SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Exhibit 4.1
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of November 11, 2004 among Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agrees as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement: (a) capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Debentures (as defined herein), and (b) the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1.1:
“Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 144 under the Securities Act. With respect to a Purchaser, any investment fund or managed account that is managed on a discretionary basis by the same investment manager as such Purchaser will be deemed to be an Affiliate of such Purchaser.
“Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
“Closing Date” means the Trading Day when all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities have been satisfied or waived.
“Closing Price” means on any particular date (a) the last reported closing bid price per share of Common Stock on such date on the Trading Market (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 PM (New York time), or (b) if there is no such price on such
date, then the closing bid price on the Trading Market on the date nearest preceding such date (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 PM (New York time) for the closing bid price for regular session trading on such day), or (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted on the Trading Market and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the “pink sheets” published by the National Quotation Bureau Incorporated (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) if the shares of Common Stock are not then publicly traded the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by a qualified independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Principal Amount of Debentures then outstanding.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any securities into which such common stock shall hereinafter have been reclassified into.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Company Counsel” means Joseph I. Emas, Esq.
“Conversion Price” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Debentures.
“Debentures” means, the Convertible Debentures due, subject to the terms therein, 2 years from their date of issuance, issued by the Company to the Purchasers hereunder, in the form of Exhibit A.
“Disclosure Schedules” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1.
“Effective Date” means the date that the initial Registration Statement filed by the Company pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement is first declared effective by the Commission.
“Escrow Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the Escrow Agreement.
“Escrow Agreement” shall mean the Escrow Agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit E hereto executed and delivered contemporaneously with this Agreement.
“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(r).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the Company pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors of the Company or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose, (b) securities upon the exercise of or conversion of any securities issued hereunder, convertible securities, options or warrants issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities, and (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions, provided any such issuance shall only be to a Person which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and in which the Company receives benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities.
“FW” means Feldman Weinstein LLP with offices at 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2620, New York, New York 10170-0002.
“GAAP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(o).
“Legend Removal Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.1(c).
“Liens” means a lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).
“Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(m).
“Maximum Rate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 5.17.
“Participation Maximum” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.13.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Pre-Notice” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.13.
“Principal Amount” shall mean, as to each Purchaser, the amounts set forth below such Purchaser’s signature block on the signature pages hereto and next to the heading “Principal Amount”, in United States Dollars, which shall equal such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount multiplied by 1.162.
“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.
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.9.
“Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated the date hereof, among the Company and the Purchasers, in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto.
“Registration Statement” means a registration statement meeting the requirements set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement and covering the resale of the Underlying Shares by each Purchaser as provided for in the Registration Rights Agreement.
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Required Minimum” means, as of any date, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock then issued or potentially issuable in the future pursuant to the Transaction Documents, including any Underlying Shares issuable upon exercise or conversion in full of all Warrants and Debentures, ignoring any conversion or exercise limits set forth therein, and assuming that the Set Price is at all times on and after the date of determination 75% of the then Set Price on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of determination.
“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.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the Debentures, the Warrants, the Warrant Shares and the Underlying Shares.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Set Price” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Debentures.
“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Debentures and Warrants purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount”, in United States Dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Subsequent Financing” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.13.
“Subsequent Financing Notice” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.13.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a).
“Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market
“Trading Market” means the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the Nasdaq SmallCap Market, the American Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq National Market or the OTC Bulletin Board.
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Debentures, the Escrow Agreement, the Warrants, the Registration Rights Agreement and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Underlying Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Debentures and upon exercise of the Warrants.
“Warrants” means collectively the Common Stock purchase warrants, in the form of Exhibit C delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Warrants shall be exercisable immediately and have a term of exercise equal to 5 years.
“Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and each Purchaser agrees to purchase in the aggregate, severally and not jointly, up to $6,000,000 Principal Amount of the Debentures. Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company via wire transfer or a certified check immediately available funds equal to their Subscription Amount and the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser their respective Debenture and Warrants as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a) and the other items set forth in Section 2.2 issuable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.2, the Closing shall occur at the offices of the Escrow Agent or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree.
2.2 Deliveries.
| a) | On the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Escrow Agent with respect to each Purchaser the following: |
| (i) | this Agreement duly executed by the Company; |
| (ii) | a Debenture with a principal amount equal to the Principal Amount, registered in the name of such Purchaser; |
| (iii) | a Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to50% of such Purchaser’s Principal Amount divided by $2.25, with an exercise price equal to $0.95, subject to adjustment therein; |
| (iv) | the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by the Company; |
| (v) | the Escrow Agreement duly executed by the Company; and |
| (vi) | a legal opinion of Company Counsel, in the form of Exhibit D attached hereto. |
| b) | On the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Escrow Agent the following: |
| (i) | this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; |
| (ii) | such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount by wire transfer to the account of the Escrow Agent; |
| (iii) | the Escrow Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and |
| (iv) | the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser. |
2.3 Closing Conditions.
| a) | The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met: |
| (i) | the accuracy in all material respects when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein; |
| (ii) | all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Purchasers required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and |
| (iii) | the delivery by the Purchasers of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement. |
| b) | The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met: |
| (i) | the accuracy in all material respects on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein; |
| (ii) | all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; |
| (iii) | the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement; |
| (iv) | there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof; and |
| (v) | From the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission (except for any suspension of trading of limited duration agreed to by the Company, which suspension shall be terminated prior to the Closing), and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of each Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Debentures at the Closing. |
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth under the corresponding section of the disclosure schedules delivered to the Purchasers concurrently herewith (the “Disclosure Schedules”) which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof, the Company hereby makes the representations and warranties set forth below to each Purchaser.
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth on Schedule 3.1(a). The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. If the Company has no subsidiaries, then references in the Transaction Documents to the Subsidiaries will be disregarded.
(b) Organization and Qualification. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization (as applicable), with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation or default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Documents, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or financial condition of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Documents (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by each of the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations thereunder. The execution and delivery of each of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company in connection therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. Each Transaction Documents has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except (i) as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies.
(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the other transactions contemplated thereby do not and will not: (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority, to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority, or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than (i) filings required pursuant to Section 4.6, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement, (iii) the notice and/or application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the issuance and sale of the Debentures and Warrants and the listing of the Underlying Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby and (iv) the filing of Form D with the Commission and such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
(f) Issuance of the Securities. The Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company other than restrictions on transfer provided for in the Transaction Documents. The Underlying Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock a number of shares of Common Stock for issuance of the Underlying Shares at least equal to the Required Minimum on the date hereof. The Company has not, and to the knowledge of the Company, no Affiliate of the Company has sold, offered for sale or solicited offers to buy or otherwise negotiated in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the Securities to the Purchasers, or that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market.
(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is as described in the Company’s most recent periodic report filed with the Commission. The Company has not issued any capital stock since such filing other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plan and pursuant to the conversion or exercise of outstanding Common Stock Equivalents. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities, there are no outstanding options, warrants, script rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors of the Company or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission
with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.
(i) Material Changes. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in the SEC Reports, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or required to be disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information.
(j) Litigation. There is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(k) Labor Relations. No material labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body, or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws applicable to its business except in each case as could not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.
(n) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases of which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.
(o) Patents and Trademarks. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, copyrights, licenses and other similar rights necessary or material for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a written notice that the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any Subsidiary violates or infringes upon the rights of any Person. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights of others.
(p) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries
are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to the aggregate Subscription Amount. To the best of Company’s knowledge, such insurance contracts and policies are accurate and complete. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.
(q) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports or disclosed in Schedule 3.1(q) attached hereto, none of the officers or directors of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess of $60,000 other than (i) for payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) for other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
(r) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company is in material compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which are applicable to it as of the Closing Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance 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 asset accountability, (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 the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its Subsidiaries, is made known to the certifying officers by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which the Company’s most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, as the case may be, is being prepared. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s controls and procedures as of the date prior to the filing date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no significant changes in the Company’s internal
controls (as such term is defined in Item 307(b) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act) or, to the Company’s knowledge, in other factors that could significantly affect the Company’s internal controls.
(s) Certain Fees. Except as disclosed in Schedule 3.1(s) attached hereto, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(t) Private Placement. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Securities by the Company to the Purchasers as contemplated hereby. The issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market.
(u) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act.
(v) Registration Rights. No Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company.
(w) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Company’s Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements.
(x) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and its Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.
(y) Disclosure. The Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that constitutes or might constitute material, nonpublic information. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representations and covenants in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All disclosure provided to the Purchasers regarding the Company, its business and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, furnished by or on behalf of the Company with respect to the representations and warranties made herein are true and correct with respect to such representations and warranties and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(z) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act or any applicable shareholder approval provisions, including, without limitation, under the rules and regulations of any exchange or automated quotation system on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(aa) Solvency. Based on the financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the Company’s fair saleable value of its assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature; (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business for the current fiscal year as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof; and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its debt when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of
any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. The SEC Reports set forth as of the dates thereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” shall mean (a) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (b) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of Indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (c) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
(bb) Intentionally Omitted.
(cc) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and each Subsidiary has filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and has paid or accrued all taxes shown as due thereon, and the Company has no knowledge of a tax deficiency which has been asserted or threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary.
(dd) No General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising. The Company has offered the Securities for sale only to the Purchasers and certain other “accredited investors” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act.
(ee) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any corrupt funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended
(ff) Accountants. The Company’s accountants are set forth on Schedule 3.1(ff) of the Disclosure Schedule. To the Company’s knowledge, such accountants, who the Company expects will express their opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ending December 31, 2004 are a registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act.
(gg) Seniority. As of the Closing Date, no indebtedness or other equity of the Company is senior to the Debentures in right of payment, whether with respect to interest or upon liquidation or dissolution, or otherwise, other than indebtedness secured by purchase money security interests (which is senior only as to underlying assets covered thereby) and capital lease obligations (which is senior only as to the property covered thereby).
(hh) No Disagreements with Accountants and Lawyers. There are no disagreements of any kind presently existing, or reasonably anticipated by the Company to arise, between the accountants and lawyers formerly or presently employed by the Company and the Company is current with respect to any fees owed to its accountants and lawyers.
(ii) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.
3.2 Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser hereby, for itself and for no other Purchaser, represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows:
(a) Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization with full right, corporate or partnership power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations thereunder. The execution, delivery and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or similar action on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Documents to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(b) Purchaser Representation. Such Purchaser understands that the Securities are “restricted securities” and have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Securities or any part thereof, has no present intention of distributing any of such Securities and has no arrangement or understanding with any other persons regarding the distribution of such Securities (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business. Such Purchaser does not have any agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any Person to distribute any of the Securities.
(c) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and at the date hereof it is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7) or (a)(8) under the Securities Act. Such Purchaser is not required to be registered as a broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Exchange Act.
(d) Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.
(e) General Solicitation. Such Purchaser is not purchasing the Securities as a result of any advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or presented at any seminar or any other general solicitation or general advertisement.
(f) Short Sales. Each Purchaser represents that prior to 8:30 a.m. ET on the Trading Day immediately following the date of this Agreement, neither it nor any Person over which the Purchaser has direct control, have made any purchases or sales of, or granted any option for the purchase of or entered into any hedging or similar transaction with the same economic effect as a short sale, of the Common Stock.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Purchaser does not make or has not made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in this Section 3.2.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Transfer Restrictions.
(a) The Securities may only be disposed of in compliance with state and federal securities laws. In connection with any transfer of Securities other than pursuant to an effective registration statement or Rule 144, to the Company or to an affiliate of a Purchaser or in connection with a pledge as contemplated in Section 4.1(b), the Company may require the transferor thereof to provide to the Company an opinion of counsel selected by the transferor and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that such transfer does not require registration of such transferred Securities under the Securities Act. As a condition of transfer, any such transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and shall have the rights of a Purchaser under this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.
(b) The Purchasers agree to the imprinting, so long as is required by this Section 4.1(b), of a legend on any of the Securities in the following form:
[NEITHER] THESE SECURITIES [NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES ARE [EXERCISABLE] [CONVERTIBLE]] HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY. THESE SECURITIES AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THESE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that a Purchaser may from time to time pledge pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement with a registered broker-dealer or grant a security interest in some or all of the Securities to a financial institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and who agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and, if required under the terms of such arrangement, such Purchaser may transfer pledged or secured Securities to the pledgees or secured parties. Such a pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval of the Company and no legal opinion of legal
counsel of the pledgee, secured party or pledgor shall be required in connection therewith. Further, no notice shall be required of such pledge. At the appropriate Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Securities, including, if the Securities are subject to registration pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the preparation and filing of any required prospectus supplement under Rule 424(b)(3) under the Securities Act or other applicable provision of the Securities Act to appropriately amend the list of Selling Stockholders thereunder.
(c) Certificates evidencing the Underlying Shares shall not contain any legend (including the legend set forth in Section 4.1(b) hereof): (i) while a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) covering the resale of such security is effective under the Securities Act, or (ii) following any sale of such Underlying Shares pursuant to Rule 144, or (iii) if such Underlying Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144(k), or (iv) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission). The Company shall cause its counsel to issue a legal opinion to the Company’s transfer agent promptly after the Effective Date if required by the Company’s transfer agent to effect the removal of the legend hereunder. If all or any portion of a Debenture or Warrant is converted or exercised (as applicable) at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the resale of the Underlying Shares, or if such Underlying Shares may be sold under Rule 144(k) or if such legend is not otherwise required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations thereof) then such Underlying Shares shall be issued free of all legends. The Company agrees that following the Effective Date or at such time as such legend is no longer required under this Section 4.1(c), it will, no later than three Trading Days following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company or the Company’s transfer agent of a certificate representing Underlying Shares, as applicable, issued with a restrictive legend (such third Trading Day, the “Legend Removal Date”), deliver or cause to be delivered to such Purchaser a certificate representing such shares that is free from all restrictive and other legends. The Company may not make any notation on its records or give instructions to any transfer agent of the Company that enlarge the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section.
(d) In addition to such Purchaser’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Underlying Shares (based on the Closing Price of the Common Stock on the date such Securities are submitted to the Company’s transfer agent) delivered for removal of the restrictive legend and subject to this Section 4.1(c), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day 5 Trading Days after such damages have begun to accrue) for each Trading Day after the Legend Removal Date until such certificate is delivered without a legend. Nothing herein shall limit such Purchaser’s right to pursue actual damages for the Company’s failure to deliver certificates representing any Securities as required by the Transaction Documents, and such Purchaser shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief.
(e) Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, agrees that the removal of the restrictive legend from certificates representing Securities as set forth in this Section 4.1 is predicated upon the Company’s reliance that the Purchaser will sell any Securities pursuant to either the registration requirements of the Securities Act, including any applicable prospectus delivery requirements, or an exemption therefrom.
(f) Until the date that each Purchaser holds less than 20% of the Debentures initially purchased hereunder by such Purchaser, the Company shall not undertake a reverse or forward stock split or reclassification of the Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Purchasers holding a majority in Principal Amount outstanding of the Debentures.
4.2 Acknowledgment of Dilution. The Company acknowledges that the issuance of the Securities may result in dilution of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, which dilution may be substantial under certain market conditions. The Company further acknowledges that its obligations under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation its obligation to issue the Underlying Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents, are unconditional and absolute and not subject to any right of set off, counterclaim, delay or reduction, regardless of the effect of any such dilution or any claim the Company may have against any Purchaser and regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance may have on the ownership of the other stockholders of the Company.
4.3 Furnishing of Information. As long as any Purchaser owns Securities, the Company covenants to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act. As long as any Purchaser owns Securities, if the Company is not required to file reports pursuant to the Exchange Act, it will prepare and furnish to the Purchasers and make publicly available in accordance with Rule 144(c) such information as is required for the Purchasers to sell the Securities under Rule 144. The Company further covenants that it will take such further action as any holder of Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Person to sell such Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144.
4.4 Integration. The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the Securities to the Purchasers or that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market.
4.5 Conversion and Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise included in the Warrants and the form of Notice of Conversion included in the Debentures set forth the
totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise the Warrants or convert the Debentures. No additional legal opinion or other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Warrants or convert their Debentures. The Company shall honor exercises of the Warrants and conversions of the Debentures and shall deliver Underlying Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.
4.6 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall, by 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on the Trading Day following the date hereof, issue a Current Report on Form 8-K, reasonably acceptable to each Purchaser disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and shall attach the Transaction Documents thereto. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release or otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (i) as required by federal securities law in connection with the registration statement contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement and (ii) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under subclause (i) or (ii).
4.7 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any other Person that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any shareholder rights plan or similar plan or arrangement in effect, if any, or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act.
4.8 Non-Public Information. The Company covenants and agrees that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that the Company believes constitutes material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have executed a written agreement regarding the confidentiality and use of such information. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing representations in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4.9 Use of Proceeds. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.9 attached hereto, the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital purposes and not for the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and prior practices), to redeem any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or to settle any outstanding litigation.
4.10 Reimbursement. If any Purchaser becomes involved in any capacity in any Proceeding by or against any Person who is a stockholder of the Company (except as a result of sales, pledges, margin sales and similar transactions by such Purchaser to or with any current stockholder), solely as a result of such Purchaser’s acquisition of the Securities under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse such Purchaser for its reasonable legal and other expenses (including the cost of any investigation preparation and travel in connection therewith) incurred in connection therewith, as such expenses are incurred. The reimbursement obligations of the Company under this paragraph shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have, shall extend upon the same terms and conditions to any Affiliates of the Purchasers who are actually named in such action, proceeding or investigation, and partners, directors, agents, employees and controlling persons (if any), as the case may be, of the Purchasers and any such Affiliate, and shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successors, assigns, heirs and personal representatives of the Company, the Purchasers and any such Affiliate and any such Person. The Company also agrees that neither the Purchasers nor any such Affiliates, partners, directors, agents, employees or controlling persons shall have any liability to the Company or any Person asserting claims on behalf of or in right of the Company solely as a result of acquiring the Securities under this Agreement.
4.11 Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.11, the Company will indemnify and hold the Purchasers and their directors, officers, shareholders, partners, employees and agents (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against a Purchaser, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is based upon a breach of such Purchaser’s representation, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser may have with any such stockholder or any violations by the Purchaser of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser which constitutes fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or malfeasance). If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of such separate counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party. The Company
will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (i) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (ii) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Purchasers in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents.
4.12 Reservation and Listing of Securities.
(a) The Company shall maintain a reserve from its duly authorized shares of Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Transaction Documents in such amount as may be required to fulfill its obligations in full under the Transaction Documents.
(b) If, on any date, the number of authorized but unissued (and otherwise unreserved) shares of Common Stock is less than the Required Minimum on such date, then the Board of Directors of the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to amend the Company’s certificate or articles of incorporation to increase the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to at least the Required Minimum at such time, as soon as possible and in any event not later than the 75th day after such date.
(c) The Company shall, if applicable: (i) in the time and manner required by the Trading Market, prepare and file with such Trading Market an additional shares listing application covering a number of shares of Common Stock at least equal to the Required Minimum on the date of such application, (ii) take all steps necessary to cause such shares of Common Stock to be approved for listing on the Trading Market as soon as possible thereafter, (iii) provide to the Purchasers evidence of such listing, and (iv) maintain the listing of such Common Stock on any date at least equal to the Required Minimum on such date on such Trading Market or another Trading Market.
4.13 Participation in Future Financing. From the date hereof until the Debentures are no longer outstanding, upon any financing by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (a “Subsequent Financing”), each Purchaser shall have the right to participate in up to 35% of the Subsequent Financing (the “Participation Maximum”). At least 5 Trading Days prior to the closing of the Subsequent Financing, the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser a written notice of its intention to effect a Subsequent Financing (“Pre-Notice”), which Pre-Notice shall ask such Purchaser if it wants to review the details of such financing (such additional notice, a “Subsequent Financing Notice”). Upon the request of a Purchaser, and only upon a request by such Purchaser, for a Subsequent Financing Notice, the Company shall promptly, but no later than 1 Trading Day after such request, deliver a Subsequent Financing Notice to such Purchaser. The Subsequent Financing Notice shall describe in reasonable detail the proposed terms of such Subsequent Financing, the amount of proceeds intended to be raised thereunder, the Person with whom such Subsequent Financing is proposed to be effected, and attached to which shall be a term sheet or similar document relating thereto. If by 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the 5th Trading Day after all of the Purchasers have received the Pre-Notice, notifications by the Purchasers of their willingness to participate in the Subsequent Financing (or to cause their designees to participate) is, in the aggregate, less
than the total amount of the Subsequent Financing, then the Company may effect the remaining portion of such Subsequent Financing on the terms and to the Persons set forth in the Subsequent Financing Notice. If the Company receives no notice from a Purchaser as of such 5th Trading Day, such Purchaser shall be deemed to have notified the Company that it does not elect to participate. The Company must provide the Purchasers with a second Subsequent Financing Notice, and the Purchasers will again have the right of participation set forth above in this Section 4.13, if the Subsequent Financing subject to the initial Subsequent Financing Notice is not consummated for any reason on the terms set forth in such Subsequent Financing Notice within 60 Trading Days after the date of the initial Subsequent Financing Notice. In the event the Company receives responses to Subsequent Financing Notices from Purchasers seeking to purchase more than the aggregate amount of the Subsequent Financing, each such Purchaser shall have the right to purchase their Pro Rata Portion (as defined below) of the Participation Maximum. “Pro Rata Portion” is the ratio of (x) the Subscription Amount of Securities purchased by a participating Purchaser and (y) the sum of the aggregate Subscription Amount of all participating Purchasers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.13 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance.
4.14 Subsequent Equity Sales. From the date hereof until 90 days after the Effective Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall issue shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents; provided, however, the 90 day period set forth in this Section 4.14 shall be extended for the number of Trading Days during such period in which (y) trading in the Common Stock is suspended by any Trading Market, or (z) following the Effective Date, the Registration Statement is not effective or the prospectus included in the Registration Statement may not be used by the Purchasers for the resale of the Underlying Shares. In addition to the limitations set forth herein, from the date hereof until such time as no Purchaser holds any of the Securities, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any Subsequent Financing involving a “Variable Rate Transaction” or an “MFN Transaction” (each as defined below). The term “Variable Rate Transaction” shall mean a transaction in which the Company issues or sells (i) any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional shares of Common Stock either (A) at a conversion, exercise or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock. The term “MFN Transaction” shall mean a transaction in which the Company issues or sells any securities in a capital raising transaction or series of related transactions which grants to an investor the right to receive additional shares based upon future transactions of the Company on terms more favorable than those granted to such investor in such offering. Any Purchaser shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.14 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction or MFN Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.
4.15 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of any of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents. Further, the Company shall not make any payment of principal on the Debentures in amounts which are disproportionate to the respective Principal Amounts outstanding on the Debentures at any applicable time. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended to treat for the Company the Debenture holders as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before November 30, 2004; provided that no such termination will affect the right of any party to sue for any breach by the other party (or parties).
5.2 Fees and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all transfer agent fees, stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the issuance of any Securities.
5.3 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
5.4 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto.
5.5 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company
and each Purchaser or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waiver is sought. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of either party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.
5.6 Construction. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party.
5.7 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser. Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions hereof that apply to the “Purchasers”.
5.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.11.
5.9 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (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 City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, borough of Manhattan 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 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 manner permitted by law. The parties hereby waive all rights to a trial by jury. If either party shall
commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
5.10 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery, exercise and/or conversion of the Securities, as applicable for the applicable statue of limitations.
5.11 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile signature page were an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, the validity and enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and the parties will attempt to agree upon a valid and enforceable provision that is a reasonable substitute therefor, and upon so agreeing, shall incorporate such substitute provision in this Agreement.
5.13 Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) the Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Documents and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided, however, in the case of a rescission of a conversion of a Debenture or exercise of a Warrant, the Purchaser shall be required to return any shares of Common Stock subject to any such rescinded conversion or exercise notice.
5.14 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof, or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction and customary and reasonable indemnity, if requested. The applicants for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.15 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that
monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations described in the foregoing sentence and hereby agrees to waive in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
5.16 Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Documents or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
5.17 Usury. To the extent it may lawfully do so, the Company hereby agrees not to insist upon or plead or in any manner whatsoever claim, and will resist any and all efforts to be compelled to take the benefit or advantage of, usury laws wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, in connection with any claim, action or proceeding that may be brought by any Purchaser in order to enforce any right or remedy under any Transaction Documents. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in any Transaction Documents, it is expressly agreed and provided that the total liability of the Company under the Transaction Documents for payments in the nature of interest shall not exceed the maximum lawful rate authorized under applicable law (the “Maximum Rate”), and, without limiting the foregoing, in no event shall any rate of interest or default interest, or both of them, when aggregated with any other sums in the nature of interest that the Company may be obligated to pay under the Transaction Documents exceed such Maximum Rate. It is agreed that if the maximum contract rate of interest allowed by law and applicable to the Transaction Documents is increased or decreased by statute or any official governmental action subsequent to the date hereof, the new maximum contract rate of interest allowed by law will be the Maximum Rate applicable to the Transaction Documents from the effective date forward, unless such application is precluded by applicable law. If under any circumstances whatsoever, interest in excess of the Maximum Rate is paid by the Company to any Purchaser with respect to indebtedness evidenced by the Transaction Documents, such excess shall be applied by such Purchaser to the unpaid principal balance of any such indebtedness or be refunded to the Company, the manner of handling such excess to be at such Purchaser’s election.
5.18 Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Documents are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Documents. Nothing contained herein or in any Transaction Documents, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the
Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in their review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. For reasons of administrative convenience only, Purchasers and their respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through FW. FW does not represent all of the Purchasers but only HPC Capital Management, placement agent for the transaction. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by the Purchasers.
5.19 Liquidated Damages. The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.
(Signature Pages Follow)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
| HARTVILLE GROUP, INC. | Address for Notice: | |||
| By: |
| |||
| Name: | ||||
| Title: | ||||
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO HTVL SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
| Name of Investing Entity: ________________________________________________________________________ |
| Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:_________________________________________________ |
| Name of Authorized Signatory: ____________________________________________________________________ |
| Title of Authorized Signatory: _____________________________________________________________________ |
| Email Address of Authorized Entity: ________________________________________________________________ |
Address for Notice of Investing Entity:
Address for Delivery of Securities for Investing Entity (if not same as above):
Subscription Amount:
Principal Amount (1.162 x Subscription Amount):
Warrant Shares:
[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]
EXHIBIT A
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS CONVERTIBLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
Original Issue Date: November 11, 2004
Original Set Price (subject to adjustment herein): $2.25
$
CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURE
DUE NOVEMBER 11, 2006
THIS DEBENTURE is one of a series of duly authorized and issued Convertible Debentures of Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation, having a principal place of business at 583 San Mateo Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066 (the “Company”), designated as its Convertible Debenture, due November 11, 2006 (the “Debenture(s)”).
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the Company promises to pay to or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), the principal sum of $ on November 11, 2006 or such earlier date as the Debentures are required or permitted to be repaid as provided hereunder (the “Maturity Date”). This Debenture is subject to the following additional provisions:
Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof, in addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Debenture: (a) capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Purchase Agreement, and (b) the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Alternate Consideration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(d).
“Base Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).
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“Business Day” means any day except Saturday, Sunday and any day which shall be a federal legal holiday in the United States or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other government action to close.
“Buy-In” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(d)(v).
“Change of Control Transaction” means the occurrence after the date hereof of any of (i) an acquisition after the date hereof by an individual or legal entity or “group” (as described in Rule 13d-5(b)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of effective control (whether through legal or beneficial ownership of capital stock of the Company, by contract or otherwise) of in excess of 33% of the voting securities of the Company, or (ii) a replacement at one time or within a three year period of more than one-half of the members of the Company’s board of directors which is not approved by a majority of those individuals who are members of the board of directors on the date hereof (or by those individuals who are serving as members of the board of directors on any date whose nomination to the board of directors was approved by a majority of the members of the board of directors who are members on the date hereof), or (iii) the execution by the Company of an agreement to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound, providing for any of the events set forth above in (i) or (ii).
“Closing Price” means on any particular date (a) the last reported closing bid price per share of Common Stock on such date on the Trading Market (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 PM (New York time), or (b) if there is no such price on such date, then the closing bid price on the Trading Market on the date nearest preceding such date (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 PM (New York time) for the closing bid price for regular session trading on such day), or (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted on the Trading Market and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the “pink sheets” published by the National Quotation Bureau Incorporated (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) if the shares of Common Stock are not then publicly traded the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by a qualified independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the principal amount of Debentures then outstanding.
“Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company and stock of any other class into which such shares may hereafter have been reclassified or changed.
“Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(b).
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“Conversion Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Debentures.
“Dilutive Issuance” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).
“Dilutive Issuance Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).
“Effectiveness Period” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Registration Rights Agreement.
“Equity Conditions” shall mean, during the period in question, (i) the Company shall have duly honored all conversions and redemptions scheduled to occur or occurring by virtue of one or more Notice of Conversions, if any, (ii) all liquidated damages and other amounts owing in respect of the Debentures shall have been paid; (iii) there is an effective Registration Statement pursuant to which the Holder is permitted to utilize the prospectus thereunder to resell all of the shares issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents (and the Company believes, in good faith, that such effectiveness will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), (iv) the Common Stock is trading on the Trading Market and all of the shares issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents are listed for trading on a Trading Market (and the Company believes, in good faith, that trading of the Common Stock on a Trading Market will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), (v) there is a sufficient number of authorized but unissued and otherwise unreserved shares of Common Stock for the issuance of all of the shares issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents, (vi) there is then existing no Event of Default or event which, with the passage of time or the giving of notice, would constitute an Event of Default, (vii) all of the shares issued or issuable pursuant to the transaction proposed would not violate the limitations set forth in Section4(c)(i) and 4(c)(ii) and (viii) no public announcement of a pending or proposed Fundamental Transaction, Change of Control Transaction or acquisition transaction has occurred that has not been consummated.
“Event of Default” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Fundamental Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(d).
“Mandatory Prepayment Amount” for any Debentures shall equal the sum of (i) the greater of: (A) 130% of the principal amount of Debentures to be prepaid, or (B) the principal amount of Debentures to be prepaid, divided by the Conversion Price on (x) the date the Mandatory Prepayment Amount is demanded or otherwise due or (y) the date the Mandatory Prepayment Amount is paid in full, whichever is less, multiplied by the Closing Price on (x) the date the Mandatory Prepayment Amount is demanded or otherwise due or (y) the date the Mandatory Prepayment Amount is paid in full, whichever is greater, and (ii) all other amounts, costs, expenses and liquidated damages due in respect of such Debentures.
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“New York Courts” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(d).
“Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Original Issue Date” shall mean the date of the first issuance of the Debentures regardless of the number of transfers of any Debenture and regardless of the number of instruments which may be issued to evidence such Debenture.
“Person” means a corporation, an association, a partnership, organization, a business, an individual, a government or political subdivision thereof or a governmental agency.
“Purchase Agreement” means the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 11, 2004, to which the Company and the original Holder are parties, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
“Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of the date of the Purchase Agreement, to which the Company and the original Holder are parties, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
“Registration Statement” means a registration statement meeting the requirements set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement, covering among other things the resale of the Conversion Shares and naming the Holder as a “selling stockholder” thereunder.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Set Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(b).
“Subsidiary” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Purchase Agreement.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.
“Trading Market” means the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the Nasdaq SmallCap Market, the American Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq National Market or the OTC Bulletin Board.
“Transaction Documents” shall have the meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
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Section 2. Interest.
a) No Payment of Interest. Except as specifically set forth in this Debenture, the Holder acknowledges and agrees that the Company shall not pay interest to the Holder on this Debenture.
b) Prepayment. Except as otherwise set forth in this Debenture, the Company may not prepay any portion of the principal amount of this Debenture without the prior written consent of the Holder.
Section 3. Registration of Transfers and Exchanges.
a) Different Denominations. This Debenture is exchangeable for an equal aggregate principal amount of Debentures of different authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same. No service charge will be made for such registration of transfer or exchange.
b) Investment Representations. This Debenture has been issued subject to certain investment representations of the original Holder set forth in the Purchase Agreement and may be transferred or exchanged only in compliance with the Purchase Agreement and applicable federal and state securities laws and regulations.
c) Reliance on Debenture Register. Prior to due presentment to the Company for transfer of this Debenture, the Company and any agent of the Company may treat the Person in whose name this Debenture is duly registered on the Debenture Register as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment as herein provided and for all other purposes, whether or not this Debenture is overdue, and neither the Company nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Section 4. Conversion.
a) Voluntary Conversion. At any time after the Original Issue Date until this Debenture is no longer outstanding, this Debenture shall be convertible into shares of Common Stock at the option of the Holder, in whole or in part at any time and from time to time (subject to the limitations on conversion set forth in Section 4(c) hereof). The Holder shall effect conversions by delivering to the Company the form of Notice of Conversion attached hereto as Annex A (a “Notice of Conversion”), specifying therein the principal amount of Debentures to be converted and the date on which such conversion is to be effected (a “Conversion Date”). If no Conversion Date is specified in a Notice of Conversion, the Conversion Date shall be the date that such Notice of Conversion is provided hereunder. To effect conversions hereunder, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender Debentures to the Company unless the entire principal amount of this Debenture has been so converted. Conversions hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding principal amount of this Debenture in an amount equal to the applicable conversion. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the principal amount converted and the date of such conversions. The Company
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shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Conversion within 1 Business Day of receipt of such notice. In the event of any dispute or discrepancy, the records of the Holder shall be controlling and determinative in the absence of manifest error. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Debenture, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following conversion of a portion of this Debenture, the unpaid and unconverted principal amount of this Debenture may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
b) Conversion Price. The conversion price in effect on any Conversion Date shall be equal to the lesser of $2.25 (subject to adjustment herein)(the “Set Price”) and 80% of the average of the 5 Closing Prices immediately prior to such Conversion Date (the “Conversion Price”):
c) Conversion Limitations.
i. Trading Market Limitations. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Company has not obtained Shareholder Approval (as defined below), if required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Trading Market (or any successor entity), then the Company may not issue upon conversion of the Debentures in excess of 19.999% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on the Trading Day immediately preceding the Original Issue Date, less the number of shares issued prior to such Conversion Date pursuant to any Debentures and less the number of shares issued prior to such Conversion Date pursuant to any Warrants (such number of shares, the “Issuable Maximum”). Each Holder shall be entitled to a portion of the Issuable Maximum equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the aggregate principal amount of the Debenture(s) issued and sold to such Holder on the Original Issue Date by (y) the aggregate principal amount of all Debentures issued and sold by the Company on the Original Issue Date. If any Holder shall no longer hold the Debenture(s), then such Holder’s remaining portion of the Issuable Maximum shall be allocated pro-rata among the remaining Holders. If on any Conversion Date: (1) the applicable Conversion Price then in effect is such that the shares issuable under this Debenture on any Conversion Date together with the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that would then be issuable upon conversion in full of all then outstanding Debentures would exceed the Issuable Maximum, and (2) the Company’s shareholders shall not have previously approved the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Trading Market (or any successor entity), if any (the “Shareholder Approval”), then the Company shall issue to the Holder requesting a conversion a number of shares of Common Stock equal to such Holder’s pro-rata portion (which shall be calculated pursuant to the terms hereof) of the Issuable Maximum and, with respect to the remainder of the aggregate principal amount of the Debentures then held by such Holder for which a conversion in accordance with the applicable conversion price would result in an issuance of shares of Common Stock in excess of such Holder’s pro-rata portion (which shall be calculated pursuant to the terms hereof) of the Issuable Maximum
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(the “Excess Principal”), the Company shall be prohibited from converting such Excess Principal, and shall notify the Holder of the reason therefor. This Debenture shall thereafter be unconvertible to such extent until and unless Shareholder Approval is subsequently obtained or is otherwise not required, but this Debenture shall otherwise remain in full force and effect.
ii. Holder’s Restriction on Conversion. The Company shall not effect any conversion of this Debenture, and the Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of this Debenture, pursuant to Section 4(a) or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such conversion, the Holder (together with the Holder’s affiliates), as set forth on the applicable Notice of Conversion, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such conversion. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its affiliates shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Debenture with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (A) conversion of the remaining, nonconverted portion of this Debenture beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its affiliates and (B) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Debentures or the Warrants) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its affiliates. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 4(c), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act. To the extent that the limitation contained in this section applies, the determination of whether this Debenture is convertible (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder) and of which a portion of this Debenture is convertible shall be in the sole discretion of such Holder. To ensure compliance with this restriction, the Holder will be deemed to represent to the Company each time it delivers a Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this paragraph and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. For purposes of this Section 4(c), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (x) the Company’s most recent Form 10-QSB or Form 10-KSB, as the case may be, (y) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (z) any other notice by the Company or the Company’s Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall within two Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Debenture, by the Holder or its affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The
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provisions of this Section 4(c)(ii) may be waived by the Holder upon, at the election of the Holder, not less than 61 days’ prior notice to the Company, and the provisions of this Section 4(c)(ii) shall continue to apply until such 61st day (or such later date, as determined by the Holder, as may be specified in such notice of waiver).
c) Mechanics of Conversion
i. Conversion Shares Issuable Upon Conversion of Principal Amount. The number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon a conversion hereunder shall be determined by the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the outstanding principal amount of this Debenture to be converted by (y) the Conversion Price.
ii. Delivery of Certificate Upon Conversion. Not later than three Trading Days after any Conversion Date, the Company will deliver to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing the Conversion Shares which shall be free of restrictive legends and trading restrictions (other than those required by the Purchase Agreement) representing the number of shares of Common Stock being acquired upon the conversion of Debentures. The Company shall, if available and if allowed under applicable securities laws, use its best efforts to deliver any certificate or certificates required to be delivered by the Company under this Section electronically through the Depository Trust Corporation or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions.
iii. Failure to Deliver Certificates. If in the case of any Notice of Conversion such certificate or certificates are not delivered to or as directed by the applicable Holder by the third Trading Day after a Conversion Date, the Holder shall be entitled by written notice to the Company at any time on or before its receipt of such certificate or certificates thereafter, to rescind such conversion, in which event the Company shall immediately return the certificates representing the principal amount of Debentures tendered for conversion.
iv. Obligation Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates pursuant to Section 4(d)(ii) by the third Trading Day after the Conversion Date, the Company shall pay to such Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1000 of principal amount being converted, $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day after 5 Trading Days after such damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such third Trading Day until such certificates are delivered. The Company’s obligations to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of this Debenture in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or
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termination, or any breach or alleged breach by the Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Company or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other person, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of the Company to the Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by the Company of any such action the Company may have against the Holder. In the event a Holder of this Debenture shall elect to convert any or all of the outstanding principal amount hereof, the Company may not refuse conversion based on any claim that the Holder or any one associated or affiliated with the Holder of has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, unless, an injunction from a court, on notice, restraining and or enjoining conversion of all or part of this Debenture shall have been sought and obtained and the Company posts a surety bond for the benefit of the Holder in the amount of 150% of the principal amount of this Debenture outstanding, which is subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to such Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of an injunction precluding the same, the Company shall issue Conversion Shares or, if applicable, cash, upon a properly noticed conversion. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue actual damages or declare an Event of Default pursuant to Section 8 herein for the Company’s failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified herein and such Holder shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief. The exercise of any such rights shall not prohibit the Holders from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.
v. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Certificates Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates pursuant to Section 4(d)(ii) by the third Trading Day after the Conversion Date, and if after such third Trading Day the Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Holder of the Conversion Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such conversion (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder (in addition to any remedies available to or elected by the Holder) the amount by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the product of (1) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that such Holder anticipated receiving from the conversion at issue multiplied by (2) the actual sale price of the Common Stock at the time of the sale (including brokerage commissions, if any) giving rise to such purchase obligation and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reissue Debentures in principal amount equal to the principal amount of the attempted conversion or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have
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been issued had the Company timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 4(d)(ii). For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted conversion of Debentures with respect to which the actual sale price of the Conversion Shares at the time of the sale (including brokerage commissions, if any) giving rise to such purchase obligation was a total of $10,000 under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, if a Holder requires the Company to make payment in respect of a Buy-In for the failure to timely deliver certificates hereunder and the Company timely pays in full such payment, the Company shall not be required to pay such Holder liquidated damages under Section 4(d)(iv) in respect of the certificates resulting in such Buy-In.
vi. Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. The Company covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock solely for the purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Debentures free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of persons other than the Holders, not less than such number of shares of the Common Stock as shall (subject to any additional requirements of the Company as to reservation of such shares set forth in the Purchase Agreement) be issuable (taking into account the adjustments and restrictions of Section 5) upon the conversion of the outstanding principal amount of the Debentures. The Company covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly and validly authorized, issued and fully paid, nonassessable and, if the Registration Statement is then effective under the Securities Act, registered for public sale in accordance with such Registration Statement.
vii. Fractional Shares. Upon a conversion hereunder the Company shall not be required to issue stock certificates representing fractions of shares of the Common Stock, but may if otherwise permitted, make a cash payment in respect of any final fraction of a share based on the Closing Price at such time. If the Company elects not, or is unable, to make such a cash payment, the Holder shall be entitled to receive, in lieu of the final fraction of a share, one whole share of Common Stock.
viii. Transfer Taxes. The issuance of certificates for shares of the Common Stock on conversion of the Debentures shall be made without charge to the Holders thereof for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such certificate, provided that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any such certificate upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holder of such Debentures so
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converted and the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver such certificates unless or until the person or persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to the Company the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of the Company that such tax has been paid.
Section 5. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If the Company, at any time while the Debentures are outstanding: (A) shall pay a stock dividend or otherwise make a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company pursuant to this Debenture), (B) subdivide outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (C) combine (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then the Set Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding after such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) Subsequent Equity Sales. If the Company or any Subsidiary thereof, as applicable, at any time while Debentures are outstanding, shall offer, sell, grant any option to purchase or offer, sell or grant any right to reprice its securities, or otherwise dispose of or issue (or announce any offer, sale, grant or any option to purchase or other disposition) any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents entitling any Person to acquire shares of Common Stock, at an effective price per share less than the then Set Price (such lower price, the “Base Conversion Price” and such issuances collectively, a “Dilutive Issuance”), as adjusted hereunder (if the holder of the Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents so issued shall at any time, whether by operation of purchase price adjustments, reset provisions, floating conversion, exercise or exchange prices or otherwise, or due to warrants, options or rights per share which is issued in connection with such issuance, be entitled to receive shares of Common Stock at an effective price per share which is less than the Set Price, such issuance shall be deemed to have occurred for less than the Set Price), then the Set Price shall be reduced to equal, the Base Conversion Price. Such adjustment shall be made whenever such Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents are issued. The Company shall notify the Holder in writing, no later than the Business Day following the issuance of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents subject to this section, indicating therein the applicable issuance price, or of applicable reset price, exchange price, conversion price and other pricing terms (such notice the “Dilutive Issuance Notice”). For purposes of clarification, whether or not the Company provides a Dilutive Issuance Notice pursuant to this Section 5(b), upon
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the occurrence of any Dilutive Issuance, after the date of such Dilutive Issuance the Holder is entitled to receive a number of Conversion Shares based upon the Conversion Price using the Base Conversion Price regardless of whether the Holder accurately refers to the Base Conversion Price in the Notice of Conversion.
c) Pro Rata Distributions. If the Company, at any time while Debentures are outstanding, shall distribute to all holders of Common Stock (and not to Holders) evidences of its indebtedness or assets or rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any security, then in each such case the Set Price shall be determined by multiplying such Set Price in effect immediately prior to the record date fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to receive such distribution by a fraction of which the denominator shall be the Closing Price determined as of the record date mentioned above, and of which the numerator shall be such Closing Price on such record date less the then fair market value at such record date of the portion of such assets or evidence of indebtedness so distributed applicable to one outstanding share of the Common Stock as determined by the Board of Directors in good faith. In either case the adjustments shall be described in a statement provided to the Holders of the portion of assets or evidences of indebtedness so distributed or such subscription rights applicable to one share of Common Stock. Such adjustment shall be made whenever any such distribution is made and shall become effective immediately after the record date mentioned above.
d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Debenture is outstanding, (A) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (B) the Company effects any sale of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (C) any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property, or (D) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (in any such case, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then upon any subsequent conversion of this Debenture, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Conversion Share that would have been issuable upon such conversion absent such Fundamental Transaction, the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if it had been, immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction, the holder of one share of Common Stock (the “Alternate Consideration”). For purposes of any such conversion, the determination of the Set Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Set Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any conversion of this Debenture following such
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Fundamental Transaction. To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Company or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall issue to the Holder a new debenture consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holder’s right to convert such debenture into Alternate Consideration. The terms of any agreement pursuant to which a Fundamental Transaction is effected shall include terms requiring any such successor or surviving entity to comply with the provisions of this paragraph (c) and insuring that this Debenture (or any such replacement security) will be similarly adjusted upon any subsequent transaction analogous to a Fundamental Transaction.
e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 5 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any given time shall not includes shares of Common Stock owned or held by or for the account of the Company, and the description of any such shares of Common Stock shall be considered on issue or sale of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 5, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
f) Exempt Issuance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no adjustment will be made under this Section 5 in respect of an Exempt Issuance.
g) Notice to Holders.
i. Adjustment to Set Price . Whenever the Set Price is adjusted pursuant to any of this Section 5, the Company shall promptly mail to each Holder a notice setting forth the Set Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment. If the Company issues a variable rate security, despite the prohibition thereon in the Purchase Agreement, the Company shall be deemed to have issued Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents at the lowest possible conversion or exercise price at which such securities may be converted or exercised in the case of a Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the Purchase Agreement), or the lowest possible adjustment price in the case of an MFN Transaction (as defined in the Purchase Agreement).
ii. Notice to Allow Conversion by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution) on the Common Stock; (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock; (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights; (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, of any
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compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property; (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company; then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of the Debentures, and shall cause to be mailed to the Holders at their last addresses as they shall appear upon the stock books of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided, that the failure to mail such notice or any defect therein or in the mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. Holders are entitled to convert Debentures during the 20-day period commencing the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice.
Section 6. RESERVED.
Section 7. Negative Covenants. So long as any portion of this Debenture is outstanding, the Company will not and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to directly or indirectly:
a) enter into, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any indebtedness or liens of any kind, on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom that is senior to, or pari passu with, in any respect, the Company’s obligations under the Debentures;
b) amend its certificate of incorporation, bylaws or to her charter documents so as to adversely affect any rights of the Holder;
c) repay, repurchase or offer to repay, repurchase or otherwise acquire more than a de minimis number of shares of its Common Stock or other equity or debt securities other than as to the Conversion Shares to the extent permitted or required under the Transaction Documents or as otherwise permitted by the Transaction Documents; or
d) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.
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Section 8. Events of Default.
a) “Event of Default”, wherever used herein, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court, or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
i. any default in the payment of the principal amount or liquidated damages in respect of, any Debenture, in each case free of any claim of subordination, as and when the same shall become due and payable (whether on a Conversion Date or the Maturity Date or by acceleration or otherwise) which default, is not cured, if possible to cure, within 3 Trading Days;
ii. the Company shall fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in this Debenture or any of the other Transaction Documents (other than a breach by the Company of its obligations to deliver shares of Common Stock to the Holder upon conversion which breach is addressed in clause (xii) below) which failure is not cured, if possible to cure, within the earlier to occur of (A) 5 Trading Days after notice of such default sent by the Holder or by any other Holder and (B)10 Trading Days after the Company shall become or should have become aware of such failure;
iii. a default or event of default (subject to any grace or cure period provided for in the applicable agreement, document or instrument) shall occur under (A) any of the Transaction Documents other than the Debentures, or (B) any other material agreement, lease, document or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound;
iv. any representation or warranty made herein, in any other Transaction Documents, in any written statement pursuant hereto or thereto, or in any other report, financial statement or certificate made or delivered to the Holder or any other holder of Debentures shall be untrue or incorrect in any material respect as of the date when made or deemed made;
v. (i) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall commence, or there shall be commenced against the Company or any such Subsidiary, a case under any applicable bankruptcy or insolvency laws as now or hereafter in effect or any successor thereto, or the Company or any Subsidiary commences any other proceeding under any reorganization, arrangement, adjustment of debt, relief of debtors, dissolution, insolvency or liquidation or similar law of any jurisdiction whether now or hereafter in effect relating to the Company or any Subsidiary thereof or (ii) there is commenced against the Company or any Subsidiary thereof any such bankruptcy, insolvency or other proceeding which remains undismissed for a period of 60 days; or (iii) the Company or any Subsidiary thereof is adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction insolvent or bankrupt; or any order of relief or other order approving any such case or proceeding is entered; or (iv) the Company or any Subsidiary thereof suffers any appointment of any
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custodian or the like for it or any substantial part of its property which continues undischarged or unstayed for a period of 60 days; or (v) the Company or any Subsidiary thereof makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or (vi) the Company shall fail to pay, or shall state that it is unable to pay, or shall be unable to pay, its debts generally as they become due; or (vii) the Company or any Subsidiary thereof shall call a meeting of its creditors with a view to arranging a composition, adjustment or restructuring of its debts; or (viii) the Company or any Subsidiary thereof shall by any act or failure to act expressly indicate its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any of the foregoing; or (ix) any corporate or other action is taken by the Company or any Subsidiary thereof for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;
vi. the Company or any Subsidiary shall default in any of its obligations under any mortgage, credit agreement or other facility, indenture agreement, factoring agreement or other instrument under which there may be issued, or by which there may be secured or evidenced any indebtedness for borrowed money or money due under any long term leasing or factoring arrangement of the Company in an amount exceeding $150,000, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created and such default shall result in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise become due and payable;
vii. the Common Stock shall not be eligible for quotation on or quoted for trading on a Trading Market and shall not again be eligible for and quoted or listed for trading thereon within five Trading Days;
viii. the Company shall be a party to any Change of Control Transaction or Fundamental Transaction, shall agree to sell or dispose of all or in excess of 33% of its assets in one or more transactions (whether or not such sale would constitute a Change of Control Transaction) or shall redeem or repurchase more than a de minimis number of its outstanding shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (other than redemptions of Conversion Shares and repurchases of shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of departing officers and directors of the Company; provided such repurchases shall not exceed $100,000, in the aggregate, for all officers and directors during the term of this Debenture);
ix. a Registration Statement shall not have been declared effective by the Commission on or prior to the 180th calendar day after the Closing Date or any other or any other Event (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement);
x. if, during the Effectiveness Period (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement), the effectiveness of the Registration Statement lapses for any reason or the Holder shall not be permitted to resell Registrable Securities (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) under the Registration Statement,
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in either case, for more than 10 consecutive Trading Days or 15 non-consecutive Trading Days during any 12 month period; provided, however, that in the event that the Company is negotiating a merger, consolidation, acquisition or sale of all or substantially all of its assets or a similar transaction and in the written opinion of counsel to the Company, the Registration Statement, would be required to be amended to include information concerning such transactions or the parties thereto that is not available or may not be publicly disclosed at the time, the Company shall be permitted an additional 10 consecutive Trading during any 12 month period relating to such an event;
xi. an Event (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) shall not have been cured to the satisfaction of the Holder prior to the expiration of thirty days from the Event Date (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) relating thereto (other than an Event resulting from a failure of an Registration Statement to be declared effective by the Commission on or prior to the Effectiveness Date (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement), which shall be covered by Section 8(a)(ix);
xii. the Company shall fail for any reason to deliver certificates to a Holder prior to the fifth Trading Day after a Conversion Date pursuant to and in accordance with Section 4(d) or the Company shall provide notice to the Holder, including by way of public announcement, at any time, of its intention not to comply with requests for conversions of any Debentures in accordance with the terms hereof; or
xiii. the Company shall fail for any reason to pay in full the amount of cash due pursuant to a Buy-In within 5 Trading Days after notice therefor is delivered hereunder or shall fail to pay all amounts owed on account of an Event of Default within five days of the date due.
b) Remedies Upon Event of Default. If any Event of Default occurs, the full principal amount of this Debenture, together other amounts owing in respect thereof, to the date of acceleration shall become, at the Holder’s election, immediately due and payable in cash. The aggregate amount payable upon an Event of Default shall be equal to the Mandatory Prepayment Amount. Commencing 5 days after the occurrence of any Event of Default that results in the eventual acceleration of this Debenture, the interest rate on this Debenture shall accrue at the rate of 18% per annum, or such lower maximum amount of interest permitted to be charged under applicable law. All Debentures for which the full Mandatory Prepayment Amount hereunder shall have been paid in accordance herewith shall promptly be surrendered to or as directed by the Company. The Holder need not provide and the Company hereby waives any presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, and the Holder may immediately and without expiration of any grace period enforce any and all of its rights and remedies hereunder and all other remedies available to it under applicable law. Such declaration may be rescinded and annulled by Holder at any time prior to payment hereunder and the Holder
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shall have all rights as a Debenture holder until such time, if any, as the full payment under this Section shall have been received by it. No such rescission or annulment shall affect any subsequent Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 9. Miscellaneous.
a) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder, including, without limitation, any Notice of Conversion, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile, sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at the address set forth above, facsimile number ###-###-####, Attn: Russell Smith or such other address or facsimile number as the Company may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders delivered in accordance with this Section. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Company hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile, sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the facsimile telephone number or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Company, or if no such facsimile telephone number or address appears, at the principal place of business of the Holder. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile telephone number specified in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time), (ii) the date after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile telephone number specified in this Section later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date and earlier than 11:59 p.m. (New York City time) on such date, (iii) the second Business Day following the date of mailing, if sent by nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.
b) Absolute Obligation. Except as expressly provided herein, no provision of this Debenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and liquidated damages (if any) on, this Debenture at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed. This Debenture is a direct debt obligation of the Company. This Debenture ranks pari passu with all other Debentures now or hereafter issued under the terms set forth herein.
c) Lost or Mutilated Debenture. If this Debenture shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated Debenture, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed Debenture, a new Debenture for the principal amount of this Debenture so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such Debenture, and of the ownership hereof, and indemnity, if requested, all reasonably satisfactory to the Company.
d) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Debenture shall be governed by and construed and
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enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by any of the Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents) shall be commenced in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan (the “New York Courts”). Each party hereto hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Courts 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, or such New York Courts are improper or 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 Debenture 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 manner permitted by law. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Debenture or the transactions contemplated hereby. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Debenture, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorneys fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
e) Waiver. Any waiver by the Company or the Holder of a breach of any provision of this Debenture shall not operate as or be construed to be a waiver of any other breach of such provision or of any breach of any other provision of this Debenture. The failure of the Company or the Holder to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Debenture on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Debenture. Any waiver must be in writing.
f) Severability. If any provision of this Debenture is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Debenture shall remain in effect, and if any provision is inapplicable to any person or circumstance, it shall nevertheless remain applicable to all other persons and circumstances. If it shall be found that any interest or other amount deemed interest due hereunder violates applicable laws governing usury, the applicable rate of interest due hereunder shall automatically be lowered to equal the maximum permitted rate of interest. The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law which would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any portion of the principal of
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or interest on this Debenture as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this indenture, and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefits or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impeded the execution of any power herein granted to the Holder, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such as though no such law has been enacted.
g) Next Business Day. Whenever any payment or other obligation hereunder shall be due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day.
h) Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Debenture and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
*********************
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Debenture to be duly executed by a duly authorized officer as of the date first above indicated.
| HARTVILLE GROUP, INC. | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
ANNEX A
NOTICE OF CONVERSION
The undersigned hereby elects to convert principal under the Convertible Debenture of Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), due on November 11, 2006, into shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company according to the conditions hereof, as of the date written below. If shares are to be issued in the name of a person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all transfer taxes payable with respect thereto and is delivering herewith such certificates and opinions as reasonably requested by the Company in accordance therewith. No fee will be charged to the holder for any conversion, except for such transfer taxes, if any.
By the delivery of this Notice of Conversion the undersigned represents and warrants to the Company that its ownership of the Common Stock does not exceed the amounts determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, specified under Section 4 of this Debenture.
The undersigned agrees to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements under the applicable securities laws in connection with any transfer of the aforesaid shares of Common Stock.
Conversion calculations:
| Date to Effect Conversion: |
| Principal Amount of Debentures to be Converted: |
| Number of shares of Common Stock to be issued: |
| Signature: |
| Name: |
| Address: |
Schedule 1
CONVERSION SCHEDULE
The Convertible Debentures due on November 11, 2006, in the aggregate principal amount of $ issued by Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation. This Conversion Schedule reflects conversions made under Section 4 of the above referenced Debenture.
Dated:
| Date of Conversion (or for first entry, Original Issue Date) | Amount of Conversion | Aggregate Principal Amount Remaining Subsequent to Conversion (or original Principal Amount) | Company Attest | |||
EXHIBIT B
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of November 11, 2004 among Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and the purchasers signatory hereto (each such purchaser is a “Purchaser” and all such purchasers are, collectively, the “Purchasers”).
This Agreement is made pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof among the Company and the Purchasers (the “Purchase Agreement”).
The Company and the Purchasers hereby agree as follows:
1. Definitions
Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Purchase Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Advice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).
“Effectiveness Date” means, with respect to the initial Registration Statement required to be filed hereunder, the 120th calendar day following the date hereof and, with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the 120th calendar day following the date on which the Company first knows, or reasonably should have known, that such additional Registration Statement is required hereunder; provided, however, in the event the Company is notified by the Commission that one of the above Registration Statements will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further review and comments, the Effectiveness Date as to such Registration Statement shall be the fifth Trading Day following the date on which the Company is so notified if such date precedes the dates required above.
“Effectiveness Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“Event Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“Filing Date” means, with respect to the initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the 40th calendar day following the date hereof and, with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the 15th day following the date on which the Company first knows, or reasonably should have known that such additional Registration Statement is required hereunder.
“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 5(c).
“Indemnifying Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Losses” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).
“Plan of Distribution” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“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 promulgated under 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.
“Registrable Securities” means (i) all of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion in full of the Debentures, (ii) all Warrant Shares, (iii) any securities issued or issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other distribution recapitalization or similar event with respect to the foregoing and (iv) any additional shares issuable in connection with any anti-dilution provisions in the Debentures or the Warrants.
“Registration Statement” means the registration statements required to be filed hereunder and any additional registration statements contemplated by Section 3(c), including (in each case) the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to 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.
“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 purpose and 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 purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Selling Shareholder Questionnaire” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
2. Shelf Registration
(a) On or prior to each Filing Date, the Company shall prepare and file with the Commission a “Shelf” Registration Statement covering the resale of 125% of the Registrable Securities on such Filing Date for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. The Registration Statement shall be on Form SB-2 (except if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities on Form SB-2, in which case such registration shall be on another appropriate form in accordance herewith) and shall contain (unless otherwise directed by the Holders) substantially the “Plan of Distribution” attached hereto as Annex A. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, but in any event prior to the applicable Effectiveness Date, and shall use its best efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold or may be sold without volume restrictions pursuant to Rule 144(k) as determined by the counsel to the Company pursuant to a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed and acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent and the affected Holders (the “Effectiveness Period”). The Company shall immediately notify the Holders via facsimile of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement on the same day that the Company receives notification of the effectiveness from the Commission. Failure to so notify the Holder within 1 Trading Day of such notification shall be deemed an Event under Section 2(b).
(b) If: (i) a Registration Statement is not filed on or prior to its Filing Date (if the Company files a Registration Statement without affording the Holders the opportunity to review and comment on the same as required by Section 3(a), the Company shall not be deemed to have satisfied this clause (i)), or (ii) the Company fails to file with the Commission a request for acceleration in accordance with Rule 461 promulgated under the Securities Act, within five Trading Days of the date that the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the Commission that a Registration Statement will not be “reviewed,” or not subject to further review, or (iii) prior to its Effectiveness Date, the Company fails to file a pre-effective amendment and otherwise respond in writing to comments made by the Commission in respect of such Registration Statement within 10 calendar days after the receipt of comments by or notice from the Commission that such amendment is required in order for a Registration Statement to be declared effective, or (iv) a Registration Statement filed or required to be filed hereunder is not declared effective by the Commission by its Effectiveness Date, or (v) after the Effectiveness Date, a Registration Statement ceases for any reason to remain continuously effective as to all Registrable Securities for which it is required to be effective, or the Holders are not permitted to utilize the Prospectus therein to resell such Registrable Securities for 10 consecutive calendar days but no more than an aggregate of 15 calendar days during any 12-month period (which need not be consecutive Trading Days) (any such failure or breach being referred to as an “Event”, and for purposes of clause (i) or (iv) the date on which such Event occurs, or for purposes of clause (ii) the date on which such five Trading Day period is exceeded,
or for purposes of clause (iii) the date which such 10 calendar day period is exceeded, or for purposes of clause (v) the date on which such 10 or 15 calendar day period, as applicable, is exceeded being referred to as “Event Date”), then in addition to any other rights the Holders may have hereunder or under applicable law, on each such Event Date and on each monthly anniversary of each such Event Date (if the applicable Event shall not have been cured by such date) until the applicable Event is cured, the Company shall pay to each Holder an amount in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, equal to 1.5% of the aggregate purchase price paid by such Holder pursuant to the Purchase Agreement for any Registrable Securities then held by such Holder. If the Company fails to pay any partial liquidated damages pursuant to this Section in full within seven days after the date payable, the Company will pay interest thereon at a rate of 18% per annum (or such lesser maximum amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to the Holder, accruing daily from the date such partial liquidated damages are due until such amounts, plus all such interest thereon, are paid in full. The partial liquidated damages pursuant to the terms hereof shall apply on a daily pro-rata basis for any portion of a month prior to the cure of an Event.
3. Registration Procedures
In connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company shall:
(a) Not less than seven Trading Days prior to the filing of each Registration Statement or any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any document that would be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference), the Company shall, (i) furnish to each Holder copies of all such documents proposed to be filed, which documents (other than those incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference) will be subject to the review of such Holders, and (ii) cause its officers and directors, counsel and independent certified public accountants to respond to such inquiries as shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of respective counsel to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Company shall not file the Registration Statement or any such Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto to which the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities shall reasonably object in good faith, provided that, the Company is notified of such objection in writing no later than 7 Trading Days after the Holders have been so furnished copies of such documents. Each Holder agrees to furnish to the Company a completed Questionnaire in the form attached to this Agreement as Annex B (a “Selling Shareholder Questionnaire”) not less than five Trading Days prior to the Filing Date or by the end of the tenth Trading Day following the date on which such Holder receives draft materials in accordance with this Section.
(b) (i) Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, to a Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep a Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the 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 (subject to the terms of this Agreement),
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 a Registration Statement or any amendment thereto and as promptly as reasonably possible provide the Holders true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission relating to a Registration Statement; and (iv) comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement during the applicable period in accordance (subject to the terms of this Agreement) with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented.
(c) If during the Effectiveness Period, the number of Registrable Securities at any time exceeds 90% of the number of shares of Common Stock then registered in a Registration Statement, then the Company shall file as soon as reasonably practicable but in any case prior to the applicable Filing Date, an additional Registration Statement covering the resale by the Holders of not less than 125% of the number of such Registrable Securities.
(d) Notify the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant to clauses (ii) through (vi) hereof, be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the requisite changes have been made) as promptly as reasonably possible (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than seven Trading Days prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person) confirm such notice in writing no later than five Trading Day following the day (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement 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 (the Company shall provide true and complete copies thereof and all written responses thereto to each of the Holders); and (C) with respect to a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become 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; (iii) of the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority 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 in a Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion therein or any statement made in a 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 a Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of a 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) 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 the 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; provided, further, notwithstanding each Holder’s agreement to keep such information confidential, the Holders make no acknowledgement that any such information is material, non-public information.
(e) Use its best 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.
(f) Furnish to each Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each such Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by such Person, and all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission.
(g) Promptly deliver to each Holder, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus or Prospectuses (including each form of prospectus) and each amendment or supplement thereto as such Persons may reasonably request in connection with resales by the Holder of Registrable Securities. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, 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, except after the giving on any notice pursuant to Section 3(d).
(h) Prior to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, 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 the Registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for the resale by the Holder under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions within the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement; provided, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
(i) If requested by the Holders, cooperate with the Holders to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by the 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.
(j) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by this Section 3, as promptly as reasonably possible under the circumstances taking into account the Company’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its stockholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to a Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, neither a Registration Statement nor such Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses (ii) through (v) of Section 3(d) above to suspend the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus have been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such Prospectus. The Company will use its best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable. The Company shall be entitled to exercise its right under this Section 3(j) to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus, subject to the payment of partial liquidated damages pursuant to Section 2(b), for a period not to exceed 60 days (which need not be consecutive days) in any 12 month period.
(k) Comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.
(l) 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, if required by the Commission, the person thereof that has voting and dispositive control over the Shares. During any periods that the Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of the Registrable Securities solely because any Holder fails to furnish such information within three Trading Days of the Company’s request, any liquidated damages that are accruing at such time as to such Holder only shall be tolled and any Event that may otherwise occur solely because of such delay shall be suspended as to such Holder only, until such information is delivered to the Company.
4. Registration Expenses. All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance with this Agreement by the Company shall be borne by the Company whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to the 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 Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading, and (B) in compliance with applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws reasonably agreed to by the Company in writing (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company in connection with Blue Sky qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities and determination of the eligibility of the Registrable Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as requested by the Holders), (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 a Registration Statement), (iii) messenger, telephone and
delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and (vi) 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 or, except to the extent provided for in the Transaction Documents, any legal fees or other costs of the Holders.
5. 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, brokers (including brokers who offer and sell Registrable Securities as principal as a result of a pledge or any failure to perform under a margin call of Common Stock), investment advisors and employees of each of them, 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 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 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 a Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, 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 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 (i) 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 a 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 (ii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(ii)-(vi), the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d). The Company shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any Proceeding arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement of which the Company is aware.
(b) Indemnification by Holders. Each Holder shall, 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 or employees of such controlling Persons, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses, as incurred, to the extent arising out of or based solely upon: (x) such Holder’s failure to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act or (y) 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 or in any preliminary prospectus, 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 not misleading (i) to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so furnished in writing by such Holder to the Company specifically for inclusion in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or (ii) 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 (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose), such Prospectus or such form of Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or (2) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(ii)-(vi), the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d). 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.
(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 have the right to 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 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 reasonably believe that a material 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 the reasonable fees and expenses of one separate counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party). 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. 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 includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding.
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all reasonable 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 ten Trading Days of written notice thereof to the Indemnifying Party; provided, that the Indemnified Party shall promptly reimburse the Indemnifying Party for that portion of such fees and expenses applicable to such actions for which such Indemnified Party is not entitled to indemnification hereunder, determined based upon the relative faults of the parties.
(d) Contribution. If a claim for indemnification under Section 5(a) or 5(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 this Agreement, 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 5(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 5(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, except in the case of fraud by such Holder.
The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties.
6. Miscellaneous
(a) Remedies. In the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder, of any of their obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the Company, as the case may be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. The Company and each Holder agree that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions of this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
(b) No Piggyback on Registrations. Except as set forth on Schedule 6(b) attached hereto, neither the Company nor any of its security holders (other than the Holders in such capacity pursuant hereto) may include securities of the Company in the Registration Statement other than the Registrable Securities. The Company shall not file any other registration statements until the initial Registration Statement required hereunder is declared effective by the Commission, provided that this Section 6(b) shall not prohibit the Company from filing amendments to registration statements already filed.
(c) Compliance. Each Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(d) Discontinued Disposition. Each Holder agrees by its acquisition of such Registrable Securities that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3(d), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under a 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 will use its best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as it practicable. The Company agrees and acknowledges that any periods during which the Holder is required to discontinue the disposition of the Registrable Securities hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section 2(b).
(e) Piggy-Back Registrations. If at any time during the Effectiveness Period there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement
relating to an offering for its own account or the account of others under the Securities Act of any of its equity securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the Securities Act) or their then equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in connection with the stock option or other employee benefit plans, then the Company shall send to each Holder a written notice of such determination and, if within fifteen days after the date of such notice, any such Holder shall so request in writing, the Company shall include in such registration statement all or any part of such Registrable Securities such holder requests to be registered; provided, that, the Company shall not be required to register any Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 6(e) that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144(k) promulgated under the Securities Act or that are the subject of a then effective Registration Statement.
(f) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and each Holder of the then outstanding Registrable Securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of Holders and that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given by Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which such waiver or consent relates; provided, however, that the provisions of this sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except in accordance with the provisions of the immediately preceding sentence.
(g) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
(h) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties and shall inure to the benefit of each Holder. The Company may not assign its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of all of the Holders of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities. Each Holder may assign their respective rights hereunder in the manner and to the Persons as permitted under the Purchase Agreement.
(i) No Inconsistent Agreements. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered, as of the date hereof, nor shall the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on or after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities, that would have the effect of impairing the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof. Except as set forth on Schedule 6(i), neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has previously entered into any agreement granting any registration rights with respect to any of its securities to any Person that have not been satisfied in full.
(j) Execution and Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and, all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, such signature shall create a valid binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) the same with the same force and effect as if such facsimile signature were the original thereof.
(k) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be determined with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
(l) Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.
(m) Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
(n) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.
(o) Independent Nature of Holders’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Holder hereunder are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Holder hereunder, and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Holder hereunder. Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each Holder shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
| HARTVILLE GROUP, INC. | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[SIGNATURE PAGE OF HOLDERS FOLLOWS]
[SIGNATURE PAGE OF HOLDERS TO HTVL RRA]
| Name of Investing Entity:________________________________ |
| Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:________________________________ |
| Name of Authorized Signatory:_______________________________ |
| Title of Authorized Signatory:________________________________ |
[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]
Plan of Distribution
Each Selling Stockholder (the “Selling Stockholders”) of the common stock (“Common Stock”) of Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”) and any of their pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their shares of Common Stock on the Trading Market or any other stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. A Selling Stockholder may use any one or more of the following methods when selling shares:
| • | 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; |
| • | 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; |
| • | settlement of short sales entered into after the date of this prospectus; |
| • | 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 sale; |
| • | through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise; or |
| • | 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 (the “Securities Act”), if available, rather than under this prospectus.
Broker-dealers engaged by the Selling Stockholders may arrange for other brokers-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. Each Selling Stockholder does not expect these commissions and discounts relating to its sales of shares to exceed what is customary in the types of transactions involved.
In connection with the sale of our common stock or interests therein, the Selling Stockholders may enter into hedging transactions 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 our common stock short 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 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. Each Selling Stockholder has informed the Company that it does not have any agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Common Stock.
The Company is required to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the Company incident to the registration of the shares. The Company has agreed to indemnify the Selling Stockholders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
Because Selling Stockholders may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, they will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act. In addition, any securities covered by this prospectus which qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than under this prospectus. Each Selling Stockholder has advised us that they have not entered into any agreements, understandings or arrangements with any underwriter or broker-dealer regarding the sale of the resale shares. There is no underwriter or coordinating broker acting in connection with the proposed sale of the resale shares by the Selling Stockholders.
We agreed to keep this prospectus effective until the earlier of (i) the date on which the shares may be resold by the Selling Stockholders without registration and without regard to any volume limitations by reason of Rule 144(e) under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (ii) all of the shares have been sold pursuant to the prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect. The resale shares will be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states, the resale shares may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.
Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the resale shares may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to our common stock for a period of two business days prior to the commencement of the distribution. In addition, the Selling Stockholders will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M, which
may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares of our common stock by the Selling Stockholders or any other person. We will make copies of this prospectus available to the Selling Stockholders and have informed them of the need to deliver a copy of this prospectus to each purchaser at or prior to the time of the sale.
Annex B
Hartville Group, Inc.
Selling Securityholder Notice and Questionnaire
The undersigned beneficial owner of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), (the “Registrable Securities”) understands that the Company has filed or intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form (the “Registration Statement”) for the registration and resale under Rule 415 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the Registrable Securities, in accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 11, 2004 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), among the Company and the Purchasers named therein. A copy of the Registration Rights Agreement is available from the Company upon request at the address set forth below. All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Registration Rights Agreement.
Certain legal consequences arise from being named as a selling securityholder in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus. Accordingly, holders and beneficial owners of Registrable Securities are advised to consult their own securities law counsel regarding the consequences of being named or not being named as a selling securityholder in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus.
NOTICE
The undersigned beneficial owner (the “Selling Securityholder”) of Registrable Securities hereby elects to include the Registrable Securities owned by it and listed below in Item 3 (unless otherwise specified under such Item 3) in the Registration Statement.
The undersigned hereby provides the following information to the Company and represents and warrants that such information is accurate:
QUESTIONNAIRE
| 1. | Name. |
| (a) | Full Legal Name of Selling Securityholder |
| (b) | Full Legal Name of Registered Holder (if not the same as (a) above) through which Registrable Securities Listed in Item 3 below are held: |
| (c) | Full Legal Name of Natural Control Person (which means a natural person who directly you indirectly alone or with others has power to vote or dispose of the securities covered by the questionnaire): |
2. Address for Notices to Selling Securityholder:
| Telephone: |
| Fax: |
| Contact Person: |
3. Beneficial Ownership of Registrable Securities:
| (a) | Type and Principal Amount of Registrable Securities beneficially owned: |
4. Broker-Dealer Status:
| (a) | Are you a broker-dealer? |
Yes ¨ No ¨
| Note: | If yes, the Commission’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement. |
| (b) | Are you an affiliate of a broker-dealer? |
Yes ¨ No ¨
| (c) | If you are an affiliate of a broker-dealer, do you certify that you bought the Registrable Securities in the ordinary course of business, and at the time of the purchase of the Registrable Securities to be resold, you had no agreements or understandings, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Registrable Securities? |
Yes ¨ No ¨
| Note: | If no, the Commission’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement. |
5. Beneficial Ownership of Other Securities of the Company Owned by the Selling Securityholder.
Except as set forth below in this Item 5, the undersigned is not the beneficial or registered owner of any securities of the Company other than the Registrable Securities listed above in Item 3.
| (a) | Type and Amount of Other Securities beneficially owned by the Selling Securityholder: |
6. Relationships with the Company:
Except as set forth below, neither the undersigned nor any of its affiliates, officers, directors or principal equity holders (owners of 5% of more of the equity securities of the undersigned) has held any position or office or has had any other material relationship with the Company (or its predecessors or affiliates) during the past three years.
State any exceptions here:
The undersigned agrees to promptly notify the Company of any inaccuracies or changes in the information provided herein that may occur subsequent to the date hereof at any time while the Registration Statement remains effective.
By signing below, the undersigned consents to the disclosure of the information contained herein in its answers to Items 1 through 6 and the inclusion of such information in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus. The undersigned understands that such information will be relied upon by the Company in connection with the preparation or amendment of the Registration Statement and the related prospectus.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, by authority duly given, has caused this Notice and Questionnaire to be executed and delivered either in person or by its duly authorized agent.
| Dated: |
| Beneficial Owner: |
| |||
| By: |
| |||||
| Name: | ||||||
| Title: | ||||||
PLEASE FAX A COPY OF THE COMPLETED AND EXECUTED NOTICE AND QUESTIONNAIRE, AND RETURN THE ORIGINAL BY OVERNIGHT MAIL, TO:
EXHIBIT C
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS EXERCISABLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
To Purchase Shares of Common Stock of
Hartville Group, Inc.
THIS COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, (the “Holder”), is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to the close of business on the five year anniversary of the Initial Exercise Date (the “Termination Date”) but not the reafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), up to shares (the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”). The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).
Section 1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated November 11, 2004, among the Company and the purchasers signatory thereto.
Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed facsimile copy of the Notice of Exercise Form annexed hereto (or such other office or agency of the Company as it may designate by notice in writing to the registered Holder at the
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address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Company); provided, however, within 5 Trading Days of the date said Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company, the Holder shall have surrendered this Warrant to the Company and the Company shall have received payment of the aggregate Exercise Price of the shares thereby purchased by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank.
b) Exercise Price. The exercise price of the Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $0.95, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Cashless Exercise. If at any time after one year from the date of issuance of this Warrant there is no effective Registration Statement registering the resale of the Warrant Shares by the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a certificate for the number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
| (A) | = the Closing Price on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of such election; | |
| (B) | = the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted; and | |
| (X) | = the number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. | |
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).
d) Exercise Limitations.
i. Holder’s Restrictions. The Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2(c) or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s affiliates), as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such issuance. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its affiliates shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (A) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its affiliates and (B) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of
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the Company (including, without limitation, any other Debentures or Warrants) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its affiliates. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, it being acknowledged by Holder that the Company is not representing to Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(d) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder) and of which a portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of such Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be such Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to such aggregate percentage limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. For purposes of this Section 2(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (x) the Company’s most recent Form 10-QSB or Form 10-KSB, as the case may be, (y) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (z) any other notice by the Company or the Company’s Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall within two Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The provisions of this Section 2(d) may be waived by the Holder upon, at the election of the Holder, not less than 61 days’ prior notice to the Company, and the provisions of this Section 2(d) shall continue to apply until such 61st day (or such later date, as determined by the Holder, as may be specified in such notice of waiver).
ii. Trading Market Restrictions. If the Company has not obtained Shareholder Approval (as defined below) if required, then the Company may not issue upon exercise of this Warrant in the aggregate, in excess of 19.999% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on the Trading Day immediately preceding the Closing Date, less any shares of
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Common Stock issued upon conversion of the Debentures or upon prior exercise of this or any other Warrant issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (such number of shares, the “Issuable Maximum”). If on any attempted exercise of this Warrant, the issuance of Warrant Shares would exceed the Issuable Maximum and the Company shall not have previously obtained the vote of shareholders (the “Shareholder Approval”), if any, as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Trading Market (or any successor entity) to approve the issuance of shares of Common Stock in excess of the Issuable Maximum pursuant to the terms hereof, then the Company shall issue to the Holder requesting a Warrant exercise such number of Warrant Shares as may be issued below the Issuable Maximum and, with respect to the remainder of the aggregate number of Warrant Shares, this Warrant shall not be exercisable until and unless Shareholder Approval has been obtained.
d) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Authorization of Warrant Shares. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue). The Company covenants that during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of executing stock certificates to execute and issue the necessary certificates for the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed.
ii. Delivery of Certificates Upon Exercise. Certificates for shares purchased hereunder shall be transmitted by the transfer agent of the Company to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission (“DWAC”) system if the Company is a participant in such system, and otherwise by physical delivery to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise within 3 Trading Days from the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise Form, surrender of this Warrant and payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as set forth above (“Warrant Share Delivery Date”). This Warrant shall be
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deemed to have been exercised on the date the Exercise Price is received by the Company. The Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have been issued, and Holder or any other person so designated to be named therein shall be deemed to have become a holder of record of such shares for all purposes, as of the date the Warrant has been exercised by payment to the Company of the Exercise Price and all taxes required to be paid by the Holder, if any, pursuant to Section 2(e)(vii) prior to the issuance of such shares, have been paid.
iii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the time of delivery of the certificate or certificates representing Warrant Shares, deliver to Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iv. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause its transfer agent to transmit to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing the Warrant Shares pursuant to this Section 2(e)(iv) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
v. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Certificates Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause its transfer agent to transmit to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing the Warrant Shares pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (1) pay in cash to the Holder the amount by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (B) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (2) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (1) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall
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be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In, together with applicable confirmations and other evidence reasonably requested by the Company. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
vi. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price.
vii. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of certificates for Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such certificate, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such certificates shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event certificates for Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder; and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto.
viii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (A) pays a stock dividend or otherwise make a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company pursuant to this Warrant), (B) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (C) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the
6
number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding after such event and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) Subsequent Equity Sales. If the Company or any Subsidiary thereof, as applicable, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, shall offer, sell, grant any option to purchase or offer, sell or grant any right to reprice its securities, or otherwise dispose of or issue (or announce any offer, sale, grant or any option to purchase or other disposition) any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents entitling any Person to acquire shares of Common Stock, at an effective price per share less than the then Exercise Price (such lower price, the “Base Share Price” and such issuances collectively, a “Dilutive Issuance”), as adjusted hereunder (if the holder of the Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents so issued shall at any time, whether by operation of purchase price adjustments, reset provisions, floating conversion, exercise or exchange prices or otherwise, or due to warrants, options or rights per share which is issued in connection with such issuance, be entitled to receive shares of Common Stock at an effective price per share which is less than the Exercise Price, such issuance shall be deemed to have occurred for less than the Exercise Price), then, the Exercise Price shall be reduced to equal the Base Share Price and the number of Warrant Shares issuable hereunder shall be increased such that the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder, after taking into account the decrease in the Exercise Price, shall be equal to the aggregate Exercise Price prior to such adjustment and the number of Warrant Shares issuable hereunder shall be increased such that the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder, after taking into account the decrease in the Exercise Price, shall be equal to the aggregate Exercise Price prior to such adjustment. Such adjustment shall be made whenever such Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents are issued. The Company shall notify the Holder in writing, no later than the Trading Day following the issuance of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents subject to this section, indicating therein the applicable issuance price, or of applicable reset price, exchange price, conversion price and other pricing terms (such notice the “Dilutive Issuance Notice”). For purposes of clarification, whether or not the Company provides a Dilutive Issuance Notice pursuant to this Section 3(b), upon the occurrence of any Dilutive Issuance, after the date of such Dilutive Issuance the Holder is entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares based upon the Base Share Price regardless of whether the Holder accurately refers to the Base Share Price in the Notice of Exercise.
c) Pro Rata Distributions. If the Company, at any time prior to the Termination Date, shall distribute to all holders of Common Stock (and not to Holders of the Warrants) evidences of its indebtedness or assets or rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any security other than the Common Stock (which shall be subject to Section 3(b)), then in each such case the Exercise Price shall be adjusted by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the record date fixed for determination of
7
stockholders entitled to receive such distribution by a fraction of which the denominator shall be the Closing Price determined as of the record date mentioned above, and of which the numerator shall be such Closing Price on such record date less the then per share fair market value at such record date of the portion of such assets or evidence of indebtedness so distributed applicable to one outstanding share of the Common Stock as determined by the Board of Directors in good faith. In either case the adjustments shall be described in a statement provided to the Holders of the portion of assets or evidences of indebtedness so distributed or such subscription rights applicable to one share of Common Stock. Such adjustment shall be made whenever any such distribution is made and shall become effective immediately after the record date mentioned above.
d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (A) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (B) the Company effects any sale of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (C) any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property, or (D) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (in any such case, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent conversion of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise absent such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder, (a) upon exercise of this Warrant, the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and Alternate Consideration receivable upon or as a result of such reorganization, reclassification, merger, consolidation or disposition of assets by a Holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such event or (b) if the Company is acquired in an all cash transaction, cash equal to the value of this Warrant as determined in accordance with the Black-Scholes option pricing formula (the “Alternate Consideration”). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Company or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall issue to the Holder a new warrant consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holder’s right to exercise such warrant into Alternate Consideration. The terms of any agreement pursuant to which a Fundamental Transaction is effected shall include terms requiring any such successor or surviving entity to comply with the provisions of this Section 3(d) and insuring that this Warrant (or any such replacement security) will be similarly adjusted upon any subsequent transaction analogous to a Fundamental Transaction.
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e) Exempt Issuance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no adjustments, Alternate Consideration nor notices shall be made, paid or issued under this Section 3 in respect of an Exempt Issuance (as defined in the Purchase Agreement).
f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any given time shall not includes shares of Common Stock owned or held by or for the account of the Company, and the description of any such shares of Common Stock shall be considered on issue or sale of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
g) Voluntary Adjustment By Company. The Company may at any time during the term of this Warrant reduce the then current Exercise Price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company.
| h) | Notice to Holders. |
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to this Section 3, the Company shall promptly mail to each Holder a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment. If the Company issues a variable rate security, despite the prohibition thereon in the Purchase Agreement, the Company shall be deemed to have issued Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents at the lowest possible conversion or exercise price at which such securities may be converted or exercised in the case of a Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the Purchase Agreement), or the lowest possible adjustment price in the case of an MFN Transaction (as defined in the Purchase Agreement.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution) on the Common Stock; (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock; (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights; (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, of any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property; (E) the Company shall authorize the
9
voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company; then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be mailed to the Holder at its last addresses as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided, that the failure to mail such notice or any defect therein or in the mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. The Holder is entitled to exercise this Warrant during the 20-day period commencing the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice.
Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
a) Transferability. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws and the conditions set forth in Sections 5(a) and 4(d) hereof and to the provisions of Section 4.1 of the Purchase Agreement, this Warrant and all rights hereunder are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. A Warrant, if properly assigned, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice.
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c) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
d) Transfer Restrictions. If, at the time of the surrender of this Warrant in connection with any transfer of this Warrant, the transfer of this Warrant shall not be registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws, the Company may require, as a condition of allowing such transfer (i) that the Holder or transferee of this Warrant, as the case may be, furnish to the Company a written opinion of counsel (which opinion shall be in form, substance and scope customary for opinions of counsel in comparable transactions) to the effect that such transfer may be made without registration under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws, (ii) that the holder or transferee execute and deliver to the Company an investment letter in form and substance acceptable to the Company and (iii) that the transferee be an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7), or (a)(8) promulgated under the Securities Act or a qualified institutional buyer as defined in Rule 144A(a) under the Securities Act.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
a) Title to Warrant. Prior to the Termination Date and subject to compliance with applicable laws and Section 4 of this Warrant, this Warrant and all rights hereunder are transferable, in whole or in part, at the office or agency of the Company by the Holder in person or by duly authorized attorney, upon surrender of this Warrant together with the Assignment Form annexed hereto properly endorsed. The transferee shall sign an investment letter in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company.
b) No Rights as Shareholder Until Exercise. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights or other rights as a shareholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof. Upon the surrender of this Warrant and the payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (or by means of a cashless exercise), the Warrant Shares so purchased shall be and be deemed to be issued to such Holder as the record owner of such shares as of the close of business on the later of the date of such surrender or payment.
c) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
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d) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall be a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding day not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday.
e) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of executing stock certificates to execute and issue the necessary certificates for the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed.
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (a) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (b) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant, and (c) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof as may be necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
f) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
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g) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
h) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice Holder’s rights, powers or remedies, notwithstanding the fact that all rights hereunder terminate on the Termination Date. If the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
i) Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
j) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by Holder to exercise this Warrant or purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of Holder, shall give rise to any liability of Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
k) Remedies. Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
l) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of all Holders from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by any such Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
m) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.
n) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
o) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
********************
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized.
Dated: November 11, 2004
| HARTVILLE GROUP, INC. | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
TO: Hartville Group, Inc.
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
¨ in lawful money of the United States; or
¨ the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).
(3) Please issue a certificate or certificates representing said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
| ____________________________ |
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following:
| ____________________________ |
| ____________________________ |
| ____________________________ |
(4) Accredited Investor. The undersigned is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
| Name of Investing Entity: _________________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: __________________________________________________________________ |
| Name of Authorized Signatory: _____________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Title of Authorized Signatory: ______________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Date: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing warrant, execute
this form and supply required information.
Do not use this form to exercise the warrant.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
| ____________________________________________________whose address is |
| ____________________________________________________________________. |
| ____________________________________________________________________ |
Dated: ,
| Holder’s Signature: |
| |||
| Holder’s Address: |
| |||
|
| ||||
| Signature Guaranteed: |
| |||
NOTE: The signature to this Assignment Form must correspond with the name as it appears on the face of the Warrant, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a bank or trust company. Officers of corporations and those acting in a fiduciary or other representative capacity should file proper evidence of authority to assign the foregoing Warrant.
Exhibit D
JOSEPH I. EMAS
ATTORNEY AT LAW
1224 WASHINGTON AVENUE
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
(305) 531-1174
November 12, 2004
| To: | The Purchasers on Schedule A |
attached hereto and incorporated herein.
| Re: | Securities Purchase Agreement |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I have acted as counsel to Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of the Securities Purchase Agreement dated as of November 12, 2004 (the “Agreement”), by and among the Company and the purchasers identified on the signature pages thereto (the “Purchasers”). This opinion is given to you pursuant to Section 2.2(a)(vi) of the Agreement. (Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein are defined as set forth in the Agreement.)
I have participated in the preparation and negotiation of the Agreement and the Exhibits and Schedules thereto, and the other documents referred to therein. I also have examined such certificates of public officials, corporate documents and records and other certificates, opinions, agreements and instruments and have made such other investigations as I have deemed necessary in connection with the opinions hereinafter set forth.
Based on the foregoing and upon such investigation as I have deemed necessary, I give my opinion as follows:
1. The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of Nevada. The Company has all requisite power and authority, and all material governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals, required to own and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted (all as described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for its fiscal ended December 31, 2003). The Company is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the failure to qualify could have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
Each of the following subsidiaries of the Company (the “Subsidiaries”) is a corporation, duly organized and in good standing under the laws of the state of organization, as noted: Hartville Insurance Company, Ltd (“Hartville”) and Petsmarketing Insurance.com Agency, Inc. (“Agency”). Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries are duly admitted as insurers (or licensed as non-admitted insurers) in each state from which premiums are collected, to the extent required by the insurance laws of any such state.
2. The Company has all requisite power and authority to execute, deliver and perform the Transaction Documents to issue, sell and deliver the Debentures, the Warrants and the Underlying Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents and to carry out and perform its obligations under, and to consummate the transactions contemplated by, the Transaction Documents.
3. All action on the part of the Company, its directors and its stockholders necessary for the authorization, execution and delivery by the Company of the Transaction Documents, the authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Debentures and the Warrants pursuant to the Agreement, the issuance and delivery the Underlying Shares and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents has been duly taken. The Transaction Documents have been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company and constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except (a) that such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights in general and (b) that the remedies of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of injunctive relief may be subject to equitable defenses.
4. Prior to effect to the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, and immediately after the Closing, the authorized capital stock of the Company will consist of: an aggregate of 50,000,000 shares of Common Stock, of which 13,976,296 shares will be issued and outstanding and 578,947 shares will be reserved for issuance upon conversion of issued and outstanding options, warrants and other derivative securities, 2,500,000 shares will be reserved for issuance to employees, officers and directors under the Company’s pursuant to the Stock Option Plan. After giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, and immediately after the Closing 1,277,361 shares will be reserved for issuance upon exercise of Warrants, and 2,554,722 shares will be reserved for issuance upon conversion of the Debentures. All presently issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and free of any preemptive or similar rights, and have been issued in compliance with applicable securities laws and regulations. The Debentures and Warrants which are being issued on the date hereof pursuant to the Agreement have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and free of preemptive or similar rights, and have been issued in compliance with applicable securities laws, rules and regulations. The Underlying Shares have been duly and validly authorized and reserved for issuance, and when issued in accordance with the conversion of the Debenture or the exercise of the Warrants will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and free of any preemptive or similar rights. To my knowledge, except for rights described in the Agreement, there are no other options, warrants, conversion privileges or other rights presently outstanding to purchase or otherwise acquire from the Company any capital stock or other securities of the Company, or any other agreements to issue any such securities or rights. The rights, privileges and preferences of the Common Stock are as stated in the Company’s SEC Reports (as defined below).
5. To my knowledge, the Company has filed all reports (the “SEC Reports”) required to be filed by it under Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). As of their respective filing dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects as to form with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.
6. Based in part upon the representations of the Purchasers contained in the Agreement, the Warrants and the Underlying Shares may be issued to the Purchasers without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
7. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of, and the compliance by the Company with the terms of, the Transaction Documents and the issuance, sale and delivery of the Debentures, the Warrants and the Underlying Shares pursuant to the Agreement do not (a) conflict with or result in a violation of any provision of law, rule or regulation having applicability to the Company or its Subsidiaries or of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other similar organizational documents of the Company or its Subsidiaries, (b) conflict with, result in a breach of or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or result in or permit the
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termination or modification of, any agreement, instrument, order, writ, judgment or decree known to me to which the Company of its Subsidiaries is a party or is subject or (c) result in the creation or imposition of any lien, claim or encumbrance on any of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ assets or properties.
8. To my knowledge, there is no claim, action, suit, proceeding, arbitration, investigation or inquiry, pending or threatened, before any court or governmental or administrative body or agency, or any private arbitration tribunal, against the Company or its Subsidiaries, or any of its officers, directors or employees (in connection with the discharge of their duties as officers, directors and employees), or affecting any of its properties or assets.
9. No consent, license, permit, waiver, approval or authorization of, or designation, declaration, registration or filing with, any court, governmental or regulatory authority, or self-regulatory organization, is required in connection with the valid execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Documents, or the offer, sale, issuance or delivery of the Debentures, the Warrants and the Underlying Shares or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby.
10. The Company is not an Investment Company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
This opinion letter has been prepared and is to be construed in accordance with the Report on Standards for Florida Opinions dated April 8, 2001, as amended and supplemented, issued by the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar (the “Report”). The Report is incorporated by reference into this opinion letter.
This opinion is furnished to the Purchasers for their benefit in connection with the transactions described above and may not be relied upon by any other person or for any other purpose without my prior written consent.
Very truly yours,
Joseph I. Emas
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Schedule A
Purchasers
Palisades Master Fund, L.P.
Crescent International Ltd.
Bristol Investment Fund, Ltd.
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EXHIBIT E
ESCROW AGREEMENT
THIS ESCROW AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of November , 2004, by and among Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), the purchasers signatory hereto (each a “Purchaser” and together the “Purchasers”), and Feldman Weinstein LLP, with an address at 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10170-0002 (the “Escrow Agent”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement referred to in the first recital.
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Purchasers will be purchasing from the Company, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, in the aggregate, up to $5,000,000 in the aggregate, principal amount of Convertible Debentures (the “Debentures”) and Warrants on the Closing Date as set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) dated the date hereof between the Purchasers and the Company, which securities will be issued under the terms contained herein and in the Purchase Agreement; and
WHEREAS, it is intended that the purchase of the securities be consummated in accordance with the requirements set forth in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; and
WHEREAS, the Company and the Purchasers have requested that the Escrow Agent hold the Subscription Amounts in escrow until the Escrow Agent has received the Release Notice in the form attached hereto from the Company and each Purchaser;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and mutual promises contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and legal sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
TERMS OF THE ESCROW
1.1. The parties hereby agree to establish an escrow account with the Escrow Agent whereby the Escrow Agent shall hold the funds for the purchase of up to $5,000,000 in the aggregate of Debentures and Warrants as contemplated by the Purchase Agreement.
1.2. Upon the Escrow Agent’s receipt of the aggregate Subscription Amounts for the Closing into its master escrow account, together with executed counterparts of this Agreement, the Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement, it shall telephonically advise the Company, or the Company’s designated attorney or agent, of the amount of funds it has received into its master escrow account.
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1.3. Wire transfers to the Escrow Agent shall be made as follows:
STERLING NATIONAL BANK
622 3RD AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10017
ACCOUNT NAME: FELDMAN WEINSTEIN LLP
ABA ROUTING NO: 026007773 ACCT NO: 0814180101
REMARK: HTVL/[FUND NAME]
1.4 The Company, promptly following being advised by the Escrow Agent that the Escrow Agent has received the Subscription Amounts for the Closing along with facsimile copies of counterpart signature pages of the Purchase Agreement, Registration Rights Agreement and this Agreement from each Purchaser, shall deliver to the Escrow Agent the certificates evidencing the Securities to be issued to each Purchaser at the Closing together with:
(a) the Company’s executed counterpart of the Purchase Agreement;
(b) the Company’s executed counterpart of the Registration Rights Agreement;
(c) the executed opinion of Company Counsel, in the form of Exhibit D to the Purchase Agreement;
(d) the Company’s original executed counterpart of this Escrow Agreement;
(e) a warrant registered in the name of HPC Capital Management (“HPC”), and/or its designees, to purchase up to 25,000 shares of Common Stock per $1,000,000 of Principal Amount, otherwise identical to the Warrant (the “HPC Warrant”)
1.5 In the event that the foregoing items are not in the Escrow Agent’s possession within seven (7) Trading Days of the Escrow Agent notifying the Company that the Escrow Agent has custody of the Subscription Amount for the Closing, then each Purchaser shall have the right to demand the return of their portion of the Subscription Amount.
1.6 Once the Escrow Agent receives a Release Notice in the form attached hereto as Exhibit X (the “Release Notice”) executed by the Company and each Purchaser (i) it shall wire 93% of the aggregate Subscription Amounts per the written instructions of the Company and (ii) it shall wire the remaining 7% of the aggregate Subscription Amounts per the written instructions of HPC as its fee in connection with the transaction described herein.
1.7 Wire transfers to the Company shall be made pursuant to written instructions from the Company provided to the Escrow Agent on the date of the Purchase Agreement.
1.8 Once the funds (as set forth above) have been sent per the Company’s instructions, the Escrow Agent shall then arrange to have the Purchase Agreement, the Debentures, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Warrants, the HPC Warrant and the opinion of counsel delivered to the appropriate parties.
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ARTICLE II
MISCELLANEOUS
2.1 No waiver or any breach of any covenant or provision herein contained shall be deemed a waiver of any preceding or succeeding breach thereof, or of any other covenant or provision herein contained. No extension of time for performance of any obligation or act shall be deemed an extension of the time for performance of any other obligation or act.
2.2 All notices or other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing, and shall be sent as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
2.3 This Escrow Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the permitted successors and permitted assigns of the parties hereto.
2.4 This Escrow Agreement is the final expression of, and contains the entire agreement between, the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior understandings with respect thereto. This Escrow Agreement may not be modified, changed, supplemented or terminated, nor may any obligations hereunder be waived, except by written instrument signed by the parties to be charged or by its agent duly authorized in writing or as otherwise expressly permitted herein.
2.5 Whenever required by the context of this Escrow Agreement, the singular shall include the plural and masculine shall include the feminine. This Escrow Agreement shall not be construed as if it had been prepared by one of the parties, but rather as if all parties had prepared the same. Unless otherwise indicated, all references to Articles are to this Escrow Agreement.
2.6 The parties hereto expressly agree that this Escrow Agreement shall be governed by, interpreted under and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. Any action to enforce, arising out of, or relating in any way to, any provisions of this Escrow Agreement shall only be brought in a state or Federal court sitting in New York City.
2.7 The Escrow Agent’s duties hereunder may be altered, amended, modified or revoked only by a writing signed by the Company, each Purchaser and the Escrow Agent.
2.8 The Escrow Agent shall be obligated only for the performance of such duties as are specifically set forth herein and may rely and shall be protected in relying or refraining from acting on any instrument reasonably believed by the Escrow Agent to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties. The Escrow Agent shall not be personally liable for any act the Escrow Agent may do or omit to do hereunder as the Escrow Agent while acting in good faith and in the absence of gross negligence, fraud and willful misconduct, and any act done or omitted by the Escrow Agent pursuant to the advice of the Escrow Agent’s attorneys-at-law shall be conclusive evidence of such good faith, in the absence of gross negligence, fraud and willful misconduct.
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2.9 The Escrow Agent is hereby expressly authorized to disregard any and all warnings given by any of the parties hereto or by any other person or corporation, excepting only orders or process of courts of law and is hereby expressly authorized to comply with and obey orders, judgments or decrees of any court. In case the Escrow Agent obeys or complies with any such order, judgment or decree, the Escrow Agent shall not be liable to any of the parties hereto or to any other person, firm or corporation by reason of such decree being subsequently reversed, modified, annulled, set aside, vacated or found to have been entered without jurisdiction.
2.10 The Escrow Agent shall not be liable in any respect on account of the identity, authorization or rights of the parties executing or delivering or purporting to execute or deliver the Purchase Agreement or any documents or papers deposited or called for thereunder in the absence of gross negligence, fraud and willful misconduct.
2.11 The Escrow Agent shall be entitled to employ such legal counsel and other experts as the Escrow Agent may deem necessary properly to advise the Escrow Agent in connection with the Escrow Agent’s duties hereunder, may rely upon the advice of such counsel, and may pay such counsel reasonable compensation; provided that the costs of such compensation shall be borne by the Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent has acted as legal counsel for HPC, and may continue to act as legal counsel for HPC from time to time, notwithstanding its duties as the Escrow Agent hereunder. The Company and the Purchasers consent to the Escrow Agent in such capacity as legal counsel for HPC and waives any claim that such representation represents a conflict of interest on the part of the Escrow Agent. The Company and the Purchasers understand that HPC and the Escrow Agent are relying explicitly on the foregoing provision in entering into this Escrow Agreement.
2.12 The Escrow Agent’s responsibilities as escrow agent hereunder shall terminate if the Escrow Agent shall resign by giving written notice to the Company and the Purchasers. In the event of any such resignation, the Purchasers and the Company shall appoint a successor Escrow Agent and the Escrow Agent shall deliver to such successor Escrow Agent any escrow funds and other documents held by the Escrow Agent.
2.13 If the Escrow Agent reasonably requires other or further instruments in connection with this Escrow Agreement or obligations in respect hereto, the necessary parties hereto shall join in furnishing such instruments.
2.14 It is understood and agreed that should any dispute arise with respect to the delivery and/or ownership or right of possession of the documents or the escrow funds held by the Escrow Agent hereunder, the Escrow Agent is authorized and directed in the Escrow Agent’s sole discretion (1) to retain in the Escrow Agent’s possession without liability to anyone all or any part of said documents or the escrow funds until such disputes shall have been settled either by mutual written agreement of the parties concerned by a final order, decree or judgment or a court of competent jurisdiction after the time for appeal has expired and no appeal has been perfected, but the Escrow Agent shall be under no duty whatsoever to institute or defend any such proceedings or (2) to deliver the escrow funds and any other property and documents held by the Escrow Agent hereunder to a state or Federal court having competent subject matter jurisdiction and located in the City of New York in accordance with the applicable procedure therefore
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2.15 The Company and each Purchaser agree jointly and severally to indemnify and hold harmless the Escrow Agent and its partners, employees, agents and representatives from any and all claims, liabilities, costs or expenses in any way arising from or relating to the duties or performance of the Escrow Agent hereunder or the transactions contemplated hereby or by the Purchase Agreement other than any such claim, liability, cost or expense to the extent the same shall have been determined by final, unappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct of the Escrow Agent.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Escrow Agreement as of date first written above.
| HARTVILLE GROUP, INC. | ||
| By:
| ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
| ESCROW AGENT: | ||
| FELDMAN WEINSTEIN LLP | ||
| By:
| ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGES FOR PURCHASERS FOLLOW]
[SIGNATURE PAGE OF PURCHASERS TO HTVL ESCROW]
Name of Investing Entity:
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:
Name of Authorized Signatory:
Title of Authorized Signatory:
[SIGNATURE PAGE OF PURCHASERS FOLLOWS]
Exhibit X to
Escrow Agreement
RELEASE NOTICE
The UNDERSIGNED, pursuant to the Escrow Agreement, dated as of November , 2004, among Hartville Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation, the Purchasers signatory thereto and Feldman Weinstein LLP, as Escrow Agent (the “Escrow Agreement”; capitalized terms used herein and not defined shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Escrow Agreement), hereby notify the Escrow Agent that each of the conditions precedent to the purchase and sale of the Securities set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement have been satisfied. The Company and the undersigned Purchaser hereby confirm that all of their respective representations and warranties contained in the Purchase Agreement remain true and correct and authorize the release by the Escrow Agent of the funds and documents to be released at the Closing as described in the Escrow Agreement. This Release Notice shall not be effective until executed by the Company and the Purchasers.
This Release Notice may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Release Notice to be duly executed and delivered as of this day of November, 2004.
| HARTVILLE GROUP, INC. | ||
| By:
| ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[SIGNATURE PAGE OF PURCHASERS FOLLOWS]
[SIGNATURE PAGE OF PURCHASERS TO HTVL RELEASE]
Name of Investing Entity:
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:
Name of Authorized Signatory:
Title of Authorized Signatory:
[SIGNATURE PAGE OF PURCHASERS FOLLOWS]
