Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated December 21, 2020, by and among the Company and certain stockholders of the Company
Exhibit 10.2
AMENDED AND RESTATED
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of December 21, 2020, is made and entered into by and among Canoo Inc., a Delaware corporation formerly known as Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. IV (the “Company”), Hennessy Capital Partners IV LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), each of the undersigned parties that holds Founder Shares (as defined below) and is identified as an “Other Pre-IPO Holder” on the signature pages hereto (collectively, with the Sponsor, the “Existing Holders”), and the undersigned parties identified as “New Holders” on the signature pages hereto (collectively, the “New Holders”) (each of the foregoing parties (other than the Company) and any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.2 of this Agreement, a “Holder” and collectively, the “Holders”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Merger Agreement (as defined below).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, each of the Company and the Existing Holders is a party to, and hereby consents to, this amendment and restatement of that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated February 28, 2019 (the “Existing Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company granted the Existing Holders certain registration rights with respect to certain securities of the Company, as set forth therein;
WHEREAS, the Company and the Sponsor have entered into that certain Securities Subscription Agreement, dated as of August 16, 2018, pursuant to which the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 7,187,500 shares (871,930 of which were subsequently cancelled or forfeited) of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class B Common Stock”), which were issued in a private placement prior to the closing of the Company’s initial public offering;
WHEREAS, in October 2018, the Sponsor subsequently transferred an aggregate of 975,000 shares of Class B Common Stock to the Company’s directors and officers;
WHEREAS, on February 28, 2019, in connection with the declaration of an approximate 1.05 to 1 stock split of the shares of Class B Common Stock payable in the form of a dividend of shares of Class B Common Stock by the Company, certain officers and directors of the Company transferred an aggregate of 48,283 shares of Class B Common Stock to the Sponsor and the Anchor Investor waived its right to the stock dividend (the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock held by each of the Sponsor, certain officers and directors of the Company and the Anchor Investor following such dividend, transfer, and waiver being referred to herein as the “Founder Shares”);
WHEREAS, the Company and the Sponsor entered into those certain Subscription Agreements, dated February 11, 2019 (the “Anchor Subscription Agreements”) with HC NCBR Fund or BlackRock Credit Alpha Master Fund L.P. (collectively, the “Anchor Investor”), pursuant to which the Sponsor agreed to forfeit to the Company for no consideration and the Anchor Investor agreed to purchase from the Company an aggregate of 871,930 shares of Class B Common Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $3,033, or approximately $0.003 per share;
WHEREAS, on February 28, 2019, the Company and the Sponsor entered into that certain Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 11,739,394 warrants (the “Sponsor Private Placement Warrants”) in a private placement transaction occurring simultaneously with the closing of the Company’s initial public offering (the “IPO”);
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Anchor Subscription Agreements, the Anchor Investor purchased 1,842,106 warrants in connection with the Company’s initial public offering (the “Anchor Private Placement Warrants”; together with the Sponsor Private Placement Warrants, the “Private Placement Warrants”);
WHEREAS, in order to finance the Company’s transaction costs in connection with an intended initial Business Combination (as defined below) the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may loan to the Company funds as the Company may require, of which up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants (“Working Capital Warrants”) at a price of $1.00 per warrant;
WHEREAS, the Company, HCAC IV First Merger Sub, Ltd., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, HCAC IV Second Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of HCAC, and Canoo Holdings Ltd., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (“Canoo”), have entered into that certain Merger Agreement (as may be amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of August 17, 2020, pursuant to which, through a series of mergers at the Closing (as defined below) with HCAC IV First Merger Sub, Ltd. and HCAC IV Second Merger Sub, LLC, Canoo will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company;
WHEREAS, pursuant to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, the New Holders will receive shares of the Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) upon the closing of such transactions (the “Closing”);
WHEREAS, concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, on August 17, 2020, the Company and the Sponsor entered into that Warrant Exchange and Share Cancellation Agreement, pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed that immediately prior to (and contingent upon) the Closing, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, (a) the Sponsor shall exchange 11,739,394 Sponsor Private Placement Warrants for 2,347,879 newly issued shares of Class B common stock of the Company (the “New Sponsor Shares”) and (b) the Sponsor shall forfeit an equivalent number (2,347,879) of Founder Shares held by the Sponsor, which shall be cancelled by the Company; and
WHEREAS, the Company and all of the Existing Holders desire to amend and restate the Existing Registration Rights Agreement in order to provide the Existing Holders and New Holders certain registration rights with respect to certain securities of the Company, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; and
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the representations, covenants and agreements contained herein, and certain other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. The terms defined in this Article I shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, have the respective meanings set forth below:
“Adverse Disclosure” shall mean any public disclosure of material non-public information, which disclosure, in the good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer or principal financial officer of the Company, after consultation with counsel to the Company, (i) would be required to be made in any Registration Statement or Prospectus in order for the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein (in the case of any prospectus and any preliminary prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, (ii) would not be required to be made at such time if the Registration Statement were not being filed, and (iii) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public.
“Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Anchor Investor” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals.
“Anchor Private Placement Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals.
“Anchor Subscription Agreements” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals.
“Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
“business day” means a day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, on which commercial banks in New York, New York or Seattle, Washington are open for the general transaction of business.
“Canoo” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Class B Common Stock” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
2
“Company” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Common Stock” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Company” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Company Underwritten Demand Notice” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.
“Demanding Holders” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.
“Effectiveness Deadline” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as it may be amended from time to time.
“Existing Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble hereto.
“Existing Registration Rights Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Form S-1 Registration Statement” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“Form S-3 Shelf” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“Founder Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto and shall be deemed to include the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion thereof.
“Founder Shares Lock-Up Period” shall mean, with respect to the Founder Shares, from the date hereof until the earlier of (A) one year after the date hereof; (B) the first date the closing price of the Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the date hereof; and (C) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Common Stock for cash, securities or other property.
“Holders” shall mean the Existing Holders and the New Holders and any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.2.
“Insider Letter” shall mean that certain letter agreement, dated as of February 28, 2019, by and among the Company, the Sponsor and each of the Company’s officers, directors and director nominees.
“Lock-Up Periods” shall mean the Founder Shares Lock-Up Period, the New Sponsor Shares Lock-Up Period and the Private Placement Lock-Up Period.
“Maximum Number of Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.5.
“Merger Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Misstatement” shall mean an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated in a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or necessary to make the statements in a Registration Statement or Prospectus (in the case of the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.
“New Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
“New Sponsor Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“New Sponsor Shares Lock-Up Period” shall mean, with respect to the New Sponsor Shares held by the Sponsor or its Permitted Transferees, from the date hereof until the earliest to occur of (A) 180 days after the date hereof; (B) the first date the closing price of the Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the date hereof; and (C) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Common Stock for cash, securities or other property.
3
“Permitted Transferees” shall mean any person or entity (i) to whom a Holder of Registrable Securities is permitted to transfer such Registrable Securities prior to the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period, under the Insider Letter, this Agreement and any other applicable agreement between such Holder and the Company, and to any transferee thereafter and (ii) who agrees to become bound by the transfer restrictions set forth in this Agreement.
“Piggyback Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1.
“Private Placement Lock-Up Period” shall mean, with respect to Private Placement Warrants that are held by the initial purchasers of such Private Placement Warrants or their Permitted Transferees, and any of the Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise or conversion of the Private Placement Warrants and that are held by the initial purchasers of the Private Placement Warrants or their Permitted Transferees, the period ending 30 days after the date hereof.
“Private Placement Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Pro Rata” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.5.
“Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and all post-effective amendments and including all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.
“Registrable Security” shall mean (a) the Founder Shares and the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the conversion of any Founder Shares, (b) the Private Placement Warrants (including any shares of the Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any such Private Placement Warrants), (c) the New Sponsor Shares, (d) any issued and outstanding share of Common Stock or any other equity security (including the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security) of the Company held by an Existing Holder as of the date of this Agreement, (e) any shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise the of Working Capital Warrants, (f) any outstanding shares of Common Stock or any other equity security of the Company held by a New Holder as of the date of this Agreement (including shares transferred to a Permitted Transferee and the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any such other equity security) and (g) any other equity security of the Company issued or issuable with respect to any such share of the Common Stock described in the foregoing clauses (a) through (g) by way of a stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a combination of shares, distribution, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or reorganization or other similar event; provided, however, that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (i) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement; (ii) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates or book entry positions for such securities not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of such securities shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (iii) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; (iv) such securities may be sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (together with any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission, “Rule 144”) (but with no volume or other restrictions or limitations thereunder); or (v) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction.
“Registration” shall mean a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.
“Registration Expenses” shall mean the out-of-pocket expenses of a Registration, including, without limitation, the following:
(A) all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.) and any securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed;
(B) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with blue sky qualifications of Registrable Securities);
(C) printing, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses;
(D) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;
4
(E) reasonable fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants of the Company incurred specifically in connection with such Registration; and
(F) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating an Underwritten Demand to be registered for offer and sale in the applicable Registration.
“Registration Statement” shall mean any registration statement that covers the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus included in such registration statement, amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registration statement, and all exhibits to and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
“Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.
“Restricted Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 3.6.1.
“Rule 144” shall have the meaning given in the definition of “Registrable Security.”
“Rule 415” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.
“SEC” shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.
“Sponsor” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble hereto.
“Sponsor Private Placement Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
“Underwriter” shall mean a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an Underwritten Offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.
“Underwritten Demand” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.
“Underwritten Demand Notice” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.
“Underwritten Registration” or “Underwritten Offering” shall mean a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public, including an offering and/or sale of Registrable Securities by any Holder in a block trade or on an underwritten basis (whether firm commitment or otherwise) without substantial marketing efforts prior to pricing, including, without limitation, a same day trade, overnight trade or similar transaction, but excluding a variable price reoffer.
“Working Capital Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
5
ARTICLE II
REGISTRATIONS
2.1 Shelf Registration.
2.1.1 Initial Registration. The Company shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) business days after the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, use its reasonable best efforts to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act to permit the public resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders (and certain other outstanding equity securities of the Company) from time to time as permitted by Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor or similar provision adopted by the Commission then in effect) (“Rule 415”) on the terms and conditions specified in this subsection 2.1.1 and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to be declared effective as promptly as reasonably practicable after the initial filing thereof, but in no event later than sixty (60) business days following the filing deadline (the “Effectiveness Deadline”); provided, that the Effectiveness Deadline shall be extended to one hundred and twenty (120) days after the filing deadline if the Registration Statement is reviewed by, and receives comments from, the Commission. The Registration Statement filed with the Commission pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 shall be a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (a “Form S-3 Shelf”) or, if Form S-3 is not then available to the Company, on Form S-1 (a “Form S-1 Registration Statement”) or such other form of registration statement as is then available to effect a registration for resale of such Registrable Securities, covering such Registrable Securities, and shall contain a Prospectus in such form as to permit any Holder to sell such Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 415 at any time beginning on the effective date for such Registration Statement. A Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 shall provide for the resale pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested prior to effectiveness by, the Holders. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities. When effective, a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 (including the documents incorporated therein by reference) will comply as to form in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (in the case of any Prospectus contained in such Registration Statement, in the light of the circumstances under which such statement is made).
6
2.1.2 Form S-3 Shelf. If the Company files a Form S-3 Shelf and thereafter the Company becomes ineligible to use Form S-3 for secondary sales, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to file a Form S-1 Registration Statement as promptly as reasonably practicable to replace the shelf registration statement that is a Form S-3 Shelf and have the Form S-1 Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as reasonably practicable and to cause such Form S-1 Registration Statement to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities.
2.1.3 Underwritten Offering. At any time and from time to time following the effectiveness of the Registration Statement required by subsection 2.1.1 or 2.1.2, any Holder may request to sell all or a portion of their Registrable Securities (a “Demanding Holder”) in an underwritten offering that is registered pursuant to such Registration Statement (an “Underwritten Demand”), provided that such Holder(s) (a) reasonably expect aggregate gross proceeds in excess of $50,000,000 from such Underwritten Offering or (b) reasonably expects to sell all of the Registrable Securities held by such Holder in such Underwritten Offering but in no event less than $10,000,000 in aggregate gross proceeds. All requests for an Underwritten Offering shall be made by giving written notice to the Company (the “Underwritten Demand Notice”). Each Underwritten Demand Notice shall specify the approximate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold in the Underwritten Offering and the expected price range (net of underwriting discounts and commissions) of such Underwritten Offering. Within five (5) business days after receipt of any Underwritten Demand Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such requested Underwritten Offering (the “Company Underwritten Demand Notice”) to all other Holders of Registrable Securities (the “Requesting Holders”) and, subject to reductions consistent with the Pro Rata calculations in Section 2.1.5, shall include in such Underwritten Offering all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein, within five (5) days after sending the Company Underwritten Demand Notice. The Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement in a form as is customary in Underwritten Offerings of securities by the Company with the managing Underwriter or Underwriters selected by the initiating Demanding Holders with the written consent of the Company (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned) and shall take all such other reasonable actions as are requested by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities. In connection with any Underwritten Offering contemplated by this subsection 2.1.3, subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, the underwriting agreement into which each Holder and the Company shall enter shall contain such representations, covenants, indemnities and other rights and obligations of the Company and such Holders as are customary in underwritten offerings of securities. Under no circumstances shall the Company be obligated to effect (x) more than an aggregate of three (3) Underwritten Offerings pursuant to an Underwritten Demand by the Holders under this subsection 2.1.3 with respect to any or all Registrable Securities held by such Holders and (y) more than two (2) Underwritten Offerings per year pursuant to this subsection 2.1.3; provided, however, that an Underwritten Offering pursuant to an Underwritten Demand shall not be counted for such purposes unless a Registration Statement that may be available at such time has become effective and all of the Registrable Securities requested by the Requesting Holders and the Demanding Holders to be registered on behalf of the Requesting Holders and the Demanding Holders in such Registration Statement have been sold, in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Agreement.
7
2.1.4 Holder Information Required for Participation in Underwritten Offering. At least ten (10) business days prior to the first anticipated filing date of a Registration Statement pursuant to this Article II, the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to notify each Holder in writing (which may be by email) of the information reasonably necessary about the Holder to include such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything else in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated to include such Holder’s Registrable Securities to the extent the Company has not received such information, and received any other reasonably requested agreements or certificates, on or prior to the fifth business day prior to the first anticipated filing date of a Registration Statement pursuant to this Article II.
2.1.5 Reduction of Underwritten Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Offering, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) desire to sell, taken together with all other Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell and the Common Stock, if any, as to which a Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other stockholders who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in the Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Securities”), then the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering, as follows: (i) first, the Registrable Securities of the Demanding Holders (pro rata based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Demanding Holder has requested be included in such Underwritten Registration and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders have requested be included in such Underwritten Registration (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Registrable Securities of Requesting Holders (Pro Rata, based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Requesting Holder has so requested) exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.1.3 hereof, without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Common Stock or other equity securities of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register in a Registration pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
2.1.6 Underwritten Offering Withdrawal. A majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating an Underwritten Demand or a majority-in-interest of the Requesting Holders (if any), pursuant to a Registration under subsection 2.1.3 shall have the right to withdraw from a Registration pursuant to an Underwritten Offering pursuant to subsection 2.1.3 for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of their intention to withdraw from such Registration at least five (5) business days prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to the Registration of their Registrable Securities pursuant to such Underwritten Offering (or in the case of an Underwritten Registration pursuant to Rule 415, at least five (5) business days prior to the time of pricing of the applicable offering). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a Registration pursuant to an Underwritten Offering prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.1.6.
2.2 Piggyback Registration.
2.2.1 Piggyback Rights. If the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities, for its own account or for the account of stockholders of the Company (or by the Company and by the stockholders of the Company, including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof), other than a Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan, (ii) for a rights offering or an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing stockholders, (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company or (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but not less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement, which notice shall (A) describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, and (B) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within five (5) days after receipt of such written notice (such Registration a “Piggyback Registration”). The Company shall, in good faith, cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback Registration and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this subsection 2.2.1 to be included in a Piggyback Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company included in such Registration and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.2.1 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Company.
8
2.2.2 Reduction of Piggyback Registration. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration that is to be a Piggyback Registration, in good faith, advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of the shares of Common Stock that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (i) the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder (ii) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof, and (iii) the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:
(a) If the Registration is undertaken for the Company’s account, the Company shall include in any such Registration (A) first, the Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 hereof, Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been requested or demanded pursuant to written contractual piggyback registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;
(b) If the Registration is pursuant to a request by persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall include in any such Registration (A) first, the Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, of such requesting persons or entities, other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1, Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the Common Stock or other equity securities for the account of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
2.2.3 Piggyback Registration Withdrawal. Any Holder of Registrable Securities shall have the right to withdraw from a Piggyback Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw from such Piggyback Registration at least five (5) business days prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Piggyback Registration (or in the case of an Underwritten Registration pursuant to Rule 415, at least five (5) business days prior to the time of pricing of the applicable offering). The Company (whether on its own good faith determination or as the result of a request for withdrawal by persons pursuant to separate written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in connection with a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.2.3.
9
2.2.4 Unlimited Piggyback Registration Rights. For purposes of clarity, any Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof shall not be counted as a Registration pursuant to an Underwritten Offering effected under subsection 2.1.3.
2.3 Restrictions on Registration Rights. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company shall not be obligated to (but may, at its sole option) (A) effect an Underwritten Offering (i) within sixty (60) days after the closing of an Underwritten Offering or (ii) during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days prior to the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of the filing of, and ending on a date one hundred and twenty (120) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated Registration and provided that the Company has delivered written notice to the Holders prior to receipt of an Underwritten Demand pursuant to subsection 2.1.3 and it continues to actively employ, in good faith, all reasonable best efforts to cause the applicable Registration Statement to become effective or (B) file a Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or effect an Underwritten Offering (or, if the Company has filed a shelf Registration Statement and has included Registrable Securities therein, the Company shall be entitled to suspend the offer and sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement) for a period of up to forty-five (45) days (i) if the Holders have requested an Underwritten Demand and the Company and the Holders are unable to obtain the commitment of Underwriters to firmly underwrite the offer; or (ii) in the good faith judgment of the Board such Underwritten Offering would be materially detrimental to the Company and the Board concludes as a result that it is essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement at such time, provided that in each case of (i) and (ii) the Company shall furnish to such Holders a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board it would be materially detrimental to the Company for such Registration Statement to be filed in the near future and that it is therefore essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement and provided, further, that the Company shall not defer its obligation in this manner more than once in any 12 month period.
2.4 Waiver. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, unless the Company is notified in writing to the contrary by the Anchor Investor, (A) each Anchor Investor hereby waives any and all rights (i) to receive notice of any Underwritten Offering as provided for in this Section 2 or (ii) to participate in any such Underwritten Offering, and (B) the Company hereby agrees not to notify any Anchor Investor of any Underwritten Offering or provide any Anchor Investor with any information relating thereto.
ARTICLE III
COMPANY PROCEDURES
3.1 General Procedures. If the Company is required to effect the Registration of Registrable Securities, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended plan of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall, as expeditiously as possible:
3.1.1 prepare and file with the Commission within fifteen (15) business days a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold;
3.1.2 prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus, as may be reasonably requested by any Holder or any Underwriter of Registrable Securities or as may be required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company or by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus;
3.1.3 prior to filing a Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the Underwriters, if any, and each Holder of Registrable Securities included in such Registration, and such Holder’s legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus), and such other documents as the Underwriters and each Holder of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or the legal counsel for any such Holders may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders;
10
3.1.4 prior to any Underwritten Offering of Registrable Securities, use its reasonable best efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as any Holder of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;
3.1.5 cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange or automated quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
3.1.6 provide a transfer agent or warrant agent, as applicable, and registrar for all such Registrable Securities no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;
3.1.7 advise each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued;
3.1.8 at least five (5) days prior to the filing of any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document that is to be incorporated by reference into such Registration Statement or Prospectus, furnish a copy thereof to each seller of such Registrable Securities and its counsel, including, without limitation, providing copies promptly upon receipt of any comment letters received with respect to any such Registration Statement or Prospectus;
3.1.9 notify the Holders at any time when a Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event as a result of which the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes a Misstatement, and then to correct such Misstatement as set forth in Section 3.4 hereof;
3.1.10 permit a representative of the Holders (such representative to be selected by a majority of the participating Holders), the Underwriter(s), if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriter(s) to participate, at each such person’s own expense, in the preparation of the Registration Statement, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with the Registration; provided, however, that any such representative or Underwriter enters into a confidentiality agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information; and provided further, the Company may not include the name of any Holder or Underwriter or any information regarding any Holder or Underwriter in any Registration Statement or Prospectus, any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus, any document that is to be incorporated by reference into such Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any response to any comment letter, without the prior written consent of such Holder or Underwriter and providing each such Holder or Underwriter a reasonable amount of time to review and comment on such applicable document, which comments the Company shall include unless contrary to applicable law;
3.1.11 obtain a “cold comfort” letter from the Company’s independent registered public accountants in the event of an Underwritten Registration which the participating Holders may rely on, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by “cold comfort” letters as the managing Underwriter may reasonably request, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders;
11
3.1.12 on the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration, obtain an opinion and negative assurance letter, dated such date, of counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such Registration, addressed to the Holders, the placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriter(s), if any, covering such legal matters with respect to the Registration in respect of which such opinion is being given as the Holders, placement agent, sales agent, or Underwriter(s) may reasonably request and as are customarily included in such opinions and negative assurance letters, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority in interest of the participating Holders;
3.1.13 in the event of any Underwritten Offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing Underwriter of such offering;
3.1.14 make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months beginning with the first day of the Company’s first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the Registration Statement which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission);
3.1.15 if the Registration involves the Registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $50,000,000, use its reasonable best efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter(s) in any Underwritten Offering; and
3.1.16 otherwise, in good faith, cooperate reasonably with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the Holders, in connection with such Registration.
3.2 Registration Expenses. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Registration Expenses of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company. It is acknowledged by the Holders that the Holders shall bear all incremental selling expenses relating to the sale of Registrable Securities, such as Underwriters’ commissions and discounts, brokerage fees, Underwriter marketing costs and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses,” all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing any Holder.
3.3 Requirements for Participation in Underwritten Offerings. No person or entity may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated by the Company hereunder unless such person or entity (i) agrees to sell such person’s or entity’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (ii) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, lock-up agreements, underwriting agreements and other customary documents as may be reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.
3.4 Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure. Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, each of the Holders shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until it has received copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus correcting the Misstatement (it being understood that the Company hereby covenants to prepare and file such supplement or amendment as soon as practicable after the time of such notice), or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed. If the filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement in respect of any Registration at any time would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure or would require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Company’s control, the Company may, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders, delay the filing or initial effectiveness of, or suspend use of, such Registration Statement for the shortest period of time, but in no event more than forty-five (45) days, determined in good faith by the Company to be necessary for such purpose. In the event the Company exercises its rights under the preceding sentence, the Holders agree to suspend, immediately upon their receipt of the notice referred to above, their use of the Prospectus relating to any Registration in connection with any sale or offer to sell Registrable Securities. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this Section 3.4.
3.5 Reporting Obligations. As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company, at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, covenants to file timely (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 Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell shares of the Common Stock held by such Holder without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144, including providing any legal opinions. Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements.
12
3.6 Lock-Up Restrictions.
3.6.1 During the applicable Lock-Up Periods, none of the Existing Holders shall offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of or distribute any shares of Common Stock that are subject to an applicable Lock-Up Period or any securities convertible into, exercisable for, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive shares of Common Stock that are subject to an applicable Lock-Up Period, whether now owned or hereinafter acquired, that is owned directly by such Existing Holder (including securities held as a custodian) or with respect to which such Existing Holder has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the Commission (such securities that are subject to an applicable Lock-Up Period, the “Restricted Securities”), other than any transfer to an affiliate of an Existing Holder or to a Permitted Transferee, as applicable. The foregoing restriction is expressly agreed to preclude each Existing Holder, as applicable, from engaging in any hedging or other transaction with respect to Restricted Securities which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of the Restricted Securities even if such Restricted Securities would be disposed of by someone other than such Existing Holder. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions include any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including any put or call option) with respect to any of the Restricted Securities of the applicable Existing Holder, or with respect to any security that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from such Restricted Securities.
3.6.2 Each Existing Holder hereby represents and warrants that it now has and, except as contemplated by this subsection 3.6.2 for the duration of the applicable Lock-Up Period, will have good and marketable title to its Restricted Securities, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims that could impact the ability of such Existing Holder to comply with the foregoing restrictions Each Existing Holder agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of any Restricted Securities during the applicable Lock-Up Period.
ARTICLE IV
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION
4.1 Indemnification.
4.1.1 The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers and directors and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) caused by any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any information furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein. The Company shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers and directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to the indemnification of the Holder.
4.1.2 In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, such Holder shall furnish to the Company in writing such information and affidavits as the Company reasonably requests for use in connection with any such Registration Statement or Prospectus and, to the extent permitted by law, shall indemnify the Company, its directors and officers and agents and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue statement of material fact contained in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing by such Holder expressly for use therein; The Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to indemnify under this Section 4.1.2 shall be several, not joint and several, among the Holders of Registrable Securities, and the total liability of a Holder under this Section 4.1.2 shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement.
13
4.1.3 Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not materially prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (ii) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (plus local counsel) for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.
4.1.4 The indemnification provided for under this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of securities.
4.1.5 If the indemnification provided under Section 4.1 hereof from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the 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 to state a material fact, was made by, or relates to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action; provided, however, that the liability of any Holder under this subsection 4.1.5 shall be limited to the amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder in such offering giving rise to such liability. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in subsections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 were determined by Pro Rata allocation or by any other method of allocation, which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this subsection 4.1.5. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
14
ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Notices. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be in writing and given by (i) deposit in the United States mail, addressed to the party to be notified, postage prepaid and registered or certified with return receipt requested, (ii) delivery in person or by courier service providing evidence of delivery, or (iii) transmission by hand delivery, facsimile or electronic mail Each notice or communication that is mailed, delivered, or transmitted in the manner described above shall be deemed sufficiently given, served, sent, and received, in the case of mailed notices, on the third business day following the date on which it is mailed and, in the case of notices delivered by courier service, hand delivery, facsimile or electronic mail, at such time as it is delivered to the addressee (with the delivery receipt or the affidavit of messenger) or at such time as delivery is refused by the addressee upon presentation. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be addressed, if to the Company, to: Canoo Inc., Attention: Ulrich Kranz & Andrew Wolstan, 19951 Mariner Avenue, Torrance, CA 90503 with a copy to Cooley LLP, Attention: Dave Peinsipp, Kristin Vanderpas, Garth Osterman and Dave Young, 101 California Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111, and, if to any Holder, at such Holder’s address or contact information as set forth in the Company’s books and records. Any party may change its address for notice at any time and from time to time by written notice to the other parties hereto, and such change of address shall become effective thirty (30) days after delivery of such notice as provided in this Section 5.1.
5.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries.
5.2.1 This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company and the Holder of Registrable Securities, as the case may be, hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company or the Holders of Registrable Securities, as the case may be, in whole or in part, except in connection with a transfer of Registrable Securities by such Holder to a Permitted Transferee but only if such Permitted Transferee agrees to become bound by the transfer restrictions set forth in this Agreement.
5.2.2 Prior to the expiration of any Lock-Up Period, no Holder subject to any such Lock-Up Period may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, in violation of the applicable Lock-Up Period, except in connection with a transfer of Registrable Securities by such Holder to a Permitted Transferee but only if such Permitted Transferee agrees to become bound by the transfer restrictions set forth in this Agreement.
5.2.3 This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties and its successors and the permitted assigns of the Holders, which shall include Permitted Transferees.
5.2.4 This Agreement shall not confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not parties hereto, other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement and Section 5.2 hereof.
5.2.5 No assignment by any party hereto of such party’s rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate the Company unless and until the Company shall have received (i) written notice of such assignment as provided in Section 5.1 hereof and (ii) the written agreement of the assignee, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement (which may be accomplished by an addendum or certificate of joinder to this Agreement). Any transfer or assignment made other than as provided in this Section 5.2 shall be null and void.
5.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts (including facsimile or PDF counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute the same instrument, but only one of which need be produced.
5.4 Governing Law; Venue. NOTWITHSTANDING THE PLACE WHERE THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE EXECUTED BY ANY OF THE PARTIES HERETO, THE PARTIES EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT (I) THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AS APPLIED TO AGREEMENTS AMONG NEW YORK RESIDENTS ENTERED INTO AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION AND (II) THE VENUE FOR ANY ACTION TAKEN WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE ANY STATE OR FEDERAL COURT IN NEW YORK COUNTY IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
15
5.5 Amendments and Modifications. Upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders of at least a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities at the time in question, compliance with any of the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement may be waived, or any of such provisions, covenants or conditions may be amended or modified; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects either the Existing Holders as a group or the New Holders as a group, as the case may be, in a manner that is materially adversely different from the New Holders or the Existing Holders, respectively, shall require the consent of at least a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities held by such Existing Holders or a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities held by the New Holders, as applicable, at the time in question so affected; provided, further, that notwithstanding the foregoing, any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects one Holder or group of affiliated Holders, solely in its capacity as a holder of the shares of capital stock of the Company, in a manner that is materially different from the other Holders (in such capacity) shall require the consent of the Holder or group of affiliated Holders so affected and (b) any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects the rights of any Anchor Investor shall require the consent of such entity. No course of dealing between any Holder or the Company and any other party hereto or any failure or delay on the part of a Holder or the Company in exercising any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any rights or remedies of any Holder or the Company. No single or partial exercise of any rights or remedies under this Agreement by a party shall operate as a waiver or preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies hereunder or thereunder by such party.
5.6 Other Registration Rights. The Company represents and warrants that no person, other than a Holder of Registrable Securities, has any right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company for sale or to include such securities of the Company in any Registration filed by the Company for the sale of securities for its own account or for the account of any other person. Further, the Company represents and warrants that this Agreement supersedes any other registration rights agreement or agreement with similar terms and conditions and in the event of a conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.
5.7 Term. This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (i) the tenth anniversary of the date of this Agreement and (ii) the date as of which (A) all of the Registrable Securities have been sold or disposed of or (B) the Holders of all Registrable Securities are permitted to sell the Registrable Securities under Rule 144 (or any similar provision) under the Securities Act without limitation on the amount of securities sold or the manner of sale and without compliance with the current public reporting requirements set forth under Rule 144(i)(2). The provisions of Section 3.5 and Article IV shall survive any termination.
5.8 Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement between the parties as to the matters covered herein and supersedes and replaces any prior understanding, agreement or statement of intent, in each case, written or oral, of any and every nature with respect thereto.
[Signature Page Follows]
16
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
COMPANY: | |||
CANOO INC., a Delaware corporation | |||
By: | /s/ Ulrich Kranz | ||
Name: | Ulrich Kranz | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
SPONSOR: | |||
HENNESSY CAPITAL PARTNERS IV LLC, a Delaware limited liability company | |||
By: | Hennessy Capital LLC, its managing member | ||
By: | /s/ Daniel J. Hennessy | ||
Name: | Daniel J. Hennessy | ||
Title: | Manager |
OTHER PRE-IPO HOLDERS: | |||
HC NCBR FUND | |||
By: | /s/ Christopher Biasotti | ||
Name: | Christopher Biasotti | ||
Title: | Authorized Signatory | ||
BLACKROCK CREDIT ALPHA MASTER FUND L.P. | |||
By: | /s/ Christopher Biasotti | ||
Name: | Christopher Biasotti | ||
Title: | Authorized Signatory |
/s/ Greg Ethridge | ||
Name: Greg Ethridge | ||
/s/ Nicholas A. Petruska | ||
Name: | Nicholas A. Petruska | |
/s/ Bradley Bell | ||
Name: | Bradley Bell |
[Signature Page to Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement]
/s/ Richard Burns | |
Name: Richard Burns | |
/s/ Juan Carlos Mas | |
Name: Juan Carlos Mas | |
/s/ Gretchen W. McClain | |
Name: Gretchen W. McClain | |
/s/ James F. O’Neil III | |
Name: James F. O’Neil III | |
/s/ Peter Shea | |
Name: Peter Shea |
NEW HOLDERS: | ||
DD GLOBAL HOLDINGS LIMITED | ||
By: | /s/ LI Pak Tam | |
Name: LI Pak Tam | ||
Title: Director | ||
Champ Key Limited | ||
By: | /s/ LI Pak Tam | |
Name: LI Pak Tam | ||
Title: Authorized Signatory |
REMARKABLE VIEWS CONSULTANTS LTD | ||
By: | /s/ Victor Wei Bin Chu | |
Name: Victor Wei Bin Chu | ||
Title: Director |
[Signature Page to Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement]