as Exhibit 1.1, the Placement Agency Agreement

Contract Categories: Business Operations - Agency Agreements
EX-1.1 2 a52974exv1w1.htm EX-1.1 exv1w1
Exhibit 1.1
1,500,000 Shares
FUEL SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS, INC.
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share
PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
June 22, 2009
Needham & Company, LLC
445 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Ladies and Gentlemen:
     Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the purchasers, pursuant to the terms of this Placement Agency Agreement (this “Agreement”) and the Subscription Agreements in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (the “Subscription Agreements”) entered into with the purchasers identified therein (each a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”), up to an aggregate of 1,500,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) of the Company. The aggregate of 1,500,000 shares so proposed to be sold is hereinafter referred to as the “Shares.” The Company hereby confirms its agreement with Needham & Company, LLC to act as Placement Agent (“Needham”, or the “Placement Agent”) in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof.
          1. Agreement to Act as Placement Agent.
     On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement:
     (a) The Company hereby authorizes the Placement Agent to act as its sole agent to solicit offers for the purchase of all or part of the Shares from the Company in connection with the proposed offering of the Shares (the “Offering”). Until the Closing Date (as defined in Section 3 hereof), the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, solicit or accept offers to purchase Shares otherwise than through the Placement Agent.
     (b) The Company hereby acknowledges that the Placement Agent has agreed, as agent of the Company, to use its commercially reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the Shares from the Company on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus (as defined below). The Placement Agent shall use commercially reasonable best efforts to assist the Company in obtaining performance by each Purchaser whose offer to purchase Shares has been solicited by the Placement Agent and accepted by the Company, but the Placement Agent shall not, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, be obligated to disclose the identity of any potential purchaser or have any liability to the Company in the event any such purchase is not consummated for any reason. Under no circumstances will the Placement Agent be obligated to underwrite or

 


 

purchase any Shares for its own account and, in soliciting purchases of Shares, the Placement Agent shall act solely as the Company’s agent and not as principal. Notwithstanding the foregoing and except as otherwise provided in Section 2(c), it is understood and agreed that the Placement Agent (or its affiliates) may, solely at its discretion and without any obligation to do so, purchase Shares as principal.
     (c) Subject to the provisions of this Section 1, offers for the purchase of Shares may be solicited by the Placement Agent as agent for the Company at such times and in such amounts as the Placement Agent deems advisable. The Placement Agent shall communicate to the Company orally or in writing, each reasonable offer (including the identity of the potential purchaser) to purchase Shares received by it as agent of the Company. The Company shall have the sole right to accept offers to purchase the Shares and may reject any such offer, in whole or in part. The Placement Agent shall have the right, in its discretion reasonably exercised, without notice to the Company, to reject any offer to purchase Shares received by it, in whole or in part, and any such rejection shall not be deemed a breach of its agreement contained herein.
     (d) The Shares are being sold to the Purchasers at a price of $20.00 per share. The purchases of the Shares by the Purchasers shall be evidenced by the execution of a Subscription Agreement by each of the Purchasers and the Company.
     (e) As compensation for services rendered, on the Closing Date (as defined in Section 3 hereof), the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts designated by the Placement Agent, an aggregate amount equal to six percent (6.0%) of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Shares on such Closing Date (the “Placement Fee”).
     (f) No Shares which the Company has agreed to sell pursuant to this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements shall be deemed to have been purchased and paid for, or sold by the Company, until such Shares shall have been delivered to the Purchaser thereof against payment in full by such Purchaser. If the Company shall default in its obligations to deliver Shares to a Purchaser whose offer it has accepted, the Company shall indemnify and hold the Placement Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage or expense arising from or as a result of such default by the Company in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 7(c) herein.
          2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Placement Agent and the Purchasers that:
     (a) The Company meets the requirements for the use of Form S-3. A registration statement (Registration No. 333-159624) on Form S-3 relating to the Shares, including a base prospectus relating to the Shares (the “Base Prospectus”) and such amendments thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement, has been prepared by the Company under the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations (collectively referred to as the

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Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder, and has been filed with and has been declared effective by the Commission, and the offering of the Shares complies with Rule 415 under the Securities Act. A final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus relating to the Shares and the offering thereof will be filed promptly by the Company with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations (such final prospectus supplement, as so filed, the “Prospectus Supplement”). Such registration statement at any given time, including the amendments thereto to such time, the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by the Rules and Regulations (including Rule 430B thereof), and any registration statement relating to the offering contemplated by this Agreement and filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 462(b)”), is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The term “preliminary prospectus” means the any preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Shares and the offering thereof as first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). The term “Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus together with the Prospectus Supplement, except that if such Base Prospectus is amended or supplemented on or prior to the date on which the Prospectus Supplement was first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b), the term “Prospectus” shall mean the Base Prospectus as so amended or supplemented and as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus 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, the Base Prospectus, a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), after the time the Registration Statement initially became effective (the “Effective Date”), the date of the Base Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. The term “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Shares that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company or (ii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed , in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
     No order preventing or suspending the use of the Base Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (including any related registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b)) or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission. On the Effective Date, on the date the Base Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus is first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (if required), at all times during the period through and including the Closing

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Date and when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus is filed with the Commission, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (as amended or as supplemented if the Company shall have filed with the Commission any amendment or supplement thereto), including the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, did and will comply with all applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act (the “Exchange Act Rules and Regulations”), and the Rules and Regulations and will contain all statements required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the Exchange Act Rules and Regulations, and the Rules and Regulations. As of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement, no part of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement thereto did or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. At the Effective Date, the date the Base Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to the Base Prospectus, including any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, is filed with the Commission, the date of first use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, and at the Closing Date and, if later, the Option Closing Date, the Prospectus did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
     As of the Applicable Time, neither (x) any General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Pricing Prospectus (as defined below) and the documents listed on Schedule I hereto, each as applicable, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (y) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
     As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
     “Applicable Time” means 5:00 pm (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Placement Agent.
     “General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule I hereto.
     “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
     “Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
     “Pricing Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as amended or supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by

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reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof. For purposes of this definition, information contained in a form of prospectus that is deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B shall be considered to be included in the Pricing Prospectus only if the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) is prior to the Applicable Time.
     Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Shares or until any earlier date that the issuer notified or notifies the Placement Agent as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. If there occurs an event or development as a result of which the General Disclosure Package would include an untrue statement of a material fact or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Placement Agent so that any use of the General Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented to correct untrue statement or omission.
     The foregoing representations and warranties in this Section 2(a) do not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to the Placement Agent furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus Supplement, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto. The Company acknowledges that (i) the statements set forth in the last paragraph on the front cover page concerning the terms of the offering by the Placement Agent and (ii) the statements concerning the Placement Agent contained in the first paragraph under the heading “Plan of Distribution” (the “Placement Agent’s Information”) in the Prospectus Supplement and the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus constitute the only information relating to the Placement Agent furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus Supplement, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.

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     (b) The documents that are incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, and the Prospectus or from which information is so incorporated by reference, when they became or become effective or were or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the Rules and Regulations or the Exchange Act Rules and Regulations, as applicable; and any documents so filed and incorporated by reference subsequent to the Effective Date shall, when they are filed with the Commission, comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the Rules and Regulations or the Exchange Act Rules and Regulations, as applicable.
     (c) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Shares or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Placement Agent as described in Section 4(e), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict in any material respect with the information contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified, or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the subsequent time, not misleading. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Placement Agent’s Information.
     (d) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any 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; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission , as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain any 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 light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
     (e) The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the Offering other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Securities Act and consistent with Section

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4(b) below. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (other than a “road show,” as defined in Rule 433(d)(8) of the Rules and Regulations), if any, in the time and manner required under Rules 163(b)(2) and 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations.
     (f) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (as defined in Section 14) have been duly organized and are validly existing as corporations or other legal entities in good standing (or the foreign equivalent thereof) under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing as foreign corporations or other legal entities in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses require such qualification and have all power and authority (corporate or other) necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to so qualify or have such power or authority (i) would not have, singularly or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, assets, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (ii) impair in any material respect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or the Subscription Agreements or to consummate any transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Subscription Agreements, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (any such effect as described in clauses (i) or (ii), a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company owns or controls, directly or indirectly, only the corporations, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or other entities set forth in Schedule C, annexed hereto.
     (g) The Company has the full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, each of the Subscription Agreements and that certain Escrow Agreement (the “Escrow Agreement”) dated as of the date hereof by and among the Company, the Placement Agent and the escrow agent named therein, and to perform and to discharge its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and each of this Agreement, each of the Subscription Agreements and the Escrow Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes a 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 the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (whether enforcement is sought by proceedings in equity or at law), and except insofar as the indemnification provisions hereof may be limited by considerations of public policy.
     (h) The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the Purchasers hereunder and under the Subscription Agreements have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein and the Subscription Agreements, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of any preemptive or similar rights and will conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

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     (i) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws, and conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. As of April 30, 2009, there were 16,074,276 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding and no shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 of the Company issued and outstanding, excluding treasury shares, and 30,165 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the vesting of restricted stock and 90,100 shares issuable upon the exercise of all options, warrants and convertible securities outstanding as of such date. Since such date, the Company has not issued any securities, other than Common Stock of the Company issued pursuant to the exercise of stock options previously outstanding under the Company’s stock option plans or the issuance of restricted Common Stock pursuant to employee benefit plans. All of the Company’s options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and were issued in compliance with US federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding shares of capital stock, options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described above or accurately described in the General Disclosure Package. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fairly present the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.
     (j) All the outstanding shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and, except to the extent set forth in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, are owned by the Company directly or indirectly through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries, free and clear of any claim, lien, encumbrance, security interest, restriction upon voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
     (k) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Subscription Agreements and the Escrow Agreement by the Company, the issue and sale of the Shares by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, constitute a default or Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, give rise to any right of termination or other right or the cancellation or acceleration of any right or obligation or loss of a benefit under, or give rise to the creation or imposition of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, claim or charge upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its

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subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, or result in any violations of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets, nor will such actions result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or analogous governing instruments, as applicable) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except for such conflicts, breaches, violations that would not singularly or in the aggregate cause a Material Adverse Effect. A “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
     (l) Except for the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, filings, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Exchange Act and applicable state or foreign securities laws, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and the Nasdaq Global Market in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares by the Company, no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, qualification or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic, which has not been made, obtained or taken and is not in full force and effect, is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Subscription Agreements and the Escrow Agreement by the Company, the offer or sale of the Shares or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.
     (m) BDO Seidman, LLP, who have certified certain financial statements and related schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and management’s assessment thereof, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”). Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and as pre-approved in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 10A of the Exchange Act, neither BDO Seidman, LLP nor PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (the Company’s current independent registered accounting firm) has been engaged by the Company to perform any “prohibited activities” (as defined in Section 10A of the Exchange Act).
     (n) The financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and in the Registration Statement fairly present in all material respects the financial position and the results of operations and changes in financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and other consolidated entities at the respective dates or for the respective periods therein specified. Such statements and related notes and schedules have been prepared in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the

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periods involved except as may be set forth in the related notes included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package. The financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Rules and Regulations. No other financial statements or supporting schedules or exhibits are required by the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations to be described, or included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. There is no pro forma or as adjusted financial information which is required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations which has not been included or incorporated as so required.
     (o) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package; and, since such date, there has not been any material change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any material adverse changes, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, assets, general affairs, management, financial position, prospects, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.
     (p) Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, there is no legal or governmental action, suit, claim or proceeding pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and is not described therein, or which, singularly or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect; and to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.
     (q) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in (i) violation of its charter or by-laws (or analogous governing instrument, as applicable), (ii) default in any respect, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease 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) violation in any respect of any law, ordinance, governmental rule, regulation or court order, decree or judgment to which it or its property or assets may be subject except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) of this

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paragraph (q), for any violations or defaults which, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
     (r) The Company and each of its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate local, state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies which are necessary or desirable for the ownership of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Governmental Permits”) except where any failures to possess or make the same, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in material compliance with all such Governmental Permits; all such Governmental Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the validity or failure to be in full force and effect would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. All such Governmental Permits are free and clear of any restriction or condition that are in addition to, or materially different from those normally applicable to similar licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received notification of any revocation or modification (or proceedings related thereto) of any such Governmental Permit and the Company has no reason to believe that any such Governmental Permit will not be renewed.
     (s) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is or, after giving effect to the offering of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will become an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
     (t) Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ officers, directors or affiliates has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed or intended to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which caused or resulted in, or which might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company.
     (u) The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess the right to use all patents, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, software, databases, know-how, Internet domain names, trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures, and other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on their respective businesses as currently conducted, and as proposed to be conducted and described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and the Company is not aware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to the foregoing except for those that could not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Intellectual Property licenses described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are valid, binding upon, and enforceable by or against the parties thereto in accordance to its terms. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have

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complied in all material respects with, and are not in breach nor have received any asserted or threatened claim of breach of, any Intellectual Property license, and the Company has no knowledge of any breach or anticipated breach by any other person to any Intellectual Property license. The Company’s and each of its subsidiaries’ businesses as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted do not and will not infringe or conflict with any patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, licenses or other Intellectual Property or franchise right of any person. No claim has been made against the Company or any of its subsidiaries alleging the infringement by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any patent, trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, trade secret, license in or other intellectual property right or franchise right of any person. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have taken all reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard their rights in all Intellectual Property, including the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in the loss or impairment of or payment of any additional amounts with respect to, nor require the consent of any other person in respect of, the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ right to own, use or hold for use any of the Intellectual Property as owned, used or held for use in the conduct of the businesses as currently conducted. With respect to the use of the software in the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ businesses as they are currently conducted, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has experienced any material defects in such software including any material error or omission in the processing of any transactions other than defects which have been corrected, and to the knowledge of the Company, no such software contains any device or feature designed to disrupt, disable, or otherwise impair the functioning of any software or is subject to the terms of any “open source” or other similar license that provides for the source code of the software to be publicly distributed or dedicated to the public. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have at all times complied with all applicable laws relating to privacy, data protection, and the collection and use of personal information collected, used, or held for use by the Company and any of its subsidiaries in the conduct of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ businesses. No claims have been asserted or threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries alleging a violation of any person’s privacy or personal information or data rights and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not breach or otherwise cause any violation of any law related to privacy, data protection, or the collection and use of personal information collected, used, or held for use by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the conduct of the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ businesses. The Company and each of its subsidiaries take reasonable measures to ensure that such information is protected against unauthorized access, use, modification, or other misuse.
     (v) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real or personal property which are material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests, claims and defects that do not, singularly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one

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enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries hold properties described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.
     (w) There is no document, contract, permit or instrument, affiliate transaction or off-balance sheet transaction (including, without limitation, any “variable interests” in “variable interest entities,” as such terms are defined in Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46) of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that is not so described or filed as required.
     (x) No labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, that could reasonably be expected, singularly or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware that any key employee or significant group of employees of the Company or any subsidiary plans to terminate employment with the Company or any such subsidiary.
     (y) No “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”), or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”)) or “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA) or any of the events set forth in Section 4043(b) of ERISA (other than events with respect to which the thirty (30)-day notice requirement under Section 4043 of ERISA has been waived) has occurred or could reasonably be expected to occur with respect to any employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which could, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Each employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with applicable law, including ERISA and the Code. The Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred and could not reasonably be expected to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of, or withdrawal from, any pension plan (as defined in ERISA). Each pension plan for which the Company or any of its subsidiaries would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which could, singularly or in the aggregate, cause the loss of such qualification.
     (z) The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with all foreign, federal, state and local rules, laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or waste and protection of health and safety or the environment which are applicable to their businesses (“Environmental Laws”),

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except where the failure to comply would not reasonably likely be expected to, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind of toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances by, due to, or caused by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may otherwise be liable) upon any of the property now or previously owned or leased by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or upon any other property, in violation of any law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit or which would, under any law, statute, ordinance, rule (including rule of common law), regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit, give rise to any liability, except for any violation or liability which would not have, singularly or in the aggregate with all such violations and liabilities, a Material Adverse Effect; and there has been no disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind onto such property or into the environment surrounding such property of any toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances with respect to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries has knowledge, except for any such disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind which would not have, singularly or in the aggregate with all such discharges and other releases, a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice from any governmental authority or third party of an asserted claim under Environmental Laws. In the ordinary course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries conduct periodic reviews of the effect of Environmental Laws on their business and assets, in the course of which they identify and evaluate associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or Governmental Permits issued thereunder, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such reviews, the Company and its subsidiaries have reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not have, singularly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
     (aa) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) have timely filed all necessary federal, state, local and foreign tax returns, and all such returns were true, complete and correct, (ii) have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes, assessments, governmental or other charges due and payable for which they are liable, including, without limitation, all sales and use taxes and all taxes which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is obligated to withhold from amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties, and (iii) do not have any tax deficiency or claims outstanding or assessed or, to the best of their knowledge, proposed against any of them, except those, in each of the cases described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (aa), that would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries each have not engaged in any transaction which is a corporate tax shelter or which is reasonably likely to be characterized as such by the Internal Revenue Service or any other taxing authority. The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable period not yet finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments and related liabilities for any such period, and since December 31, 2008 the Company and its subsidiaries each have not incurred any liability for taxes other than in the ordinary course.

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     (bb) The Company and each of its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance provided by recognized and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have been denied any insurance coverage that they have sought or for which they have applied.
     (cc) The Company and its subsidiaries each maintain a system of internal accounting and other 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 accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there as been (A) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
     (dd) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-14(c) under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within the Company; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
     (ee) There are no affiliations or associations between any member of FINRA and any of the Company’s officers, directors, or 5% or greater security-holders, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
     (ff) The minute books of the Company and each of its subsidiaries that would be a “significant subsidiary” within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act (such a significant subsidiary of the Company, a “Significant Subsidiary”) have been made available to the Placement Agent and counsel for the Placement Agent, and such books (i) contain a complete summary in all material respects of all meetings and actions of the board of directors (including each board committee) and shareholders of the Company (or analogous governing bodies and interest holders, as applicable), and each of its Significant Subsidiaries since the time of its respective

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incorporation or organization through the date of the latest meeting and action, and (ii) accurately in all material respects reflect all transactions referred to in such minutes.
     (gg) There is no franchise, lease, contract, agreement or document required by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations to be described in the General Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or a document incorporated by reference therein which is not described or filed therein as required; and all descriptions of any such franchises, leases, contracts, agreements or documents contained in the Registration Statement or in a document incorporated by reference therein are accurate and complete descriptions of such documents in all material respects. Other than as described in the General Disclosure Package, no such franchise, lease, contract or agreement has been suspended or terminated for convenience or default by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of the other parties thereto, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice nor does the Company have any other knowledge of any such pending or threatened suspension or termination, except for such pending or threatened suspensions or terminations that would not reasonably be expected to, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
     (hh) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company and any of its subsidiaries on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders (or analogous interest holders), customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their affiliates on the other hand, which is required to be described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and which is not so described.
     (ii) No person or entity has the right to require registration of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries because of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or otherwise, except for persons and entities who have expressly waived such right in writing or who have been given timely and proper written notice and have failed to exercise such right within the time or times required under the terms and conditions of such right. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, there are no persons with registration rights or similar rights to have any securities registered by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under the Securities Act.
     (jj) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries owns any “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of the sale of the Shares will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Shares to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.
     (kk) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person that would give rise to a valid claim against

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the Company or the Placement Agent for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares or any transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
     (ll) No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in either the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
     (mm) The Company is subject to and in compliance in all material respects with the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (the “Nasdaq GM”), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or reasonably likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from the Nasdaq GM, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or Nasdaq GM or is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, notification or registration with, the Nasdaq GM is required for the listing and trading of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq GM, except for (i) a Notification Form: Listing of Additional Shares and (ii) a Notification Form: Change in the Number of Shares Outstanding.
     (nn) The Company is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”).
     (oo) The Company is in compliance with all applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules that are then in effect.
     (pp) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state, local or foreign office in violation of any law (including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended) or of the character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein.
     (qq) There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company, any of its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structure finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ liquidity or the availability of or requirements for their capital resources required to be described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein which have not been described as required.

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     (rr) There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
     (ss) The statistical and market related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree in all material respects with the sources from which they are derived.
     (tt) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending, or to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
     (uu) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
     (vv) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary nor any of their affiliates (within the meaning of FINRA Conduct Rule 2720(b)(1)(a)) directly or indirectly controls, are controlled by, or is under common control with, or is an associated person (within the meaning of Article I, Section 1(ee) of the By-laws of FINRA) of, any member firm of FINRA.
     (ww) The Company satisfies the pre-1992 eligibility requirements for the use of a registration statement on Form S-3 in connection with the Offering contemplated thereby (the pre-1992 eligibility requirements for the use of the registration statement on Form S-3 include (i) having a non-affiliate, public common equity float of at least $150 million, or a non-affiliate, public common equity float of at least $100 million and annual trading volume of at least three million shares and (ii) having been subject to the Exchange Act reporting requirements for a period of 36 months).
     (xx) No approval of the shareholders of the Company under the rules and regulations of Nasdaq (including Rule 5635 of the Nasdaq Listing Rules) is required for the Company to issue and deliver to the Purchasers the Shares.

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Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Company and delivered to the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers as to the matters covered thereby.

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          3. The Closing. The time and date of closing and delivery of the documents required to be delivered to the Placement Agent pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof shall be at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on June 26, 2009 (the “Closing Date”) at the office of Day Pitney LLP, 7 Times Square, New York, NY 10036.
          4. Further Agreements Of The Company. The Company agrees with the Placement Agent and the Purchasers:
     (a) To prepare the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if necessary, in a form approved by the Placement Agent and file such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission on the date hereof; to prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Placement Agent containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on rules 430A, 430B and 430C and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations not later than the second (2nd) business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations; to notify the Placement Agent immediately of the Company’s intention to file or prepare any supplement or amendment to any Registration Statement or to the Prospectus and to make no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or to the Prospectus to which the Placement Agent shall reasonably object by notice to the Company after a reasonable period to review; to advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to any Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Placement Agent copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) or 163(b)(2), as the case may be; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules and Regulations) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares; to advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, and promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order.
     (b) The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Placement Agent, it has not made and will not, make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the

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Rules and Regulations unless the prior written consent of the Placement Agent has been received (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Placement Agent hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included in Schedule A hereto. The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Rules and Regulations applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and will not take any action that would result in the Placement Agent or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Placement Agent that such Placement Agent otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
     (c) If at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, any event occurs or condition exists as a result of which the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or the Registration Statement, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or if for any other reason it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement any Registration Statement or the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Company will promptly notify the Placement Agent, and upon the Placement Agent’s request, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, at the Company’s expense, an amendment to the Registration Statement or an amendment or supplement to the Prospectus that corrects such statement or omission or effects such compliance and will deliver to the Placement Agent, without charge, such number of copies thereof as the Placement Agent may reasonably request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by the Placement Agent.
     (d) If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Placement Agent, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement then on file and not superseded or modified, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Placement Agent and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, be

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misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.
     (e) If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus or Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof and not superseded or modified or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Placement Agent so that any use of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus may cease until it is amended or supplemented and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Placement Agent’s Information.
     (f) Upon request of the Placement Agent, to furnish promptly to the Placement Agent and to counsel for the Placement Agent a signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission, and of each amendment thereto filed with the Commission, including all consents and exhibits filed therewith.
     (g) To deliver promptly to the Placement Agent in New York City such number of the following documents as the Placement Agent shall reasonably request: (i) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission (in each case excluding exhibits), (ii) any Preliminary Prospectus, (iii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iv) the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (v) conformed copies of any amendment to the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits), (vi) any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (v) and (vi) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such amendment or supplement) and (vii) any document incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (excluding exhibits thereto) (the delivery of the documents referred to in clause (vi) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such document).
     (h) To make generally available to its shareholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen (18) months after the effective date of each Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) of the Rules and Regulations), an

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earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158); and to furnish to its shareholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and as soon as possible after each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the first fiscal quarter after the effective date of such Registration Statement), consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail.
     (i) To take promptly from time to time such actions as the Placement Agent may reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Placement Agent may designate and to continue such qualifications in effect, and to comply with such laws, for so long as required to permit the offer and sale of Shares in such jurisdictions; provided that the Company and its subsidiaries shall not be obligated to qualify as foreign corporations in any jurisdiction in which they are not so qualified or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.
     (j) Upon request, during the period of five (5) years from the date hereof, to the extent not available on the Commission’s EDGAR system, to deliver to the Placement Agent, (i) as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications furnished to shareholders, and (ii) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system on which the Shares are listed or quoted.
     (k) That the Company will not, for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of the Prospectus, (the “Lock-Up Period”) without the prior written consent of Needham, directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, other than the Company’s sale of the Shares hereunder and the issuance of restricted Common Stock or options to acquire Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans as such plans are in existence on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus and the issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the valid exercises of options, warrants or rights outstanding on the date hereof. The Company will cause each executive officer, director, shareholder, optionholder and warrantholder listed in Schedule B to furnish to the Placement Agent, prior to the Closing Date, a letter, substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, pursuant to which each such person shall agree, among other things, not to directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, not to engage in any swap or other agreement or arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic risk of ownership of Common Stock or any such securities and not to engage in any short selling of any Common Stock or any such securities, during the Lock-Up Period, without the prior written consent of Needham.

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The Company also agrees that during such period, the Company will not file any registration statement, preliminary prospectus or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, under the Securities Act for any such transaction or which registers, or offers for sale, Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, except for a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to employee benefit plans. The Company hereby agrees that (i) if it issues an earnings release or material news, or if a material event relating to the Company occurs, during the last seventeen (17) days of the Lock-Up Period, or (ii) if prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16)-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by this paragraph (k) or the letter shall continue to apply until the expiration of the eighteen (18)-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
     (l) To supply the Placement Agent with copies of all correspondence to and from, and all documents issued to and by, the Commission in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein.
     (m) Prior to the Closing Date, to furnish to the Placement Agent, as soon as they have been prepared, copies of any unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company for any periods subsequent to the periods covered by the financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
     (n) Prior to the Closing Date, not to issue any press release or other communication directly or indirectly or hold any press conference with respect to the Company, its condition, financial or otherwise, or earnings, business affairs or business prospects (except for routine oral marketing communications in the ordinary course of business and consistent with the past practices of the Company and of which the Placement Agent is notified), without prior written notice to and consent of the Placement Agent, unless in the judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification to the Placement Agent, such press release or communication is required by law.
     (o) Until the Placement Agent shall have notified the Company of the completion of the offering of the Shares, that the Company will not, and will cause its affiliated purchasers (as defined in Regulation M under the Exchange Act) not to, either alone or with one or more other persons, bid for or purchase, for any account in which it or any of its affiliated purchasers has a beneficial interest, any Shares, or attempt to induce any person to purchase any Shares; and not to, and to cause its affiliated purchasers not to, make bids or purchase for the purpose of creating actual, or apparent, active trading in or of raising the price of the Shares.
     (p) Not to take any action prior to the Closing Date that would require the Prospectus to be amended or supplemented pursuant to Section 4(c).

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     (q) To at all times comply with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in effect from time to time.
     (r) To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”
     (s) To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Shares on the Nasdaq GM, and effect and maintain the quotation of the Shares on the Nasdaq GM.
     (t) To use its best efforts to do and perform all things required to be done or performed under this Agreement by the Company prior to the Closing Date and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Shares.
          5. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay, or reimburse if paid by the Placement Agent, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated: (a) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares to the Purchasers and any taxes payable in that connection; (b) the costs incident to the Registration of the Shares under the Securities Act; (c) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and distribution of the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto or any document incorporated by reference therein and the costs of printing, reproducing and distributing any transaction document by mail, telex or other means of communications; (d) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with securing any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares and any filings made with FINRA; (e) any applicable listing, quotation or other fees; (f) the fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses of counsel to the Placement Agent) of qualifying the Shares under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 4(i) and of preparing, printing and distributing wrappers, Blue Sky Memoranda and Legal Investment Surveys; (g) the cost of preparing and printing stock certificates; (h) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares; (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel to the Placement Agent, not to exceed $25,000, (j) the reasonable out of pocket costs and expenses incurred by the Placement Agent (excluding the fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel to the Placement Agent) as previously provided in Section 7 of the letter agreement, dated February 26, 2009 (the “Engagement Letter”) between the Company and the Placement Agent, and (k) all other costs and expenses incident to the offering of the Shares or the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s independent accountants and the travel and other expenses incurred by Company personnel in connection with any “road show” including, without limitation, any expenses advanced by the Placement Agent on the Company’s behalf (which will be promptly reimbursed.).

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          6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, and the Sale of the Shares. The respective obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder and the Purchasers under the Subscription Agreements, and the Closing of the sale of the Shares, are subject to the accuracy, when made and as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, to the accuracy in all material respects (except that any representation and warranty that is qualified as to materiality shall be true and correct in all respects) of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:
     (a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof, preventing or suspending the use of any Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Placement Agent; the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, and the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations and in accordance with Section 4(a), and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, shall have become effective immediately upon its filing with the Commission; and FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
     (b) The Placement Agent shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to the Closing Date that the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Placement Agent, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
     (c) All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of each of this Agreement, the Subscription Agreements, the Escrow Agreement, the Shares, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, and the Prospectus and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Placement Agent, and

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the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
     (d) Day Pitney LLP shall have furnished to the Placement Agent such counsel’s written opinion, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Placement Agent and dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent. Such counsel shall also have furnished to the Placement Agent a written statement, addressed to the Placement Agent and dated the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
     (e) The Placement Agent shall have received from Proskauer Rose LLP, counsel for the Placement Agent, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Placement Agent may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such document as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.
     (f) The Placement Agent shall have received from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, counsel for the Placement Agent, such negative assurances statement, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Placement Agent may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such document as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.
     (g) At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Placement Agent shall have received from BDO Siedman, LLP a letter, addressed to the Placement Agent, executed and dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent (i) confirming that they are an independent registered accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and PCAOB and (ii) stating the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
     (h) At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Placement Agent shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP a letter, addressed to the Placement Agent, executed and dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent (i) confirming that they are an independent registered accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and PCAOB and (ii) stating the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
     (i) On the effective date of any post-effective amendment to any Registration Statement and on the Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received a letter (the “Bring-Down Letter”) from PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP addressed to the Placement

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Agent and dated the Closing Date confirming, as of the date of the Bring-Down Letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of a date not more than three (3) business days prior to the date of the Bring-Down Letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by its letter delivered to the Placement Agent concurrently with the execution of this Agreement pursuant to paragraph (h) of this Section 6.
     (j) The Company shall have furnished to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers a certificate, dated the Closing Date, of its Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, its President or a Vice President and its chief financial officer stating that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, at the Applicable Time and as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as of its date and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Initial Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, as of the Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date, and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would involve a material adverse change or a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, assets or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, except as set forth in the Prospectus.
     (k) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package as of the date hereof, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, and (ii) there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or

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long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii) of this paragraph (k), is, in the judgment of the Placement Agent, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.
     (l) No action shall have been taken and no law, statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares or materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares or materially and adversely affect or potentially materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.
     (m) The Nasdaq GM shall have approved the Shares for listing therein, subject only to official notice of issuance.
     (n) The Placement Agent shall have received the written agreements, substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, of the executive officers, directors, shareholders, optionholders and warrantholders of the Company listed in Schedule B to this Agreement.
     (o) The Company shall have entered into Subscription Agreements with each of the Purchasers and such agreements shall be in full force and effect.
     (p) The Company shall have entered into the Escrow Agreement and such agreement shall be in full force and effect..
     (q) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Placement Agent such further information, opinions, certificates (including a Secretary’s Certificate), letters or documents as the Placement Agent shall have reasonably requested.
     All opinions, letters, evidence and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Placement Agent.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
     (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, managers, members, employees, representatives and agents and each person, if any, who controls the Placement Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (the “Placement Agent Indemnified Parties”), from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any and all investigative, legal and

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other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted), to which they, or any of them, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, the omission or alleged omission to state in such document a material fact required to be stated in it or necessary to make the statements in it not misleading in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, (ii) in whole or in part, any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, or (iii) any failure of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or under law in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable to the extent that such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage arises from the sale of the Shares to any Purchaser and is based on an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to the Placement Agent furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent’s Information in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus constitutes the only information relating to the Placement Agent furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.
     (b) The Placement Agent will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (the “Company Indemnified Parties”), to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Placement Agent, as set forth in Section 7(a), but only insofar as losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to the Placement Agent furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for use in any preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent’s Information in the Prospectus constitutes the only information relating to the Placement Agent furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for use in any preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. This indemnity will be in addition to any liability that the Placement Agent might otherwise have.

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     (c) Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 7 shall, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 7, notify each such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of such action, enclosing with such notice a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provisions of this Section 7 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the loss of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party, unless (i) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (ii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on written advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on written advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (iv) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action 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 an indemnified party. An indemnifying party will not be liable for any settlement of any action or claim

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effected without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
     (d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 7 in respect of any losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than the Placement Agent, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand, shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total Placement Fee received by the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand, with respect to the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Placement Agent, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Placement Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 7(d) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 7(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(d), in no case shall the Placement Agent be required to contribute any amount in excess of the Fee received by the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement. No person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act will have the

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same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against any such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 7(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify will not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 7(d). No party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld).
     (e) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 7 and the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, (ii) acceptance by the Purchasers of any of the Shares and payment therefor, or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.
          8. Termination. The obligations of the Placement Agent and the Purchasers under this Agreement and under the Subscription Agreements may be terminated at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, by notice to the Company from the Placement Agent, without liability on the part of the Placement Agent or the Purchasers to the Company if in the sole judgment of the Placement Agent, (i) trading in any of the equity securities of the Company shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the NASDAQ GM, (ii) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ GM shall have been suspended or limited or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on such exchange, or additional material governmental restrictions, not in force on the date of this Agreement, shall have been imposed upon trading in securities generally by such exchange, by order of the Commission or any court or other governmental authority, or by the NASDAQ GM, (iii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by either federal or New York State authorities or any material disruption of the securities settlement or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, or (iv) any material adverse change in the financial or securities markets in the United States or in political, financial or economic conditions in the United States, any outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States, a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States, or other calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, shall have occurred, the effect of which is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Placement Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with completion of the placement of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. In addition, the obligations of the Placement Agent and the Purchasers hereunder and under the Subscription Agreements may be terminated by the Placement Agent, in its absolute discretion by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Shares if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 6(k) and (l) have occurred or if the Purchasers shall

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decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement or the Subscription Agreements.
          9. Reimbursement of Placement Agent’s Expenses. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if (a) this Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to Section 8, (b) the Company shall fail to tender the Shares for delivery to the Purchasers for any reason not permitted under this Agreement or (c) the sale of the Shares is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Purchasers or the Placement Agent set forth herein is not satisfied or because of the refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to satisfy any condition or to comply with the provisions hereof, then in addition to the payment of amounts in accordance with Section 5, the Company shall reimburse the Placement Agent for the reasonable fees and expenses of the Placement Agent’s counsel not to exceed $100,000 and for such other out-of-pocket expenses as shall have been reasonably incurred by them in connection with this Agreement and the proposed purchase of the Shares, and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the Placement Agent.
          10. No Fiduciary Relationship. Notwithstanding any preexisting relationship, advisory or otherwise, between the parties or any oral representations or assurances previously or subsequently made by the Placement Agent, the Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements (including the determination of the terms of the offering of the Shares) is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the several Purchasers, (ii) the Placement Agent has not assumed any advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Placement Agent has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iii) the Placement Agent and its affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and have no obligation to disclose or account to the Company for any of such differing interests, and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal, tax, accounting and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.  The Company hereby agrees that it will not claim that the Placement Agent has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
          11. Successors; Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Placement Agent, the Company, and each of their respective successors and assigns. This Agreement shall also inure to the benefit of the Purchasers as against the Company, and their respective successors and assigns, which shall be third party beneficiaries hereof. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons mentioned in the preceding sentences, any legal or equitable right, remedy or

34


 

claim under or in respect of this Agreement, or any provisions herein contained, this Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof being intended to be and being for the sole and exclusive benefit of such persons and for the benefit of no other person; except that the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements and indemnities of the Company contained in this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of the Placement Agent Indemnified Parties and the indemnities of the Placement Agent shall be for the benefit of the Company Indemnified Parties. It is understood that the Placement Agent’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and the Placement Agent does not owe the Company, or any other party, any fiduciary duty as a result of this Agreement.
          12. Survival of Indemnities, Representations, Warranties, etc. The respective indemnities, covenants, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Placement Agent, as set forth in this Agreement or made by them respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the Company, the Purchasers or any person controlling any of them and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, including without limitation any termination pursuant to Sections 8 or 9, the indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 7. and the covenants, representations, warranties set forth in this Agreement shall not terminate and shall remain in full force and effect at all times.
          13. Notices. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:
     (a) if to the Placement Agent, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to Needham & Company, LLC, Attention: Peter Bennett, Fax: 212 ###-###-#### and email ***@***; and
     (b) if to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc., Attention: Matthew Beale, Fax: 714 ###-###-####, email ***@***.
Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof, except that any such statement, request, notice or agreement delivered or sent by email shall take effect at the time of confirmation of receipt thereof by the recipient thereof.
          14. Definition of Certain Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “business day” means any day on which the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. is open for trading and (b) “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.
          15. Governing Law, Agent For Service and Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law. No legal proceeding may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District

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Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company and the Placement Agent each hereby consent to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. The Company and the Placement Agent each hereby consent to personal jurisdiction, service and venue in any court in which any legal proceeding arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against the Company or the Placement Agent. The Company and the Placement Agent each hereby waive all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company agrees that a final judgment in any such legal proceeding brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and the Placement Agent and may be enforced in any other courts in the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.
          16. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph, clause or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
          17. General. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. In connection therewith, the Engagement Letter is hereby terminated and shall be of no further force and effect. In this Agreement, the masculine, feminine and neuter genders and the singular and the plural include one another. The section headings in this Agreement are for the convenience of the parties only and will not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended or modified, and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived, only by a writing signed by the Company and the Placement Agent.
          18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

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     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of the agreement between the Company and the Placement Agent, kindly indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.
Very truly yours,
         
  FUEL SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS, INC.
 
 
  By:    /s/ Matthew Beale  
    Name:    Matthew Beale  
    Title:    President  
 
Accepted as of the date
first above written:
         
NEEDHAM & COMPANY, LLC    
 
       
By:
  /s/ Stephan A. Leccese      
 
       
 
  Name: Stephan A. Leccese    
 
  Title: Managing Director    

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SCHEDULE A
General Use Free Writing Prospectuses
None.

 


 

SCHEDULE B
List of officers, directors, shareholders, optionholders and warrantholders subject to Section 4.
Mariano Costamanga
Pier Antonio Costamanga

 


 

SCHEDULE C
List of Company Subsidiaries
         
        State or province where
Name of subsidiary   Jurisdiction   registered/organized
IMPCO Technologies, Inc.
  United States   Delaware
Impco Technologies Pty. Ltd.
  Australia   Victoria
Impco Technologies (SA) Pty. Ltd.
  Australia   South Australia
Impco Technologies (NSW) Pty. Ltd.
  Australia   New South Wales
Impco Technologies Fuel Systems Pty, Ltd.
  Australia   New South Wales
Impco Technologies Japan, KK
  Japan   Fukuoka
Grupo IMPCO Mexicano
  Mexico   Estado de México
IMPCO BRC Mexicano
  Mexico   Estado de México
IMPCO Technologies B.V.
  Netherlands   Delfgauw, Holland
IMPCO Technologies, GmbH
  Germany   Grünberg, Germany
IMPCO Technologies, S.a.r.l.
  France   Genas Cedex, France
IMPCO Technologies, Ltd.
  United Kingdom   Malvern, U.K
B.R.C. S.r.L
  Italy   Cherasco (CN)
M.T.M. S.r.L.
  Italy   Cherasco (CN)
M.T.E. S.r.L.
  Italy   Cavallermaggiore (CN)
BRC Argentina S.A.
  Argentina   Buenos Aires
BRC Brasil S.A.
  Brazil   Rio de Janeiro
NG LOG Armazen Gerais Ltd.
  Brazil   Sao Paulo
Jehin Engineering Company, Ltd.
  Korea   Seoul
Zavoli, S.r.L.
  Italy   Cesena
WMTM Equipamento de Gases Ltda.
  Brazil   Manaus
BRC Pakistan
  Pakistan   Karachi

 


 

EXHIBIT A
Form of Subscription Agreement

2


 

EXHIBIT B
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
Needham & Company, LLC
445 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Re: Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc. – Offering of Common Stock
Ladies and Gentlemen:
          In order to induce Needham & Company, LLC (“Needham”), to enter in to a certain placement agent agreement with Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with respect to the public offering of shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), the undersigned hereby agrees that for a period (the “lock-up period”) of ninety (90) days following the date of the final prospectus filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with such public offering, the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of Needham, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock or any such securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time (such shares or securities, the “Beneficially Owned Shares”)), except (x) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided the donee or donees thereof agree in writing to be bound by this restriction or (y) in connection with any issuance of Common Stock pursuant to any employee benefit plan, (ii) enter into any swap, hedge or other agreement or arrangement that transfers in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of any Beneficially Owned Shares, Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or (iii) engage in any short selling of any Beneficially Owned Shares, Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.
     If (i) the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs during the last seventeen (17) days of the lock-up period, or (ii) prior to the expiration of the lock-up period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16)-day period beginning on the last day of the lock-up period, the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the eighteen (18)-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
     Anything contained herein to the contrary notwithstanding, any person to whom shares of Common Stock, securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or Beneficially Owned Shares are transferred from the undersigned shall be bound by the terms of this Agreement.

 


 

     In addition, the undersigned hereby waives, from the date hereof until the expiration of the ninety (90) day period following the date of the Company’s final prospectus, any and all rights, if any, to request or demand registration pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock that are registered in the name of the undersigned or that are Beneficially Owned Shares.
         
  [Signatory]
 
 
  By:     
  Name:       
  Title:       
 
Signature Page to Lock-Up Agreement
 2