Cypress Sharpridge Investments,Inc. 15,000,000 Shares of Common Stock EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT Dated: June 7, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Stock Agreements
EX-1.1 2 dex11.htm EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT Equity Distribution Agreement

Exhibit 1.1

 

 

 

Cypress Sharpridge Investments, Inc.

15,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

Dated: June 7, 2011

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

SECTION 1.

   Description of Securities.      1   

SECTION 2.

   Placements.      2   

SECTION 3.

   Sale of Placement Securities by the Placement Agent.      3   

SECTION 4.

   Suspension of Sales.      4   

SECTION 5.

   Representations and Warranties.      4   

SECTION 6.

   Sale and Delivery to the Placement Agent; Settlement.      14   

SECTION 7.

   Covenants of the Company.      15   

SECTION 8.

   Payment of Expenses.      21   

SECTION 9.

   Conditions of the Placement Agent’s Obligations.      22   

SECTION 10.

   Indemnity and Contribution by the Company and the Placement Agent.      24   

SECTION 11.

   Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery.      27   

SECTION 12.

   Termination of Agreement.      28   

SECTION 13.

   Notices.      29   

SECTION 14.

   Parties.      29   

SECTION 15.

   Adjustments for Stock Splits.      29   

SECTION 16.

   Governing Law and Time.      29   

SECTION 17.

   Effect of Headings.      30   

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

SECTION 18.

   Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.      30   

SECTION 19.

   Absence of Fiduciary Relationship.      30   

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

EXHIBITS

Exhibit A

        Form of Placement Notice

Exhibit B

        Authorized Individuals for Placement Notices and Acceptances

Exhibit C

        Compensation

Exhibit D

        Issuer Free Writing Prospectus

Exhibit E1

        Form of Initial Corporate Opinion of Hunton & Williams LLP

Exhibit E2

        Form of Subsequent Corporate Opinion of Hunton & Williams LLP

Exhibit F

        Form of Tax Opinion of Hunton & Williams LLP

Exhibit G

        Officers’ Certificate

 

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Cypress Sharpridge Investments, Inc.

15,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

June 7, 2011

JMP Securities LLC

600 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100

San Francisco, California 94111

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Cypress Sharpridge Investments, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with JMP Securities LLC (the “Placement Agent”), as follows:

SECTION 1. Description of Securities.

The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell through the Placement Agent, acting as agent and/or principal, up to 15,000,000 shares (the “Securities”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, except as set forth in a Placement Notice (as defined below) the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 1 on the number of the Securities issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and the Placement Agent shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The issuance and sale of the Securities through the Placement Agent will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement to offer, sell or issue the Securities.

The Company has filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3ASR (File No. 333-174163) relating to the Securities to be issued from time to time by the Company that incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”). Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, as amended when it became effective, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act or deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B of the Securities Act, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented from time to time, in the form in which such prospectus has most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act is herein called the


Prospectus.” The Company will furnish to the Placement Agent, for use by the Placement Agent, copies of the Prospectus relating to the Securities. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. Any reference herein to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement (as defined below), the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system, or Interactive Data Electronic Application (collectively, “EDGAR”); all references in this Agreement to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that, pursuant to Rule 433 under the Securities Act, are not required to be filed with the Commission), shall be deemed to include the copy thereof filed with the Commission, pursuant to EDGAR.

SECTION 2. Placements.

Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell the Securities hereunder (each, a “Placement”), it will notify the Placement Agent by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) containing the parameters in accordance with which it desires the Securities to be sold, which shall at a minimum include the number of Securities to be issued (the “Placement Securities”), the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of Securities that may be sold in any one day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made (as amended pursuant to this Section 2, if applicable, a “Placement Notice”), a form of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A. The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company set forth on Exhibit B, and shall be addressed to each of the individuals from the Placement Agent set forth on Exhibit B, as such Exhibit B may be amended from time to time. If the Placement Agent wishes to accept such proposed terms included in the Placement Notice (which it may decline to do so for any reason in its sole discretion), the Placement Agent will, prior to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the Business Day (as defined below) following the Business Day on which such Placement Notice is delivered to the Placement Agent, issue to the Company an acceptance by email (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) addressed to all of the individuals from the Company and the Placement Agent set forth on Exhibit B accepting the terms of such Placement Notice (the “Placement Agent Acceptance”). Following discussion with the Company, if the Placement Agent wishes to propose amended terms, the Placement Agent will, prior to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the Business Day (as defined below) following the Business Day on which such Placement Notice is delivered to the Placement Agent, issue to the Company a notice by email (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) addressed to all of the individuals from the Company set forth on Exhibit B setting forth the terms that the Placement Agent is willing to accept. Where the terms provided in the Placement Notice are amended as

 

