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule  or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(r)                                    No Consents Required.  No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters.

 

(s)                                   Legal Proceedings.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its

 

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subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; no such Actions are threatened or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending Actions that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(t)                                    Independent Accountants.  Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.

 

(u)                                 Title to Real and Personal Property.  The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(v)                                 Intellectual Property.  The Company and its subsidiaries own, have valid and enforceable license to, or otherwise have the right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, domain names and other source indicators, copyrights and copyrightable works, know-how, trade secrets, systems, procedures, proprietary or confidential information and all other intellectual property and proprietary rights, including registrations and applications for registration thereof (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) which are necessary for or material to the conduct of their respective businesses, or which are described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus as being owned or licensed by them (collectively, “Company Intellectual Property”).  To the knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, (i) the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ conduct of their respective businesses does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property of any third party; and (ii) the Company Intellectual Property is not being infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any third party. There is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or its subsidiaries, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others: (A) challenging the Company’s or its subsidiaries rights in or to any Company Intellectual Property, and the Company and its subsidiaries are unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (B) challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Company Intellectual Property, and the Company and its subsidiaries are unaware of any facts which would form a

 

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reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; or (C) asserting that the Company or any of its subsidiaries infringes or otherwise violates, or would, upon the commercialization of any product or service described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as under development, infringe or violate, any Intellectual Property of third parties, and the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any notice of, and is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim. To the knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, the Company and its subsidiaries have complied with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Company Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company or any subsidiary, and all such agreements are in full force and effect. To the knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, no technology employed by the Company or its subsidiaries has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its subsidiaries in violation of any contractual or legal obligation binding on the Company, its subsidiaries, or any of their officers, directors, employees, or contractors, which violation relates to the breach of a confidentiality obligation, an obligation to assign Intellectual Property to a previous employer, or an obligation otherwise not to use the Intellectual Property of any third party. The product candidates described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as under development by the Company or any subsidiary fall within the scope of the claims of one or more patents or patent applications owned by, or exclusively licensed to, the Company or any subsidiary.  To the knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, (A) there is no patent or published patent application in the U.S. or other jurisdiction that contains claims that interfere with the issued or pending claims of any patent within the Company Intellectual Property; (B) there is no prior art of which the Company is aware that may render any patent within the Company Intellectual Property invalid or any patent application within the Company Intellectual Property unpatentable; (C) there are no material defects in any of the patents or patent applications included in the Company Intellectual Property; and (D) the duty of candor and good faith as required by the United States Patent and Trademark Office during the prosecution of the United States patents and patent applications within the Company Intellectual Property have been complied with, and in all foreign offices having similar requirements, such requirements have been complied with.

 

(w)                               No Undisclosed Relationships.  No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.

 

(x)                                 Investment Company Act.  The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).

 

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(y)                                 Taxes.  The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof, except where the failure to pay or file any such taxes would not have a Material Adverse Effect; there is no tax deficiency that has been, or would reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets and which could have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(z)                                  Licenses and Permits.  The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations (collectively, “Permits”) issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with or required by, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities, including without limitation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any component thereof (collectively, “Regulatory Authorities”), that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Permits, except where the failure to comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  All of the Permits are valid and in full force and effect.  The Company has fulfilled and performed all of its material obligations with respect to the Permits.  To the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other material impairment of the rights of the holder of any Permit.  Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of, or notice of any proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, any such Permit or has any reason to believe that any such Permit will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where such revocation, modification or nonrenewal would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(aa)                          Compliance with Health Care Laws.  The Company, its or its subsidiaries’ directors, officers, and to the knowledge of the Company, its or its subsidiaries’ employees and agents, are, and at all times have been, in compliance with all health care laws applicable to the Company or its product candidates or activities, including, without limitation, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”) (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.), the federal Anti-kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)), the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7h), the civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§3729 et seq.), all criminal laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including but not limited to the criminal False Claims Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(a)), 18 U.S.C. Sections 286 and 287, and the health care fraud criminal provisions under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 17921 et seq.), the exclusion laws (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7), the civil monetary penalties law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a), Medicare (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act), Medicaid (Title XIX of the Social Security Act), the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 201 et seq.), any similar local, state or federal laws, and the regulations promulgated pursuant to such laws (collectively, the “Health Care Laws”), except where failure to be so in compliance

 

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have not, and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received any FDA Form 483, notice of adverse finding, warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or notice from any Regulatory Authority or governmental authority alleging or asserting noncompliance with any Health Care Laws applicable to the Company or its subsidiaries. Neither the Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its or its subsidiaries’ employees, officers or directors has been excluded, suspended or debarred from participation in any U.S. federal health care program or human clinical research or, is subject to a governmental inquiry, investigation, proceeding, or other similar action that could reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension, or exclusion.

