Stockholder Agreement, dated January 29, 2021

EX-10.2 3 d234363dex102.htm EX-10.2 EX-10.2

Exhibit 10.2

EXECUTION VERSION

STOCKHOLDER AGREEMENT

by and between

GRITSTONE ONCOLOGY, INC.

and

GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.

Dated as of January 29, 2021

 


STOCKHOLDER AGREEMENT

THIS STOCKHOLDER AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of January 29, 2021, is by and between Gritstone Oncology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and Gilead Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Investor”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Investor (as such agreement may be amended from time to time, the “Stock Purchase Agreement”), the Investor agreed to purchase from the Company, and the Company agreed to issue to the Investor, an aggregate of 1,169,591 shares of Common Stock upon the terms and conditions therein;

WHEREAS, in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company and the Investor wish to define certain rights granted to the Investor on the terms and conditions set out in this Agreement; and

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the recitals and the mutual premises, covenants and agreements contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Stock Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the respective meanings set forth in this Section 1:

Advice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12(d).

Affiliate” means as to any specified Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with such specified Person. For purposes of this definition, “control,” as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise. For purposes of this definition, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with” have correlative meanings.

Agreement” as defined in the Preamble.

Beneficially Owned” and “Beneficially Owns” has the meaning specified in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

Business Day” as defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement.

Closing” as defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement.


Closing Date” as defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement.

Collaboration Agreement” as defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement.

Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and any successor agency performing comparable functions.

Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company.

Company” as defined in the Preamble.

Company Capitalization” means, as of any date of measurement, the total number of outstanding shares of voting capital stock of the Company.

Effectiveness Date” means: (a) with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required to be filed hereunder, the date that is the 30th day following the date on which the Initial Registration Statement is filed (or the 60th day following the date on which the Initial Registration Statement in the event the Initial Registration Statement is reviewed by the Commission) and (b) with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 2, the 60th day following the date on which the Company first knows, or reasonably should have known, that such additional Registration Statement is required under such Section (or the 90th day following such date in the event such additional Registration Statement is reviewed by the Commission). If the Effectiveness Date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or other date that the Commission is closed for business, the Effectiveness Date shall be extended to the next day on which the Commission is open for business.

Effectiveness Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor federal statute, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the same shall be in effect from time to time.

Fall-Away Event” as defined in Section 8.

Governmental Authority” means any regional, federal, state or local legislative, executive or judicial body or agency, any court of competent jurisdiction, any department, political subdivision or other governmental authority or instrumentality, or any arbitral authority, in each case, whether domestic or foreign.

Hedging Transaction” as defined in Section 9(b).

Holder” or “Holders” means the holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable Securities.

Indemnified Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).

Indemnifying Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).

 

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Initial Registration Statement” shall mean the initial Registration Statement required to be filed to cover the resale by the Holders of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2(a).

Investor” as defined in the Preamble.

Lock-Up Period” means the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on the two (2) year anniversary of such Closing Date.

Losses” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

Person” means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a joint venture, a limited liability company or limited liability partnership, an association, a trust, estate or other fiduciary or any other legal entity, and any Governmental Authority.

Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.

Prospectus” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without limitation, a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A or Rule 430B promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.

Reduction Securities” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).

Registrable Securities” means (i) the Shares issued pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement and (ii) any other shares of Common Stock issued as (or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any warrant, right or other security which is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, in exchange for or in replacement of the Shares; provided, however, that any such Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) for so long as (a) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such Registrable Securities is declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act and such Registrable Securities have been disposed of by the Holder in accordance with such effective Registration Statement, (b) such Registrable Securities have been previously sold or transferred in accordance with Rule 144, or (c) such securities become eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without current public information pursuant to Rule 144, as reasonably determined by the Company, upon the advice of counsel to the Company.

Registration Statement” means each of the following: (i) an initial registration statement which is required to register the resale of the Registrable Securities, and (ii) each additional registration statement, if any, contemplated by Section 2, and including, in each case, the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to each such registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

 

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Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor federal statute, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the same shall be in effect from time to time.

Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in the Stock Purchase Agreement.

Standstill Cap” means, during the Standstill Period, the number shares of voting capital stock of the Company which is less than or equal to 19.9% of the outstanding shares. For the avoidance of doubt, the Standstill Cap shall only apply during the Standstill Period.

Standstill Period” as defined in Section 8.

Stockholder” means the Investor or any transferee to whom the Investor has transferred Registrable Securities in accordance with the Stock Purchase Agreement and to whom registration rights are assigned in accordance with Section 12(b)0, in each case that is a holder of Registrable Securities.

Trading Day” means any day on which the Common Stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or, if the Nasdaq Global Select Market is not the principal trading market for the Common Stock, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which the Common Stock is then traded.

Transaction Documents” shall mean the Stock Purchase Agreement, this Agreement and the Collaboration Agreement.

Underwritten Offering” means an offering registered under the Securities Act in which securities of the Company are sold to one or more underwriters on a firm-commitment basis for reoffering to the public, and the plan of distribution contemplates a customary “road show” (including an “electronic road show”) or other substantial marketing effort by the Company and the underwriters.

 

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2. Registration.

(a) To the extent Registrable Securities are outstanding, within 15 Trading Days following the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company shall prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities that are not then registered on an existing and effective Registration Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. The Registration Statement filed hereunder shall be on Form S-3 (except if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities on Form S-3, in which case such registration shall be on another appropriate form in accordance herewith) and shall contain (except if otherwise required pursuant to written comments received from the Commission upon a review of such Registration Statement) the “Plan of Distribution” in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex A (which may be modified to respond to comments, if any, provided by the Commission). The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause a Registration Statement filed under this Agreement to be declared effective under the Securities Act promptly but, in any event, no later than the Effectiveness Date for such Registration Statement, and shall, subject to Section 12(d) hereof, use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earlier of (i) the date that is three years after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and (ii) the date on which all securities under such Registration Statement have ceased to be Registrable Securities (the “Effectiveness Period”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall be entitled to suspend the effectiveness of the Registration Statement at any time prior to the expiration of the Effectiveness Period for up to an aggregate of 30 consecutive Trading Days or an aggregate of 60 Trading Days (which need not be consecutive) in any given 360-day period, if the Company determines (and the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company certifies in writing to the Purchaser) that the continued effectiveness of the Registration Statement during the applicable period will be materially detrimental to the Company. In the event of any suspension as aforesaid, the Effectiveness Period of the applicable Registration Statement will be extended by the number of Trading Days in the Effectiveness Period during which the Registration Statement was suspended. It is agreed and understood that the Company shall, from time to time, be obligated to file one or more additional Registration Statements to cover any Registrable Securities which are not registered for resale pursuant to a pre-existing Registration Statement. In connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration Statement, the Purchaser (or Holder(s), as applicable) shall, deliver to the Company such information, including a selling stockholder questionnaire, as may be reasonably requested by the Company to prepare and file the Registration Statement.

(b) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event that the Commission limits the amount of Registrable Securities that may be included and sold by Holders in any Registration Statement, including the Initial Registration Statement, pursuant to Rule 415 or any other basis, the Company may reduce the number of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement on behalf of the Holders in whole or in part (in case of an exclusion as to a portion of such Registrable Securities, such portion shall be allocated pro rata among such Holders first in proportion to the respective numbers of Registrable Securities represented by Shares requested to be registered by each such Holder over the total amount of Registrable Securities represented by Shares) (such Registrable Securities, the “Reduction Securities”). In such event, the Company shall give the Holders prompt written notice of the number of such Reduction Securities excluded and the Company will not be liable for any damages under this Agreement in connection with the exclusion of such Reduction Securities. The

 

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Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts at the first opportunity that is permitted by the Commission to register for resale the Reduction Securities. Such new Registration Statement shall be on Form S-3 (except if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Reduction Securities on Form S-3, in which case such registration shall be on another appropriate form for such purpose) and shall contain (except if otherwise required pursuant to written comments received from the Commission upon a review of such Registration Statement) the “Plan of Distribution” in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex A (which may be modified to respond to comments, if any, provided by the Commission). The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause each such Registration Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as soon as possible but, in any event, no later than the Effectiveness Date, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act during the entire Effectiveness Period, subject to Section 12(d) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall be entitled to suspend the effectiveness of such Registration Statement at any time prior to the expiration of the Effectiveness Period for an aggregate of no more than 30 consecutive Trading Days or an aggregate of 60 Trading Days (which need not be consecutive) in any given 360-day period.

3. Registration Procedures. In connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company shall:

(a) Not less than three Trading Days prior to the filing of a Registration Statement or any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish to the Holders copies of all such documents proposed to be filed (other than those incorporated by reference). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to furnish to the Holders any prospectus supplement being prepared and filed solely to name new or additional selling securityholders unless such Holders are named in such prospectus supplement. In addition, in the event that any Registration Statement is on Form S-1 (or other form which does not permit incorporation by reference), the Company shall not be required to furnish to the Holders any prospectus supplement containing information included in a report or proxy statement filed under the Exchange Act that would be incorporated by reference in such Registration Statement if such Registration Statement were on Form S-3 (or other form which permits incorporation by reference). The Company shall duly consider any comments made by Holders and received by the Company not later than two Trading Days prior to the filing of the Registration Statement, but shall not be required to accept any such comments to which it reasonably objects.

(b) (i) Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, to each Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for its Effectiveness Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities; (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement, and as so supplemented or amended to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible to any comments received from the Commission with respect to each Registration Statement or any amendment thereto; and (iv) comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the Registration Statements and the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement.

 

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(c) Notify the Holders as promptly as reasonably possible (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than three Trading Days prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person) confirm such notice in writing no later than one Trading Day following the day: (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any prospectus supplement (but only to the extent notice is required under Section 3(a) above) or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement is proposed to be filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and whenever the Commission comments in writing on such Registration Statement (in which case the Company shall, solely to the extent such comments relate to the Holders as selling stockholder or the Plan of Distribution, provide true and complete copies thereof and all written responses thereto to each of the Holders that pertain to the Holders as a selling stockholder; for purposes of clarity the Company shall have no obligation to provide any information that it reasonably believes would constitute material and non-public information); and (C) with respect to each Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has been declared effective; (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other Federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information that pertains to the Holders as selling stockholders or the Plan of Distribution; (iii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such purpose; (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in a Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion or incorporation by reference therein or any statement made in such Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to such Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of such Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it 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; and (vi) of the occurrence or existence of any pending corporate development with respect to the Company that the Company believes may be material and that, in the determination of the Company, makes it not in the best interest of the Company to allow continued availability of a Registration Statement or Prospectus; provided, that any and all of such information shall remain confidential to each Holder until such information otherwise becomes public, unless disclosure by a Holder is required by law.

(d) Use its reasonable efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.

(e) Furnish to each Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each Registration Statement and each amendment thereto and all exhibits to the extent reasonably requested by such Person (including those previously furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission; provided, that the Company shall have no obligation to provide any document pursuant to this clause that is available on the EDGAR system.

 

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(f) Promptly deliver to each Holder, without charge, as many copies of each Prospectus or Prospectuses (including each form of prospectus) and each amendment or supplement thereto as such Persons may reasonably request. Subject to Section 12(d) hereof, the Company hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.

(g) Prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from such registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of those jurisdictions within the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing to keep each such registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things necessary or advisable to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statements; provided, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified or subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject.

(h) Cooperate with the Holders to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates or book-entry statements representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to the Registration Statements, which certificates or book-entry statements shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Stock Purchase Agreement, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holders may request.

(i) The Company may require each selling Holder to furnish to the Company a certified statement as to the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and any Affiliate thereof, the natural persons thereof that have voting and dispositive control over the shares and any other information with respect to such Holder as the Commission requests.

4. Holder’s Obligations. Each Holder agrees, by acquisition of the Registrable Securities, that no Holder shall be entitled to sell any of such Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement or to receive a Prospectus relating thereto, unless such Holder has furnished the Company with all material information reasonably requested in writing by the Company to prepare and file the Registration Statement, including a selling stockholder questionnaire. Any sale of any Registrable Securities by any Holder pursuant to a Prospectus delivered by such Holder shall constitute a representation and warranty by such Holder that the information regarding such Holder is as set forth in such Prospectus, and that such Prospectus does not as of the time of such sale contain any untrue statement of a material fact regarding such Holder or omit to state any material fact regarding such Holder necessary to make the statements in such Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, solely to the extent such facts are based upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder for use in such Prospectus.

 

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5. Registration Expenses. All fees and expenses incident to the Company’s performance of or compliance with its obligations under this Agreement (excluding any underwriting discounts and selling commissions) shall be borne by the Company whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses (A) with respect to filings required to be made with the Principal Market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading, and (B) in compliance with applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws), (ii) printing expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities and of printing prospectuses if the printing of prospectuses is reasonably requested by the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities included in the Registration Statement), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and (vi) reasonable fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder. In no event shall the Company be responsible for any broker or similar commissions of any Holder or, except to the extent provided for in the Transaction Documents, any legal fees or other costs of the Holders. To the extent that underwriting discounts and selling commissions are incurred in connection with the sale of Registrable Securities in an Underwritten Offering hereunder, such underwriting discounts and selling commissions shall be borne by the Holders of Registrable Securities sold pursuant to such Underwritten Offering, pro rata on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities sold on their behalf in such Underwritten Offering.

6. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors, agents, partners, members, stockholders and employees of each Holder, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers, directors, agents, partners, members, stockholders and employees of each such controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable costs of preparation and reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses (collectively, “Losses”), as incurred, arising out of or relating to any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose), or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case

 

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of any Prospectus or form of prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that (1) such untrue statements, alleged untrue statements, omissions or alleged omissions are based solely upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, or to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, such Prospectus or such form of Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose) or (2) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(c)(ii)-(v), the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing (in accordance with Section 12(g) below) that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of an Advice (as defined below) or an amended or supplemented Prospectus, but only if and to the extent that following the receipt of the Advice or the amended or supplemented Prospectus the misstatement or omission giving rise to such Loss would have been corrected. The Company shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any Proceeding of which the Company is aware in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(b) Indemnification by Holders. Each Holder shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, agents and employees, each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents, partners, members, stockholders or employees of such controlling Persons, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses, as incurred, arising solely out of or based solely upon: (x) for so long as the Company is not a eligible to use Form S-3 under the Securities Act for a primary offering in reliance on General Instruction I.B.1 of such form and the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act apply to sales by such Holder, such Holder’s failure to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act or (y) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, or any form of prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or arising solely out of or based solely upon any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus, or any form of prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading to the extent, but only to the extent that, (1) such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, or to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, such Prospectus or such form of Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose) or (2) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(c)(ii)-(v), the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing (in accordance with Section 12(g) below) that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of an Advice or an amended or supplemented Prospectus, but only if and to the extent that following the receipt of the Advice or the amended or supplemented Prospectus the misstatement or omission giving rise to such Loss would have been corrected. In no event shall the liability of any selling Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation.

 

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(c) Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. If any Proceeding shall be brought or asserted against any Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “Indemnified Party”), such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is sought (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party and the payment of all fees and expenses incurred in connection with defense thereof; provided, that the failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to the extent that it shall be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) that such failure shall have proximately and materially adversely prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.

An Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties unless: (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses; (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding; or (3) the named parties to any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and such Indemnified Party shall have been advised by counsel that a conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and such counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party); provided, that the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all Indemnified Parties pursuant to this Section 6(c). The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party is a party, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and (y) does not include an admission of fault, culpability or failure to act, by or on behalf of any Indemnified Party, or require forms of relief other than the payment of monetary damages by the Indemnifying Party. Each Indemnified Party shall furnish such information regarding itself or the claim in question as an Indemnifying Party may reasonably request in writing and as shall be reasonably required in connection with defense of such claim and litigation resulting therefrom.

 

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All fees and expenses of the Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees and expenses to the extent incurred in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Proceeding in a manner not inconsistent with this Section) shall be paid to the Indemnified Party, as incurred, within 10 Trading Days of written notice thereof to the Indemnifying Party (regardless of whether it is ultimately determined that an Indemnified Party is not entitled to indemnification hereunder; provided, that the Indemnifying Party may require such Indemnified Party to undertake to reimburse all such fees and expenses to the extent it is finally judicially determined that such Indemnified Party is not entitled to indemnification hereunder).

(d) Contribution. If a claim for indemnification under Section 6(a) or 6(b) is unavailable to an Indemnified Party (by reason of public policy or otherwise), then each Indemnifying Party, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such Losses, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of such Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or relates to information supplied by, such Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action, statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of any Losses shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 6(c), any reasonable attorneys’ or other reasonable fees or expenses incurred by such party in connection with any Proceeding to the extent such party would have been indemnified for such fees or expenses if the indemnification provided for in this Section was available to such party in accordance with its terms.

The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6(d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6(d), no Holder shall be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount by which the proceeds actually received by such Holder from the sale of the Registrable Securities subject to the Proceeding exceeds the amount of any damages that such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 6 are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties and are not in diminution or limitation of the indemnification provisions under the Stock Purchase Agreement.

7. Compliance With Rule 144 And Rule 144a. For so long as the Company is subject to the report requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall take such measures and file such information, documents and reports as shall be required by the Commission as a condition to the availability of Rule 144 or Rule 144A (or any successor provisions) under the Securities Act.

 

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8. Standstill. During the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the earlier of (x) the eighteen (18) month anniversary thereof and (y) a Fall-Away Event (such period, the “Standstill Period”), neither the Stockholder nor any of its controlled Affiliates shall, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of a majority of the members of the Board who are not affiliated with the Stockholder:

(a) effect, offer or propose (whether publicly or otherwise) to effect, or publicly announce any intention to effect or cause:

(i) any acquisition of shares of Common Stock or any acquisition of the right to direct the voting or disposition of shares of Common Stock, if after giving effect to such acquisition the Stockholder or any of Affiliates own a number of shares of Common Stock in excess of the Standstill Cap, in each case, whether or not any of the foregoing may be acquired or obtained immediately or only after the passage of time or upon the satisfaction of one or more conditions pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding;

(ii) any tender or exchange offer, merger, consolidation, business combination, or sale of substantially all of the assets of the Company;

(iii) any recapitalization, restructuring, liquidation, dissolution or other extraordinary transaction with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries;

(iv) any “solicitation” of “proxies” (as such terms are used in Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act) or consents to vote any voting securities of the Company, or become a “participant” in any “election contest” (as such terms are defined in Rule 14a-11 of the Exchange Act) or propose, or solicit stockholders of the Company for the approval of, any stockholder proposals with respect to the Company;

(b) with the actual knowledge of the Stockholder’s executive officers, enter into any substantive discussions or arrangements with any third party with respect to any of the foregoing; provided that, in relation to prohibited actions in Sections 8(a)(ii) or (a)(iii) that have been committed without the actual knowledge of the Stockholder’s executive officers, the Stockholder shall promptly terminate and unwind such actions upon written request of the Company; or

(c) publicly disclose any intention, plan or arrangement regarding any of the matters referred to in this Section 8 (unless legally obligated to do so);

provided that, that nothing in this Section 8 is intended to (X) restrict the Stockholder’s right to vote its shares of Common Stock or otherwise in its discretion on matters brought to a vote of the stockholders of the Company, or (Y) restrict the activities of the Stockholder or the discussions among the representatives of the Company and the Stockholder, in each case, as contemplated by the Collaboration Agreement.

 

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The provisions of Section 8 shall be inoperative and of no force or effect with respect to the Stockholder and its Affiliates if (i) any other person or “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) shall announce or have entered into a definitive agreement with the Company for a transaction that, after consummation thereof, the then-current stockholders of the Company cease to own seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the total voting power (without giving effect to any overlapping shareholdings), or seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the consolidated total assets, of the Company or any successor entity or parent entity or resulting entity, (ii) a tender or exchange offer is made by any other person or group to acquire fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding voting securities of the Company and the Board fails to recommend to its stockholders rejection of such tender or exchange offer within ten (10) Business Days of commencement thereof or recommends acceptance of such tender or exchange offer, (iii) the Company issues to any person or group, or any person or group acquires or comes to own, in each case, securities representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total voting power of the Company, (iv) the Company publicly announces that it has commenced a formal process to explore strategic alternatives, (v) the Board (or any duly constituted committee) shall have determined in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that the failure to waive, limit, amend or otherwise modify the “standstill” or similar provisions the Company has agreed to with any other person or group, would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with the fiduciary duties of the Company’s directors under applicable law, or (vi) the Company enters into a voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency process (any such event, a “Fall-Away Event”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Stock Purchase Agreement, the Collaboration Agreement or any other agreement between the Company, on the one hand, and the Stockholder on the other hand, from and after the occurrence of a Fall-Away Event or any expiration of Section 8, no other provisions of this Agreement, the Stock Purchase Agreement, the Collaboration Agreement or any other agreement between the Company, on the one hand, and the Stockholder on the other hand will be interpreted to prevent or restrict such the Stockholder from proposing, pursuing or executing a business combination transaction, or from taking any of the actions described in Section 8, or from taking any actions in furtherance thereof, with respect to the Company. Nothing in Section 8 shall prohibit the Stockholder from communicating with the Company for a non-public proposal regarding a transaction or an amendment or waiver of Section 8 in such a manner as would not reasonably be expected to require public disclosure thereof under applicable law.

9. Lock-Up. During the Lock-up Period, neither the Stockholder nor any of its Affiliates shall, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of a majority of the members of the Board who are not affiliated with the Stockholder:

(a) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of any Registrable Securities or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Registrable Securities, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”);

(b) enter into any swap or any other hedging transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities (a “Hedging Transaction”), whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise; or

(c) publicly announce any intention to do any of the foregoing.

 

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provided that, the foregoing shall not prohibit the Stockholder or its Affiliates from transferring Lock-Up Securities to an Affiliate of the Stockholder if such transferee executes an agreement with the Company to bound by the provisions of Section 8, Section 9 and Section 10. The restrictions of this Section 9 shall cease to apply if a Fall-Away Event occurs.

10. Market Stand-Off. For so long as the Collaboration Agreement is in effect, the Stockholder agrees that upon a written request of the Company or the underwriters managing any Underwritten Offering of the Company’s securities, in which case, the Company shall provide notice on behalf of the underwriters pursuant to Section 12(e), it will (i) not offer, sell, contract to sell, loan, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of, hedge or transfer any of the economic interest in (or offer, agree or commit to do any of the foregoing) any shares of Common Stock, or any options or warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive shares of Common Stock, whether now owned or hereinafter acquired by such holder, owned directly (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which such holder has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the Commission (other than those included by such holder in the offering in question, if any) without the prior written consent of the Company or such underwriters, as the case may be, for up to fourteen (14) days prior to, and during the ninety (90) day period following, the effective date of the registration statement for such Underwritten Offering, and (ii) enter into and be bound by such form of agreement with respect to the foregoing as the Company or such managing underwriter may reasonably request; provided that each executive officer and director of the Company also agrees to substantially similar restrictions.

11. Freedom to Pursue Opportunities. The parties expressly acknowledge and agree that except as set forth in the Collaboration Agreement (i) the Stockholder and each of its Affiliates has the right to, and shall have no duty (contractual or otherwise) not to, directly or indirectly engage in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on its own account or in partnership with, or as an employee, officer, director or stockholder of, any other Person, including those lines of business deemed to be competing with the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries shall have any rights in and to the business ventures of the Stockholder or any of its Affiliates, or the income or profits derived therefrom (other than in its capacity as a stockholder of the Company), and (iii) in the event that the Stockholder or any of its Affiliates acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter that may be an opportunity for the Company, neither the Stockholder nor any of its Affiliates shall have any duty (contractual or otherwise) to communicate or present such opportunity to the Company, any of its subsidiaries and, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, shall not be liable to the Company, any of its subsidiaries (or any of their respective Affiliates) for breach of any duty (contractual or otherwise) by reason of the fact that the Stockholder or any of its Affiliates, directly or indirectly, pursues or acquires such opportunity for itself, directs such opportunity to another Person or does not present such opportunity to the Company, any of its subsidiaries; provided that the foregoing shall not be deemed to amend or modify the terms of the Collaboration Agreement.

 

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12. Miscellaneous.

(a) Amendments and Waivers. Any amendment, modification, supplement or restatement of this Agreement must be effected by written agreement of the Company and the Holder or Holders (as applicable) of no less than a majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities. No waiver by any party of any default, misrepresentation or breach of warranty or covenant hereunder, whether intentional or not, shall be deemed to extend to any prior or subsequent default, misrepresentation or breach of warranty or covenant hereunder or affect in any way any rights arising by virtue of any prior or subsequent such occurrence.

(b) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of each party, including subsequent Holders of Registrable Securities acquired in accordance with the Stock Purchase Agreement; provided, however, that such assignee of the Investor executes and delivers to the Company a counterpart to this Agreement whereby it agrees to be bound by the terms of the Agreement.

(c) Descriptive Headings. The descriptive headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only and do not constitute a part of and shall not be utilized in interpreting this Agreement.

(d) Discontinued Disposition. Each Holder agrees by its acquisition of such Registrable Securities that, upon receipt of a written notice from the Company of the occurrence of an any event of the kind described in Section 3(c), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented Prospectus and/or amended Registration Statement or until it is advised in writing (the “Advice”) by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus may be resumed, and, in either case, has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings that are incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus or Registration Statement. The Company may provide appropriate stop orders to enforce the provisions of this paragraph.

(e) Notices. Any notice or communication by the Company or the Stockholder is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or by first class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), facsimile transmission or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to the recipient’s address:

If to the Company:

Gritstone Oncology, Inc.

5959 Horton Street, Suite 300

Emeryville, California 94608

Attention: Rahsaan Thompson, General Counsel

Email: ***@***

with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

Latham & Watkins LLP

140 Scott Drive

Menlo Park, California 94025

 

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Attention: Brian Cuneo

E-Mail: ***@***

If to the Investor:

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

333 Lakeside Drive

Foster City, California 94404

Attn: General Counsel

Email: ***@***

with a copy (not constituting notice) to:

Ropes & Gray LLP

1900 University Ave.

East Palo Alto, California 94303

Attention: Paul Scrivano, Amanda Austin, Sarah Young

Email: ***@***, ***@***, ***@***

The Company or the Stockholder, by notice to the other parties hereto, may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications. All notices and communications will be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five (5) Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt acknowledged, if transmitted by facsimile; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery. If a notice or communication is mailed, transmitted or sent in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

(f) Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial. (i) All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely in such state. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the County of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the County of New York for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

 

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(ii) EACH PARTY HERETO WAIVES ITS RIGHT TO TRIAL OF ANY ISSUE BY JURY. Each party hereto (a) certifies that no representative or attorney of any other party has represented, expressly or otherwise, that such party would not, in the event of any action, seek to enforce the foregoing waiver and (b) acknowledges that it and the other party have been induced to enter into this Agreement, by, among other things, the mutual waiver and certifications in this Section 12(f).

(g) Remedies. Each of the parties hereto acknowledges and agrees that in the event of any breach of this Agreement by any of them, the non-breaching party would be irreparably harmed and could not be made whole by monetary damages. Each party accordingly agrees to waive the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate and that the parties, in addition to any other remedy to which they may be entitled at law or in equity, shall be entitled to compel specific performance of this Agreement.

(h) Further Assurances. Each of the parties hereto will, without additional consideration, execute and deliver such further instruments and take such other action as may be reasonably requested by any other party hereto in order to carry out the purposes and intent of this Agreement. Each Holder shall furnish in writing to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it, as shall be reasonably requested by the Company to effect the registration of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request.

(i) Termination of Registration Rights. For the avoidance of doubt, it is expressly agreed and understood that in the event that there are no Registrable Securities outstanding, all registration rights granted to the Holders hereunder, shall terminate in their entirety effective on the first date on which there shall cease to be any Registrable Securities outstanding.

(j) No Presumption Against Drafter. Each of the parties hereto has jointly participated in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event there arises any ambiguity or question or intent or interpretation with respect to this Agreement, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by all of the parties hereto and no presumptions or burdens of proof shall arise favoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement.

(k) Severability. If any provision of this Agreement (or any portion thereof) or the application of any such provision (or any portion thereof) to any Person or circumstance shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect by a Governmental Authority, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision hereof (or the remaining portion thereof) or the application of such provision to any other persons or circumstances. Upon such determination that any provision of this Agreement (or any portion thereof) or the application of any such provision (or any portion thereof) to any Person or circumstance is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties hereto as closely as possible in an acceptable manner to the end that the transactions contemplated hereby are fulfilled to the extent possible.

 

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(l) Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the other agreements referred to herein, constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede and shall supersede all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the parties, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

(m) Execution in Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may be executed and delivered by facsimile or .pdf transmission, or by electronic signatures or other electronic means (including DocuSign), and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by any of the foregoing means (including by one or more or a combination of the foregoing means) shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or use of a paper-based record-keeping system.

(n) No Third Party Beneficiaries. Except as provided in Section 9 and Section 10, nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any Person, other than the parties hereto, their successors and permitted assigns, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank; Signature pages follow.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Stockholder Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.
By:  

/s/ Andrew Dickinson

Name:   Andrew Dickinson
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief
  Financial Officer

[Signature Page to Stockholder Agreement]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Stockholder Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

GRITSTONE ONCOLOGY, INC.
By:  

/s/ Rahsaan Thompson

Name:   Rahsaan Thompson
Title:   Executive Vice President and General Counsel

[Signature Page to Stockholder Agreement]


ANNEX A

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

The selling stockholders and any of their pledgees, donees, transferees, assignees or other successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of their shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. The selling stockholders may use one or more of the following methods when disposing of the shares or interests therein:

 

 

ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

 

 

block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

 

through brokers, dealers or underwriters that may act solely as agents;

 

 

purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

 

an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

 

 

privately negotiated transactions;

 

 

through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions entered into after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;

 

 

broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share;

 

 

a combination of any such methods of disposition; and

 

 

any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

The selling stockholders may also sell shares under Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus.

Broker-dealers engaged by the selling stockholders may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the selling stockholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of shares, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated. The selling stockholders do not expect these commissions and discounts to exceed what is customary in the types of transactions involved.


The selling stockholders may from time to time pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of common stock owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell shares of common stock from time to time under this prospectus, or under a supplement or amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act amending the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus.

Upon being notified in writing by a selling stockholder that any material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer for the sale of common stock through a block trade, special offering, exchange distribution or secondary distribution or a purchase by a broker or dealer, we will file a supplement to this prospectus, if required, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, disclosing (i) the name of each such selling stockholder and of the participating broker-dealer(s), (ii) the number of shares involved, (iii) the price at which such shares of common stock were sold, (iv) the commissions paid or discounts or concessions allowed to such broker-dealer(s), where applicable, (v) that such broker-dealer(s) did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and (vi) other facts material to the transaction. In addition, upon being notified in writing by a selling stockholder that a donee or pledge intends to sell more than 500 shares of common stock, we will file a supplement to this prospectus if then required in accordance with applicable securities law.

The selling stockholders also may transfer the shares of common stock in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

In connection with the sale of the shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the common stock in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell shares of common stock short after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).

The selling stockholders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. The maximum commission or discount to be received by any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) or independent broker-dealer will not be greater than 8% of the initial gross proceeds from the sale of any security being sold.


We have advised the selling stockholders that they are required to comply with Regulation M promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, during such time as they may be engaged in a distribution of the shares. The foregoing may affect the marketability of the common stock.

The aggregate proceeds to the selling stockholders from the sale of the common stock offered by them will be the purchase price of the common stock less discounts or commissions, if any. Each of the selling stockholders reserves the right to accept and, together with their agents from time to time, to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of common stock to be made directly or through agents. We will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering.

We are required to pay all fees and expenses incident to the registration of the shares. We have agreed to indemnify the selling stockholders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act or otherwise.

We have agreed with the selling stockholders to keep the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part effective until the earlier of (a) such time as all of the shares covered by this prospectus have been disposed of pursuant to and in accordance with the registration statement or (b) the date on which the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus may be sold or transferred by non-affiliates without any volume limitations or pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act.