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provided for in the immediately preceding sentence, such terms will not be binding on the Company or the Placement Agent until the Company delivers to the Placement Agent an acceptance by email (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) of all of the terms of such Placement Notice, as amended (the “Company Acceptance”), which email shall be addressed to all of the individuals from the Company and the Placement Agent set forth on Exhibit B. The Placement Notice shall be effective upon receipt by the Company of the Placement Agent Acceptance or upon receipt by the Placement Agent of the Company Acceptance, as the case may be, unless and until (i) the entire amount of the Placement Securities have been sold, (ii) the Company terminates the Placement Notice, (iii) the Company issues a subsequent Placement Notice with parameters superseding those on the earlier dated Placement Notice, (iv) the Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 9 or Section 12 or (v) either party shall have suspended the sale of the Placement Securities in accordance with Section 4 below. The amount of any discount, commission or other compensation to be paid by the Company to the Placement Agent in connection with the sale of the Placement Securities shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in Exhibit C. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor the Placement Agent will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Securities unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to the Placement Agent and either (i) the Company receives a Placement Agent Acceptance or (ii) where the terms of such Placement Notice are amended, Placement Agent receives a Company Acceptance, and then only upon the terms specified in the Placement Notice, as amended, and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice, as amended, the terms of the Placement Notice, as amended, will control. The term “Business Day” means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

SECTION 3. Sale of Placement Securities by the Placement Agent.

Subject to the provisions of Section 6(a), the Placement Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell the Placement Securities up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice. The Placement Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day (as defined below) immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Securities hereunder setting forth the number of Placement Securities sold on such day, the compensation payable by the Company to the Placement Agent pursuant to Section 2 with respect to such sales, and the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company, with an itemization of the deductions made by the Placement Agent (as set forth in Section 6(b)) from the gross proceeds that it receives from such sales. Subject to the terms of the Placement Notice (as amended, if applicable), the Placement Agent may sell Placement Securities by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act, including without limitation sales made directly on the New York Stock Exchange, on any other existing trading market for the Common Stock or to or through a market maker. If specified in a Placement Notice (as amended, if applicable), the Placement Agent may also sell Placement Securities by any other method permitted by law, including but not limited to in privately negotiated transactions. For the purposes hereof, “Trading Day” means any day on which shares of Common Stock are purchased and sold on the principal market on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and during which there has been no market disruption of, unscheduled closing of or suspension of trading on such principal market.

 

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SECTION 4. Suspension of Sales.

The Company or the Placement Agent may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Exhibit B, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Exhibit B), suspend any sale of Placement Securities; provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Placement Securities sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. Each of the parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against the other unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Exhibit B hereto (confirmed as soon as reasonably practicable by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Exhibit B), as such exhibit may be amended from time to time.

SECTION 5. Representations and Warranties.

The Company represents and warrants to the Placement Agent as of the date hereof and as of each Representation Date (as defined herein) on which a certificate is required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o) of this Agreement and as of the time of each sale of any Securities pursuant to this Agreement (the “Applicable Time”), and agrees with the Placement Agent, as follows:

(a) The Securities have been duly registered under the Securities Act pursuant to the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act, or any registration statement to be filed to register the offer and sale of the Securities pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, including the documents incorporated by reference therein (a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), will be filed with the Commission and become effective under the Securities Act no later than 10:00 P.M., New York City time, on the date of determination of the public offering price for the Securities, and no stop order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.

(b) At the respective times each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became or becomes effective, upon execution of this Agreement and on each Representation Date (as defined below), the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. The conditions for the use of Form S-3,

 

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as set forth in the General Instructions thereto, have been complied with and the Registration Statement meets, and the offering and sale of the Securities as contemplated hereby complies with, the requirements of Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Securities Act (including without limitation, Rule 415(a)(5)). The Registration Statement, as of the date hereof and each effective date with respect thereto, and as of each Representation Date, did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, as of their respective dates, and at each Applicable Time and Settlement Date (as defined below), as the case may be, included or will include an 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.

The representations and warranties set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by the Placement Agent expressly for use therein.

(c) The copies of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments thereto, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) that is required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 under the Securities Act and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto delivered and to be delivered to the Placement Agent (electronically or otherwise) in connection with the offering of the Securities were and will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, relating to the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show” that is a “written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) under the Securities Act whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) under the Securities Act because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, and all free writing prospectuses that are listed in Exhibit D hereto, in each case in the form furnished (electronically or otherwise) to the Placement Agent for use in connection with the offering of the Securities.

(d) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus relating to the Securities, as of its issue date and as of each Applicable Time and Settlement Date (as defined below), did not and will not include any information that conflicted or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any incorporated document deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified; each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Prospectus, as of the Applicable Time and Settlement Date (as defined below), will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit 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. The foregoing sentence does not apply to

 

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statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for use therein.

(e) Each document incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus heretofore filed, when it was filed (or, if any amendment with respect to any such document was filed, when such amendment was filed), conformed in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and any further documents so filed and incorporated after the date of this Agreement will, when they are filed, conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act; no such document when it was filed (or, if an amendment with respect to any such document was filed, when such amendment was filed), contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and no such document, when it is filed, will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(f) Except for the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses identified in Exhibit D hereto, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the prior consent of the Placement Agent, prepare, use or refer to, any Free Writing Prospectus.

(g) (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act) of the Securities and (ii) as of the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Securities Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.

(h) The Company filed the Registration Statement with the Commission before using any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

(i) Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have certified the financial statements and supporting schedules and information of the Company that are included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the Securities Act.

(j) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as (1) disclosed therein, (2) are publicly disclosed (as to clause (i) only), or (3) are consistent with past practice (as to clauses (ii) and (iii) only), (i) the Company has not declared or paid any dividends, or made any other distribution of any kind, on or in respect of its capital stock, (ii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock or any material change in the debt (other than borrowings under repurchase agreements entered into in the ordinary course of the Company’s business) of the Company, (iii) the Company has not sustained any material

 

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loss or interference with its business or properties from fire, explosion, flood, hurricane, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or any legal or governmental proceeding, and (iv) there has not been any material adverse change, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations or stockholders’ equity of the Company (such change described in clause (iv) is referred to as a “Material Adverse Change”).

(k) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are fully paid and non-assessable and have been duly and validly authorized and issued in compliance with all applicable state, federal and foreign securities laws and not in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar right that entitles any person to acquire from the Company any Common Stock or other equity security of the Company or any security convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, Common Stock or any other such security (any “Relevant Security”), except for such rights as may have been fully satisfied or waived prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

(l) The Securities to be delivered on the Settlement Date (as hereinafter defined), have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, will have been issued in compliance with all applicable state, federal and foreign securities laws and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar right that entitles any person to acquire any Relevant Security from the Company. The Common Stock and the Securities conform to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company has no outstanding warrants, options to purchase, or any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any Relevant Security. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no holder of any Relevant Security has any rights to require registration under the Securities Act of any Relevant Security in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities contemplated hereby, and any such rights so disclosed have either been fully complied with by the Company or effectively waived by the holders thereof.

(m) The Company has been duly organized and validly exist as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdiction of organization. The Company is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation, in each jurisdiction in which the character or location of its assets or the nature or conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary, except for those failures to be so qualified or in good standing which (individually or in the aggregate) could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on (i) the business, general affairs, management, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations or stockholders’ equity of the Company, taken as a whole; or (ii) the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Prospectus (in each case, a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

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(n) The Company has all requisite power and authority, and all necessary consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations, qualifications, licenses, filings and permits of, with and from all judicial, regulatory and other legal or governmental agencies and bodies and all third parties, foreign and domestic (collectively, the “Consents”), to own its assets and conduct its business as now being conducted and as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and each such Consent is valid and in full force and effect, except in each case as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received written notice of any investigation or proceedings which, if decided adversely to the Company, could reasonably be expected to result in the revocation of, or imposition of a materially burdensome restriction on, any such Consent.

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

(p) The issue and sale of the Securities, the compliance by the Company with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated do not and will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge, mortgage, pledge, security interest, claim, equity, trust or other encumbrance, preferential arrangement, defect or restriction of any kind whatsoever (any “Lien”) upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement, instrument, franchise, license or permit to which the Company is a party or by which the Company or its operations or assets may be bound, or (ii) violate or conflict with any provision of the certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability company agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents of the Company, or (iii) violate or conflict with any statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, except in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(q) The form of certificates used to evidence the Securities complies in all material respects with all applicable statutory requirements and any requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and with any applicable requirements of the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company and has been duly authorized and approved by the directors of the Company.

(r) No Consent of, with or from any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body or any third party, foreign or domestic, is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration under the Securities Act of the Securities and such consents as may be required under state securities or blue sky laws or the by-laws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) in connection with the sale of Placement Securities by the Placement Agent, each of which has been obtained and is in full force and effect.

 

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(s) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there is no judicial, regulatory, arbitral or other legal or governmental proceeding or other litigation or arbitration, domestic or foreign, pending to which the Company is a party or of which the operations or assets of the Company is the subject which, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; to the knowledge of the Company, no such proceeding, litigation or arbitration is threatened or contemplated; and the defense of all such proceedings, litigation and arbitration against or involving the Company could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(t) The financial statements, including the notes thereto, and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position as of the dates indicated and the cash flows and results of operations for the periods specified of the Company; except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved; and the supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information required to be stated therein. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus by the Securities Act. The other financial and statistical information included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the information included therein and have been prepared on a basis consistent with that of the financial statements that are included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the books and records of the respective entities presented therein. All “non-GAAP financial measures” (as defined in Regulation G under the Securities Act) included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

(u) The Second Amended and Restated Management Agreement, effective as of January 1, 2009, by and between the Company and Cypress Sharpridge Advisors LLC (the “Management Agreement”), (i) has been duly and validly authorized by the Company, (ii) has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and except as enforceability may be subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (iii) has not been materially breached or violated, and (iv) conforms to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

(v) The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act. The Securities have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance. The Company has taken no action designed to terminate the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or de-list the Common Stock from the NYSE. The Company has not received any notification that the Commission or the NYSE is contemplating terminating such registration or listing, respectively.

 

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(w) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accounting for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(x) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(y) The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith. There is and has been no material failure on the part of the Company or any of its directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(z) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates (within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act) has taken, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is designed to cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(aa) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates (within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act) has, prior to the date hereof, made any offer or sale of any securities which could reasonably be deemed to be “integrated” (within the meaning of the Securities Act) with the offer and sale of the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.

(bb) The statements set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus under the captions “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” and “Plan of Distribution,” insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all material respects.

(cc) Commencing with its initial taxable year ended December 31, 2006, the Company has been organized in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the Company’s current and proposed method of operation as set forth in the Prospectus will enable it to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code. All statements regarding the

 

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Company’s qualification and taxation as a REIT and descriptions of the Company’s organization and current and proposed method of operation set forth in the Prospectus are true, complete and correct in all material respects. The Company has made a timely election to be subject to tax as a REIT pursuant to Sections 856 through 860 of the Code upon filing its federal income tax return for its taxable year ended December 31, 2006.

(dd) The Company is not and, at all times up to and including consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and after giving effect to application of the net proceeds of the Placements as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, will not be, required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and is not and will not be an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of such act.

(ee) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or Placement Agent for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or, to the knowledge of the Company, any arrangements, agreements, understandings or payments with respect to the Company or any of its officers, directors, stockholders, partners, employees, or affiliates that may affect the Placement Agent’s compensation as determined by the FINRA.

(ff) The Company owns or leases under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases all such properties used in the conduct of its business as presently operated and as proposed to be operated as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Company does not own any real property except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or such as are not material (individually or in the aggregate) to the Company. The Company has good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them free and clear of any and all Liens except such as are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or such as do not (individually or in the aggregate) materially affect the value of such property or materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company.

(gg) The Company (i) owns or possesses the right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, domain names, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, formulae, customer lists, and know-how and other intellectual property (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures, “Intellectual Property”) used for the conduct of its businesses as presently conducted and as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and (ii) has no reason to believe that the conduct of its businesses does or will conflict with, and have not received any notice of any claim of conflict with, any such right of others.

(hh) The Company maintains insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company, as applicable, reasonably considers adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties, all of which insurance is in full force and effect, except where the failure to maintain such insurance could not reasonably be expected to

 

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have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no material claims by the Company under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause.

(ii) The Company has accurately prepared and timely filed all federal, state, foreign and other tax returns that are required to be filed by it and has 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 that the Company 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). No deficiency assessment with respect to a proposed adjustment of the Company’s federal, state, local or foreign taxes is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the Company in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable period not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments and related liabilities for any such period and, since the date of the most recent audited financial statements, the Company has not incurred any liability for taxes other than in the ordinary course of its business. 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.

(jj) Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its directors or officers, nor to the knowledge of the Company, employees of Sharpridge Capital Management, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Sharpridge”), has at any time during the last five years (i) made any unlawful contribution to any candidate for foreign office or failed to disclose fully any such contribution in violation of law or (ii) made any payment to any federal or state governmental officer or official, or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duties, other than payments required or permitted by the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction thereof. The Company is conducting and has conducted at all times operations in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (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 with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer or employee of Sharpridge, is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”). The Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any 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.

 

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(kk) The Company (i) is not in violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability company agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents, (ii) is not in default under, and, to the knowledge of the Company, no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default under or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject, or (iii) is not in violation of any statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic, except in each case for violations or defaults that could not (individually or in the aggregate) reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ll) The Company has not commenced any legal proceedings, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, have any legal proceedings been threatened against the Company for the winding up, liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

(mm) With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company (the “Company Stock Plans”), (i) each Stock Option designated by the Company at the time of grant as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Stock Option was by its terms to be effective (the “Grant Date”) by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the Board of Directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof), any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents and due execution and delivery of any award agreement governing such grant by each party thereto, (iii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules and requirements, (iv) the per share exercise price of each Stock Option was equal to or greater than the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined under Section 409A of the Code on the applicable Grant Date and (v) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP in the consolidated financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company. The Company has not knowingly granted, and has not had a policy or practice of granting, Stock Options prior to, or otherwise coordinating the grant of Stock Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its results of operations or prospects.

(nn) The Common Stock is an “actively traded security” excepted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company delivered to the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent pursuant to the terms or provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Placement Agent as to the matters covered thereby.

 

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SECTION 6. Sale and Delivery to the Placement Agent; Settlement.

(a) Sale of Placement Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the receipt by the Company of the Placement Agent Acceptance or upon receipt by the Placement Agent of the Company Acceptance, as the case may be, and unless the sale of the Placement Securities described therein has been declined, suspended, or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Placement Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Securities up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) no assurance can be given that the Placement Agent will be successful in selling Placement Securities, (ii) the Placement Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Securities for any reason other than a failure by the Placement Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Securities as required under this Section 6, and (iii) the Placement Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Securities on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the Placement Agent in the Placement Notice.

The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent has informed the Company that the Placement Agent may, to the extent permitted under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, purchase and sell shares of Common Stock for its own account while this Agreement is in effect, and shall be under no obligation to purchase Securities on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the Placement Agent in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable); provided, that no such purchase or sales shall take place while a Placement Notice is in effect (except (i) as agreed by the Company and the Placement Agent in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Company Acceptance, if applicable) or (ii) to the extent the Placement Agent may engage in sales of Placement Securities purchased or deemed purchased from the Company as a “riskless principal” or in a similar capacity).

(b) Settlement of Placement Securities. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice, settlement for sales of Placement Securities will occur on the third (3rd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Securities sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by the Placement Agent at which such Placement Securities were sold, after deduction for the Placement Agent’s commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof.

(c) Delivery of Placement Securities. On or before each Settlement Date, concurrently with the receipt by the Company of the Net Proceeds due to the Company in respect of such Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to,

 

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electronically transfer the Placement Securities being sold by crediting the Placement Agent’s or its designee’s account (provided the Placement Agent shall have given the Company written notice of such designee prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, the Placement Agent will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, the Settlement Date. The Company agrees that if the Company defaults in its obligation to deliver Placement Securities on a Settlement Date, the Company agrees that, in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 10(a) hereto, it will (i) hold the Placement Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or expense (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company and (ii) pay to the Placement Agent any commission, discount, or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.

(d) Denominations; Registration. If requested by the Placement Agent at least two Business Days prior to the Settlement Date, then in lieu of electronic transfer, certificates for the Securities shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Placement Agent shall have specified in such request. The certificates for the Securities will be made available for examination and packaging by the Placement Agent in The City of New York not later than noon (New York time) on the Business Day prior to the Settlement Date.

SECTION 7. Covenants of the Company.

The Company covenants with the Placement Agent as follows:

(a) Registration Statement Amendment. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to any Placement Securities is required to be delivered by the Placement Agent under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), (i) the Company will notify the Placement Agent promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any comment letter from the Commission or any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon the Placement Agent’s request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in the Placement Agent’s reasonable opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Securities by the Placement Agent (provided, however, that the failure of the Placement Agent to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Placement Agent’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or

 

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supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, relating to the Placement Securities or a security convertible into the Placement Securities unless a copy thereof has been submitted to the Placement Agent within a reasonable period of time before the filing and the Placement Agent has not reasonably objected thereto (provided, however, that the failure of the Placement Agent to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Placement Agent’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to the Placement Agent at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via EDGAR; and (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) of the Securities Act).

(b) Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any other order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement or if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, the suspension of any qualification of the Securities for offering or sale and any loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, and if any such stop order is issued or any such suspension or loss occurs, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. Except to the extent such documents have been publicly filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, the Company will furnish to the Placement Agent and its counsel (at the expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, that are filed with the Commission during any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), in each case as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities and at such locations as the Placement Agent may from time to time reasonably request.

 

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(d) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If at any time when a Prospectus is required by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to be delivered in connection with a pending sale of the Placement Securities (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement together with the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit 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 if it shall be necessary at any such time to amend the Registration Statement together with the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify the Placement Agent to suspend the offering of Placement Securities during such period and the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Placement Agent such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Placement Agent may reasonably request. If at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted, conflicts or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or included, includes or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or together with the Prospectus omitted, omits or would omit 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, the Company will promptly notify the Placement Agent to suspend the offering of Placement Securities during such period and the Company will, subject to Section 7(a) hereof, promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(e) Blue Sky and Other Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Placement Agent, to qualify the Placement Securities for offering and sale, or to obtain an exemption for the Securities to be offered and sold, under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Placement Agent may designate and to maintain such qualifications and exemptions in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Securities (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Placement Securities have been so qualified or exempt, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification or exemption, as the case may be, in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Securities (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement).

 

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(f) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Placement Agent the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.

(g) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

(h) Listing. During any period in which the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities is required to be delivered by the Placement Agent under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Securities (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Placement Securities to be listed on the NYSE.

(i) Filings with the NYSE. The Company will timely seek to file with the NYSE all material documents and notices required by the NYSE of companies that have securities traded on the NYSE.

(j) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during any period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

(k) Notice of Other Sales. During the pendency of any Placement Notice given hereunder, the Company shall provide the Placement Agent notice as promptly as reasonably possible before it offers to sell, contracts to sell, sells, grants any option to sell or otherwise disposes of any shares of Common Stock (other than Placement Securities offered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Common Stock; provided, that such notice shall not be required in connection with the (i) issuance, grant or sale of restricted stock, Common Stock, options to purchase Common Stock, or Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or other equity awards pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock or compensatory plan or arrangement described in the Prospectus, (ii) the issuance of securities in connection with an acquisition, merger or sale or purchase of assets described in the Prospectus, or (iii) the issuance or sale of Common Stock pursuant to any dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan that the Company has in effect or may adopt from time to time, provided the implementation of such new plan is disclosed to the Placement Agent in advance.

 

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(l) Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during a fiscal quarter in which the Company intends to tender a Placement Notice or sell Placement Securities, advise the Placement Agent promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document provided to the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement during such fiscal quarter.

(m) Due Diligence Cooperation. The Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Placement Agent or its agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.

(n) Disclosure of Sales. The Company will, if applicable, disclose in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in its annual report on Form 10-K the number of Placement Securities sold through the Placement Agent during the most recent fiscal quarter, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid or payable by the Company to the Placement Agent with respect to such Placement Securities.

(o) Representation Dates; Certificate. On or prior to the date that the Securities are first sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and:

(i) each time the Company files the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities or amends or supplements the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but not by means of incorporation of documents by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities;

(ii) each time the Company files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act;

(iii) each time the Company files its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or

(iv) each time the Company files a report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than an earnings release or to “furnish” information pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K) under the Exchange Act (each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a “Representation Date”);

the Company shall furnish the Placement Agent with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit G, within three (3) Trading Days of any Representation Date. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(o) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (such date shall be considered a Representation Date).

 

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(p) Legal Opinions. On the date of execution of this Agreement (the “Execution Date”) and within three (3) Trading Days after each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit G for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Placement Agent the written opinions of Hunton & Williams LLP, counsel to the Company (“Company Counsel”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered (each an “Opinion Date”), substantially similar to the forms attached hereto as (i) Exhibits E1 and F with respect to the Execution Date and (ii) Exhibits E2 and F with respect to each other Opinion Date, unless waived by the Placement Agent, and a written opinion of counsel to the Placement Agent (“Counsel to the Placement Agent”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, dated the the Opinion Date; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions, counsel may furnish the Placement Agent with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that the Placement Agent may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 7(p) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter.

(q) Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date that the Securities are first sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and within three (3) Trading Days after each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit G for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause its independent accountants (and any other independent accountants whose report is included in the Prospectus) to furnish the Placement Agent letters (the “Comfort Letters”), dated the date of the Comfort Letter is delivered, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the PCAOB, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings.

(r) Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase the Securities to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Securities to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement other than the Placement Agent; provided, however, that the Company may bid for and purchase its Common Stock in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act.

(s) Investment Company Act. The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that it will not be or become, at any time prior to the

 

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termination of this Agreement, an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act, assuming no change in the Commission’s current interpretation as to entities that are not considered an investment company.

(t) Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of, or dealings in, the Placement Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof and the Prospectus.

(u) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all effective applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

(v) Regulation M. If the Company has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with respect to the Company or the Common Stock, it shall promptly notify the Placement Agent and sales of the Placement Securities under this Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions of Regulation M under the Exchange Act have been satisfied in the judgment of each party.

(w) REIT Qualification. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to enable the Company to meet the requirements to qualify as a REIT under the Code until the Board of Directors of the Company determines that it is no longer in the best interests of the Company to qualify as a REIT.

SECTION 8. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Expenses. The Company will pay all of the expenses it incurs that are incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment and supplement thereto, (ii) the word processing, printing and delivery to the Placement Agent of such documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Placement Securities to the Placement Agent, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any capital duties, stamp duties or other duties or taxes payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Securities to the Placement Agent, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company, (v) the qualification or exemption of the Placement Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof, excluding fees and disbursements of counsel for the Placement Agent in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplements thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Placement Agent of copies of any permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any reasonable costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Placement Agent to investors, (vii) the fees and expenses of the transfer agent and registrar for the Securities, (viii) the filing

 

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fees incident to the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, and (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Placement Securities on the NYSE. The Placement Agent will pay all of the expenses it incurs that are incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, other than those set forth in the preceding sentence.

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Placement Agent in accordance with the provisions of Section 12(a)(i) hereof or by the Company pursuant to Section 12(b) hereof, each of the Company and the Placement Agent shall be responsible to pay for their respective actually incurred out-of-pocket expense, including fees and disbursements of their respective counsel, through the date of such termination.

SECTION 9. Conditions of the Placement Agent’s Obligations.

The obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement or in certificates of any officer of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Opinions of Company Counsel and Counsel to the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent shall have received the opinions of Company Counsel and Counsel to the Placement Agent required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(p) hereof on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(p) hereof.

(b) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective and shall be available for (i) all sales of Placement Securities issued pursuant to all prior Placement Notices and (ii) the sale of all Placement Securities contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice.

(c) No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any material document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any

 

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material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or such documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, that in the case of the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(d) No Misstatement or Material Omission. The Placement Agent shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in the Placement Agent’s reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in the Placement Agent’s opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(e) Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, or disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.

(f) Representation Certificate. The Placement Agent shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(o).

(g) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. The Placement Agent shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant Section 7(q) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(q).

(h) Approval for Listing. The Placement Securities shall either have been (i) approved for listing on NYSE, subject only to notice of issuance, or (ii) the Company shall have filed an application for listing of the Placement Securities on NYSE at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.

(i) No Suspension. Trading in the Securities shall not have been suspended on the NYSE.

(j) Additional Documents. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(o), counsel for the Placement Agent shall have been furnished with such documents as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, contained in this Agreement.

(k) Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

 

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(l) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section 9 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Placement Agent by notice to the Company, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that, in the case of any termination of this Agreement, Sections 5, 10, 11 and 19 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Indemnity and Contribution by the Company and the Placement Agent.

(a) Indemnification by Company. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its directors, officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls the Placement Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each affiliate of the Placement Agent within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever as incurred (including but not limited to attorneys’ fees and any and all expenses whatsoever incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any supplement thereto or amendment thereof, or in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or in any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state (A) in the Registration Statement, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (B) in the Prospectus, or in any supplement thereto or amendment thereof, or in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent but only to the extent that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Placement Agent expressly for use therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have, including but not limited to other liability under this Agreement.

The Placement Agent shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its affiliates and their respective directors, officers and employees, and each other person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever as incurred (including but not limited to attorneys’ fees and any and all expenses whatsoever incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or

 

24


threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, as originally filed or any amendment thereof, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in the Prospectus, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Placement Agent specifically for use therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Placement Agent may otherwise have, including but not limited to other liability under this Agreement.

Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 10 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 10, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; provided, however, that the failure to so notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under this Section 10 and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, that if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 10 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be

 

25


liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (other than local counsel), reasonably approved by the indemnifying party (or by the Placement Agent in the case of Section 10), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.

The indemnifying party under this Section 10 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be withheld unreasonably; provided, however, that if any proceeding is settled with such consent or if there is a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this Section 10, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(b) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 10(a) is for any reason unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions or inaccuracies in the representations and warranties herein which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discount received by the Placement Agent bear to the aggregate initial

 

26


public offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact or any such inaccurate or alleged inaccurate representation or warranty relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Placement Agent, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in this Section 10, any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in this Section 10 with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 10; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under this Section 10 for purposes of indemnification.

The Company and the Placement Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 10.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, the Placement Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by it in connection with the Securities distributed by it pursuant to this Agreement. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 10, each director, officer, employee and agent of the Placement Agent and each person, if any, who controls the Placement Agent within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Placement Agent, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Placement Agent with respect to indemnification.

SECTION 11. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery.

All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent or controlling person, or by or on behalf of the Company, and shall survive delivery of the Securities to the Placement Agent.

 

27


SECTION 12. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination; General. The Placement Agent may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, as hereinafter specified at any time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the date as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Change, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Placement Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in the Placement Securities has been suspended or limited by the Commission or the NYSE, or if trading generally on the NYSE Amex, the NYSE or the Nasdaq Global Market has been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, the FINRA or any other governmental authority, or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or in Europe, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

(b) Termination by the Company. The Company shall have the right, by giving one (1) day notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12(b), any outstanding Placement Notices shall also be terminated.

(c) Termination by the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent shall have the right, by giving one (1) day notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12(c), any outstanding Placement Notices shall also be terminated.

(d) Automatic Termination. Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 12, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Placement Securities through the Placement Agent on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein.

(e) Continued Force and Effect. This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 9 or 12(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties.

(f) Effectiveness of Termination. Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Placement Agent or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Securities, such Placement Securities shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

28


(g) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section 12, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 8 hereof, and except that, in the case of any termination of this Agreement, Section 5, Section 10, Section 11 and Section 19 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 13. Notices.

Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, all notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Placement Agent shall be directed to the Placement Agent at JMP Securities LLC, 600 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, California 94111, Facsimile: (415)  ###-###-####, Attention: Equity Securities and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at the offices of the Company at 437 Madison Avenue, 33rd Floor, New York, New York 10022, Attention: Kevin E. Grant, Chief Executive Officer, with a copy to the Company’s counsel at Hunton & Williams LLP, Riverfront Plaza, East Tower, 951 East Byrd Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, Attention: S. Gregory Cope.

SECTION 14. Parties.

This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Placement Agent, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Placement Agent, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Section 10 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Placement Agent, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from the Placement Agent shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 15. Adjustments for Stock Splits.

The parties acknowledge and agree that all stock-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any stock split, stock dividend or similar event effected with respect to the Securities.

SECTION 16. Governing Law and Time.

THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

29


SECTION 17. Effect of Headings.

The Section and Exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 18. Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.

The Company represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Placement Agent, and the Placement Agent represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Placement Agent or by the Company, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents and warrants that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. For the purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that all free writing prospectuses, if any, listed in Exhibit D hereto are Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.

SECTION 19. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship.

The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

(a) The Placement Agent is acting solely as agent and/or principal in connection with the public offering of the Securities and in connection with each transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transactions, and no fiduciary or advisory relationship between the Company or any of its respective affiliates, stockholders (or other equity holders), creditors or employees or any other party, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand, has been or will be created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether or not the Placement Agent has advised or is advising the Company on other matters, and the Placement Agent has no obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement;

(b) the public offering price of the Securities was not established by the Placement Agent; it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(c) the Placement Agent has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and it has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate;

 

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(d) it is aware that the Placement Agent and its respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and the Placement Agent has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and

(e) it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Placement Agent for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Placement Agent shall not have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of it or the Company, employees or creditors of Company.

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement by and among the Placement Agent and, the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
CYPRESS SHARPRIDGE INVESTMENTS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Kevin E. Grant

  Kevin E. Grant, Chief Executive Officer

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, as of the date first above written:

 

JMP SECURITIES LLC
By:  

/s/ Kent Ledbetter

  Authorized Signatory

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement by and between

Cypress Sharpridge Investments, Inc. and JMP Securities LLC


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF PLACEMENT NOTICE

From:

To:

Cc:

Subject: Cypress Sharpridge Investments, Inc. Equity Distribution—Placement Notice

Gentlemen:

Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Equity Distribution Agreement between Cypress Sharpridge Investments, Inc. (the “Company”) and JMP Securities LLC (the “Placement Agent”) dated June 7, 2011 (the “Agreement”), I hereby request on behalf of the Company that the Placement Agent sell up to [—] shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, at a minimum market price of $[—] per share.

[ADDITIONAL SALES PARAMETERS MAY BE ADDED, SUCH AS THE MAXIMUM AGGREGATE OFFERING PRICE, THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH SALES ARE REQUESTED TO BE MADE, SPECIFIC DATES THE SHARES MAY NOT BE SOLD ON, THE MANNER IN WHICH SALES ARE TO BE MADE BY THE PLACEMENT AGENT, AND/OR THE CAPACITY IN WHICH THE PLACEMENT AGENT MAY ACT IN SELLING SHARES (AS PRINCIPAL, AGENT, OR BOTH)]

 

A-1


EXHIBIT B

AUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS FOR PLACEMENT NOTICES AND ACCEPTANCES

 

B-1


EXHIBIT C

COMPENSATION

The Placement Agent shall be paid compensation of up to 2.00% of the gross proceeds from the sale of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

 

C-1


EXHIBIT D

ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES

None

 

D-1


EXHIBIT E1

FORM OF INITIAL CORPORATE OPINION OF HUNTON & WILLIAMS LLP

 

E-1


EXHIBIT E2

FORM OF SUBSEQUENT CORPORATE OPINION OF HUNTON & WILLIAMS LLP

 

E2-1


EXHIBIT F

FORM OF TAX OPINION OF HUNTON & WILLIAMS LLP

 

F-1


EXHIBIT G

OFFICERS’ CERTIFICATE

The undersigned Frances R. Spark and Thomas A. Rosenbloom are the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and Secretary, respectively, of Cypress Sharpridge Investments, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”). The undersigned hereby execute this Certificate as of the date hereof in connection with the Representation Date pursuant to the terms of that certain Equity Distribution Agreement, dated June 7, 2011 (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”), between the Company and JMP Securities LLC. Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Equity Distribution Agreement.

The undersigned each hereby further certifies, in their respective capacities as officers of the Company and not in any individual capacity that:

 

  1. The representations and warranties of the Company in the Equity Distribution Agreement are true and correct, as if made on and as of the date hereof; provided, however, that any representation or warranty that is not qualified as to materiality is true and correct in all material respects, as if made on and as of the date hereof;

 

  2. The Company has complied with all of its obligations and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied under the Equity Distribution Agreement at or prior to the date hereof;

 

  3. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

 

  4. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, there has not been (A) any Material Adverse Change, (B) any transaction that is material to the Company, (C) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company incurred by the Company, or (D) any change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness of the Company that is material to the Company; and

 

  5. Each of Hunton & Williams LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is entitled to rely on this Officers’ Certificate in connection with the opinion that each firm is rendering pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement.

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G-1


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have signed their names on this      day of             ,         .

 

CYPRESS SHARPRIDGE INVESTMENTS, INC.
By:  

 

  Frances R. Spark, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
By:  

 

  Thomas A. Rosenbloom, Secretary

 

G-2