 

(bb) Studies, Tests, and Trials.  The pre-clinical, clinical (as applicable) and other studies, tests, trials and research conducted by or on behalf of or sponsored by the Company are being and have been conducted in compliance with the experimental protocols established for each study, test, trial or research and in accordance, in all material respects, with the Health Care Laws, including, but not limited to, the FDCA and its applicable implementing regulations at 21 C.F.R. Parts 50, 54, 56, 58, 170 and 312.  The published descriptions of the results of such studies, tests and research are accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly present the data derived from such studies, tests and research, and the Company does not have any knowledge of any other studies, tests or research the results of which are materially inconsistent with or otherwise reasonably call into question the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.  The Company has not received any notices or other correspondence from any Regulatory Authority with respect to any clinical or pre-clinical studies, tests or research that are, or whose results of which are, described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that require the termination, suspension, or material modification of such studies, tests or research.

 

(cc)                            No Labor Disputes.  No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of cancellation or termination with respect to any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party.

 

(dd)                          Certain Environmental Matters.  (i) The Company and its subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws (including common law), rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and other legally enforceable requirements relating to pollution or the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (y) have received and are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under any Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (z) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability or obligation under or relating to, or any actual or

 

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potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) except as described in each of the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (x) there is no proceeding that is pending, or to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceeding regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (y) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any facts or issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and its subsidiaries, and (z) none of the Company or its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws.

 

(ee)                            Compliance with ERISA.  (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any entity, whether or not incorporated, that is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA or any entity that would be regarded as a single employer with the Company under Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no Plan has failed (whether or not waived), or is reasonably expected to fail, to satisfy the minimum funding standards (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code) applicable to such Plan; (iv) no Plan is, or is reasonably expected to be, in “at risk status” (within the meaning of Section 303(i) of ERISA) and no Plan that is a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA is in “endangered status” or “critical status” (within the meaning of Sections 304 and 305 of ERISA); (v) the fair market value of the assets of each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan); (vi) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations promulgated thereunder) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (vii) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; (viii) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit

 

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Guarantee Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (ix) none of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur: (A) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the Company or its Controlled Group affiliates in the current fiscal year of the Company and its Controlled Group affiliates compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company’s and its Controlled Group affiliates’ most recently completed fiscal year; or (B) a material increase in the Company and its subsidiaries’ “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715-60) compared to the amount of such obligations in the Company and its subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year, except in each case with respect to the events or conditions set forth in (i) through (ix) hereof, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ff)                              Disclosure Controls.  The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (together with all rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “Exchange Act”)) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it will file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.  The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.

 

(gg)                            Accounting Controls.  The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.  The Company and its subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  There are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls.  The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) to

 

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the knowledge of the Company, any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

(hh)                          Cybersecurity. (i)(x) To the Company’s knowledge, there has been no material security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ 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 (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and (y) the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any material security breach or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in 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 and its subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.

 

(ii)                                  Insurance.  The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are generally maintained by similarly situated companies and which the Company believes are reasonably adequate to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) knowledge of any events that have occurred, or circumstances that exist, with respect to the Company that would cause it to be unable to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.

 

(jj)                                No Unlawful Payments.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates (i) has used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) has made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) has violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in

 

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International Business Transactions, or has committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) has made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit.  The Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.  Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws.

 

(kk)                          Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws.  The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements applicable to such entities, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines applicable to such entities, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(ll)                                  No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors, officers or employees, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is, or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons that is, (i) currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”) or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of  Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.  For the past five years, the Company

 

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and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

(mm)                  No Restrictions on Subsidiaries.  No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock or similar ownership interest, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.

 

(nn)                          No Broker’s Fees.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any of them or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.

 

(oo)                          No Registration Rights.  No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company.

 

(pp)                          No Stabilization.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.

 

(qq)                          Margin Rules.  Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.

 

(rr)                                Forward-Looking Statements.  No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included or incorporated by reference in any of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

 

(ss)                              Statistical and Market Data.  Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.

 

(tt)                                Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any applicable provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended and the

 

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rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

 

(uu)                          Status under the Securities Act.  At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

(vv)                          No Ratings. There are (and prior to the Closing Date, will be) no debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act.

 

4.                                      Further Agreements of the Company.  The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:

 

(a)                                 Required Filings.  The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

(b)                                 Delivery of Copies.  The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representatives, five signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus) as the Representatives may reasonably request.  As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.

 

(c)                                  Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.  Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably objects.

 

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(d)                                 Notice to the Representatives.  The Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing (which confirmation may be delivered by electronic mail), (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed or distributed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information including, but not limited to, any request for information concerning any Testing-the-Waters Communication; (v) of the issuance by the Commission or any other governmental or regulatory authority of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or the initiation or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

 

(e)                                  Ongoing Compliance.  (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with applicable law and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event or development

 

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shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with applicable law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with applicable law.

 

(f)                                   Blue Sky Compliance.  The Company will qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(g)                                  Earning Statement.  The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement; provided that the Company will be deemed to have furnished such statements to its security holders and the Representatives to the extent they are filed on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”) or any successor system.

 

(h)                                 Clear Market.  For a period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with, or submit to, the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition, submission or filing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, other than (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Stock of the Company issued upon the conversion of preferred stock outstanding on the date of this

 

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Agreement in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement and as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (C)  any shares of Stock of the Company issued upon the exercise of options granted under Company Stock Plans described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (D) any options and other awards granted under a Company Stock Plan described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (E) the filing by the Company of any registration statement on Form S-8 or a successor form thereto relating to a Company Stock Plan described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (F) shares of Stock or other securities issued in connection with a transaction with an unaffiliated third party that includes a bona fide commercial relationship (including joint ventures, marketing or distribution arrangements, collaboration agreements, intellectual property license agreements, or lending agreements or arrangements) or any acquisition of assets or acquisition of equity of another entity, provided that the aggregate number of shares issued pursuant to this clause (F) shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the total number of outstanding shares of Stock immediately following the issuance and sale of the Underwritten Shares pursuant hereto; provided further that, in the case of clauses (C), (D) and (F), (x) the Company shall cause each recipient of such shares of Stock or other securities of the Company to execute and deliver, on or prior to the issuance of such shares, a lock-up agreement on substantially the same terms as the lock-up agreements described in Section 6(l) hereof to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer, and (y) the Company shall authorize its transfer agent to decline to make any transfer of such shares in violation of such lock-up agreements.

 

If the Representatives, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section 6(l) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

 

(i)                                     Use of Proceeds.  The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of proceeds”.

 

(j)                                    No Stabilization.  The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Stock.

 

(k)                                 Exchange Listing.  The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Shares on the Nasdaq Global Market (the “Nasdaq Market”).

 

(l)                                     Reports.  For a period of two years from the date of this Agreement, so long as the Shares are outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, as soon as

 

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they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Representatives to the extent they are filed on EDGAR or any successor.

 

(m)                             Record Retention.  The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.

 

(n)                                 Filings.  The Company will file with the Commission such reports as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.

 

(o)                                 Emerging Growth Company.  The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of Shares within the meaning of the Securities Act and (ii) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 4(h) hereof.

 

5.                                      Certain Agreements of the Underwriters.  Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:

 

(a)                                 It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex A or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(c) above (including any electronic road show approved in advance by the Company), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”).

 

(b)                                 It has not and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Shares unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission; provided that Underwriters may use a term sheet substantially in the form of Annex C hereto without the consent of the Company; provided further that any Underwriter using such term sheet shall notify the Company, and provide a copy of such term sheet to the Company, prior to, or substantially concurrently with, the first use of such term sheet.

 

(c)                                  It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).

 

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6.                                      Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations.  The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                 Registration Compliance; No Stop Order.  No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.

 

(b)                                 Representations and Warranties.  The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(c)                                  No Material Adverse Change.  No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(h) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(d)                                 Officer’s Certificate.  The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, (x) a certificate of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representatives (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations of the Company set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(f) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a) and (c) above.

 

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(e)                                  Comfort Letters and CFO Certificates.  (i) On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, Deloitte & Touche LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall use a “cut-off” date no more than two business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and (ii) on the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(f)                                   Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company.  Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(g)                                  Opinion of Intellectual Property Counsel for the Company. Lando & Anastasi, LLP, intellectual property counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, its written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(h)                                 Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters.  The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and 10b-5 statement, addressed to the Underwriters, of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

(i)                                     No Legal Impediment to Issuance and/or Sale.  No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares by the Company; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional

 

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Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares by the Company.

 

(j)                                    Good Standing.  The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing in such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.

 

(k)                                 Exchange Listing.  The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Market, subject to official notice of issuance.

 

(l)                                     Lock-up Agreements.  The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit D-1 or Exhibit D-2, as applicable, hereto, between you and certain shareholders, officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(m)                             Certificate Regarding Beneficial Ownership.  On or before the date of this Agreement, the Underwriters shall have received a certificate satisfying the beneficial ownership due diligence requirements of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network from the Company in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, along with such additional supporting documentation as the Underwriters have requested in connection with the verification of the foregoing certificate.

 

(n)                                 Additional Documents.  On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

7.                                      Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a)                                 Indemnification of the Underwriters.  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonably incurred legal fees and other reasonably incurred expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or

 

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alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”) or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.

 

(b)                                 Indemnification of the Company.  Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any road show or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession figures appearing in the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” and the information contained in the thirteenth paragraph related to passive market making under the caption “Underwriting”.

 

(c)                                  Notice and Procedures.  If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to the preceding paragraphs of this Section 7, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 7 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 7.  If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to

 

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indemnification pursuant to this Section that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonably incurred and documented fees and expenses in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonably incurred and documented fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred.  In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them.  It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred.  Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representatives and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company.  The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.  No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

 

(d)                                 Contribution.  If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to

 

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reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Shares and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Shares.  The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

(e)                                  Limitation on Liability.  The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to paragraph (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above.  The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any reasonably incurred and documented legal or other reasonably incurred and documented expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (d) and (e), in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Shares exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to paragraphs (d) and (e) are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

 

(f)                                   Non-Exclusive Remedies.  The remedies provided for in paragraphs (a) through (e) are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.

 

8.                                      Effectiveness of Agreement.  This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

 

9.                                      Termination.  This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Shares, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by

 

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federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

10.                               Defaulting Underwriter.

 

(a)                                 If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Shares by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement.  If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Shares on such terms.  If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes.  As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 10, purchases Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

 

(b)                                 If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.

 

(c)                                  If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters.  Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability

 

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on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 11 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 7 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.

 

(d)                                 Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

 

11.                               Payment of Expenses.

 

(a)                                 Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants; (iv) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Shares under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters if such fees and expenses are required to be incurred); (v) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vi) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (vii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, FINRA (including the related reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (viii) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors; and (ix) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Nasdaq Market; provided, however, that the amount payable by the Company pursuant to clauses (iv) and (vii) of this Section 11(a) shall not exceed $50,000 in the aggregate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that except as expressly provided in Section 7 or Section 11(b) of this Agreement, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including without limitation, fees and disbursements of their counsel other than for Blue Sky and FINRA matters to the extent expressly provided for in this Section 11(a), transfer taxes on the resale by them of any of the Shares, the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on their behalf in connection with “road show” presentations to potential investors (including 50% of the cost of any aircraft or other transportation chartered in connection with such “road show” that is actually utilized by the Underwriters) and any advertising expenses relating to offers of Shares that they make.

 

(b)                                 If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby. For the avoidance of doubt, it is understood that the Company shall not pay or reimburse any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any Underwriter that defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares.

 

31


 

12.                               Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to herein and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section 7 hereof.  Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.  No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.

 

13.                               Survival.  The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters.

 

14.                               Certain Defined Terms.  For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; and (d) the term “significant subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.

 

15.                               Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

 

16.                               Miscellaneous.

 

(a)                                 Notices.  All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication.  Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representatives c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York  10282-2198, Attention: Registration Department; c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York  10179 (fax: (212) 622-8358); Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk; c/o SVB Leerink LLC, One Federal Street, 37th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts  02110, Attention: Jack Fitzgerald; with a copy to Peter N. Handrinos, Latham & Watkins LLP, 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.  Notices to the Company shall be given to it at Axcella Health, Inc., 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts  02139; Attention: William Hinshaw with a copy to Kingsley Taft, Goodwin Procter LLP, 100 Northern Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts  02210.

 

(b)                                 Governing Law.  This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

32


 

(c)                                  Waiver of Jury Trial.  Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

 

(d)                                 Counterparts.  This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

(e)                                  Amendments or Waivers.  No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

(f)                                   Headings.  The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.

 

33


 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

AXCELLA HEALTH, INC.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

34


 

Accepted: As of the date first written above

 

GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

 

SVB LEERINK LLC

 

For themselves and on behalf of the
several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto.

 

GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

SVB LEERINK LLC

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

35


 

Schedule 1

 

Underwriter

 

Number of Underwritten
Shares

 

Number of Option Shares

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

 

 

 

 

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

 

 

 

 

 

SVB Leerink LLC

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sch. 1-1


 

Schedule 2

 

Significant Subsidiaries

 

None.

 

Sch. 2-1


 

Annex A

 

a.  Pricing Disclosure Package

 

b.  Pricing Information Provided Orally by Underwriters

 

Public Offering Price Per Share: $

 

Number of Underwritten Shares Purchased by the Underwriters:

 

Number of Option Shares:

 

Annex A-1


 

Annex B

 

Written Testing-the-Waters Communications

 

Company Presentation dated February, 2019

 

Annex B-1


 

Annex C

 

Pricing Term Sheet

 

Axcella Health, Inc.

         Shares of Common Stock

 

Issuer:

 

Axcella Health, Inc.

 

 

 

Symbol:

 

AXLA

 

 

 

Size (Pre-Greenshoe):

 

$

 

 

 

Total Underwritten Shares Offered by Issuer:

 

         shares of common stock

 

 

 

Option Shares Offered by Issuer:

 

         shares of common stock

 

 

 

Price to Public:

 

$

 

 

 

Trade Date:

 

        , 2019

 

 

 

Closing Date:

 

        , 2019

 

 

 

CUSIP No:

 

05454B 105

 

 

 

Underwriters:

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
SVB Leerink LLC

 

Annex C-1


 

Exhibit A

 

EGC — Testing the waters authorization (to be delivered by the issuer to the Representatives in email or letter form)

 

In reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), Axcella Health, Inc. (the “Issuer”) hereby authorizes Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and SVB Leerink LLC (together, the “Representatives”) and their affiliates and respective employees (collectively, “Authorized Persons”) to engage on behalf of the Issuer in oral and written communications with potential investors that are “qualified institutional buyers”, as defined in Rule 144A under the Act, or institutions that are “accredited investors”, as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Act, to determine whether such investors might have an interest in the Issuer’s contemplated initial public offering (“Testing the Waters Communications”).  As previously discussed, it is our and your expectation that, unless otherwise approved by the Issuer or the Representatives, neither the Issuer nor any Authorized Person will send or give to any potential investor any Testing the Waters Communication that is a “written communication” as defined in Rule 405 of the Act, other than such Testing the Waters Communications that are limited to any one or more statements described in Rule 134 under the Act (whether or not reliance on Rule 134 would otherwise be permitted or available under the Act for such Testing the Waters Communication) and/or any customary legal or regulatory legends or disclaimers.

 

The Issuer represents that, (i) except as disclosed to the Representatives, it has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication and (ii) it has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Issuer agrees that it shall not authorize any other third party to engage on its behalf in oral or written communications with potential investors without the written consent of the Representatives.

 

The Issuer represents that it is an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act (“Emerging Growth Company”) and agrees to promptly notify the Representatives in writing if the Issuer hereafter ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company while this authorization is in effect.

 

Nothing in this authorization is intended to limit or otherwise affect the ability of Authorized Persons to engage in communications in which they could otherwise lawfully engage in the absence of this authorization. This authorization shall remain in effect until the Issuer has provided to the Representatives a written notice revoking this authorization.  All notices as described herein shall be sent by email to the attention of Jack Bannister at ***@***, Henry Portwood at ***@*** and Patrick Morley at ***@***.

 


 

Exhibit B

 

[Form of Waiver of Lock-up]

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
200 West Street
New York, New York  10282

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York  10179

 

SVB Leerink LLC

1301 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York  10019

 

Axcella Health, Inc.
Public Offering of Common Stock

 

, 20    

 

[Name and Address of
Officer or Director
Requesting Waiver]

 

Dear Mr./Ms. [Name]:

 

This letter is being delivered to you in connection with the offering by Axcella Health, Inc. (the “Company”) of          shares of common stock, $0.001  par value (the “Common Stock”), of the Company and the lock-up agreement dated                   , 2019 (the “Lock-up Letter”), executed by you in connection with such offering, and your request for a [waiver] [release] dated                     , 20  , with respect to       shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”).

 

The Representatives hereby agree to [waive] [release] the transfer restrictions set forth in the Lock-up Letter, but only with respect to the Shares, effective                   , 20   ; provided, however, that such [waiver] [release] is conditioned on the Company announcing the impending [waiver] [release] by press release through a major news service at least two business days before effectiveness of such [waiver] [release].  This letter will serve as notice to the Company of the impending [waiver] [release].

 

Except as expressly [waived] [released] hereby, the Lock-up Letter shall remain in full force and effect.

 


 

Yours very truly,

 

GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

SVB LEERINK LLC

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

cc:  Axcella Health, Inc.

 


 

Exhibit C

 

[Form of Press Release]

 

Axcella Health, Inc.
[Date]

 

Axcella Health, Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and SVB Leerink LLC, the lead book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of          shares of common stock, are [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to        shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on                      ,  20  , and the shares may be sold on or after such date.

 

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 


 

Exhibit D-1

 

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT FOR STOCKHOLDER ENTITIES
AFFILIATED WITH FLAGSHIP PIONEERING, INC.

 

                   , 2019

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

SVB Leerink LLC

 

As Representatives of
the several Underwriters listed in
Schedule 1 to the Underwriting

Agreement referred to below

 

c/o                               Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
                                                200 West Street
                                                New York, New York  10282

 

c/o                               J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
                                                383 Madison Avenue
                                                New York, New York  10179

 

c/o                               SVB Leerink LLC

1301 Avenue of the Americas, 12th Floor

New York, New York  10019

 

Re:                             Axcella Health, Inc. — Initial Public Offering

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Axcella Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the initial public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of shares (the “Shares”) of the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”).  If more than one entity executes this agreement, this agreement shall constitute a separate agreement with respect to each such entity as the “undersigned,” and the rights and obligations of each such entity hereunder shall be several and not joint.  Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.  “Representatives” means, collectively, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and SVB Leerink LLC.

 


 

To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date of the initial public filing of the preliminary prospectus relating to the Public Offering and ending 180 days after the date of the final prospectus (the “Restricted Period”) relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) by the undersigned (including without limitation, shares of Common Stock and other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, in each case, that are issued or issuable upon exercise of a stock option or warrant so owned), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or such other securities described in clause (1) above, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.

 

The foregoing sentence shall not apply to:

 

(a)                                 transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in the Public Offering (other than any issuer-directed shares of Common Stock purchased in the Public Offering by an officer or director of the Company) or in open market transactions after the pricing of the Public Offering; provided that such transfers are not required to be reported with the SEC on Form 4 in accordance with Section 16 under the Exchange Act and no other public announcement shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of Common Stock or other securities acquired in such open market transactions (other than Schedule 13 filings filed with the SEC);

 

(b)                                 transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock as a bona fide gift, or to a charitable organization or educational institution in a transaction not involving a disposition for value;

 

(c)                                  transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities to any member of the immediate family of the undersigned or any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned in a transaction not involving a disposition for value;

 

(d)                                 transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, investment fund or other entity all of the beneficial ownership interests of which are held, controlled or managed by the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned in a transaction not involving a disposition for value;

 

(e)                                  transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities (x) by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir, beneficiary or a member of the immediate family of the undersigned upon the death

 

2


 

of the undersigned, or (y) by operation of law pursuant to orders of a court or regulatory agency, a domestic order or negotiated divorce settlement; or

 

(f)                                   if the undersigned is an entity, (x) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities to another corporation, member, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity that is a direct or indirect affiliate (as defined under Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) of the undersigned, or to an investment fund or other entity that controls or manages, or is under common control with, the undersigned, or (y) distributions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock to partners, members, stockholders, beneficiaries or other equity holders of the undersigned;

 

provided that in the case of any transfer, disposition or distribution pursuant to clause (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f), (i) each transferee, donee or distributee shall sign and deliver a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of this agreement and (ii) such transfer, disposition or distribution is not required to be reported with the SEC on Form 4 in accordance with Section 16 under the Exchange Act and no other public announcement shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period (other than, (1) Schedule 13 filings filed with the SEC (2) in the case of a transfer or other disposition pursuant to clause (e) above, any Form 4 or Form 5 required to be filed under the Exchange Act if the undersigned is subject to Section 16 reporting with respect to the Company under the Exchange Act and indicating by footnote disclosure or otherwise the nature of the transfer or disposition, and (3) any required filings on Form 13F, or Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act);

 

(g)                                  transfers or dispositions of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to the Company pursuant to any contractual arrangement in effect on the date of this agreement that provides for the repurchase of the undersigned’s Common Stock or other securities by the Company or in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s employment with or service to the Company, provided that such transfers or dispositions are not required to be reported with the SEC on Form 4 in accordance with Section 16 under the Exchange Act and no other public announcement shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period in connection with any such transfers or dispositions (other than (1) Schedule 13 filings filed with the SEC, and (2) any Form 4 or Form 5 required to be filed under the Exchange Act if the undersigned is subject to Section 16 reporting with respect to the Company under the Exchange Act and indicating by footnote disclosure or otherwise the nature of the transfer or disposition);

 

(h)                                 transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities to the Company in connection with the conversion of any convertible security into, or the exercise of any option or warrant for, shares of Common Stock; provided that (i) any such shares of Common Stock received by the undersigned shall be subject to the terms of this agreement and (ii) such transfers or dispositions are not required to be reported with the SEC on Form 4 in accordance with Section 16 under the Exchange Act and no other public announcement shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period (other than Form 13F and Schedule 13 filings filed with the SEC);

 

(i)                                     transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (a) through (h) above;

 

3


 

(j)                                    the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) no filing under the Exchange Act or other public announcement shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period; or

 

(k)                                 transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or such other securities pursuant to a bona fide tender offer for shares of the Company’s capital stock, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Company’s securities involving a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company (including without limitation, the entering into of any lock-up, voting or similar agreement pursuant to which the undersigned may agree to transfer, sell, tender or otherwise dispose of shares of Common Stock or other securities in connection with such transaction) that has been approved by the board of directors of the Company; provided that, in the event that such Change of Control transaction is not consummated, this clause (k) shall not be applicable and the undersigned’s shares and other securities shall remain subject to the restrictions contained in this agreement.

 

For purposes of this agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage, domestic partnership or adoption, not more remote than first cousin, and “Change of Control” shall mean the transfer (whether by tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction), in one transactions or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons (other than an Underwriter pursuant to the Public Offering), of the Company’s voting securities if, after such transfer, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold at least 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (or the surviving entity), provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, the Public Offering shall not constitute a Change of Control.  In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the Restricted Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock; provided that the undersigned may  make a demand under any registration rights agreement with the Company described in the Prospectus for, and exercise its rights under any such registration rights agreement with respect to, the registration after the expiration of the Restricted Period of shares of Common Stock that does not require the filing of any registration statement or any public announcement or activity regarding such registration during the Restricted Period (and no such public announcement or activity shall be voluntarily made or taken by the undersigned during the Restricted Period).

 

The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed shares of Common Stock the undersigned may purchase in the Public Offering.

 

4


 

In the event that a release is granted to any Major Holder (as defined below) other than the undersigned relating to the lock-up restrictions set forth above for shares of the Company’s Common Stock, the same percentage of shares of the Company’s Common Stock held by the undersigned (the “Pro-rata Release”) shall be immediately and fully released on the same terms from any remaining lock-up restrictions set forth herein; provided, however, that such Pro-rata Release shall not be applied in the event of releases granted from such lockup restrictions to any individual party or parties (other than shareholders subject to Section 16 reporting with respect to the Company under the Exchange Act) to sell or otherwise transfer or dispose of shares of the Company’s Common Stock or other securities in an amount up to an aggregate of $2,500,000.  In the event that any percentage of such Common Stock released from the lock-up restrictions are subject to any restrictions of the type set forth in clause (1) or (2) of the second paragraph of this agreement, the same restrictions shall be applicable to the release of the same percentage of the Company’s Common Stock held by the undersigned.  In the event that the undersigned is released from any of its obligations under this agreement or, by virtue of this agreement, becomes entitled to offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock (or any securities convertible into Common Stock) prior to the date that is 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Representatives shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to provide notification of such to the undersigned within three business days thereof; provided that the failure to provide such notice shall not give rise to any claim or liability against the Representatives or the Underwriters.  For purposes of this agreement, each of the following persons is a “Major Holder”: each officer and director of the Company and each record or beneficial owner, as of the date hereof, of more than 1% of the outstanding shares of securities of the Company (for purposes of determining record or beneficial ownership of a stockholder, all shares of securities held by investment funds affiliated with such stockholder shall be aggregated).

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Representatives agree that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of shares of Common Stock, the Representatives notifies the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.  Any release or waiver granted by the Representatives hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release.  The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this agreement to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

 

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering.  The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions.  Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters.

 

5


 

The undersigned understands that, if (i) the Representatives, on the one hand, or the Company, on the other hand, informs the other in writing, prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that it has determined not to proceed with the Public Offering, (ii) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the securities to be sold thereunder, (iii) the registration statement related to the Public Offering is withdrawn or (iv) the Underwriting Agreement is not executed on or before the earlier of (A) July 31, 2019 and (B) the date that is 45 days after the date of the initial public filing of the preliminary prospectus relating to the Public Offering (provided that the Securities and Exchange Commission is actively reviewing and declaring registrations statements effective under normal operating conditions during such 45-day period), then, in each case, this agreement shall automatically, and without any action on the part of any other party, be of no further force and effect, and the undersigned shall be automatically released from all obligations under this agreement.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

6


 

This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

7


 

Exhibit D-2

 

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT FOR DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND STOCKHOLDERS NOT AFFILIATED WITH FLAGSHIP PIONEERING, INC.

 

                , 2019

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

J.P. SVB Morgan Securities LLC

SBB Leerink LLC

 

As Representatives of
the several Underwriters listed in
Schedule 1 to the Underwriting

Agreement referred to below

 

c/o                               Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
                                                200 West Street
                                                New York, New York  10282

 

c/o                               J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
                                                383 Madison Avenue
                                                New York, New York  10179

 

c/o                               SVB Leerink LLC

1301 Avenue of the Americas, 12th Floor

New York, New York  10019

 

Re:                             Axcella Health, Inc. — Initial Public Offering

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Axcella Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of shares of common stock of the Company (the “Securities”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

 

In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Securities, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period beginning

 

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on the date of this letter agreement (this “Letter Agreement”) and ending one-hundred-eighty (180) days after the date of the prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”) (such period, the “Restricted Period”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of common stock, $0.001 per share par value, of the Company (the “Common Stock”) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including without limitation, Common Stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, in each case other than:

 

(A) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock as a bona fide gift or gifts, or to a charitable organization or educational institution in a transaction not involving a disposition for value;

 

(B) transfers, distributions or dispositions of shares of Common Stock to members or stockholders of the undersigned, any member of the immediate family of the undersigned or any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned in a transaction not involving a disposition for value;

 

(C) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in the Public Offering (other than any issuer-directed shares of Common Stock purchased in the Public Offering by an officer or director of the Company) or in open market transactions after the pricing of the Public Offering;

 

(D) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity, in each case, all of the beneficial ownership interests of which are held by the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned in a transaction not involving a disposition for value;

 

(E) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities (x) by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir, beneficiary or a member of the immediate family of the undersigned upon the death of the undersigned, or (y) by operation of law pursuant to a domestic order or negotiated divorce settlement;

 

provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (A), (B), (D) or (E), each donee, distributee or transferee shall execute and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up letter in the form of this Letter Agreement; and provided, further, that in the case of any transfer, distribution or transaction pursuant to clauses (A), (B), (C), (D) or (E), no filing by any party (donor,

 

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donee, transferor or transferee) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than (i) a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Restricted Period referred to above and (ii) in the case of a transfer or other disposition pursuant to clause (E) above, any Form 4 or Form 5 required to be filed under the Exchange Act if the undersigned is subject to Section 16 reporting with respect to the Company under the Exchange Act and indicating by footnote disclosure or otherwise the nature of the transfer or disposition);

 

(F) transfers or dispositions of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to the Company pursuant to any contractual arrangement in effect on the date of this agreement that provides for the repurchase of the undersigned’s Common Stock or other securities by the Company or in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s employment with or service to the Company, provided that no filing by any party under the Exchange Act or other public announcement, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period in connection with any such transfers or dispositions (other than any Form 4 or Form 5 required to be filed under the Exchange Act if the undersigned is subject to Section 16 reporting with respect to the Company under the Exchange Act and indicating by footnote disclosure or otherwise the nature of the transfer or disposition);

 

(G) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities to the Company in connection with the conversion of any convertible preferred stock into, or the exercise of any option or warrant for, shares of Common Stock; provided that (i) any such shares of Common Stock received by the undersigned shall be subject to the terms of this agreement and (ii) no filing by any party under the Exchange Act or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily during the Restricted Period (other than a filing on a Form 4 that reports such disposition under the transaction code “F”);

 

(H) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or other securities to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (A) through (G) above;

 

(I) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) no filing by any party under the Exchange Act or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company in connection with the establishment of such plan; or

 

(J) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or such other securities pursuant to a bona fide tender offer for shares of the Company’s capital stock, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Company’s securities involving a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company (including without limitation, the entering into of any lock-up, voting or similar agreement pursuant to which the undersigned may agree to transfer, sell, tender or otherwise dispose of shares of Common Stock or other securities in connection with such transaction) that has been approved by the board of directors of the Company; provided that, in the event that such Change of Control transaction is not consummated, this clause (J) shall not be

 

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applicable and the undersigned’s shares and other securities shall remain subject to the restrictions contained in this agreement.

 

For purposes of this agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage, domestic partnership or adoption, not more remote than first cousin, and “Change of Control” shall mean the transfer (whether by tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction), in one transactions or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons (other than an Underwriter pursuant to the Public Offering), of the Company’s voting securities if, after such transfer, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold at least 90% of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (or the surviving entity), provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, the Public Offering shall not constitute a Change of Control.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any Company-directed Securities the undersigned may purchase in the Public Offering.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters agree that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of shares of Common Stock, the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.  Any release or waiver granted by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release.  The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

 

In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.

 

The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective by September 30, 2019, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement.  The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.

 

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[Signature Page Follows]

 

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This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title: