5,790,000Units CHINABAK BATTERY, INC. UnitsConsisting of OneShare of Common Stock and aWarrant to Purchase 0.25 of a Share of Common Stock PLACEMENT AGENTAGREEMENT

 

 

 

 

October 21, 2009

 

Cowen and Company, LLC

1221 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10020

 

Dear Sirs:

2.           Agreement to Act as Placement Agent; Placement of Securities.  On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein, and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement:

 

a.           The Company hereby acknowledges that the Placement Agent acted as its sole agent to solicit offers for the purchase of all or part of the Units from the Company in connection with the proposed offering of the Units (the “Offering”).  Until the Closing Date (as defined in Section 7 hereof), the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, solicit or accept offers to purchase the Stock or the Warrants otherwise than through the Placement Agent.

 

b.           The Company hereby acknowledges that the Placement Agent, as agent of the Company, used its best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the Units from the Company on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus (as defined below).  The Placement Agent shall use reasonable efforts to assist the Company in obtaining performance by each Purchaser whose offer to purchase the Units was solicited by the Placement Agent and accepted by the Company, but the Placement Agent shall not, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, be obligated to disclose the identity of any potential purchaser or have any liability to the Company in the event any such purchase is not consummated for any reason.  Under no circumstances will the Placement Agent be obligated to underwrite or purchase any Units for its own account and, in soliciting purchases of Units, the Placement Agent acted solely as the Company's agent and not as principal.  Notwithstanding the foregoing and except as otherwise provided in this Section 2.b, it is understood and agreed that the Placement Agent (or its affiliates) may, solely at its discretion and without any obligation to do so, purchase the Units as principal.

 

c.           Offers for the purchase of Units were solicited by the Placement Agent as agent for the Company at such times and in such amounts as the Placement Agent deemed advisable.  The Placement Agent communicated to the Company, orally or in writing, each reasonable offer to purchase Units received by it as agent of the Company.  The Company shall have the sole right to accept offers to purchase the Units and may reject any such offer, in whole or in part.  The Placement Agent has the right, in its discretion, without notice to the Company, to reject any offer to purchase Units received by it, in whole or in part, and any such rejection shall not be deemed a breach of this Agreement.

d.           The Units are being sold to the Purchasers at a price of US$3.55 per Unit.  The purchases of the Units by the Purchasers shall be evidenced by the execution of Subscription Agreements by each of the Purchasers and the Company.

 

e.           As compensation for services rendered, on the Closing Date, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts designated by the Placement Agent, an aggregate amount equal to 5% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the Sale of the Units and an aggregate amount equal to 5% of the gross proceeds received by the Company upon exercise of the Warrants.  The fees set forth above shall supersede any and all fees payable to Cowen pursuant to the terms of the engagement letter between Cowen and the Company, dated October 10, 2009, as amended (the “Engagement Letter”), except for the $10,000 retainer paid by the Company to Cowen pursuant to the Engagement Letter.

f.           No Unit which the Company has agreed to sell pursuant to this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements shall be deemed to have been purchased and paid for, or sold by the Company, until such Unit shall have been delivered to the Purchaser thereof against payment by such Purchaser.  If the Company shall default in its obligations to deliver Units to a Purchaser whose offer it has accepted, the Company shall indemnify and hold the Placement Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage or expense arising from or as a result of such default by the Company in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 11 herein.

 

3.           Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-151985) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission thereunder, and such amendments to such registration statement (including post effective amendments) as may have been required to the date of this Agreement.  Such registration statement, as amended (including any post effective amendments), has been declared effective by the Commission.  Such registration statement, as amended (including post effective amendments thereto), the exhibits and any schedules thereto and the documents and information otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by the Securities Act or otherwise pursuant to the Rules and Regulations, is herein called the “Registration Statement.”  If the Company has filed or files 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 include such Rule 462 Registration Statement.  The Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act a prospectus supplement relating to the Units to the form of prospectus included in the Registration Statement.  The prospectus filed as part of the registration statement in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Base Prospectus” and any prospectus subject to completion included in the Registration Statement or any preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Units filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.”  The final prospectus supplement as filed, along with the Base Prospectus, is hereinafter called the “Final Prospectus.”

 

For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462 Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, a Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Next-Generation EDGAR system.  All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “described,” “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462 Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, a Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements, pro forma financial information and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the Rules and Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462 Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, a Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462 Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, a Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the subsequent filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that is deemed to be incorporated therein by reference therein or otherwise deemed by the Rules and Regulations to be a part thereof.

4.           Representations and Warranties Regarding the Offering.  The Company represents and warrants to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, and agrees with the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, that:

 

a.           At each time of effectiveness, at the date hereof and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, complied or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  The General Disclosure Package (as defined below) as of the Applicable Time (as defined below), at the date hereof and at the Closing Date, and the Final Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, at the time of filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act and at the Closing Date, 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 to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or the Final Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for use in the preparation thereof.  The Registration Statement (including each document incorporated by reference therein) contains all exhibits and schedules required to be filed by the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations.  No order preventing or suspending the effectiveness or use of the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.

 

c.           The financial statements of the Company, together with the related notes, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and fairly present the financial condition of the Company as of the dates indicated and the results of operations and changes in cash flows for the periods therein specified in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied throughout the periods involved; and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein.  The financial statements, together with the related notes, included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus comply in all material respects with Regulation S-X..

 

d.           The summary and selected financial data included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus and the Registration Statement fairly present the information shown therein as at their respective dates and for the respective periods specified and are derived from the consolidated financial statements set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Final Prospectus and other financial information. All information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus regarding "non-GAAP financial measures" (as defined in Regulation G) complies with Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K, to the extent applicable.

e.           To the Company’s knowledge, PKF Accountants and Business Advisors, which has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements and schedules filed as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and the rules and regulations of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”).

 

f.            The Company had a reasonable basis for, and made in good faith, each “forward-looking statement” (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus.

 

g.           All statistical or market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources, to the extent required.

 

h.           The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is included or approved for inclusion on the Nasdaq Global Market. There is no action pending by the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, the Nasdaq Global Market to delist the Common Stock from the Nasdaq Global Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Nasdaq Global Market is contemplating terminating such listing.  When issued, the Stock, and the Warrant Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market.

 

i.            The Stock, and the Warrant Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, have been or will be qualified for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions (United States and foreign) as the Placement Agent determines, or are or will be exempt from the qualification and broker-dealer requirements of such jurisdictions.

 

j.            Neither the Company nor any of its officers, directors or affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Stock or the Warrant Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.

 

k.           The Company is not and during the past three years neither the Company nor any predecessor was: (A) a blank check company as defined in Rule 419(a)(2) of the Securities Act, (B) a shell company, other than a business combination shell company, each as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, or (C) an issuer for an offering of penny stock as defined in Rule 3a51-1 of the Exchange Act.

 

l.           The Company is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Subject to Section 8.b. below, the Company represents and warrants that it has not prepared or had prepared on its behalf or used or referred to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in connection with the Offering.  Subject to Section 8.b. below, the Company has not distributed and the Company will not distribute, prior to the completion of the distribution of the Securities, any offering material in connection with the Offering other than subscription agreements between the Company and the Investors and the Base Prospectus, the Final Prospectus, the Registration Statement, and copies of the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein.

 

m.           The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities, will not be an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

n.           The Company was at the time of filing the Registration Statement, and at the date hereof, remains eligible to use Form S-3 under the Securities Act.  In addition, at the time of filing of the Registration Statement and at the date hereof, the Company had or has (A) a non-affiliate public float of (1) $150 million, or (2) $100 million and an annual trading volume of at least 3 million shares, (B) filed all the material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to the Exchange Act for a period of at least 36 calendar months, and (C) filed in a timely manner all reports required to be filed during the past 12 calendar months, and, in the case of (B) and (C), any portion of a month immediately preceding such dates.  For purposes of this subsection (xi), “non-affiliate public float” shall mean the number of shares held by non-affiliates of the Company multiplied by the price at which the Common Stock was last sold before the filing of the Registration Statement or the applicable Closing Date, as applicable, and “annual trading volume” shall mean the volume of Company stock traded in any continuous 12 month period ended within 60 days prior to the filing of the Registration Statement or each Closing Date, as applicable.

 

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Placement Agent or to the Placement Agent’s counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Placement Agent as to the matters covered thereby.

 

5.           Representations and Warranties Regarding the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, and agrees with the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, that:

 

a.           The Company and each of its subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has the corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as currently being carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases real property or in which the conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary and in which the failure to so qualify would have or is reasonably likely to result in a material adverse effect upon the business, prospects, properties, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or in its ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus (“Material Adverse Effect”).

 

b.           The Company has the power and authority to enter into this Agreement and each of the Subscription Agreements and to authorize, issue and sell the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement.  This Agreement and each of the Subscription Agreements has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnity hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity.

 

c.           The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and each of the Subscription Agreements and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not (A) result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, any law, rule or regulation to which the Company or any subsidiary is subject, or by which any property or asset of the Company or any subsidiary is bound or affected, (B) conflict with, result in any violation or breach of, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any right of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, lease, credit facility, debt, note, bond, mortgage, indenture or other instrument (the “Contracts”) or obligation or other understanding to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party of by which any property or asset of the Company or any subsidiary is bound or affected, except to the extent that such conflict, default, termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation right is not reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, the Company’s charter or by-laws.

 

d.           Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation, breach or default under its certificate of incorporation, by-laws or other equivalent organizational or governing documents, except where the violation, breach or default in the case of a subsidiary of the Company would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

e.           All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, and conform to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.  Except as provided for by this Agreement and for the issuances of options or restricted stock in the ordinary course of business, since the respective dates as of which information is provided in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, the Company has not entered into or granted any convertible or exchangeable securities, options, warrants, agreements, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company any shares of the capital stock of the Company.  The Stock, when issued, will be duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, will be issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, and will be free of preemptive, registration or similar rights.  The Warrant Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants are duly authorized and, when issued by the Company upon exercise of the Warrants in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and will have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, and will conform to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.  None of the outstanding shares of Common stock was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company.  There are no authorized or outstanding shares of capital stock, options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described above or accurately described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.  The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights, as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, accurately and fairly present the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

 

f.            All the outstanding shares of capital stock (if any) of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and, except to the extent set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, are owned by the Company directly or indirectly through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries, free and clear of any claim, lien, encumbrance, security interest, restriction upon voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.

 

g.           Except for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act, Exchange Act and applicable state securities laws, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. and the Nasdaq Global Market in connection with the purchase of the Units by the Purchasers and the listing of the Stock and Warrant Stock on the Nasdaq Global Market, no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, qualification or registration (each an “Authorization") with, any court, governmental or non-governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic, which has not been made, obtained or taken and is not in full force and effect, is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the Subscription Agreements by the Company, the offer or sale of the Units or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby; and no event has occurred that allows or results in, or after notice or lapse of time or both would allow or result in, revocation, suspension, termination or invalidation of any such authorization or any other impairment of the rights of the holder or maker of any such authorization. All corporate approvals (including those of stockholders) necessary for the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements have been obtained and are in effect.

 

h.           Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has filed all returns (as hereinafter defined) required to be filed with taxing authorities prior to the date hereof or has duly obtained extensions of time for the filing thereof.  Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has paid all taxes (as hereinafter defined) shown as due on such returns that were filed and has paid all taxes imposed on or assessed against the Company or such respective subsidiary.  The provisions for taxes payable, if any, shown on the financial statements filed with or as part of the Registration Statement are sufficient for all accrued and unpaid taxes, whether or not disputed, and for all periods to and including the dates of such consolidated financial statements.  No issues have been raised (and are currently pending) by any taxing authority in connection with any of the returns or taxes asserted as due from the Company or its subsidiaries, and no waivers of statutes of limitation with respect to the returns or collection of taxes have been given by or requested from the Company or its subsidiaries.  The term “taxes” mean all federal, state, local, foreign, and other net income, gross income, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem, transfer, franchise, profits, license, lease, service, service use, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property, windfall profits, customs, duties or other taxes, fees, assessments, or charges of any kind whatever, together with any interest and any penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts with respect thereto.  The term “returns” means all returns, declarations, reports, statements, and other documents required to be filed in respect to taxes.

i.           Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, (a) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions other than in the ordinary course of business, (b) the Company has not declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock; (c) there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than a change in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or the issuance of restricted stock awards or restricted stock units under the Company’s existing stock awards plan, or any new grants thereof in the ordinary course of business), (d) there has not been any material change in the Company’s long-term or short-term debt, and (e) there has not been the occurrence of any Material Adverse Effect.

 

j.           There is not pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, any action, suit or proceeding to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company is the subject before or by any court or governmental agency, authority or body, or any arbitrator or mediator, which is reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

k.           The Company and each of its subsidiaries holds, and is in compliance with, all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certificates and orders (“Permits”) of any governmental or self-regulatory agency, authority or body required for the conduct of its business, and all such Permits are in full force and effect, in each case except where the failure to hold, or comply with, any of them is not reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

l.           The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all property (whether real or personal) described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus as being owned by them that are material to the business of the Company, in each case free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests, other encumbrances or defects, except those that are not reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The property held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries is held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with only such exceptions with respect to any particular lease as do not interfere in any material respect with the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries.

 

m.           The Company and each of its subsidiaries owns or possesses or has valid right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets and similar rights (“Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.  To the knowledge of the Company, no action or use by the Company or any of its subsidiaries will involve or give rise to any infringement of, or license or similar fees for, any Intellectual Property of others, except where such action, use, license or fee is not reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice alleging any such infringement or fee.

 

n.           The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has complied with, is not in violation of, and has not received any notice of violation relating to any law, rule or regulation relating to the conduct of its business, or the ownership or operation of its property and assets, including, without limitation, (A) the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, or any money laundering laws, rules or regulations, (B) any laws, rules or regulations related to health, safety or the environment, including those relating to the regulation of hazardous substances, (C) the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 and the rules and regulations thereunder, and (D) the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

o.           Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, representative, agent or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Units contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

p.           The Company and each of its subsidiaries carries, or is covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries.

 

q.           No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that is reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

r.           Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor, to its knowledge, any other party is in violation, breach or default of any Contract that is reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

s.           No supplier, customer, distributor or sales agent of the Company has notified the Company that it intends to discontinue or decrease the rate of business done with the Company, except where such decrease is not reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

t.           Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, the Company has not incurred any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

u.           The Company and each of its subsidiaries have made and keep books, records and accounts, which, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries in all material respects.

 

v.           The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such is defined in Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act Rules) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company and its subsidiaries is accumulated and communicated to the Company's management, including the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities, such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

 

w.           No person or entity has the right to require registration of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries because of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or otherwise, except for persons and entities who have expressly waived such right in writing or who have been given timely and proper written notice and have failed to exercise such right within the time or times required under the terms and conditions of such right. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, there are no persons with registration rights or similar rights to have any securities registered by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under the Securities Act.

 

x.           The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act") that are then in effect and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance in all material respects with other applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act not currently in effect upon it and at all times after the effectiveness of such provisions.

 

y.           The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the rules of the Nasdaq Global Market.

 

z.           No approval of the shareholders of the Company is required for the Company to issue and deliver the Units to the Purchasers.

 

6.           Representations and Warranties of the Company Regarding the PRC.  The Company represents and warrants to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, and agrees with the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, that:

 

a.           The Company conducts substantially all of its operations and generates substantially all of its revenue through (i) Shenzhen BAK Battery Co., Ltd, a wholly owned foreign-owned enterprise formed under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”)(“Shenzhen BAK”), and (ii) BAK Electronics (Shenzhen Co., Ltd., a wholly owned foreign-owned enterprise formed under the laws of the PRC (“BAK Electronics” and, together with Shenzhen BAK, the “PRC Entities”).

b.           Each of the PRC Entities has been duly established, is validly existing as a company in good standing under the laws of the PRC, has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its property and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  Each PRC Entity has applied for and obtained all requisite business licenses, clearance and permits required under PRC law as necessary for the conduct of its businesses,  and each PRC Entity has complied in all material respects with all PRC Laws in connection with foreign exchange, including without limitation, carrying out all relevant filings, registrations and applications for relevant permits with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange and any other relevant authorities, and all such permits are validly subsisting in each case, except where the failure to hold, or comply with, any of them is not reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The registered capital of each PRC Entity has been fully paid up in accordance with the schedule of payment stipulated in its respective articles of association, approval document, certificate of approval and legal person business license (hereinafter referred to as the “Establishment Documents”) and in compliance with PRC laws and regulations, and there is no outstanding capital contribution commitment for any PRC Entity.  The Establishment Documents of the PRC Entities have been duly approved in accordance with the laws of the PRC and are valid and enforceable.  The business scope specified in the Establishment Documents of each PRC Entity complies with the requirements of all relevant PRC laws and regulations.  The outstanding equity interests of each PRC Entity is owned of record by the respective entities or individuals identified as the registered holders thereof in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

 

c.           No PRC Entity is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company (or the Company’s subsidiary that holds the outstanding equity interest of such PRC Entity) other than prohibitions as may exist under applicable laws and regulations of the PRC.  No PRC Entity is prohibited, directly or indirectly, from making any other distribution on such PRC Entity’s equity capital, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such PRC Entity from the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries other than prohibitions as may exist under applicable laws and regulations of the PRC.

 

d.           None of the PRC Entities nor any of their properties, assets or revenues are entitled to any right of immunity on the grounds of sovereignty from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any court, from services of process, from attachment prior to or in aid of execution of judgment, or from any other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of any judgment.

 

e.           It is not necessary that this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus or any other document be filed or recorded with any governmental agency, court or other authority in the PRC.

 

f.            No transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, transaction, transfer or withholding taxes or duties are payable in the PRC by or on behalf of the Placement Agent to any PRC taxing authority in connection with (i) the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities by the Company and the delivery of the Stock and Warrant Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants or (ii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

g.           The Company has taken all necessary steps to comply with, and all reasonable steps to ensure compliance by all of the Company’s direct or indirect principal shareholders and principal option holders who are PRC residents with, any applicable rules and regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC (the “SAFE Rules and Regulations”), including, without limitation, requiring each principal shareholder and principal option holder that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.

h.           The Company is aware of, and has been advised as to, the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors jointly promulgated on August 8, 2006 by the PRC Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Administration of Taxation, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC (the “M&A Rules”), in particular the relevant provisions thereof that purport to require offshore special purpose vehicles controlled directly or indirectly by PRC-incorporated companies or PRC residents and established for the purpose of obtaining a stock exchange listing outside of the PRC to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on any stock exchange located outside of the PRC.  The Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the M&A Rules from its PRC counsel and the Company understands such legal advice.

 

i.            The issuance and sale of the Securities, the listing and trading of the Stock and the Warrant Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants on the Nasdaq Global Market and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus are not and will not be, as of the date hereof and on the Closing Date, affected by the M&A Rules or any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules in connection with or related to the M&A Rules, including the guidance and notices issued by the CSRC on September 8 and September 21, 2006 (together with the M&A Rules, the “M&A Rules and Related Clarifications”).

 

j.            The Company has taken all commercially reasonable steps to ensure compliance by each of its principal shareholders, option holders, directors, officers and employees that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen with any applicable rules and regulations of the relevant PRC government agencies (including but not limited to the PRC Ministry of Commerce, the PRC National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange) relating to overseas investment by PRC residents and citizens (the “PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations”), including, requesting each principal shareholder, option holder, director, officer, employee and participant that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations.

 

k.           As of the date hereof, the M&A Rules and Related Clarifications do not require the Company to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the listing and trading of the Stock and the Warrant Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants on the Nasdaq Global Market, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus.

 

l.            Each of the PRC Entities is in compliance with all requirements under all applicable PRC laws and regulations to qualify for their exemptions from enterprise income tax or other income tax benefits (the “Tax Benefits”) as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, and the actual operations and business activities of each such PRC Entity are sufficient to meet the qualifications for the Tax Benefits.  No submissions made to any PRC government authority in connection with obtaining the Tax Benefits contained any misstatement or omission that would have affected the granting of the Tax Benefits.  No PRC Entity has received notice of any deficiency in its respective applications for the Tax Benefits, and the Company is not aware of any reason why any such PRC Entity might not qualify for, or be in compliance with the requirements for, the Tax Benefits.

 

m.           All local and national PRC governmental tax holidays, exemptions, waivers, financial subsidies, and other local and national PRC tax relief, concessions and preferential treatment enjoyed by any PRC Entity as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus are valid, binding and enforceable.

 

8.           Further Agreements Of The Company  The Company agrees with the Placement Agent and the Purchasers:

 

a.           to prepare the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if necessary, in a form approved by the Placement Agent and file such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission by 10:00 P.M., New York time, on the date hereof, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Rules and Regulations; to prepare the Final Prospectus in a form approved by the Placement Agent containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rules 430A, 430B or 430C of the Rules and Regulations and to file such Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations not later than the second business (2nd) day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations; to notify the Placement Agent immediately of the Company’s intention to file or prepare any supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement or to the Final Prospectus and to make no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or to the Final Prospectus to which the Placement Agent shall reasonably object by notice to the Company after a reasonable period to review; to advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Placement Agent with copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rules 433(d) or 163(b)(2) of the Rules and Regulations, as the case may be; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules and Regulations) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Units; to advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Base Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Base Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order.

 

b.           The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Placement Agent, it has not made and will not, hereof, make any offer relating to the Units that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations unless the prior written consent of the Placement Agent has been received (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”).  The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Rules and Regulations applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and will not take any action that would result in the Placement Agent or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Placement Agent that the Placement Agent otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

c.           If at any time prior to the expiration of nine (9) months after the date of the Final Prospectus, when a prospectus relating to the Units is required to be delivered (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules and Regulations) any event occurs or condition exists as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact, or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made when the Prospectus is delivered (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules and Regulations), not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement any Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Final Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, that the Company will promptly notify the Placement Agent thereof and upon their request will prepare an appropriate amendment or supplement or upon their request make an appropriate filing pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the Exchange Act in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance and will use its best efforts to have any amendment to any Registration Statement declared effective as soon as possible.  The Company will furnish without charge to the Placement Agent and to any dealer in securities as many copies as the Placement Agent may from time to time reasonably request of such amendment or supplement.  In case the Placement Agent is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules and Regulations) relating to the Units nine (9) months or more after the date of the Final Prospectus, the Company upon the request of the Placement Agent will prepare promptly an amended or supplemented prospectus as may be necessary to permit compliance with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act and deliver to the Placement Agent as many copies as the Placement Agent may request of such amended or supplemented prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act.

d.           If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Units at a time when the Final Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Placement Agent, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement then on file and not superseded or modified, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Placement Agent and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.

 

e.           If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof and not superseded or modified or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Placement Agent so that any use of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus may cease until it is amended or supplemented and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

f.           To deliver promptly to the Placement Agent such number of the following documents as the Placement Agent shall reasonably request:  (i) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission (in each case excluding exhibits), (ii) each Preliminary Prospectus, if any, (iii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iv) the Final Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of this paragraph f to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (v) conformed copies of any amendment to the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits), (vi) any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (v) and (vi) of this paragraph f to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such amendment or supplement) and (vii) any document incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus (excluding exhibits thereto) (the delivery of the documents referred to in clause (vii) of this paragraph f to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such document)].

 

g.           To make generally available to its shareholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen (16) months after the effective date of each Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) of the Rules and Regulations), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158).

 

h.           To take promptly from time to time such actions as the Placement Agent may reasonably request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Placement Agent may designate and to continue such qualifications in effect, and to comply with such laws, for so long as required to permit the offer and sale of Securities in such jurisdictions; provided that the Company and its subsidiaries shall not be obligated to qualify as foreign corporations in any jurisdiction in which they are not so qualified or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.

i.            Upon request, during the period of five (5) years from the date hereof, to deliver to the Placement Agent, (i) as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications furnished to shareholders, and (ii) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which the Stock is listed.  However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”), it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Placement Agent.

 

j.            That the Company will not, for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of this Agreement, (the “Lock-Up Period”) without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, other than the Company’s sale of the Units hereunder and the issuance of restricted Common Stock or options to acquire Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans as such plans are in existence on the date hereof and described in the Final Prospectus and the issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the valid exercises of options, warrants or rights outstanding on the date hereof.  The Company will cause Xiangqian Li, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and a shareholder, to furnish to the Placement Agent, on or prior to the date of this Agreement, a letter, substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, pursuant to which each such person shall agree, among other things, not to directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, or announce the intention to otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, not to engage in any swap, hedge or similar agreement or arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic risk of ownership of Common Stock or any such securities and not to engage in any short selling of any Common Stock or any such securities, during the Lock-Up Period, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent.  The Company also agrees that during such period, other than for the sale of the Units hereunder, the Company will not file any registration statement, preliminary prospectus or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, under the Securities Act for any such transaction or which registers, or offers for sale, Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, except for a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to employee benefit plans.

 

k.           To supply the Placement Agent with copies of all correspondence to and from, and all documents issued to and by, the Commission in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act or any of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein.

 

l.            Prior to the Closing Date, to furnish to the Placement Agent, as soon as they have been prepared, copies of any unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company for any periods subsequent to the periods covered by the financial statements appearing in the Registration Statements and the Final Prospectus.

 

m.           Prior to the Closing Date, not to issue any press release or other communication directly or indirectly or hold any press conference with respect to the Company, its condition, financial or otherwise, or earnings, business affairs or business prospects (except for routine oral marketing communications in the ordinary course of business and consistent with the past practices of the Company and of which the Placement Agent is notified), without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, unless in the judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification to the Placement Agent, such press release or communication is required by law.

 

n.           Until the Placement Agent shall notify the Company of the completion of the Offering, the Company will not, and will cause its affiliated purchasers (as defined in Regulation M under the Exchange Act) not to, either alone or with one or more other persons, bid for or purchase, for any account in which it or any of its affiliated purchasers has a beneficial interest, any Common Stock, or attempt to induce any person to purchase any Common Stock; and not to, and to cause its affiliated purchasers not to, make bids or purchase for the purpose of creating actual, or apparent, active trading in or of raising the price of the Common Stock.

o.           Not to take any action prior to the Closing Date which would require the Final Prospectus to be amended or supplemented.

 

p.           To at all times comply with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in effect from time to time.

 

q.           To maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock.

 

r.            To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Units as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”

 

s.           To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, and to maintain the listing of the Stock and Warrant Stock on the Nasdaq Global Market.

 

t.           To use its best efforts to do and perform all things required to be done or performed under this Agreement by the Company prior to the Closing Date and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Units.

 

9.           Payment of Expenses.  The Company agrees to pay, or reimburse if paid by the Placement Agent, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated:  (a) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Units to the Purchasers and any taxes payable in that connection; (b) the costs incident to the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act; (c) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and distribution of the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus, any amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto or any document incorporated by reference therein and the costs of printing, reproducing and distributing this Agreement, the Subscription Agreements and any closing documents by mail, telex or other means of communications; (d) any applicable listing or other fees; (e) the fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses of counsel to the Placement Agent) of qualifying the Securities under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 8.h and of preparing, printing and distributing wrappers, Blue Sky Memoranda and Legal Investment Surveys; (f) the cost of preparing and printing stock certificates; (g) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Stock; (h) the fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel to the Placement Agent (i) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Units, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the officers of the Company and such consultants, including the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, and (j) all other costs and expenses incident to the offering of the Units or the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s independent accountants.

 

10.         Conditions to the obligations of the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, and the Sale of the Units.  The respective obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder and the Purchasers under the Subscription Agreements are subject to the accuracy, when made and as of the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

 

a.           The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or any part thereof, preventing or suspending the use of any Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Placement Agent; and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (except for a “road show”) and the Final Prospectus shall have been filed with, the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations, and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, shall have become effective immediately upon its filing with the Commission; and, if applicable, FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

b.           The Placement Agent shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to the Closing Date that the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Placement Agent, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.

 

c.           All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of each of this Agreement, the Subscription Agreements, the Units, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Placement Agent, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

d.           Pillsbury Winthrop Pittman Shaw LLP shall have furnished to the Placement Agent such counsel’s written opinion and negative assurance letter, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Placement Agent and dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.

 

e.           Holland & Hart LLP shall have furnished to the Placement Agent such counsel’s written opinion, as Nevada counsel to the Company, addressed to the Placement Agent and dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.

 

f.           Grandall Legal Group shall have furnished to the Placement Agent such counsel’s written opinion, as PRC counsel to the Company, addressed to the Placement Agent and dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.

 

g.           The Placement Agent shall have received from DLA Piper LLP (US), counsel for the Placement Agent, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Placement Agent may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

h.           At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Placement Agent shall have received from PKF Accountants and Business Advisors a letter, addressed to the Placement Agent, executed and dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent (i) confirming that they are an independent registered accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and PCAOB and (ii) stating the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

 

i.           On the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement and on the Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received a letter (the “bring-down letter”) from PKF Accountants and Business Advisors addressed to the Placement Agent and dated the Closing Date confirming, as of the date of the bring-down letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, as of a date not more than three (3) business days prior to the date of the bring-down letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by its letter delivered to the Placement Agent concurrently with the execution of this Agreement pursuant to Section 10.h.

 

 

j.           The Company shall have furnished to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers a certificate, dated the Closing Date, of its Chairman of the Board or President and its Chief Financial Officer stating that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the General Disclosure Package, as of the Closing Date, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as of its date and as of the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, that was not so set forth, (iii) to their Knowledge, as of the Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and 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, and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would involve a material adverse change or a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, assets or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, except as set forth in the Final Prospectus.

 

k.           Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package as of the date hereof, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, and (ii) there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii) of this paragraph k, is, in the judgment of the Placement Agent, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Units on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.

 

l.           No action shall have been taken and no law, statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Units or materially and adversely affect or potentially materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Units or materially and adversely affect or potentially materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.

 

m.           Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the Company’s corporate credit rating or the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) of the Rules and Regulations and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading), the Company’s corporate credit rating or the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities.

 

n.           Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any of the following:  (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq Global Market or the American Stock Exchange or in the over-the-counter market, or trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices or maximum range for prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or market or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Federal or state authorities or in the PRC or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or the PRC, (iii) the United States or the PRC shall have become engaged in hostilities, or the subject of an act of terrorism, or there shall have been an outbreak of or escalation in hostilities involving the United States or the PRC, or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or the PRC or (iv) there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States or the PRC shall be such) as to make it, in the judgment of the Placement Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Units on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

o.           The Nasdaq Global Market shall have approved the Stock and Warrant Stock for listing therein, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

p.           The Placement Agent shall have received on and as of the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Placement Agent may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.

 

q.           The Placement Agent shall have received the written agreement, substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, of Xiangqian Li, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and a shareholder of the Company.

 

r.           The Company shall have entered into Subscription Agreements with each of the Purchasers and such agreement shall be in full force and effect.

 

s.           The Company shall have prepared and filed with the Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K including as an exhibit thereto this Agreement.

 

t.           On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Placement Agent such further certificates and documents as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.

 

All opinions, letters, evidence and certificates 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 Placement Agent.

 

11.           Indemnification and Contribution.

 

a.           The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its directors, officers, managers, members, employees, representatives and agents and each person, if any, who controls the Placement Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Placement Agent Indemnified Parties,” and each a “Placement Agent Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Placement Agent Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (A) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein, or (B) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (C) any breach of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or the failure of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or pursuant to any law or any act or failure to act, or any alleged act or failure to act, by the Placement Agent in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Units or the Offering contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arising out of or based upon matters covered by subclause (A), (B) or (C) above of this Section 11.a (provided that the Company shall not be liable in the case of any matter covered by this subclause (C) to the extent that it is determined in a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability resulted primarily from any such act or failure to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by the Placement Agent through its gross negligence or willful misconduct) and shall reimburse each Placement Agent Indemnified Party promptly upon demand for any legal fees or other expenses reasonably incurred by that Placement Agent Indemnified Party in connection with investigating, or preparing to defend, or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in, or omission or alleged omission from any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Placement Agent’s Information (as defined in Section 17).  The indemnity agreement in this Section 11.a. is not exclusive and is in addition to each other liability which the Company might have under this Agreement or otherwise, and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available under this Agreement, at law or in equity to any Placement Agent Indemnified Party.

 

 

b.           The Placement Agent shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company and 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 (collectively the “Company Indemnified Parties” and each a “Company Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Company Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Placement Agent’s Information (as defined in Section 17), and shall reimburse the Company Indemnified Parties for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as third party witness in connection with any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred.  This indemnity agreement is not exclusive and will be in addition to any liability which the Placement Agent might otherwise have and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available under this Agreement, at law or in equity to the Company Indemnified Parties.

 

c.           Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 11 of notice of the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 11, notify such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of that action; provided, however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 11 except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced by such failure; and, provided, further, that the failure to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 11.  If any such action shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense of such action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party (which counsel shall not, except with the written consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party).  After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such action, except as provided herein, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under Section 11 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that any indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and to participate in the defense of such action but the fees and expenses of such counsel (other than reasonable costs of investigation) shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) such indemnified party shall have been advised by its counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party or (ii) the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense of such action and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of the commencement of the action or the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, in which case, if such indemnified party notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of (or, in the case of a failure to diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, to continue to defend) such action on behalf of such indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall be responsible for legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action; provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties (in addition to any local counsel), which firm shall be designated in writing by Cowen if the indemnified parties under this Section 11 consist of any Placement Agent Indemnified Party or by the Company if the indemnified parties under this Section 11 consist of any Company Indemnified Parties.  Subject to this Section 11, the amount payable by an indemnifying party under Section 11 shall include, but not be limited to, (x) reasonable legal fees and expenses of counsel to the indemnified party and any other expenses in investigating, or preparing to defend or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any action, investigation, proceeding or claim, and (y) all amounts paid in settlement of any of the foregoing.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of judgment with respect to any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever, in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 11 (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.  Subject to the provisions of the following sentence, no indemnifying party shall be liable for settlement of any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever that is effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), but if settled with its written consent, if its consent has been unreasonably withheld or delayed or if there be a judgment for the plaintiff in any such matter, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.  In addition, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested that an indemnifying party reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Sections 11.a or b. effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than forty-five (45) days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the request for reimbursement, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least thirty (30) days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

d.           If the indemnification provided for in this Section 11 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 11.a or b, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid, payable or otherwise incurred by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), as incurred, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agent on the other from the offering of the Units, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) of this Section 11.d is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) of this Section 11.d, but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agent on the other with respect to the statements, omissions, acts or failures to act which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof) as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agent on the other with respect to such offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Units purchased pursuant to the Subscription Agreements (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total fees received by the Placement Agent with respect to the Units purchased pursuant to this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Final Prospectus.  The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agent 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 on the one hand or the Placement Agent on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent for use in the Preliminary Prospectus, if any, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of the Placement Agent’s Information (as defined in Section 17).

 

 

e.           The Company and the Placement Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to Section 11.d above were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to Section 11.d above.  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding referred to in Section 11.d above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 11.e, the Placement Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the total compensation received by the Placement Agent in accordance with Section 2.e less the amount of any damages which the Placement Agent has otherwise paid or become liable to pay by reason of any untrue or alleged untrue statement, omission or alleged omission, act or alleged act or failure to act or alleged failure to act.  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.

 

12.           Termination.  The obligations of the Placement Agent and the Purchasers hereunder and under the Subscription Agreements may be terminated by the Placement Agent, in its absolute discretion by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Units if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 10.k, 10.m, or 10.n have occurred or if the Purchasers shall decline to purchase the Units for any reason permitted under this Agreement or the Subscription Agreements.  The Company hereby acknowledges that in the event that this Agreement is terminated by the Placement Agent pursuant to the terms hereof, the Subscription Agreements shall automatically terminate without any further action on the part of the parties thereto.

 

13.           Reimbursement of Placement Agent’s Expenses.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if (a) this Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to Section 12, (b) the Company shall fail to tender the Units for delivery to the Purchasers for any reason not permitted under this Agreement or the Subscription Agreements, (c) the Purchasers shall decline to purchase the Units for any reason permitted under this Agreement or the Subscription Agreements or (d) the sale of the Units is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Placement Agent or the Purchasers set forth herein is not satisfied or because of the refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to satisfy any condition or to comply with the provisions hereof, then in addition to the payment of amounts in accordance with Section 9, the Company shall reimburse the Placement Agent for the fees and expenses of Placement Agent’s counsel and for such other out-of-pocket expenses as shall have been reasonably incurred by it in connection with this Agreement and the proposed purchase of the Units, including, without limitation, travel and lodging expenses of the Placement Agent, and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to Cowen.

 

14.           Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

 

a.           the Placement Agent’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature, the Placement Agent has been retained solely to act as placement agent in connection with the sale of the Units and no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Placement Agent has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether the Placement Agent has advised or is advising the Company on other matters;

 

b.           the price of the Units set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Purchasers, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

 

c.           it has been advised that the Placement Agent and its affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Placement Agent has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and

 

d.           it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Placement Agent for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Placement Agent shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

 

15.           Successors; Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Placement Agent, the Company and their respective successors and assigns.  Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than those persons mentioned in the preceding sentence or otherwise explicitly mentioned in this Agreement, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement, or any provisions herein contained, this Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof being intended to be and being for the sole and exclusive benefit of such persons and for the benefit of no other person; except that the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements and indemnities of the Company contained in this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of the Placement Agent Indemnified Parties, and the indemnities of the Placement Agent shall be for the benefit of the Company Indemnified Parties.  It is understood that Placement Agent’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and the Placement Agent does not owe the Company, or any other party, any fiduciary duty as a result of this Agreement.  No Purchaser shall be deemed to be a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

 

16.           Survival of Indemnities, Representations, Warranties, etc.  The respective indemnities, covenants, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Placement Agent, as set forth in this Agreement or made by them respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the Company, the Purchasers or any person controlling any of them and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Units.  Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, including without limitation any termination pursuant to Section 12, the indemnities, contribution, covenants, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements forth in Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, and 13 and Sections 14 through 23, inclusive, of this Agreement shall not terminate and shall remain in full force and effect at all times.

 

17.           Notices.  All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Placement Agent, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to Cowen and Company, LLC, Attention: Jonathan Biele, Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets, Fax: 646-1249 with a copy to the General Counsel, Fax: 646 ###-###-####; and if to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to China BAK Battery, Inc. BAK Industrial Park, No.1 BAK Street, Kuichong Town, Longgang District, Shenzhen, PRC 518119, telecopy number: +86-755-89770527, Attention:  Chief Financial Officer; or in each case to such other address as the person to be notified may have requested in writing.  Any party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose.

 

18.           Definition of Certain Terms.  For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “business day” means any day on which the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. is open for trading and (b) “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

19.           Governing Law, Jurisdiction.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations.  The Company irrevocably (a) submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York for the purpose of any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement and any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, (b) agrees that all claims in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding may be heard and determined by any such court, (c) waives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any immunity from the jurisdiction of any such court or from any legal process, (d) agrees not to commence any such suit, action or proceeding other than in such courts, and (e) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

 

20.           Placement Agent’s Information.  The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, for all purposes of this Agreement, the Placement Agent’s Information consists solely of the following information in the Final Prospectus:  (i) the last paragraph on the front cover page concerning the terms of the offering; and (ii) the statements concerning the Placement Agent contained on the cover page of the Prospectus and the statements set forth in the “Plan of Distribution” section of the Final Prospectus.

 

21.           Partial Unenforceability.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph, clause or provision hereof.  If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

22.           General.  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof.  In this Agreement, the masculine, feminine and neuter genders and the singular and the plural include one another.  The section headings in this Agreement are for the convenience of the parties only and will not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.  This Agreement may be amended or modified, and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived, only by a writing signed by the Company and the Placement Agent.

 

23.           Counterparts.  This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of the agreement between the Company and the Placement Agent, kindly indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.

 

			Very truly yours,
			CHINA BAK BATTERY, INC.
			By:
				Name:
				Title:
Accepted as of
the date first above written:
Cowen and Company, LLC
By:
	Name:
	Title:

 

[Signature page to Placement Agency Agreement]

 

 

 

 

 

October 22, 2009

 

Cowen and Company, LLC

1221 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10020

 

Re:  China BAK Battery, Inc. - Registration Statement on Form S-3

 

Dear Sirs:

 

 

This Agreement is being delivered to you in connection with the proposed Placement Agent Agreement (the “Placement Agent Agreement”) between China BAK Battery, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”) and Cowen and Company, LLC (“Cowen” or the “Placement Agent”), relating to the proposed public offering of units (the “Units”), each Unit consisting of (i) one share of common stock, par value $0.001 per share of the Company (the “Common Stock”) and (ii) one warrant to purchase 0.25 of a share of Common Stock of the Company.

 

In order to induce the Placement Agent to enter into the Placement Agent Agreement, and in light of the benefits that the offering of the Units will confer upon the undersigned in its capacity as a securityholder and/or an officer, director or employee of the Company, and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with the Placement Agent that, during the period beginning on and including the date of the Placement Agent Agreement through and including the date that is the 60th day after the date of the Placement Agent Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of Cowen, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, or announce the intention to otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock (including, without limitation, Common Stock which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time (such shares, the “Beneficially Owned Shares”)) or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, (ii) enter into any swap, hedge or similar agreement or arrangement that transfers in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of the Beneficially Owned Shares or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, or (iii) engage in any short selling of the Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.

 

The restrictions set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph shall not apply to:

 

(1)           if the undersigned is a natural person, any transfers made by the undersigned (a) as a bona fide gift to any member of the immediate family (as defined below) of the undersigned or to a trust the beneficiaries of which are exclusively the undersigned or members of the undersigned’s immediate family, (b) by will or intestate succession upon the death of the undersigned or (c) as a bona fide gift to a charity or educational institution,

 

 

(2)           if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, any transfers to any shareholder, partner or member of, or owner of a similar equity interest in, the undersigned, as the case may be, if, in any such case, such transfer is not for value, and

 

(3)           if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, any transfer made by the undersigned (a) in connection with the sale or other bona fide transfer in a single transaction of all or substantially all of the undersigned’s capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests or other similar equity interests, as the case may be, or all or substantially all of the undersigned’s assets, in any such case not undertaken for the purpose of avoiding the restrictions imposed by this agreement or (b) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity so long as the transferee is an affiliate (as defined below) of the undersigned and such transfer is not for value;

 

provided, however, that in the case of any transfer described in clause (1), (2) or (3) above, it shall be a condition to the transfer that (A) the transferee executes and delivers to Cowen, not later than one business day prior to such transfer, a written agreement, in substantially the form of this agreement (it being understood that any references to “immediate family” in the agreement executed by such transferee shall expressly refer only to the immediate family of the undersigned and not to the immediate family of the transferee) and otherwise satisfactory in form and substance to Cowen, and (B) if the undersigned is required to file a report under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock or Beneficially Owned Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or Beneficially Owned Shares during the Lock-Up Period, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that, in the case of any transfer pursuant to clause (1) above, such transfer is being made as a gift or by will or intestate succession or, in the case of any transfer pursuant to clause (2) above, such transfer is being made to a shareholder, partner or member of, or owner of a similar equity interest in, the undersigned and is not a transfer for value or, in the case of any transfer pursuant to clause (3) above, such transfer is being made either (a) in connection with the sale or other bona fide transfer in a single transaction of all or substantially all of the undersigned’s capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests or other similar equity interests, as the case may be, or all or substantially all of the undersigned’s assets or (b) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity that is an affiliate of the undersigned and such transfer is not for value.  For purposes of this paragraph, “immediate family” shall mean a spouse, child, grandchild or other lineal descendant (including by adoption), father, mother, brother or sister of the undersigned; and “affiliate” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

In order to enable this covenant to be enforced, the undersigned hereby consents to the placing of legends or stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent with respect to any Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.

 

The undersigned further agrees that (i) it will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand or request for or exercise any right with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of any shares of Common Stock or other Beneficially Owned Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or other Beneficially Owned Shares, and (ii) the Company may, with respect to any Common Stock or other Beneficially Owned Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or other Beneficially Owned Shares owned or held (of record or beneficially) by the undersigned, cause the transfer agent or other registrar to enter stop transfer instructions and implement stop transfer procedures with respect to such securities during the Lock-Up Period.

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this agreement and that this agreement has been duly authorized (if the undersigned is not a natural person), executed and delivered by the undersigned and is a valid and binding agreement of the undersigned.  This agreement and all authority herein conferred are irrevocable and shall survive the death or incapacity of the undersigned (if a natural person) and shall be binding upon the heirs, personal representatives, successors and assigns of the undersigned.

 

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that whether or not any public offering of Units actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions.

 

	Very truly yours,
	(Name of Stockholder - Please Print)
	(Signature)
	(Name of Signatory if Stockholder is an entity - Please Print)
	(Title of Signatory if Stockholder is an entity - Please Print)
	Address: