8,750,000 Shares CHELSEA THERAPEUTICS INTERNATIONAL, LTD. Common Stock ($0.0001 Par Value) EQUITY UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.3
8,750,000 Shares
CHELSEA THERAPEUTICS INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
Common Stock
($0.0001 Par Value)
EQUITY UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
February 18, 2011
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
60 Wall Street, 4th Floor
New York, New York 10005
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd., a Delaware corporation (the Company), proposes to sell to the several underwriters (the Underwriters) named in Schedule I hereto for whom you are acting as representative (the Representative or you) an aggregate of 8,750,000 shares (the Firm Shares) of the Companys common stock, $0.0001 par value (the Common Stock). The respective amounts of the Firm Shares to be so purchased by the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto. The Company also proposes to sell at the Underwriters option an aggregate of up to 1,312,500 additional shares of the Companys Common Stock (the Option Shares) as set forth below. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares (to the extent the aforementioned option is exercised) are herein collectively called the Shares.
As the Representative, you have advised the Company (a) that you are authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters, and (b) that the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the numbers of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I, plus their pro rata portion of the Option Shares if you elect to exercise the over-allotment option in whole or in part for the accounts of the several Underwriters.
In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY. |
The Company represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as follows:
(a) A shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-171628) with respect to the Shares has been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act), and the rules and regulations (the Rules and Regulations) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) thereunder and has been filed with the Commission and has become effective. The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements and comply with the conditions for the use of Form S-3. The Registration Statement meets the requirements of Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Act and complies in all material respects with said rule. Copies of such
registration statement, including any amendments thereto, the base prospectus (meeting the requirements of the Rules and Regulations) contained therein and the exhibits, financial statements and schedules, as finally amended and revised, have heretofore been delivered by the Company to the Underwriters or are otherwise available to the Underwriters. Such registration statement, together with any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, is herein referred to as the Registration Statement, which term shall be deemed to include all information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act and contained in the Prospectus referred to below. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of the date of this Agreement. The term Prospectus as used in this Agreement means the form of base prospectus together with the final prospectus supplement first filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time limits described in Rule 424(b) under the Act. Any preliminary prospectus relating to the Shares prior to the date hereof is referred to as a Preliminary Prospectus. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing documents shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and, in the case of any reference herein to the Prospectus, also shall be deemed to include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and any supplements or amendments thereto, filed with the Commission after the date of filing of the Prospectus Supplement under Rule 424(b) under the Act, and prior to the termination of the offering of the Shares by the Underwriters.
(b) As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, neither (i) any General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) and the information included on Schedule IV hereto, all considered together (collectively, the General Disclosure Package), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 13 herein. As used in this Section 1 and elsewhere in this Agreement:
Applicable Time means 8:30 a.m. (New York City time) on the date of this Agreement or such other time as agreed to by the Company and the Representative.
Statutory Prospectus as of any time means the Preliminary Prospectus relating to the Shares that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time.
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus means any issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 under the Act, relating to the Shares in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Companys records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Act.
General Use Free Writing Prospectus means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is identified on Schedule II to this Agreement.
Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
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(c) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with full corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company has no subsidiaries (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations) other than as listed on Schedule III hereto (collectively, the Subsidiaries). Each of the Subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing as an entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Subsidiaries are the only subsidiaries, direct or indirect, of the Company. Each of the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified could not reasonably be expected to (i) result in any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, prospects, assets, rights, operations, or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and of the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (ii) prevent, burden or impair the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (collectively a Material Adverse Effect). The outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and equities and claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligations into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.
(d) The outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or purchase or acquire any securities of the Company that have not been waived in writing. The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company have been duly authorized and when issued and paid for as contemplated herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and no preemptive rights of stockholders exist with respect to any of the Shares or the issue and sale thereof. Neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights, other than those which have been waived or satisfied, for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock.
(e) All of the Shares conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The form of certificates for the Shares conforms to the corporate law of the jurisdiction of the Companys incorporation.
(f) The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the proposed offering of the Shares, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been instituted or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Registration Statement, as of its effective date, contained and as of the date hereof, contains, and the Prospectus, as of its date, contained and any amendments or supplements thereto will contain, all statements which are required to be stated therein by, and will conform in all material respects to, the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations. The documents incorporated, or to be incorporated, by reference in the Prospectus, at the time filed with the Commission conformed or will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) or the Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Registration Statement and any amendments thereto, as of its effective date, the date hereof and the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, did not contain, do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit, do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
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misleading. The Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto, as of its date, the date hereof and the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, did not contain, do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact; and did not omit, do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 13 herein.
(g) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Shares or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Underwriters as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. 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 included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances, not misleading, the Company has notified or will notify promptly the Underwriters so that any use of such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus may cease until it is amended or supplemented. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for use therein.
(h) The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (defined below) and other materials, if any, permitted under the Act and consistent with Section 4(b)(ii) below. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses in the time required under Rule 433(d) under the Act. The Company has satisfied or will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the date hereof (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an ineligible issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, without taking into account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer), including, without limitation, for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act with respect to the offering of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement.
(j) The consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries, together with related notes and schedules as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, present fairly in all material respects the financial position and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the consolidated Subsidiaries, at the indicated dates and for the indicated periods. Such financial statements and related schedules have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted principles of accounting (GAAP), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein, and all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of results for such periods have been made. The summary and selected consolidated financial and statistical data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus presents fairly the information shown therein and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements presented therein and the books and records of
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the Company. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations or any variable interest entities within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not included as required.
(k) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain of the financial statements filed with the Commission as part of, or incorporated by reference in, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the PCAOB).
(l) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is aware of (i) any material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting or (ii) change in internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting.
(m) Solely to the extent that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission and the NASDAQ Capital Market thereunder (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act) has been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that it is in compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that are in effect and with which the Company is required to comply and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act not currently in effect or which will become applicable to the Company.
(n) There is no action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries before any court or administrative agency or otherwise which if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(o) The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the material properties and assets reflected in the consolidated financial statements hereinabove described or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, subject to no lien, mortgage, pledge, charge or encumbrance of any kind except those reflected in such financial statements or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or which are not material in amount or would not materially interfere with the use to be made of such properties or assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries occupy their leased properties under valid and binding leases conforming in all material respects to the description thereof set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(p) The Company and each Subsidiary have accurately prepared in all material respects and timely filed all federal, state, foreign and other tax returns that are required to be filed by it and have paid or made provision for the payment of all taxes, assessments, governmental or other similar charges, including without limitation, all sales and use taxes and all taxes which the Company or any Subsidiary is obligated to withhold from amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties, with respect to the periods covered by such tax returns (whether or not such amounts are shown as due on any tax return), except, in all cases, for any such amounts that the Company is contesting in good faith and except in any case in which the failure to
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so prepare, file or pay would not in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect. No deficiency assessment with respect to a proposed adjustment of the Companys or any Subsidiarys federal, state, local or foreign taxes is pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened, which could reasonably be expected in the aggregate to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no tax lien, whether imposed by any federal, state, foreign or other taxing authority, outstanding against the assets, properties or business of the Company or any Subsidiary, except for any such liens that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as each may be amended or supplemented, there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise), or prospects of the Company taken as a whole, whether or not occurring in the ordinary course of business, and there has not been any material transaction entered into or any material transaction that is probable of being entered into by the Company, other than transactions in the ordinary course of business and changes and transactions described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as each may be amended or supplemented. The Company has no material contingent obligations which are not disclosed in the Companys financial statements which are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(r) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is or with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, will be, (i) in violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents, (ii) in violation of or in default under any agreement, lease, contract, indenture or other instrument or obligation to which it is a party or by which it, or any of its properties, is bound, or (iii) in violation in the performance or observance of any statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, as applicable, except, with respect to clauses (ii) and (iii) above and with respect to any of the Companys Subsidiaries, also clause (i) above, to the extent any such contravention has been waived or would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated and the fulfillment of the terms hereof will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (i) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties is bound except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the certificate or articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or (iii) any law, order, rule or regulation judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary of any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction.
(s) There is no document, contract or other agreement required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which is not described or filed as required by the Act or the Rules and Regulations. Each description of a contract, document or other agreement in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus accurately reflects in all material respects the terms of the underlying contract, document or other agreement. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the Companys knowledge, any other party is in default in the observance or performance of any term or obligation to be performed by it under any such agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective properties or businesses may be bound, and no event has occurred which with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute such a default, in any such case in which the default or event, individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(t) The Company has the full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, and to perform and discharge its obligations hereunder; and this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company 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 applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity.
(u) Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (except such additional steps as may be required by (i) the Commission, (ii) any necessary qualification of the Shares under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by the Underwriters and (iii) the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)) has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect.
(v) Except as described in the Registration Statement or in any document incorporated by reference therein, the Company and each of the Subsidiaries hold all material licenses, certificates and permits from governmental authorities which are necessary to the conduct of their businesses in the manner in which they are being conducted; the Company and the Subsidiaries each own or possess the right to use all patents, patent rights, trademarks, trade names, service marks, service names, copyrights, license rights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property rights (Intellectual Property) necessary to carry on their business in all material respects in the manner in which it is being conducted; to the Companys knowledge, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has infringed, and none of the Company or the Subsidiaries have received notice of conflict with, any Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. The Company has taken all steps reasonably necessary to secure ownership interests in Intellectual Property created for it by any contractors. There are no outstanding options, licenses or agreements of any kind relating to the Intellectual Property of the Company that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and are not described therein in all material respects. The Company is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Prospectus and are not described therein in all material respects. To the Companys knowledge, none of the technology employed by the Company and material to conduct its business has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of its officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not received any written communications alleging that the Company has violated, infringed upon or conflicted with any of the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. The Company knows of no infringement by others of Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company.
(w) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries: (A) are and at all times have been in full compliance with all statutes, rules, regulations, or guidances applicable to the Company and its Subsidiaries for the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, labeling, promotion, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product manufactured or distributed by the Company (Applicable Laws), except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (B) have not received any notice of adverse finding, warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other federal, state or foreign governmental authority having authority over the Company (Governmental Authority) alleging or asserting noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any licenses, certificates, approvals, clearances, authorizations,
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permits and supplements or amendments thereto required by any such Applicable Laws (Authorizations); (C) possess all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and are not in violation of any term of any such Authorizations; (D) have not received notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any Governmental Authority or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and have no knowledge that any such Governmental Authority or third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (E) have not received notice that any Governmental Authority has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any Authorizations and the Company has no knowledge that any such Governmental Authority is considering such action; and (F) have filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and correct in all material respects on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission).
(x) The studies, tests and preclinical and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries were and, if still pending, are, in all material respects, being conducted in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to accepted professional scientific standards and all Applicable Laws and Authorizations, including, without limitation, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; the descriptions of the results of such studies, tests and trials contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly present the data derived from such studies, tests and trials; except to the extent disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any studies, tests or trials the results of which the Company believes reasonably call into question the study, test, or trial results described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus when viewed in the context in which such results are described and the clinical state of development; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have received any notices or correspondence from any Governmental Authority requiring the termination, suspension or material modification of any studies, tests or preclinical or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(y) Neither the Company, nor to the Companys knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken or may take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the shares of Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in the Shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
(z) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares contemplated hereunder and the application of the net proceeds from such sale as described in the Prospectus, will be an investment company within the meaning of such term under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended (the 1940 Act), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(aa) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
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(bb) The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-14(c) and 15d-14(c) under the Exchange Act); the Companys disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that all information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and regulations of the Exchange Act, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Companys management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required under the Exchange Act with respect to such reports.
(cc) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(dd) The operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any or the Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened.
(ee) Neither the Company nor, to the Companys knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (OFAC); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(ff) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is in the Companys reasonable judgment adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses.
(gg) The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (ERISA); no reportable event (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any pension plan (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company would have any liability; the Company has not incurred and does not expect to incur any material liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from any pension plan or (ii) Sections 412 or 4971 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder ( the Code); and each pension plan for which the Company would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which could reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification.
(hh) To the knowledge of the Company, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants
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or contaminants (Environmental Laws), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or the listing of the Common Stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NASDAQ Capital Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.
(jj) There are no relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Prospectus which have not been described as required.
(kk) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, has, while acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; or (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977.
(ll) Except for this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or the Underwriters for a brokerage commission, finders fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(mm) No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries exists, or, to the Companys knowledge, is threatened or imminent, which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware that any key employee or significant group of employees of the Company plans to terminate employment with the Company.
(nn) To enable the Underwriters to rely on FINRA Rule 5110(b)(7)(C)(i), the registration of the Shares with the Commission could have been affected on Form S-3 under the Act pursuant to the standards for such Form S-3 in effect prior to October 21, 1992.
Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to the Underwriters.
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2. | PURCHASE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF THE SHARES. |
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, and subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase, the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of each Underwriter in Schedule I hereof, at a price of $3.764 per share.
(b) Payment for the Firm Shares to be sold hereunder is to be made in Federal (same day) funds against delivery of certificates therefor to the Representative for the several accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment and delivery are to be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the third business day after the date of this Agreement or at such other time and date not later than five business days thereafter as you and the Company shall agree upon, such time and date being herein referred to as the Closing Date. (As used herein, business day means a day on which the NASDAQ Capital Market is open for trading and on which banks in New York are open for business and are not permitted by law or executive order to be closed.)
(c) In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase the Option Shares at the price per share as set forth in Section 2(a). The option granted hereby may be exercised in whole or in part by giving written notice (i) at any time before the Closing Date and (ii) at any time and from time to time thereafter within 30 days after the date of this Agreement, by you, as Representative of the several Underwriters, to the Company setting forth the number of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option and the time and date at which such certificates are to be delivered. The time and date at which certificates for Option Shares are to be delivered shall be determined by the Representative but shall not be earlier than three nor later than 10 full business days after the exercise of such option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Date (such time and date being herein referred to as the Option Closing Date). If the date of exercise of the option is three or more days before the Closing Date, the notice of exercise shall set the Closing Date as the Option Closing Date. The number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be in the same proportion to the total number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Firm Shares being purchased by such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares, adjusted by you in such manner as to avoid fractional shares. The option with respect to the Option Shares granted hereunder may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sale of the Firm Shares by the Underwriters. You, as Representative of the several Underwriters, may cancel such option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company. To the extent, if any, that the option is exercised, payment for the Option Shares shall be made on the Option Closing Date in Federal (same day funds) through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company in New York, New York drawn to the order of the Company.
3. | OFFERING BY THE UNDERWRITERS. |
It is understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public offering of the Firm Shares as soon as the Representative deems it advisable to do so. The Firm Shares are to be initially offered to the public at the initial public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. The Representative may from time to time thereafter change the public offering price and other selling terms.
It is further understood that you will act as the Representative for the Underwriters in the offering and sale of the Shares in accordance with a Master Agreement Among Underwriters entered into by you and the several other Underwriters.
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4. | COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. |
The Company covenants and agrees with the Underwriters that:
(a) The Company will (i) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representative (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act, (ii) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or distribute an amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein of which the Underwriters shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representative shall have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the Rules and Regulations and (iii) file on a timely basis all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the Shares by the Underwriters.
(b) The Company will (i) not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under Rule 433 under the Act unless the Representative approves its use in writing prior to first use (each, a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus); provided that the prior written consent of the Representative hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included in Schedule II hereto, (ii) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iii) comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and (iv) not take any action that would result in the Underwriters or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriters that such Underwriters otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder. The Company will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(c) The Company will advise the Underwriters promptly (i) when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have become effective, (ii) of receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or for supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for any additional information, and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order and to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof, if issued.
(d) The Company will cooperate with the Underwriters in endeavoring to qualify the Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably have designated in writing and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and other documents, as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Representative may reasonably request for distribution of the Shares.
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(e) The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Underwriters, from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Underwriters, from time to time, as many copies of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Underwriters during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) (the Prospectus Delivery Period) is required under the Act, as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented, as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to the Underwriters such number of copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested), including documents incorporated by reference therein, and of all amendments thereto, as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(f) The Company will comply with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required by law to be delivered by an underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Representative, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with applicable law.
(g) If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the 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 Representative, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, 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 Underwriters 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, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with applicable law.
(h) The Company will make generally available to its security holders, as soon as it is practicable to do so, but in any event not later than 15 months after the effective date of the Registration Statement, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) in reasonable detail, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act and will advise the Underwriters in writing when such statement has been so made available.
(i) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will furnish to the Underwriters, as soon as they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial
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statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(j) The Company will use its best efforts to list the Shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market and maintain the listing of the Shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market.
(k) The Company shall apply the net proceeds of its sale of the Shares as set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(l) The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act.
(m) The Company will maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Common Stock.
(n) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
(o) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will not 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 its earnings, business, operations or prospects, or the offering of the Shares, without the prior written consent of the Representative, unless in the reasonable judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification to the Underwriters, such press release or communication is required by law or by NASDAQ Capital Market rules, in which case the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to allow the Underwriters reasonable time to comment on such release or other communication in advance of such issuance.
(p) The Company will not incur any liability for any finders or brokers fee or agents commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (other than as set forth in this Agreement).
(q) The Company has caused each officer and director of the Company listed on Schedule V to furnish to you, on or prior to the date of this Agreement, a letter or letters, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the Lockup Agreement).
(r) No offering, sale, short sale or other disposition of any shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock or derivative of Common Stock (or agreement for such) will be made for a period of 45 days after the date of the Prospectus, directly or indirectly, by the Company otherwise than hereunder or with the prior written consent of the Representative. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (i) during the last 17 days of the 45-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (ii) prior to the expiration of the 45-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period following the last day of the 45-day restricted period, then in each case the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of material news or a material event relating to the Company, as the case may be, unless the Representative waives, in writing, such extension.
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5. | COSTS AND EXPENSES. |
The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, will pay or reimburse if paid by the Underwriters all costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including but not limited to costs and expenses of or relating to (i) the preparation, printing, filing, delivery and shipping of the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, each Statutory Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing (including costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the registration, issue, sale and delivery of the Shares including any stock or transfer taxes and stamp or similar duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares and the printing, delivery, and shipping of the certificates representing the Shares, (iii) the registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative shall designate, and, if reasonably requested by the Representative, the preparation and printing and furnishing of copies of any blue sky surveys to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Shares, (v) any filing fees required to be made by the Underwriters or the Company with FINRA, (vi) fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Company, (vii) listing fees, if any, for the listing or quotation of the Shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market, (viii) fees and disbursements of the Companys auditor incurred in delivering the letter(s) described in Section 6(f) of this Agreement, and (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company and the Underwriters in connection with the marketing of the offering and the sale of the Shares to prospective investors including, but not limited to, those related to any presentations or meetings undertaken in connection therewith including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged with the written consent of the Company in connection with the road show presentations, travel, lodging and other expenses incurred by the officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft or other transportation chartered in connection with the road show with the written consent of the Company.
6. | CONDITIONS OF OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS. |
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Shares on the Closing Date and the Option Shares, if any, on the Option Closing Date are subject to the accuracy, as of the Applicable Time and the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, and to the performance by the Company of its covenants and obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus required shall have been filed as required by Rules 424, 430A, 430B, 430C or 433 under the Act, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall have been disclosed to the Underwriters and complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representative. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Act shall have been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated or threatened by the Commission and no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a Federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, which would prevent the issuance of the Shares.
(b) No Prospectus or amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement shall have been filed to which the Representative shall have objected in writing, which objection shall not be unreasonable. The Underwriters shall not have in good faith advised the Company on or prior to the
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Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, that the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of fact which, in their opinion, is material, or omits to state a fact which, in their opinion, is material and is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of fact which, in their opinion, is material, or omits to state a fact which, in their opinion, is material and is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) Prior to the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations or prospects of the Company, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that, in the Representatives judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Representatives judgment, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.
(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the written opinion and negative assurance statement of Wyrick, Robbins, Yates and Ponton, LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, addressed to the Underwriters, in such form as shall be agreed to with the Representative and set forth on Exhibit B hereto.
(e) The Underwriters shall have received from Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, an opinion and negative assurance statement dated the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in such form as shall be agreed to with the Representative.
(f) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a letter dated the date hereof and the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, of Ernst & Young LLP confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the PCAOB and stating that in their opinion the financial statements and schedules examined by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related Rules and Regulations; and containing such other statements and information as is ordinarily included in accountants comfort letters to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(g) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate or certificates of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company to the effect that, as of the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, as the case may be, such Chief Executive Officer represents as follows:
(i) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been taken or are, to his or her knowledge, contemplated or threatened by the Commission;
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(ii) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof are true and correct as of the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in all material respects except for those representations and warranties which are qualified as to materiality which shall be true and correct in all respects;
(iii) All filings required to have been made pursuant to Rules 424, 430B or 430C under the Act have been made as and when required by such rules;
(iv) He or she has carefully examined the General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, if any are used in connection with the Offering, and, in his or her opinion, as of the Applicable Time, the statements contained in the General Disclosure Package and any such individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact, and such General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that such certificate or certificates need not refer to the information provided by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, as described in Section 13 of this Agreement;
(v) He or she has carefully examined the Registration Statement and, in his or her opinion, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Prospectus which has not been so set forth in such supplement or amendment; provided, however, that such certificate or certificates need not refer to the information provided by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, as described in Section 13 of this Agreement;
(vi) He or she has carefully examined the Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of its date and the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto did not contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading; and
(vii) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change or to the Companys knowledge, any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.
(h) On the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters a Secretarys Certificate of the Company.
(i) The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters such further certificates and documents confirming the representations and warranties, covenants and conditions contained herein and related matters as the Representative may reasonably have requested.
(j) The Shares have been duly listed subject to notice of issuance, on the NASDAQ Capital Market.
(k) The Lockup Agreements described in Section 4(q) are in full force and effect.
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The opinions and certificates mentioned in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if, in the exercise of their reasonable judgment, they are in all material respects satisfactory to the Representative and to Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representative by notifying the Company of such termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
In such event, the Company and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof).
7. | CONDITIONS OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY. |
The obligations of the Company to sell and deliver the portion of the Shares required to be delivered as and when specified in this Agreement are subject to the conditions that at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and in effect or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened.
8. | INDEMNIFICATION. |
(a) The Company agrees:
(i) to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls each Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter or any such controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (A) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or (B) the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described as such in Section 13 herein; and
(ii) to reimburse each Underwriter and each such controlling person upon demand for any legal or other out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage or liability, action or proceeding or in responding to a subpoena or governmental inquiry related to the offering of the Shares, whether or not such Underwriter or controlling person is a party to any action or proceeding. In the event that it is finally judicially determined that the Underwriters were not entitled to receive payments for legal and other expenses pursuant to this subparagraph, the Underwriters will promptly return all sums that had been advanced pursuant hereto.
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(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company or any such director, officer, or controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or any such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding; provided, however, that each Underwriter will be liable in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described as such in Section 13 herein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Section 8, such person (the indemnified party) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the indemnifying party) in writing. No indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or (b) shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 8(c) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related and was materially prejudiced by the failure to give such notice, but the failure to give such notice shall not relieve the indemnifying party or parties from any liability which it or they may have to the indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than on account of the provisions of Section 8(a) or (b). In case any such proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party and shall pay as incurred the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel at its own expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnifying party shall pay as incurred (or within 30 days of presentation) the fees and expenses of the counsel retained by the indemnified party in the event (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense and employ counsel acceptable to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of commencement of the action. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm for all such indemnified parties. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representative in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a) and by the Company in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, the indemnifying party will not, without the prior written
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consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such claim, action or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action or proceeding.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 8(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault 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 Underwriters on the other and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 8(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to above in this Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(d), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Shares purchased by such Underwriter and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters obligations in this Section 8(d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(e) In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment thereto, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this Section 8 hereby consents to the jurisdiction of any court having jurisdiction over any other contributing party, agrees that process issuing from such court may be served upon it by any other contributing party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other contributing party may join it as an additional defendant in any such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.
(f) Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 8 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to
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the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 8 and the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter, the Company, its directors or officers or any persons controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Shares and payment therefor hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to any Underwriter, or any person controlling any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 8.
9. | [RESERVED.] |
10. | NOTICES. |
All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise provided herein, will be mailed, delivered, telecopied or telegraphed and confirmed as follows: (a) if to the Underwriters, to the Representative c/o Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 60 Wall Street, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10005; Attention: Susanne S. Mulligan, with a copy to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005, Attention: General Counsel, and with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice) Goodwin Procter LLP, The New York Times Building, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018, Attention: Michael D. Maline; and (b) if to the Company, to Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd., 3530 Toringdon Way, Suite 200, Charlotte, North Carolina 28277; Attention: Chief Financial Officer, with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice) Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, 4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 300, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607; Attention: Alexander M. Donaldson, Esq.
11. | TERMINATION. |
This Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company:
(a) at any time prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, if any of the following has occurred: (i) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (ii) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or declaration of war or national emergency or other national or international calamity or crisis or change in economic or political conditions if the effect of such outbreak, escalation, declaration, emergency, calamity, crisis or change on the financial markets of the United States would, in the Representatives judgment, make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares, (iii) suspension of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE Amex or the NASDAQ Capital Market or limitation on prices (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for securities on any such trading market, (iv) the enactment, publication, decree or other promulgation of any statute, regulation, rule or order of any court or other governmental authority which in the Representatives opinion materially and adversely affects or may materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company, (v) the declaration of a banking moratorium by United States or New York State authorities, or (vi) the suspension of trading of the Companys common stock by the NASDAQ Capital Market, the Commission, or any other governmental authority; or
(b) as provided in Section 6 of this Agreement.
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12. | PERSONS ENTITLED TO BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT; SUCCESSORS. |
This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Underwriters, 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 the persons mentioned in the preceding sentence, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement, or any provisions herein contained, except that the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements and indemnities of the Company contained in this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of the controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 8(a) and the indemnities of the Underwriters shall also be for the benefit of the controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 8(b). The term successors and assigns as herein used shall not include any purchaser of the Shares by reason merely of such purchase.
13. | INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE ON BEHALF OF THE UNDERWRITERS. |
The Company and the Underwriters acknowledge and agree that the only information furnished or to be furnished by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters to the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus consists of the information set forth in the third and tenth through fifteenth paragraphs under the caption Underwriting in the Prospectus.
14. | MISCELLANEOUS. |
(a) The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in this Agreement and the representations, warranties and covenants in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Company or its directors or officers and (iii) delivery of and payment for the Shares under this Agreement.
(b) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters, in providing investment banking services to the Company in connection with the offering, including acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, have acted and are acting as independent contractors and not as fiduciaries and the Company does not intend such Underwriters to act in any capacity other than as independent contractors, including as fiduciaries or in any other position of higher trust.
(c) This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
(d) This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, including, without limitation, Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law.
(e) 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. Neither this Agreement nor any terms hereof may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company and the Underwriters. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected or impaired thereby.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicates hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
CHELSEA THERAPEUTICS INTERNATIONAL, LTD. | ||
By | /s/ J. Nick Riehle | |
Name: | J. Nick Riehle | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
The foregoing Equity Underwriting Agreement
is hereby confirmed and accepted as
of the date first above written.
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC. | ||
As Representative of the several Underwriters listed on Schedule I | ||
By | /s/ John Reed | |
Authorized Officer | ||
By | /s/ Susanne Mulligan | |
Authorized Officer |
Schedules and Exhibits
Schedule I: | Underwriters | |
Schedule II: | Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses | |
Schedule III: | Subsidiaries | |
Schedule IV: | Pricing Information | |
Schedule V: | Directors and Executive Officers Executing Lockup Agreements | |
Exhibit A: | Form of Lockup Agreement | |
Exhibit B: | Form of Opinion and Negative Assurance Statement of Company Counsel |
SCHEDULE I
UNDERWRITERS
Underwriters | Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased | |
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. | 6,562,500 | |
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. | 1,312,500 | |
Wedbush Securities Inc. | 875,000 | |
Total: | 8,750,000 |
SCHEDULE II
ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus dated February 18, 2011.
SCHEDULE III
SUBSIDIARIES
Name | Jurisdiction | Ownership Percentage | ||||||
Chelsea Therapeutics, Inc. | Delaware | 100 | % |
SCHEDULE IV
PRICING INFORMATION
The number of Shares being sold is 8,750,000.
The price of the Shares to the public is $4.00 per share.
The underwriting discount is 5.9%
SCHEDULE V
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS EXECUTING LOCKUP AGREEMENTS
Simon Pedder
Michael Weiser
J. Nick Riehle
L. Arthur Hewitt
Michael Roberts
Kevan Clemens
Johnson Y.N. Lau
Keith W. Schmidt
Roger Stoll
William Schwieterman
William D. Rueckert
Joseph G. Oliveto
Norman Hardman
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF LOCKUP AGREEMENT
, 2011
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
60 Wall Street, 4th Floor
New York, New York 10005
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (the Representative) proposes to enter into an Equity Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriting Agreement) with Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. (the Company), on behalf of the several underwriters named in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriters), providing for the public offering by the Underwriters of common stock, par value $0.0001 (the Common Stock), of the Company (the Public Offering).
To induce the Underwriters in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, the undersigned will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, pledge, contract to sell (including any short sale), grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock (including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock of the Company which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned on the date hereof in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, shares of Common Stock which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant and any other security convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock) or enter into any Hedging Transaction (as defined below) relating to the Common Stock (each of the foregoing referred to as a Disposition) during the period specified in the following paragraph (the Lock-Up Period). The foregoing restriction is expressly intended to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any Hedging Transaction or other transaction which is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in a Disposition during the Lock-Up Period even if the securities would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Hedging Transaction means any short sale (whether or not against the box) or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including, without limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from the Common Stock.
The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and continue until, and include, the date that is 45 days after the date of the final prospectus (the Prospectus) relating to the Public Offering (the Initial Lock-Up Period); provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the Initial Lock-Up Period, (A) the Company releases earnings results or (B) material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs, or (2) prior to the expiration of the Initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period following the last day of the Initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of material news or a material event relating to the Company, as the case may be, unless the Representative waives, in writing, such extension.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer or sell (a) shares of Common Stock acquired in open market transactions by the undersigned after the completion of the Public Offering, (b) any or all of the shares of Common Stock or other Company securities if the transfer is by (i) gift, will or
intestacy, or (ii) distribution to partners, members or shareholders of the undersigned, (c) shares of Common Stock to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, (d) shares of Common Stock pursuant to any contract, instruction, or plan complying with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that has been entered into by the undersigned prior to the date of the Prospectus, and (e) shares of Common Stock for tax planning or payment purposes in connection with the delivery of Common Stock pursuant to restricted stock units granted to the undersigned; provided, however, that in the case of a transfer pursuant to clause (b) and (c) above, it shall be a condition to the transfer that the transferee (or trustee of any transferee trust) execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the securities subject to the provisions of this Lock-Up Agreement. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, immediate family shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin, and any domestic partner.
The undersigned agrees that the Company may, and that the undersigned will upon request of the Company, (i) with respect to any shares of Common Stock or other Company securities for which the undersigned is the record holder, cause the transfer agent for the Company to note stop transfer instructions with respect to such securities on the transfer books and records of the Company and (ii) with respect to any shares of Common Stock or other Company securities for which the undersigned is the beneficial holder but not the record holder, cause the record holder of such securities to cause the transfer agent for the Company to note stop transfer instructions with respect to such securities on the transfer books and records of the Company.
In addition, the undersigned hereby waives any and all notice requirements and rights with respect to registration of securities pursuant to any agreement, understanding or otherwise setting forth the terms of any security of the Company held by the undersigned, including any registration rights agreement to which the undersigned and the Company may be party; provided that such waiver shall apply only to the proposed Public Offering, and any other action taken by the Company in connection with the proposed Public Offering.
The undersigned hereby agrees that, to the extent that the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement conflict with or are in any way inconsistent with any registration rights agreement to which the undersigned and the Company may be a party, this Lock-Up Agreement supersedes such registration rights agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred shall survive the death or incapacity of the undersigned and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the heirs, personal representatives, successors and assigns of the undersigned.
This Lock-Up Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the closing of the Public Offering has not occurred prior to March 31, 2011, this agreement shall be of no further force or effect.
Signature: |
| |
Print Name: |
|
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF OPINION AND NEGATIVE ASSURANCE STATEMENT OF COMPANY COUNSEL
1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with requisite corporate power to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus.
2. The Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with requisite corporate power to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus.
3. The Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation under the laws of the State of North Carolina.
4. The authorized capital stock of the Company was as set forth in the base prospectus in the Registration Statement under the caption Description of Capital Stock as of the date stated therein.
5. The Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
6. The Securities are duly listed, and admitted and authorized for quotation on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
7. The specimen certificate for the Securities filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement is in due and proper form under Delaware law.
8. The holders of outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are not entitled to preemptive rights under Delaware law or under the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company, or rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for the Securities under any of the Material Contracts. Except as set forth under the headings Summary The Offering, and Dilution, in the Prospectus as of the dates stated therein, to our knowledge, as of such dates, there were no options, warrants or other rights to purchase any shares of capital stock of the Company.
9. To our knowledge, there is (i) no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or other governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator pending or overtly threatened against the Company or its properties by a third party of a character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus that is not disclosed in such Prospectus as required by the Act and the rules thereunder, and (ii) no indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan or other agreement or instrument of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, which is not filed as required by the Act and the rules thereunder.
10. The statements in the base prospectus in the Registration Statement under the caption Description of Capital Stock, insofar as such statements purport to summarize legal matters, agreements or documents discussed therein, fairly present, to the extent required by the Act and the rules thereunder, in all material respects, such legal matters, agreements or documents.
11. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or overtly threatened. Any required filing of the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, pursuant
to Rule 424(b) under the Act, has been made in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b).
12. The Registration Statement at the time it became effective and the Prospectus as of its date (in each case, other than the financial statements and schedules, related notes and other financial data and statistical data derived therefrom, as to which we express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the rules thereunder.
13. The Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
14. The Company is not, and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will not be an investment company as defined in the Investment Company Act.
15. No consent, approval, authorization or filing with or order of any U.S. Federal, Delaware or North Carolina court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company is required for the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Act and except such as may be required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated in the Agreement and in the Prospectus, or under the bylaws, rules and regulations of FINRA.
16. The execution and delivery by the Company of the Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Shares pursuant thereto will not result in (i) a violation of the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company, (ii) a material breach of or default under the terms of any Material Contract; or (iii) to our knowledge, a violation of any statute, law, rule, or regulation which, in our experience is typically applicable to transactions of the nature contemplated by the Agreement and is applicable to the Company, or any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, or award that has been entered against the Company or any of its properties and of which we are aware, in each case of clauses (ii) and (iii) the breach or violation of which would materially and adversely affect the Company.
17. To our knowledge, except as set forth in the Prospectus, no holders of securities of the Company have rights to require the registration under the Act of resales of such securities and, except as set forth in the Prospectus, all rights known to us to register the resales of shares of common stock or other securities of the Company, because of the filing of the Registration Statement by the Company, have, with respect to the offering contemplated thereby, been waived or such rights have expired by reason of lapse of time following notification of the Companys intent to file the Registration Statement.
Based on our participation, review and reliance as described above, we advise you that no facts came to our attention that caused us to believe that:
(i) the Registration Statement (except as to the financial statements and schedules, related notes and other financial data and statistical data derived therefrom, as to which we express no comment), at the date and time that the Registration Statement became effective, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
(ii) the General Disclosure Package (except as to the financial statements and schedules, related notes and other financial and statistical data derived therefrom, as to which we express no comment), taken as a whole as of the Applicable Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material fact necessary, in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or
(iii) the Prospectus (except as to the financial statements and schedules, related notes and other financial and statistical data derived therefrom, as to which we express no comment) as of its date or dates as amended or supplemented, as applicable, and as of the date hereof contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary, in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.