Purchase Agreement by and between INVO Bioscience, Inc. and FirstFire Global Opportunities Fund, LLC dated as of April 5, 2024
Exhibit 10.1
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), dated as of April 5, 2024, by and between INVO BIOSCIENCE, INC., a Nevada corporation, with headquarters located at 5582 Broadcast Court, Sarasota, FL 34240 (the “Company”), and FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, with its address at 1040 First Avenue, Suite 190, New York, NY 10022 (the “Buyer”).
WHEREAS:
A. The Company and the Buyer are executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) and/or Rule 506(b) promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the 1933 Act;
B. Buyer desires to purchase from the Company, and the Company desires to issue and sell to the Buyer, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, a promissory note of the Company, in the aggregate principal amount of $275,000.00 (as the principal amount thereof may be increased pursuant to the terms thereof, and together with any note(s) issued in replacement thereof or as a dividend thereon or otherwise with respect thereto in accordance with the terms thereof, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, the “Note”), convertible into shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”), upon the terms and subject to the limitations and conditions set forth in such Note; and
C. The Buyer wishes to purchase, upon the terms and conditions stated in this Agreement, such principal amount of the Note as is set forth in this Agreement; and
D. The Company wishes to issue a common stock purchase warrant to purchase 229,167 shares of Common Stock (the “First Warrant”), a common stock purchase warrant to purchase 500,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Second Warrant”, and collectively with the First Warrant, the “Warrants”), and 50,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Commitment Shares”), to the Buyer as additional consideration for the purchase of the Note, which all shall be earned in full as of the Closing Date, as further provided herein; and
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the agreements and covenants herein contained, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Buyer hereby agree as follows:
1. Purchase and Sale of Note.
a. Purchase of Note. On the Closing Date (as defined below), the Company shall issue and sell to the Buyer, and the Buyer agrees to purchase from the Company, the Note, as further provided herein. As used in this Agreement, the term “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a day on which commercial banks in the city of New York, New York are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed.
b. Form of Payment. On the Closing Date: (i) the Buyer shall pay the purchase price of
$250,000.00 (the “Purchase Price”) for the Note, to be issued and sold to it at the Closing (as defined below), by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Company, in accordance with the Company’s written wiring instructions, against delivery of the Note, and (ii) the Company shall deliver such duly executed Note and Warrants on behalf of the Company, to the Buyer, against delivery of such Purchase Price. On the Closing Date, the Buyer shall withhold a non-accountable sum of $7,500.00 from the Purchase Price to cover the Buyer’s legal fees in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. On the Closing, the Buyer shall also withhold a sum of $25,000.00 from the Purchase Price to cover the Company’s fees owed to Carter, Terry, & Company, Inc., a registered broker-dealer (CRD #16365), in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
c. Closing Date. Subject to the satisfaction (or written waiver) of the conditions thereto set forth in Section 6 and Section 7 below, the date and time of the issuance and sale of the Note pursuant to this Agreement (the “Closing Date”) shall be on the date that the Purchase Price for the Note is paid by Buyer pursuant to terms of this Agreement.
d. Closing. The closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the “Closing”) shall occur on the Closing Date at such location as may be agreed to by the parties (including via exchange of electronic signatures).
1A. Warrants; Commitment Shares. On or before the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Warrants to the Buyer pursuant to the terms contained therein as well as the Commitment Shares to the Buyer, each of which shall be earned in full as of the Closing Date.
2. Buyer’s Representations and Warranties. The Buyer represents and warrants to the Company as of the Closing Date that:
a. Investment Purpose. As of the Closing Date, the Buyer is purchasing the Note, Commitment Shares, and Warrants (the Note, Commitment Shares, Warrants, shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of or otherwise pursuant to the Note (the “Conversion Shares”), and shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of or otherwise pursuant to the Warrants (the “Exercise Shares”) shall collectively be referred to herein as the “Securities”) for its own account and not with a present view towards the public sale or distribution thereof, except pursuant to sales registered or exempted from registration under the 1933 Act; provided, however, that by making the representations herein, the Buyer does not agree to hold any of the Securities for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to dispose of the Securities at any time in accordance with or pursuant to a registration statement or an exemption under the 1933 Act.
b. Accredited Investor Status. The Buyer is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D (an “Accredited Investor”).
c. Reliance on Exemptions. The Buyer understands that the Securities are being offered and sold to it in reliance upon specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of, and the Buyer’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments. and understandings of the Buyer set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of the Buyer to acquire the Securities.
d. Information. The Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been, and for so long as the Note remains outstanding will continue to be, furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances, and operations of the Company and materials relating to the offer and sale of the Securities which have been requested by the Buyer or its advisors. The Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been, and for so long as the Note remains outstanding will continue to be, afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company regarding its business and affairs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company has not disclosed to the Buyer any material nonpublic information regarding the Company or otherwise and will not disclose such information unless such information is disclosed to the public prior to or promptly following such disclosure to the Buyer. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigation conducted by Buyer or any of its advisors or representatives shall modify, amend, or affect Buyer’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in Section 3 below.
e. Governmental Review. The Buyer understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Securities.
f. Transfer or Re-sale. The Buyer understands that (i) the sale or resale of the Securities has not been and is not being registered under the 1933 Act or any applicable state securities laws, and the Securities may not be transferred unless (a) the Securities are sold pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act, (b) the Buyer shall have delivered to the Company, at the cost of the Company, an opinion of counsel (which may be the Legal Counsel Opinion (as defined below)) that shall be in form, substance, and scope customary for opinions of counsel in comparable transactions to the effect that the Securities to be sold or transferred may be sold or transferred pursuant to an exemption from such registration, which opinion shall be accepted by the Company, (c) the Securities are sold or transferred to an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144 promulgated under the 1933 Act (or a successor rule) (“Rule 144”)) of the Buyer who agrees to sell or otherwise transfer the Securities only in accordance with this Section 2(f) and who is an Accredited Investor, (d) the Securities are sold pursuant to Rule 144 or other applicable exemption, or (e) the Securities are sold pursuant to Regulation S under the 1933 Act (or a successor rule) (“Regulation S”), and the Buyer shall have delivered to the Company, at the cost of the Company, an opinion of counsel that shall be in form, substance and scope customary for opinions of counsel in corporate transactions, which opinion shall be accepted by the Company; (ii) any sale of such Securities made in reliance on Rule 144 may be made only in accordance with the terms of said Rule and further, if said Rule is not applicable, any re-sale of such Securities under circumstances in which the seller (or the person through whom the sale is made) may be deemed to be an underwriter (as that term is defined in the 1933 Act) may require compliance with some other exemption under the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder; and (iii) neither the Company nor any other person is under any obligation to register such Securities under the 1933 Act or any state securities laws or to comply with the terms and conditions of any exemption thereunder (in each case). Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else contained herein to the contrary, the Securities may be pledged in connection with a bona fide margin account or other lending arrangement secured by the Securities, and such pledge of Securities shall not be deemed to be a transfer, sale, or assignment of the Securities hereunder, and the Buyer in effecting such pledge of Securities shall not be required to provide the Company with any notice thereof or otherwise make any delivery to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise.
g. Legends. The Buyer understands that until such time as the Note, Warrants, Commitment Shares, Conversion Shares, and/or Exercise Shares, have been registered under the 1933 Act or may be sold pursuant to Rule 144, Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, Regulation S, or other applicable exemption without any restriction as to the number of securities as of a particular date that can then be immediately sold, the Securities may bear a restrictive legend in substantially the following form (and a stop-transfer order may be placed against transfer of such Securities):
“NEITHER THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES ARE [CONVERTIBLE/EXERCISABLE] HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED (I) IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR (B) AN OPINION OF COUNSEL (WHICH COUNSEL SHALL BE SELECTED BY THE HOLDER), IN A GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE FORM, THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER SAID ACT OR (II) UNLESS SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144, RULE 144A, REGULATION S, OR OTHER APPLICABLE EXEMPTION UNDER SAID ACT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.”
The legend set forth above shall be removed and the Company shall issue a certificate or book entry statement for the applicable shares of Common Stock without such legend to the holder of any Security upon which it is stamped or (as requested by such holder) issue the applicable shares of Common Stock to such holder by electronic delivery by crediting the account of such holder’s broker with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), if, unless otherwise required by applicable state securities laws, (a) such Security is registered for sale under an effective registration statement filed under the 1933 Act or otherwise may be sold pursuant to Rule 144, Rule 144A, Regulation S, or other applicable exemption without any restriction as to the number of securities as of a particular date that can then be immediately sold, or (b) the Company or the Buyer provides the Legal Counsel Opinion (as contemplated by and in accordance with Section 4(l) hereof) to the effect that a public sale or transfer of such Security may be made without registration under the 1933 Act, which opinion shall be accepted by the Company so that the sale or transfer is effected. The Company shall be responsible for the fees of its transfer agent and all DTC fees associated with any such issuance. The Buyer agrees to sell all Securities, including those represented by a certificate(s) from which the legend has been removed, in compliance with applicable prospectus delivery requirements, if any. In the event that the Company does not accept the opinion of counsel provided by the Buyer with respect to the transfer of Securities pursuant to an exemption from registration, such as Rule 144, Rule 144A, Regulation S, or other applicable exemption at the Deadline (as defined in the Note), it will be considered an Event of Default pursuant to Section 3.2 of the Note.
h. Authorization; Enforcement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized by the Buyer and has been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Buyer, and this Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Buyer enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and except as may be limited by the exercise of judicial discretion in applying principles of equity.
i. Manipulation of Price. The Buyer has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has: (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result, or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result, in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the purchase of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid any compensation for soliciting sales of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to sell any other securities of the Company.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Buyer as of the Closing Date that:
a. Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries (as defined below), if any, is a corporation duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated or formed, with full power and authority (corporate and other) to own, lease, use and operate its properties and to carry on its business as and where now owned, leased, used, operated and conducted. The SEC Documents set forth a list of all of the Subsidiaries of the Company and the jurisdiction in which each is incorporated. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in which its ownership or use of property or the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect. “Material Adverse Effect” means any material adverse effect on the business, operations, assets, financial condition or prospects of the Company or its Subsidiaries, if any, taken as a whole, or on the transactions contemplated hereby or by the agreements or instruments to be entered into in connection herewith. “Subsidiaries” means any corporation or other organization, whether incorporated or unincorporated, in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, any equity or other ownership interest.
b. Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform this Agreement, the Note, and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and to issue the Securities, in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, (ii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Warrants, the Note, Commitment Shares, Conversion Shares, and the Exercise Shares by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including without limitation, the issuance of the Note, Warrants, as well as the issuance and reservation for issuance of the Conversion Shares and Exercise Shares issuable upon conversion of the Note and/or exercise of the Warrants) have been duly authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors and no further consent or authorization of the Company, its Board of Directors, its shareholders, or its debt holders is required, (iii) this Agreement and the Note (together with any other instruments executed in connection herewith or therewith) have been duly executed and delivered by the Company by its authorized representative, and such authorized representative is the true and official representative with authority to sign this Agreement, the Note and the other instruments documents executed in connection herewith or therewith and bind the Company accordingly, and (iv) this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and delivery by the Company of the Note, each of such instruments will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
c. Capitalization; Governing Documents. As of April 5, 2024, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of: 50,000,000 authorized shares of Common Stock, of which 2,618,031 shares were issued and outstanding, and 100,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock, of which 100,000 shares of Series A Preferred stock and 1,200,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding. All of such outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, the Conversion Shares, the Exercise Shares, and Commitment Shares are, or upon issuance will be, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. No shares of capital stock of the Company are subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights of the shareholders of the Company or any liens or encumbrances imposed through the actions or failure to act of the Company. As of the effective date of this Agreement, other than as publicly announced prior to such date and reflected in the SEC Documents of the Company (i) there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe for, puts, calls, rights of first refusal, agreements, understandings, claims or other commitments or rights of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to issue additional shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) there are no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is obligated to register the sale of any of its or their securities under the 1933 Act, and (iii) there are no anti-dilution or price adjustment provisions contained in any security issued by the Company (or in any agreement providing rights to security holders) that will be triggered by the issuance of any of the Securities. The Company has furnished to the Buyer true and correct copies of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation as in effect on the date hereof (“Certificate of Incorporation”), the Company’s By-laws, as in effect on the date hereof (the “By-laws”), and the terms of all securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock of the Company and the material rights of the holders thereof in respect thereto.
d. Issuance of Conversion Shares and Exercise Shares. The Conversion Shares and Exercise Shares are duly authorized and reserved for issuance and, upon conversion of the Note and/or exercise of the Warrants in accordance with its terms, will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable, and free from all taxes, liens, claims and encumbrances with respect to the issue thereof and shall not be subject to preemptive rights or other similar rights of shareholders of the Company and will not impose personal liability upon the holder thereof.
e. Issuance of Warrants and Commitment Shares. The issuance of the Warrants and Commitment Shares are duly authorized and will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable, and free from all taxes, liens, claims and encumbrances with respect to the issue thereof and shall not be subject to preemptive rights or other similar rights of shareholders of the Company and will not impose personal liability upon the holder thereof.
f. Acknowledgment of Dilution. The Company understands and acknowledges the potentially dilutive effect of the Conversion Shares and Exercise Shares to the Common Stock upon the conversion of the Note and/or exercise of the Warrants. The Company further acknowledges that its obligation to issue, upon conversion of the Note and/or exercise of the Warrants, the Conversion Shares and/or Exercise Shares, are absolute and unconditional regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance may have on the ownership interests of other shareholders of the Company.
g. No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Note by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance and reservation for issuance of the Conversion Shares and Exercise Shares) will not (i) conflict with or result in a violation of any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws, or (ii) violate or conflict with, or result in a breach of any provision of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both could become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, note, evidence of indebtedness, indenture, patent, patent license or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, other than that certain revenue loan and security agreement with Decathlon Alpha V LP as reflected in the SEC Documents or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws and regulations and regulations of any self-regulatory organizations to which the Company or its securities is subject) applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which any property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or affected (except for such conflicts, defaults, terminations, amendments, accelerations, cancellations and violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect), or (iv) trigger any anti-dilution and/or ratchet provision contained in any other contract in which the Company is a party thereto or any security issued by the Company. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of its Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or other organizational documents and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in default (and no event has occurred which with notice or lapse of time or both could put the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in default) under, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken any action or failed to take any action that would give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or affected, except for possible defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The businesses of the Company and its Subsidiaries, if any, are not being conducted, and shall not be conducted so long as the Buyer owns any of the Securities, in violation of any law, ordinance or regulation of any governmental entity. Except as specifically contemplated by this Agreement and as required under the 1933 Act and any applicable state securities laws, the Company is not required to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court, governmental agency, regulatory agency, self-regulatory organization or stock market or any third party in order for it to execute, deliver or perform any of its obligations under this Agreement and the Note in accordance with the terms hereof or thereof or to issue and sell the Note in accordance with the terms hereof, other than pursuant to that certain revenue loan and security agreement with Decathlon Alpha V LP as reflected in the SEC Documents, and, upon conversion of the Note and/or exercise of the Warrants, issue Conversion Shares and/or Exercise Shares as applicable. All consents, authorizations, orders, filings and registrations which the Company is required to obtain pursuant to the preceding sentence have been obtained or effected on or prior to the date hereof. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, the Company is not in violation of the listing requirements of the Principal Market (as defined herein) and does not reasonably anticipate that the Common Stock will be delisted by the Principal Market in the foreseeable future. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, the Company and its Subsidiaries are unaware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any of the foregoing. The “Principal Market” shall mean the principal securities exchange or trading market where such Common Stock is listed or traded, including but not limited to any tier of the OTC Markets, any tier of the NASDAQ Stock Market (including NASDAQ Capital Market), or the NYSE American, or any successor to such markets.
h. SEC Documents; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements, and other documents required to be filed by it with the SEC pursuant to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) as well as registration statements on Forms S-1, S-3, and S-4 (all of the foregoing filed prior to the date hereof and all exhibits included therein and financial statements and schedules thereto and documents (other than exhibits to such documents) incorporated by reference therein, being hereinafter referred to herein as the “SEC Documents”). As of their respective dates, the SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and 1934 Act, respectively, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder applicable to the SEC Documents, and none of the SEC Documents, at the time they were filed with the SEC, 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. None of the statements made in any such SEC Documents is, or has been, required to be amended or updated under applicable law (except for such statements as have been amended or updated in subsequent filings prior the date hereof). As of their respective dates, the financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Documents complied as to form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, during the periods involved and fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments). Except as set forth in the financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Documents, the Company has no liabilities, contingent or otherwise, other than (i) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business subsequent to September 30, 2023, and (ii) obligations under contracts and commitments incurred in the ordinary course of business and not required under generally accepted accounting principles to be reflected in such financial statements, which, individually or in the aggregate, are not material to the financial condition or operating results of the Company. The Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act. The Company is not currently a “shell company” as described in Rule 144(i)(1)(i).
i. Absence of Certain Changes. Since September 30, 2023, there has been no material adverse change and no material adverse development in the assets, liabilities, business, properties, operations, financial condition, results of operations, prospects or 1934 Act reporting status of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
j. Absence of Litigation. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, there is no action, suit, claim, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or their officers or directors in their capacity as such, that could have a Material Adverse Effect. The SEC Documents contain a complete list and summary description of any pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened proceeding against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, without regard to whether it would have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries are unaware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any of the foregoing.
k. Intellectual Property. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns or possesses the requisite licenses or rights to use all patents, patent applications, patent rights, inventions, know-how, trade secrets, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, service names, trade names and copyrights (“Intellectual Property”) necessary to enable it to conduct its business as now operated (and, as presently contemplated to be operated in the future); there is no claim or action by any person pertaining to, or proceeding pending, or to the Company’s knowledge threatened, which challenges the right of the Company or of a Subsidiary with respect to any Intellectual Property necessary to enable it to conduct its business as now operated (and, as presently contemplated to be operated in the future); to the best of the Company’s knowledge, the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ current and intended products, services and processes do not infringe on any Intellectual Property or other rights held by any person; and the Company is unaware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any of the foregoing. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of their Intellectual Property.
l. No Materially Adverse Contracts, Etc. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any charter, corporate or other legal restriction, or any judgment, decree, order, rule or regulation which in the judgment of the Company’s officers has or is expected in the future to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any contract or agreement which in the judgment of the Company’s officers has or is expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
m. Tax Status. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries has made or filed all federal, state and foreign income and all other tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject (unless and only to the extent that the Company and each of its Subsidiaries has set aside on its books provisions reasonably adequate for the payment of all unpaid and unreported taxes) and has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith and has set aside on its books provisions reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company know of no basis for any such claim. The Company has not executed a waiver with respect to the statute of limitations relating to the assessment or collection of any foreign, federal, state or local tax. None of the Company’s tax returns is presently being audited by any taxing authority.
n. Transactions with Affiliates. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, and except for arm’s length transactions pursuant to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries makes payments in the ordinary course of business upon terms no less favorable than the Company or any of its Subsidiaries could obtain from third parties and other than the grant of stock options described in the SEC Documents, none of the officers, directors, or employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (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 corporation, partnership, trust or other entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner.
o. Disclosure. All information relating to or concerning the Company or any of its Subsidiaries set forth in this Agreement and provided to the Buyer pursuant to Section 2(d) hereof and otherwise in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby is true and correct in all material respects and the Company has not omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made herein or therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No event or circumstance has occurred or exists with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or its or their business, properties, prospects, operations or financial conditions, which, under applicable law, rule or regulation, requires public disclosure or announcement by the Company but which has not been so publicly announced or disclosed (assuming for this purpose that the Company’s reports filed under the 1934 Act are being incorporated into an effective registration statement filed by the Company under the 1933 Act).
p. Acknowledgment Regarding Buyer’s Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Buyer is acting solely in the capacity of arm’s length purchaser with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company further acknowledges that the Buyer is not 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 statement made by the Buyer or any of its respective representatives or agents in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby is not advice or a recommendation and is merely incidental to the Buyer’s purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to the Buyer that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the Company and its representatives.
q. No Integrated Offering. 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 in any security or solicited any offers to buy any security under circumstances that would require registration under the 1933 Act of the issuance of the Securities to the Buyer. The issuance of the Securities to the Buyer will not be integrated with any other issuance of the Company’s securities (past, current or future) for purposes of any shareholder approval provisions applicable to the Company or its securities.
r. No Brokers; No Solicitation. Except with respect to Carter, Terry, & Company, Inc., a registered broker-dealer (CRD #16365), the Company has taken no action which would give rise to any claim by any person for brokerage commissions, transaction fees or similar payments relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company represents and warrants that neither the Buyer nor its employee(s), member(s), beneficial owner(s), or partner(s) solicited the Company to enter into this Agreement and consummate the transactions described in this Agreement.
s. Permits; Compliance. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries is in possession of all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, variances, exemptions, consents, certificates, approvals and orders necessary to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted (collectively, the “Company Permits”), and there is no action pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened regarding suspension or cancellation of any of the Company Permits. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in conflict with, or in default or violation of, any of the Company Permits, except for any such conflicts, defaults or violations which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, since September 30, 2023, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notification with respect to possible conflicts, defaults or violations of applicable laws, except for notices relating to possible conflicts, defaults or violations, which conflicts, defaults or violations would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
t. Environmental Matters. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents:
(i) There are, to the Company’s knowledge, with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any predecessor of the Company, no past or present violations of Environmental Laws (as defined below), releases of any material into the environment, actions, activities, circumstances, conditions, events, incidents, or contractual obligations which may give rise to any common law environmental liability or any liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 or similar federal, state, local or foreign laws and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice with respect to any of the foregoing, nor is any action pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened in connection with any of the foregoing. The term “Environmental Laws” means all federal, state, local or foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including, without limitation, laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder.
(ii) Other than those that are or were stored, used or disposed of in compliance with applicable law, no Hazardous Materials are contained on or about any real property currently owned, leased or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and no Hazardous Materials were released on or about any real property previously owned, leased or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries during the period the property was owned, leased or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except in the normal course of the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ business.
(iii) There are no underground storage tanks on or under any real property owned, leased or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that are not in compliance with applicable law.
u. Title to Property. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, the Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
v. Insurance. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as management of the Company believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and its Subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company nor any such 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 at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Upon written request the Company will provide to the Buyer true and correct copies of all policies relating to directors’ and officers’ liability coverage, errors and omissions coverage, and commercial general liability coverage.
w. Internal Accounting Controls. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient, in the judgment of the Company’s board of directors, 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 generally accepted accounting principles 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.
x. Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director, officer, agent, employee or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary has, in the course of his actions for, or on behalf of, the Company, used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee.
y. No Investment Company. The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement will not be an “investment company” required to be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (an “Investment Company”). The Company is not controlled by an Investment Company.
aa. No Off Balance Sheet Arrangements. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, there is no transaction, arrangement, or other relationship between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and an unconsolidated or other off balance sheet entity that is required to be disclosed by the Company in its 1934 Act filings and is not so disclosed or that otherwise could be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
bb. No Disqualification Events. None of the Company, any of its predecessors, any affiliated issuer, any director, executive officer, other officer of the Company participating in the offering hereunder, any beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Company’s outstanding voting equity securities, calculated on the basis of voting power, nor any promoter (as that term is defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) connected with the Company in any capacity at the time of sale (each, an “Issuer Covered Person”) is subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the 1933 Act (a “Disqualification Event”), except for a Disqualification Event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3). The Company has exercised reasonable care to determine whether any Issuer Covered Person is subject to a Disqualification Event.
cc. Manipulation of Price. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has: (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result, or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result, in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company.
dd. Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
ee. Illegal or Unauthorized Payments; Political Contributions. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or other representatives of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any other business entity or enterprise with which the Company or any Subsidiary is or has been affiliated or associated, has, directly or indirectly, made or authorized any payment, contribution or gift of money, property, or services, whether or not in contravention of applicable law, (i) as a kickback or bribe to any person or (ii) to any political organization, or the holder of or any aspirant to any elective or appointive public office except for personal political contributions not involving the direct or indirect use of funds of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
ff. Breach of Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company agrees that if the Company breaches any of the representations or warranties set forth in this Section 3 and in addition to any other remedies available to the Buyer pursuant to this Agreement, it will be considered an Event of Default under Section 3.4 of the Note.
4. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS, AGREEMENTS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
a. Best Efforts. The parties shall use their best efforts to satisfy timely each of the conditions described in Section 6 and 7 of this Agreement.
b. Form D; Blue Sky Laws. The Company agrees to file a Form D with respect to the Securities if required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof to the Buyer promptly after such filing. The Company shall, on or before the Closing Date, take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary to qualify the Securities for sale to the Buyer at the applicable closing pursuant to this Agreement under applicable securities or “blue sky” laws of the states of the United States (or to obtain an exemption from such qualification), and shall provide evidence of any such action so taken to the Buyer on or prior to the Closing Date.
c. Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the Purchase Price to pursue a registered offering of its common stock, acquisitions, business development, and/or general working capital, and not for any other purpose, including but not limited to (i) the repayment of any indebtedness owed to officers, directors, or employees of the Company or their affiliates, (ii) the repayment of any debt issued in corporate finance transactions (including but not limited to promissory notes that have the ability to be converted into Common Stock), (iii) any loan to or investment in any other corporation, partnership, enterprise or other person (except in connection with the Company’s currently existing operations), (iv) any loan, credit, or advance to any officers, directors, employees, or affiliates of the Company, or (v) in violation or contravention of any applicable law, rule or regulation.
d. Offer of Participation.
(i) Other than arrangements that are in place or disclosed in SEC Documents prior to the date of this Agreement, from the date of this Agreement until the earlier of (i) eighteen (18) calendar months after the date of this Agreement or (ii) the date that the Note is extinguished in its entirety, the Company will not, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, sell, grant any option to purchase, or otherwise dispose of (or announce any offer, sale, grant or any option to purchase or other disposition of) any of its equity, or equity equivalent securities, including without limitation any or other instrument or security that is, at any time during its life and/or under any circumstances, convertible into, exchangeable, or exercisable for Common Stock (any such offer, sale, grant, disposition or announcement being referred to as a “Subsequent Placement”) or (ii) enter into any definitive agreement with regard to the foregoing, in each case unless the Company shall have first complied with this Section 4(d).
(ii) The Company shall deliver to the Buyer an irrevocable written notice (the “Offer Notice”) of any proposed or intended Subsequent Placement, which shall (w) identify and describe the Subsequent Placement, (x) describe the price and other terms upon which they are to be issued, sold or exchanged, and the number or amount of the securities in the Subsequent Placement to be issued, sold, or exchanged, and (y) offer to issue and sell to the Buyer, on a reasonable best efforts basis, up to one hundred percent (100%) of the then outstanding principal amount of the Note in the Subsequent Placement (in each case, an “Offer”).
(iii) To accept an Offer, in whole or in part, the Buyer must deliver a written notice (the “Notice of Acceptance”) to the Company prior to the end of the second (2nd) Trading Day (as defined in the Note) after the Buyer’s receipt of the Offer Notice (the “Offer Period”), setting forth the amount that the Buyer elects to purchase (the “Subscription Amount”). The Company shall complete the Subsequent Placement and, on a reasonable best efforts basis, issue and sell the Subscription Amount to the Buyer upon the same terms and conditions agreed to with all other Subsequent Placement participants. The Buyer may elect to exchange any amounts owed under the Note (plus the prepayment premiums provided for in Section 1.9 of the Note if prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined in the Note) under the Note) in lieu of cash consideration with respect to all or any portion of the Subscription Amount.
(iv) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the Company desires to modify or amend the terms or conditions of a Subsequent Placement at any time after the Notice of Acceptance is received by the Company, the Company shall inform the Buyer in writing of any such modification or amendment (the “Change Notice”) and the Buyer may rescind its Notice of Acceptance or change the Subscription Amount; provided, however, that Buyer inform the Company in writing of such recission or change withing two (2) Trading Days of its receipt of the Change Notice.
(v) For the avoidance of doubt, “on a reasonable best efforts basis” as used herein refers to the Company discussing the Buyer’s participation in a Subsequent Placement with the prospective investor(s) and investment bank, if any, involved with such Subsequent Placement, and is not a guarantee that Buyer shall be able to participate in such Subsequent Placement. Buyer’s ability to participate in a Subsequent Placement shall rest solely on the preferences of the prospective investor(s) and investment bank, if any, involved with such Subsequent Placement.
e. 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 action or proceeding that may be brought by the Buyer in order to enforce any right or remedy under this Agreement, the Note and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Note and any document, agreement, or instrument contemplated thereby, it is expressly agreed and provided that the total liability of the Company under this Agreement, the Note or any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby for payments which under applicable law are 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 which under applicable law in the nature of interest that the Company may be obligated to pay under this Agreement, the Note and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby exceed such Maximum Rate. It is agreed that if the maximum contract rate of interest allowed by law applicable to this Agreement, the Note and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby 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 this Agreement, the Note and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby from the effective date thereof 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 the Buyer with respect to indebtedness evidenced by this Agreement, the Note and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby, such excess shall be applied by the Buyer to the unpaid principal balance of any such indebtedness or be refunded to the Company, the manner of handling such excess to be at the Buyer’s election.
f. Restriction on Activities. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, commencing as of the date first above written, and until the earlier of payment of the Note in full or full conversion of the Note, the Company shall not, directly or indirectly, without the Buyer’s prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld: (a) change the nature of its business; or (b) sell, divest, acquire, change the structure of any material assets other than in the ordinary course of business.
g. Listing. The Company will, so long as the Buyer owns any of the Securities, maintain the listing and trading of its Common Stock on the Principal Market or any equivalent replacement exchange or electronic quotation system (including but not limited to the Pink Sheets electronic quotation system) and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and such exchanges, as applicable. The Company shall promptly provide to the Buyer copies of any notices it receives from the Principal Market and any other exchanges or electronic quotation systems on which the Common Stock is then traded regarding the continued eligibility of the Common Stock for listing on such exchanges and quotation systems.
h. Corporate Existence. Except as reflected in the SEC Documents, the Company will, so long as the Buyer beneficially owns any of the Securities, maintain its corporate existence and shall not sell all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, except in the event of a merger or consolidation with the written consent of the Buyer or sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets with the written consent of the Buyer, where the surviving or successor entity in such transaction (i) assumes the Company’s obligations hereunder and under the agreements and instruments entered into in connection herewith and (ii) is a publicly traded corporation whose Common Stock is listed for trading or quotation on the Principal Market, any tier of the NASDAQ Stock Market, the New York Stock Exchange or the NYSE American.
i. No Integration. The Company shall not make any offers or sales of any security (other than the Securities) under circumstances that would require registration of the Securities being offered or sold hereunder under the 1933 Act or cause the offering of the Securities to be integrated with any other offering of securities by the Company for the purpose of any stockholder approval provision applicable to the Company or its securities.
j. Compliance with 1934 Act; Public Information Failures. For so long as the Buyer beneficially owns the Note or Warrants, the Company shall comply with the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act; and the Company shall continue to be subject to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act.
k. Acknowledgement Regarding Buyer’s Trading Activity. Until the Note is fully repaid or fully converted, the Buyer shall not effect any “short sale” (as such term is defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO of the 1934 Act) of the Common Stock which establishes a net short position with respect to the Common Stock.
l. Legal Counsel Opinions. Upon the request of the Buyer from to time to time, the Company shall be responsible (at Buyer’s cost) for promptly supplying to the Company’s transfer agent and the Buyer a customary legal opinion letter of its counsel (the “Legal Counsel Opinion”) to the effect that the resale of the Conversion Shares and/or Exercise Shares by the Buyer or its affiliates, successors and assigns is exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act pursuant to Rule 144 (provided the requirements of Rule 144 are satisfied and provided the Conversion Shares and/or Exercise Shares are not then registered under the 1933 Act for resale pursuant to an effective registration statement) or other applicable exemption (provided the requirements of such other applicable exemption are satisfied). In addition, the Buyer may (at the its cost) at any time secure its own legal counsel to issue the Legal Counsel Opinion, and the Company will instruct its transfer agent to accept such opinion.
m. Piggy-Back Registration Rights. The Company hereby grants to the Buyer the piggy-back registration rights set forth in Exhibit B hereto.
n. Most Favored Nation. While the Note or any principal amount, interest or fees or expenses due thereunder remain outstanding and unpaid, the Company shall not enter into any public or private offering of its securities (including securities convertible into shares of Common Stock) with any individual or entity (an “Other Investor”) that has the effect of establishing more favorable conversion rights (with respect to the Common Stock) than such conversion rights in the Note or rights to a conversion price lower than the Conversion Price (as defined in the Note) of the Note, unless, in any such case, the Buyer has been provided with such rights and benefits (including but not limited to such lower conversion price) pursuant to a definitive written agreement or agreements between the Company and the Buyer.
o. Subsequent Variable Rate Transactions. From the date hereof until such time as the Note is fully converted or fully repaid, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells 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 price, exercise price 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 or (ii) enters into any agreement, including, but not limited to, an Equity Line of Credit (as defined in the Note), whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price. The Buyer 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.
p. Non-Public Information. The Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other person acting on its behalf will provide the Buyer or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto the Buyer shall have consented to the receipt of such information and agreed with the Company to keep such information confidential. The Company understands and confirms that the Buyer shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company delivers any material, non-public information to the Buyer without such Buyer’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Buyer shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or affiliates, not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Buyer shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided, information provided, or any other communications made by the Company, to the Buyer, constitutes or contains material non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice or other material information with the SEC pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.
q. D&O Insurance. The Company shall maintain its director and officer insurance on behalf of the Company’s (including its subsidiary) officers and directors until any principal under the Note remains outstanding with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs and expense in connection with any actual or threatened claim or proceeding that is based on, or arises out of their status as a director or officer of the Company.
r. Shareholder Approval; Prohibition on Issuance. “Shareholder Approval” means the approval of a sufficient amount of holders of the Company’s Common Stock to satisfy the shareholder approval requirements for such action as provided in Nasdaq Rule 5635(d), to effectuate the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, including the issuance of all of the Common Stock underlying the Note, Common Stock underlying the Warrants, and Commitment Shares, in excess of 19.99% of the issued and outstanding Common Stock on the Closing Date (the “Exchange Cap”). The Exchange Cap is equal to 523,344 shares of Common Stock (subject to appropriate adjustment for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination, rights offerings, reclassification or similar transaction that proportionately decreases or increases the Common Stock). The Company shall hold a meeting of shareholders on or before the date that is nine (9) months after the date of this Agreement, for the purpose of obtaining Shareholder Approval, with the recommendation of the Company’s Board of Directors that such proposal be approved, and the Company shall solicit proxies from its shareholders in connection therewith in the same manner as all other management proposals in such proxy statement and all management-appointed proxyholders shall vote their proxies in favor of such proposal. In addition, all members of the Company’s Board of Directors and all of the Company’s executive officers shall vote in favor of such proposal, for purposes of obtaining the Shareholder Approval, with respect to all securities of the Company then held by such persons. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain such Shareholder Approval. If the Company does not obtain Shareholder Approval at the first meeting, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to continue to seek Shareholder Approval until the Shareholder Approval is obtained. Until the Shareholder Approval becomes effective pursuant to the rules promulgated under the 1934 Act, the Company shall not hold any meeting of its shareholders unless the Company also includes a proposal for obtaining the Shareholder Approval in such meeting. Until such approval is obtained, the Buyer shall not be issued in the aggregate, pursuant to the Agreement or upon conversion of the Note or exercise of the Warrants, shares of Common Stock in an amount greater than the Exchange Cap. In the event that the Buyer shall sell or otherwise transfer any of such Buyer’s Note or Warrants, the transferee shall be allocated a pro rata portion of such Exchange Cap, and the restrictions of the prior sentence shall apply to such transferee with respect to the portion of the Exchange Cap allocated to such transferee.
s. No Broker-Dealer Acknowledgement. Absent a final adjudication from a court of competent jurisdiction stating otherwise, the Company shall not to any person, institution, governmental or other entity, state, claim, allege, or in any way assert, that Buyer is currently, or ever has been, a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
t. [Intentionally deleted.]
u. [Intentionally deleted.]
v. Breach of Covenants. The Company acknowledges and agrees that if the Company breaches any of the covenants set forth in this Section 4, in addition to any other remedies available to the Buyer pursuant to this Agreement, it will be considered an Event of Default under Section 3.3 of the Note.
5. Transfer Agent Instructions. The Company shall issue irrevocable instructions to the Company’s transfer agent to issue certificates and/or issue shares electronically at the Buyer’s option, registered in the name of the Buyer or its nominee, upon conversion of the Note and/or exercise of the Warrants, the Conversion Shares and Exercise Shares, in such amounts as specified from time to time by the Buyer to the Company in accordance with the terms thereof (the “Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions”). If the Company proposes to replace its transfer agent, the Company shall provide, prior to the effective date of such replacement, a fully executed Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions in a form as initially delivered pursuant to this Agreement (including but not limited to the provision to irrevocably reserved shares of Common Stock in the Reserved Amount (as defined in the Note)) signed by the successor transfer agent to the Company and the Company. Prior to registration of the Conversion Shares and/or Exercise Shares under the 1933 Act or the date on which the Conversion Shares and/or Exercise Shares may be sold pursuant to Rule 144, Rule 144A, Regulation S, or other applicable exemption without any restriction as to the number of Securities as of a particular date that can then be immediately sold, all such certificates or book entry shares shall bear the restrictive legend specified in Section 2(g) of this Agreement. The Company warrants that: (i) no instruction other than the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions referred to in this Section 5 will be given by the Company to its transfer agent and that the Securities shall otherwise be freely transferable on the books and records of the Company as and to the extent provided in this Agreement and the Note; (ii) it will not direct its transfer agent not to transfer or delay, impair, and/or hinder its transfer agent in transferring (or issuing)(electronically or in certificated form) any certificate for Securities to be issued to the Buyer upon conversion of or otherwise pursuant to the Note and/or upon exercise of or otherwise pursuant to the Warrants as and when required by the Note and this Agreement; (iii) it will not fail to remove (or directs its transfer agent not to remove or impairs, delays, and/or hinders its transfer agent from removing) any restrictive legend (or to withdraw any stop transfer instructions in respect thereof) on any certificate for any Securities issued to the Buyer upon conversion of or otherwise pursuant to the Note and/or upon exercise of or otherwise pursuant to the Warrants as and when required by the Note, Warrants, and/or this Agreement and (iv) it will provide any required corporate resolutions and issuance approvals to its transfer agent within two (2) Trading Days of the Buyer’s request. Nothing in this Section shall affect in any way the Buyer’s obligations and agreement set forth in Section 2(g) hereof to comply with all applicable prospectus delivery requirements, if any, upon re-sale of the Securities. If the Buyer provides the Company with (i) an opinion of counsel in form, substance and scope customary for opinions in comparable transactions, to the effect that a public sale or transfer of such Securities may be made without registration under the 1933 Act and such sale or transfer is effected or (ii) the Buyer provides reasonable assurances that the Securities can be sold pursuant to 144, Rule 144A, Regulation S, or other applicable exemption, the Company shall permit the transfer, and, in the case of the Securities, promptly instruct its transfer agent to issue one or more certificates, free from restrictive legend, in such name and in such denominations as specified by the Buyer. The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to the Buyer, by vitiating the intent and purpose of the transactions contemplated hereby. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that the remedy at law for a breach of its obligations under this Section 5 may be inadequate and agrees, in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Company of the provisions of this Section, that the Buyer shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an injunction restraining any breach and requiring immediate transfer, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required.
6. Conditions to the Company’s Obligation to Sell. The obligation of the Company hereunder to issue and sell the Note to the Buyer at the Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions thereto, provided that these conditions are for the Company’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Company at any time in its sole discretion:
a. The Buyer shall have executed this Agreement and delivered the same to the Company.
b. The Buyer shall have delivered the Purchase Price in accordance with Section 1(b)
above.
c. The representations and warranties of the Buyer shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date when made and as of the Closing Date, as though made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date), and the Buyer shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Buyer at or prior to the Closing Date.
d. No litigation, statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by or in any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby which prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
7. Conditions to The Buyer’s Obligation to Purchase. The obligation of the Buyer hereunder to purchase the Note, on the Closing Date, is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for the Buyer’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Buyer at any time in its sole discretion:
a. The Company shall have executed this Agreement and delivered the same to the Buyer.
b. The Company shall have delivered to the Buyer the duly executed Note in such denominations as the Buyer shall request and in accordance with Section 1(b) above.
c. The Company shall have delivered to the Buyer the Warrants and Commitment Shares.
d. The Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions, in form and substance satisfactory to the Buyer, shall have been delivered to and acknowledged in writing by the Company’s Transfer Agent.
e. The representations and warranties of the Company shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date when made and as of Closing Date, as though made at such time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date) and the Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Closing Date.
f. No litigation, statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by or in any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby which prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
g. No event shall have occurred which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company including but not limited to a change in the 1934 Act reporting status of the Company or the failure of the Company to be timely in its 1934 Act reporting obligations.
h. Trading in the Common Stock on the Principal Market shall not have been suspended by the SEC, FINRA or the Principal Market.
i. The Company shall have delivered to the Buyer (i) a certificate evidencing the formation and good standing of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries in such entity’s jurisdiction of formation issued by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of such jurisdiction, as of a date within ten (10) days of the Closing Date and (ii) resolutions adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors at a duly called meeting or by unanimous written consent authorizing this Agreement and all other documents, instruments and transactions contemplated hereby.
j. [Intentionally deleted.]
8. Governing Law; Miscellaneous.
a. Arbitration of Claims; Governing Law; Venue. The Company and Buyer shall submit all Claims (as defined in Exhibit C of this Agreement) (the “Claims”) arising under this Agreement or any other agreement between the Company and Buyer or their respective affiliates (including but not limited to the Transaction Documents) or any Claim relating to the relationship of the Company and Buyer or their respective affiliates to binding arbitration pursuant to the arbitration provisions set forth in Exhibit C of this Agreement (the “Arbitration Provisions”). The Company and Buyer hereby acknowledge and agree that the Arbitration Provisions are unconditionally binding on the Company and Buyer hereto and are severable from all other provisions of this Agreement. By executing this Agreement, Company represents, warrants, and covenants that Company has reviewed the Arbitration Provisions carefully, consulted with legal counsel about such provisions (or waived its right to do so), understands that the Arbitration Provisions are intended to allow for the expeditious and efficient resolution of any dispute hereunder, agrees to the terms and limitations set forth in the Arbitration Provisions, and that Company will not take a position contrary to the foregoing representations. Company acknowledges and agrees that Buyer may rely upon the foregoing representations and covenants of Company regarding the Arbitration Provisions. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and all questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and performance of this Agreement shall be governed by, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of Delaware. The Company and Buyer consent to and expressly agree that the exclusive venue for arbitration of any Claims arising under this Agreement or any other agreement between the Company and Buyer or their respective affiliates (including but not limited to the Transaction Documents) or any Claim relating to the relationship of the Company and Buyer or their respective affiliates shall be in the State of Delaware. Without modifying the Company’s and Buyer’s mandatory obligations to resolve disputes hereunder pursuant to the Arbitration Provisions, for any litigation arising in connection with any of the Transaction Documents (and notwithstanding the terms (specifically including any governing law and venue terms) of any transfer agent services agreement or other agreement between the Company’s transfer agent and the Company, such litigation specifically includes, without limitation any action between or involving Company and the Company’s transfer agent under the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions or otherwise related to Buyer in any way (specifically including, without limitation, any action where Company seeks to obtain an injunction, temporary restraining order, or otherwise prohibit the Company’s transfer agent from issuing shares of Common Stock to Buyer for any reason)), each party hereto hereby (i) consents to and expressly submits to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of any state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware, (ii) expressly submits to the exclusive venue of any such court for the purposes hereof, (iii) agrees to not bring any such action (specifically including, without limitation, any action where Company seeks to obtain an injunction, temporary restraining order, or otherwise prohibit the Company’s transfer agent from issuing shares of Common Stock to Buyer for any reason) outside of any state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware, and (iv) waives any claim of improper venue and any claim or objection that such courts are an inconvenient forum or any other claim, defense or objection to the bringing of any such proceeding in such jurisdiction or to any claim that such venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper. Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, nothing herein shall limit, or shall be deemed or construed to limit, the ability of the Buyer to realize on any collateral or any other security, or to enforce a judgment or other court ruling in favor of the Buyer, including through a legal action in any court of competent jurisdiction. The Company hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action, or proceeding, any objection to jurisdiction and venue of any action instituted hereunder, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, and any claim that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper (including but not limited to based upon forum non conveniens). THE COMPANY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. The Company irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any suit, action, or proceeding in connection with this Agreement or any other agreement, certificate, instrument, or document contemplated hereby or thereby by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to Company at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. The prevailing party in any action or dispute brought in connection with this Agreement or any other agreement, certificate, instrument, or document contemplated hereby or thereby shall be entitled to recover from the other party its reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. If any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or the validity or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
b. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which shall constitute one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. A facsimile, .pdf, or DocuSign (or other electronic signature platform) signature shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original, not a facsimile, ..pdf, DocuSign, or other electronicsignature. Delivery of a counterpart signature hereto by facsimile, email/.pdf, or DocuSign (or other electronic signature platform) transmission shall be deemed validly delivery thereof.
c. Construction; Headings. This Agreement shall be deemed to be jointly drafted by the Company and the Buyer and shall not be construed against any person as the drafter hereof. The headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.
d. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement, the Note, or any other agreement, or instrument delivered in connection herewith is invalid or unenforceable under any applicable statute or rule of law, then such provision shall be deemed inoperative to the extent that it may conflict therewith and shall be deemed modified to conform with such statute or rule of law. Any such provision which may prove invalid or unenforceable under any law shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, the Note, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby.
e. Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement, the Note, and the instruments referenced herein contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the matters covered herein and therein and, except as specifically set forth herein or therein, neither the Company nor the Buyer makes any representation, warranty, covenant, or undertaking with respect to such matters. No provision of this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby may be waived or amended other than by an instrument in writing signed by the Buyer.
f. Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals, and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be
(i) personally served, (ii) deposited in the mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (iii) delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or (iv) transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, e-mail or facsimile, addressed as set forth below or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be deemed effective (a) upon hand delivery or delivery by e-mail or facsimile, with accurate confirmation generated by the transmitting facsimile machine, at the address or number designated below (if delivered on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or the first business day following such delivery (if delivered other than on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received) or (b) on the second business day following the date of mailing by express courier service, fully prepaid, addressed to such address, or upon actual receipt of such mailing, whichever shall first occur. The addresses for such communications shall be:
If to the Company, to:
INVO BIOSCIENCE, INC.
5582 Broadcast Court
Sarasota, FL 34240
Attention: Steven Shum
e-mail: ***@***
If to the Buyer:
FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC
1040 First Avenue, Suite 190
New York, NY 10022
e-mail: ***@***
g. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and assigns. The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Buyer. The Buyer may assign its rights hereunder to any “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a) of the 1933 Act) in a private transaction from the Buyer or to any of its “affiliates,” as that term is defined under the 1934 Act, without the consent of the Company.
h. Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other person.
i. Survival. The representations and warranties of the Company and the agreements and covenants set forth in this Agreement shall survive the closing hereunder notwithstanding any due diligence investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Buyer. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Buyer and all their officers, directors, employees, and agents for loss or damage arising as a result of or related to any breach or alleged breach by the Company of any of its representations, warranties and covenants set forth in this Agreement or any of its covenants and obligations under this Agreement, including advancement of expenses as they are incurred.
j. Publicity. The Company and the Buyer shall have the right to review a reasonable period of time before issuance of any press releases, SEC, Principal Market or FINRA filings, or any other public statements with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the Company shall be entitled, without the prior approval of the Buyer, to make any press release or SEC, Principal Market (or other applicable trading market), or FINRA filings with respect to such transactions as is required by applicable law and regulations (although the Buyer shall be consulted by the Company in connection with any such press release prior to its release and shall be provided with a copy thereof and be given an opportunity to comment thereon).
k. Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
l. No Strict Construction. 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.
m. Indemnification. In consideration of the Buyer’s execution and delivery of this Agreement and acquiring the Securities hereunder, and in addition to all of the Company’s other obligations under this Agreement or the Note, the Company shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless the Buyer and its stockholders, partners, members, officers, directors, employees and direct or indirect investors and any of the foregoing persons’ agents or other representatives (including, without limitation, those retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) (collectively, the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, and expenses in connection therewith (irrespective of whether any such Indemnitee is a party to the action for which indemnification hereunder is sought), and including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements (the “Indemnified Liabilities”), incurred by any Indemnitee as a result of, or arising out of, or relating to (a) any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement, the Note or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, (b) any breach of any covenant, agreement or obligation of the Company contained in this Agreement, the Note or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby or (c) any cause of action, suit or claim brought or made against such Indemnitee by a third party (including for these purposes a derivative action brought on behalf of the Company) and arising out of or resulting from (i) the execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of this Agreement, the Note or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) any transaction financed or to be financed in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, with the proceeds of the issuance of the Securities, or (iii) the status of the Buyer or holder of the Securities as an investor in the Company pursuant to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by the Company may be unenforceable for any reason, the Company shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities that is permissible under applicable law.
n. Remedies. The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to the Buyer by vitiating the intent and purpose of the transaction contemplated hereby. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that the remedy at law for a breach of its obligations under this Agreement, the Note, the Warrants, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby will be inadequate and agrees, in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Company of the provisions of this Agreement, the Note, the Warrants, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, that the Buyer shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies at law or in equity, and in addition to the penalties assessable herein, to an injunction or injunctions restraining, preventing or curing any breach of this Agreement, the Note, the Warrants, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof and thereof.
o. Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the (i) Company makes a payment or payments to the Buyer hereunder, pursuant to the Note, pursuant to the Warrants, or pursuant to any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, or (ii) the Buyer enforces or exercises its rights hereunder, pursuant to the Note, pursuant to the Warrants, or pursuant to any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof (including but not limited to the sale of the Securities) are for any reason (i) subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, or disgorged by the Buyer, or (ii) are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver, government entity, or any other person or entity under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, foreign, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then (i) 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 and (ii) the Company shall immediately pay to the Buyer a dollar amount equal to the amount that was for any reason (i) subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, or disgorged by the Buyer, or (ii) required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver, government entity, or any other person or entity under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, foreign, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action).
p. Failure or Indulgence Not Waiver. No failure or delay on the part of the Buyer in the exercise of any power, right, or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power, right, or privilege preclude other or further exercise thereof or of any other right, power or privileges. All rights and remedies of the Buyer existing hereunder are cumulative to, and not exclusive of, any rights or remedies otherwise available.
q. Electronic Signature. This Agreement may be executed and delivered in one or more counterparts (including by facsimile or electronic mail or in .pdf or any other form of electronic delivery (including any electronic signature complying with U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000)) and by different parties in separate counterparts, with the same effect as if all parties hereto had signed the same document. All counterparts so executed and delivered shall be construed together and shall constitute one and the same agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned Buyer and the Company have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
INVO BIOSCIENCE, INC.
| By: | ||
| Name: | STEVEN SHUM | |
| Title: | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER |
FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC
| By: | FirstFire Capital Management LLC, its manager |
| By: | ||
| Name: | ELI FIREMAN |
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF NOTE
[attached hereto]
EXHIBIT B
PIGGY-BACK REGISTRATION RIGHTS
All of the Conversion Shares, Exercise Shares, and Commitment Shares shall be deemed “Registrable Securities” subject to the provisions of this Exhibit B. All capitalized terms used but not defined in this Exhibit B shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Securities Purchase Agreement to which this Exhibit is attached.
1. Piggy-Back Registration.
1.1 Piggy-Back Rights. If at any time after thirty (30) days from the date of the Closing the Company proposes to file an S-1 or S-3 Registration Statement under the 1933 Act (a “Registration Statement”) with respect to any offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities, by the Company for its own account or for shareholders of the Company for their account (or by the Company and by shareholders of the Company), other than a Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan on Form S-8, (ii) for a dividend reinvestment plan or (iii) in connection with a merger or acquisition, then the Company shall (x) give written notice of such proposed filing to the holders of Registrable Securities appearing on the books and records of the Company as such a holder as soon as practicable but in no event less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date of the Registration Statement, which notice shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such Registration Statement, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, of the offering, and (y) offer to the holders of Registrable Securities in such notice the opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such holders may request in writing within three (3) days following receipt of such notice (a “Piggy-Back Registration”). The Company shall cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such registration and shall cause the managing underwriter or underwriters of a proposed underwritten offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Piggy-Back Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof (with the understanding that the Company shall file the initial prospectus covering the Buyer’s sale of the Registrable Securities at prevailing market prices on the same date that the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC); provided, however, that, in the good faith judgment of the managing underwriter of such offering, if the inclusion of the Registrable Securities would interfere with the successful marketing of the shares of stock being offered by the Company, the Registrable Securities otherwise to be included in the Registration Statement shall be reduced in the managing underwriters’ sole discretion.
1.2 Withdrawal. Any holder of Registrable Securities may elect to withdraw such holder’s request for inclusion of Registrable Securities in any Piggy-Back Registration by giving written notice to the Company of such request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Company (whether on its own determination or as the result of a withdrawal by persons making a demand pursuant to written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding any such withdrawal, the Company shall pay all expenses incurred by the holders of Registrable Securities in connection with such Piggy-Back Registration as provided in Section 1.5 below.
1.3 The Company shall notify the holders of Registrable Securities at any time when a prospectus relating to such holder’s Registrable Securities is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, upon discovery that, or upon the happening of any event as a result of which, the prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing. At the request of such holder, the Company shall also prepare, file and furnish to such holder a reasonable number of copies of a supplement to or an amendment of such prospectus as may be necessary so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the Registrable Securities, such prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing. The holders of Registrable Securities shall not to offer or sell any Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement after receipt of such notification until the receipt of such supplement or amendment.
1.4 The Company may request a holder of Registrable Securities to furnish the Company such information with respect to such holder and such holder’s proposed distribution of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement as the Company may from time to time reasonably request in writing or as shall be required by law or by the SEC in connection therewith, and such holders shall furnish the Company with such information.
1.5 All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance with this Exhibit B by the Company shall be borne by the Company whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent registered public accountants) (A) with respect to filings made with the SEC, (B) with respect to filings required to be made with any trading market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading, (C) 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 (D) with respect to any filing that may be required to be made by any broker through which a holder of Registrable Securities intends to make sales of Registrable Securities with the FINRA, (ii) printing expenses, (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) 1933 Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and (vi) fees and expenses of all other persons or entities retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Exhibit B. In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder. In no event shall the Company be responsible for any broker or similar commissions of any holder of Registrable Securities.
1.6 The Company and its successors and assigns shall indemnify and hold harmless the Buyer, each holder of Registrable Securities, the officers, directors, members, partners, agents and employees (and any other individuals or entities with a functionally equivalent role of a person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each of them, each individual or entity who controls the Buyer or any such holder of Registrable Securities (within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act) and the officers, directors, members, stockholders, partners, agents and employees (and any other individuals or entities with a functionally equivalent role of a person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each such controlling individual or entity (each, an “Indemnified Party”), 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 (1) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, any related 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 such prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading or (2) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder, in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Exhibit B, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that (i) such untrue statements or omissions are based upon information regarding the Buyer or such holder of Registrable Securities furnished to the Company by such party for use therein. The Company shall notify the Buyer and each holder of Registrable Securities promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any proceeding arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Exhibit B of which the Company is aware.
1.7 [Intentionally deleted.]
[End of Exhibit B]
EXHIBIT C
ARBITRATION PROVISIONS
1. Dispute Resolution. Each party consents to and expressly agrees that the exclusive venue for arbitration of any dispute arising out of or relating to any of the Transaction Documents or the relationship of the parties or their affiliates shall be in the State of Delaware. For purposes of this Exhibit C, the term “Claims” means any disputes, claims, demands, causes of action, requests for injunctive relief, requests for specific performance, questions regarding severability of any provisions of the Transaction Documents, liabilities, damages, losses, or controversies whatsoever arising from, related to, or connected with the transactions contemplated in the Transaction Documents and any communications between the parties related thereto, including without limitation any claims of mutual mistake, mistake, fraud, misrepresentation, failure of formation, failure of consideration, promissory estoppel, unconscionability, failure of condition precedent, rescission, and any statutory claims, tort claims, contract claims, or claims to void, invalidate or terminate the Agreement (or these Arbitration Provisions (defined below)) or any of the other Transaction Documents. The term “Claims” specifically excludes a dispute over the Warrant Calculations (as defined in the Warrants) and Note Calculations (as defined in the Note), and the parties hereby acknowledge and agree that a dispute over any Warrant Calculations (as defined in the Warrants) or Note Calculations (as defined in the Note) shall be resolved by the parties as expressly provided for in the Warrants and Note respectively. The parties to this Agreement (the “parties”) hereby agree that the Claims may be arbitrated in one or more Arbitrations pursuant to these Arbitration Provisions (one for an injunction or injunctions and a separate one for all other Claims). The parties hereby agree that the arbitration provisions set forth in this Exhibit C (“Arbitration Provisions”) are binding on each of them. As a result, any attempt to rescind the Agreement (or these Arbitration Provisions) or any other Transaction Document) or declare the Agreement (or these Arbitration Provisions) or any other Transaction Document invalid or unenforceable pursuant to Section 29 of the 1934 Act or for any other reason is subject to these Arbitration Provisions. These Arbitration Provisions shall also survive any termination or expiration of the Agreement. Any capitalized term not defined in these Arbitration Provisions shall have the meaning set forth in the Agreement.
2. Arbitration. Except as otherwise provided herein, all Claims must be submitted to arbitration (“Arbitration”) to be conducted exclusively in the State of Delaware and pursuant to the terms set forth in these Arbitration Provisions. Subject to the arbitration appeal right provided for in Paragraph 5 below (the “Appeal Right”), the parties agree that the award of the arbitrator rendered pursuant to Paragraph 4 below (the “Arbitration Award”) shall be (a) final and binding upon the parties, (b) the sole and exclusive remedy between them regarding any Claims, counterclaims, issues, or accountings presented or pleaded to the arbitrator, and (c) promptly payable in United States dollars free of any tax, deduction or offset (with respect to monetary awards). Subject to the Appeal Right, any costs or fees, including without limitation attorneys’ fees, incurred in connection with or incident to enforcing the Arbitration Award shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law, be charged against the party resisting such enforcement. The Arbitration Award shall include Default Interest (as defined or otherwise provided for in the Note, “Default Interest”) (with respect to monetary awards) at the rate specified in the Note for Default Interest both before and after the Arbitration Award. Judgment upon the Arbitration Award will be entered and enforced by any state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware.
3. The Arbitration Act. The parties hereby incorporate herein the provisions and procedures set forth in the Delaware Uniform Arbitration Act, Title 10 Chapter 57 (as amended or superseded from time to time, the “Arbitration Act”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to, and to the maximum extent permitted by, the Arbitration Act, in the event of conflict or variation between the terms of these Arbitration Provisions and the provisions of the Arbitration Act, the terms of these Arbitration Provisions shall control and the parties hereby waive or otherwise agree to vary the effect of all requirements of the Arbitration Act that may conflict with or vary from these Arbitration Provisions.
4. Arbitration Proceedings. Arbitration between the parties will be subject to the following:
4.1 Initiation of Arbitration. Pursuant to the Arbitration Act, the parties agree that a party may initiate Arbitration by giving written notice to the other party (“Arbitration Notice”) in the same manner that notice is permitted under Section 8(f) of the Agreement; provided, however, that the Arbitration Notice may not be given by email or fax. Arbitration will be deemed initiated as of the date that the Arbitration Notice is deemed physically delivered to such other party under Section 8(f) of the Agreement (the “Service Date”). After the Service Date, information may be delivered, and notices may be given, by email or fax pursuant to Section 8(f) of the Agreement or any other method permitted thereunder. The Arbitration Notice must describe the nature of the controversy, the remedies sought, and the election to commence Arbitration proceedings. All Claims in the Arbitration Notice must be pleaded consistent with the Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure.
4.2 Selection and Payment of Arbitrator.
(a) Within ten (10) calendar days after the Service Date, the Parties shall endeavor in good faith to select a single arbitrator that is designated as a “neutral” or qualified arbitrator by American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) (https://www.adr.org/) or other arbitration service provider agreed upon by the parties (such designated person hereunder are referred to herein as a “Proposed Arbitrator”). For the avoidance of doubt, the Proposed Arbitrator must be qualified as a “neutral” with AAA or other arbitration service provider agreed upon by the parties. If the Parties fail to agree upon a single Proposed Arbitrator within such ten (10) calendar day period, each Party shall, within ten (10) calendar days thereafter, select a Proposed Arbitrator that is designated as a “neutral” or qualified arbitrator by AAA or other arbitration service provider agreed upon by the parties. The two Proposed Arbitrators so chosen shall, within ten (10) calendar days, select a Third Proposed Arbitrator.
(b) [Intentionally Omitted.]
(c) If a Proposed Arbitrator chosen to serve as arbitrator declines or is otherwise unable to serve as arbitrator, then the party that selected such Proposed Arbitrator may select another Proposed Arbitrator within three (3) calendar days of the date the chosen Proposed Arbitrator declines or notifies the parties he or she is unable to serve as arbitrator. If all three (3) Proposed Arbitrators decline or are otherwise unable to serve as arbitrator, then the arbitrator selection process shall begin again in accordance with this Paragraph 4.2.
(d) The date that the Proposed Arbitrator(s) selected pursuant to this Paragraph 4.2 agrees in writing (including via email) delivered to both parties to serve as the arbitrator(s) hereunder is referred to herein as the “Arbitration Commencement Date”. If an arbitrator resigns or is unable to act during the Arbitration, a replacement arbitrator shall be chosen in accordance with this Paragraph 4.2 to continue the Arbitration. If AAA or other arbitration service provider agreed upon by the parties ceases to exist or to provide a list of neutrals and there is no successor thereto, then the arbitrator shall be selected under the then prevailing rules of the American Arbitration Association.
(e) Subject to Paragraph 4.10 below, the cost of the arbitrator(s) must be paid equally by both parties. Subject to Paragraph 4.10 below, if one party refuses or fails to pay its portion of the arbitrator(s) fee, then the other party can advance such unpaid amount (subject to the accrual of Default Interest thereupon), with such amount being added to or subtracted from, as applicable, the Arbitration Award.
4.3 Applicability of Certain Delaware Rules. The parties agree that the Arbitration shall be conducted generally in accordance with the Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure and the Delaware Rules of Evidence. More specifically, the Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure shall apply, without limitation, to the filing of any pleadings, motions or memoranda, the conducting of discovery, and the taking of any depositions. The Delaware Rules of Evidence shall apply to any hearings, whether telephonic or in person, held by the arbitrator. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is the parties’ intent that the incorporation of such rules will in no event supersede these Arbitration Provisions. In the event of any conflict between the Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure or the Delaware Rules of Evidence and these Arbitration Provisions, these Arbitration Provisions shall control.
4.4 Answer and Default. An answer and any counterclaims to the Arbitration Notice shall be required to be delivered to the party initiating the Arbitration within twenty (20) calendar days after the Arbitration Commencement Date. If an answer is not delivered by the required deadline, the arbitrator(s) must provide written notice to the defaulting party stating that the arbitrator(s) will enter a default award against such party if such party does not file an answer within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of such notice. If an answer is not filed within the ten (10) day extension period, the arbitrator must render a default award, consistent with the relief requested in the Arbitration Notice, against a party that fails to submit an answer within such time period.
4.5 [Intentionally Omitted].
4.6 Discovery. The parties agree that discovery shall be conducted as follows:
(a) Written discovery will only be allowed if the likely benefits of the proposed written discovery outweigh the burden or expense thereof, and the written discovery sought is likely to reveal information that will satisfy a specific element of a claim or defense already pleaded in the Arbitration. The party seeking written discovery shall always have the burden of showing that all of the standards and limitations set forth in these Arbitration Provisions are satisfied. The scope of discovery in the Arbitration proceedings shall also be limited as follows:
(i) To facts directly connected with the transactions contemplated by the Agreement.
(ii) To facts and information that cannot be obtained from another source or in another manner that is more convenient, less burdensome, or less expensive than in the manner requested.
(b) Without leave of the arbitrator(s) (which may be granted for good cause shown), no party shall be allowed (i) more than fifteen (15) interrogatories (including discrete subparts), (ii) more than fifteen (15) requests for admission (including discrete subparts), (iii) more than fifteen (15) document requests (including discrete subparts), or (iv) more than three (3) depositions (excluding expert depositions) for a maximum of seven (7) hours per deposition. The costs associated with depositions will be borne by the party taking the deposition. The party defending the deposition will submit a notice to the party taking the deposition of the estimated attorneys’ fees that such party expects to incur in connection with defending the deposition. If the party defending the deposition fails to submit an estimate of attorneys’ fees within five (5) calendar days of its receipt of a deposition notice, then such party shall be deemed to have waived its right to the estimated attorneys’ fees. The party taking the deposition must pay the party defending the deposition the estimated attorneys’ fees prior to taking the deposition, unless such obligation is deemed to be waived as set forth in the immediately preceding sentence. If the party taking the deposition believes that the estimated attorneys’ fees are unreasonable, such party may submit the issue to the arbitrator for a decision.
(c) All discovery requests (including document production requests included in deposition notices) must be submitted in writing to the arbitrator and the other party. The party submitting the written discovery requests must include with such discovery requests a detailed explanation of how the proposed discovery requests satisfy the requirements of these Arbitration Provisions and the Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure. The receiving party will then be allowed, within five (5) calendar days of receiving the proposed discovery requests, to submit to the arbitrator an estimate of the attorneys’ fees and costs associated with responding to such written discovery requests and a written challenge to each applicable discovery request. After receipt of an estimate of attorneys’ fees and costs and/or challenge(s) to one or more discovery requests, consistent with subparagraph (c) above, the arbitrator will within three (3) calendar days make a finding as to the likely attorneys’ fees and costs associated with responding to the discovery requests and issue an order that (i) requires the requesting party to prepay the attorneys’ fees and costs associated with responding to the discovery requests, and (ii) requires the responding party to respond to the discovery requests as limited by the arbitrator within twenty-five (25) calendar days of the arbitrator’s finding with respect to such discovery requests. If a party entitled to submit an estimate of attorneys’ fees and costs and/or a challenge to discovery requests fails to do so within such 5-day period, the arbitrator will make a finding that (A) there are no attorneys’ fees or costs associated with responding to such discovery requests, and (B) the responding party must respond to such discovery requests (as may be limited by the arbitrator) within twenty-five (25) calendar days of the arbitrator’s finding with respect to such discovery requests. Any party submitting any written discovery requests, including without limitation interrogatories, requests for production subpoenas to a party or a third party, or requests for admissions, must prepay the estimated attorneys’ fees and costs, before the responding party has any obligation to produce or respond to the same, unless such obligation is deemed waived as set forth above.
(d) In order to allow a written discovery request, the arbitrator must find that the discovery request satisfies the standards set forth in these Arbitration Provisions and the Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure. The arbitrator must strictly enforce these standards. If a discovery request does not satisfy any of the standards set forth in these Arbitration Provisions or the Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure, the arbitrator may modify such discovery request to satisfy the applicable standards, or strike such discovery request in whole or in part.
(e) Each party may submit expert reports (and rebuttals thereto), provided that such reports must be submitted sixty (60) days prior to the hearing date. Expert reports must contain the following: (i) a complete statement of all opinions the expert will offer at trial and the basis and reasons for them; (ii) the expert’s name and qualifications, including a list of all the expert’s publications within the preceding ten (10) years, and a list of any other cases in which the expert has testified at trial or in a deposition or prepared a report within the preceding ten (10) years; and (iii) the compensation to be paid for the expert’s report and testimony. The parties are entitled to depose any other party’s expert witness one (1) time for no more than four (4) hours. An expert may not testify in a party’s case-in-chief concerning any matter not fairly disclosed in the expert report.
4.6 Dispositive Motions. Each party shall have the right to submit dispositive motions pursuant to the Delaware Rules of Civil Procedure (a “Dispositive Motion”). The party submitting the Dispositive Motion may, but is not required to, deliver to the arbitrator and to the other party a memorandum in support (the “Memorandum in Support”) of the Dispositive Motion. Within seven (7) calendar days of delivery of the Memorandum in Support, the other party shall deliver to the arbitrator and to the other party a memorandum in opposition to the Memorandum in Support (the “Memorandum in Opposition”). Within seven (7) calendar days of delivery of the Memorandum in Opposition, as applicable, the party that submitted the Memorandum in Support shall deliver to the arbitrator and to the other party a reply memorandum to the Memorandum in Opposition (“Reply Memorandum”). If the applicable party shall fail to deliver the Memorandum in Opposition as required above, or if the other party fails to deliver the Reply Memorandum as required above, then the applicable party shall lose its right to so deliver the same, and the Dispositive Motion shall proceed regardless.
4.7 Confidentiality. All information disclosed by either party (or such party’s agents) during the Arbitration process (including without limitation information disclosed during the discovery process or any Appeal (defined below)) shall be considered confidential in nature. Each party agrees not to disclose any confidential information received from the other party (or its agents) during the Arbitration process (including without limitation during the discovery process or any Appeal) unless (a) prior to or after the time of disclosure such information becomes public knowledge or part of the public domain, not as a result of any inaction or action of the receiving party or its agents, (b) such information is required by a court order, subpoena or similar legal duress to be disclosed if such receiving party has notified the other party thereof in writing and given it a reasonable opportunity to obtain a protective order from a court of competent jurisdiction prior to disclosure, or (c) such information is disclosed to the receiving party’s agents, representatives and legal counsel on a need to know basis who each agree in writing not to disclose such information to any third party. The arbitrator is hereby authorized and directed to issue a protective order to prevent the disclosure of privileged information and confidential information upon the written request of either party.
4.8 Authorization; Timing; Scheduling Order. Subject to all other portions of these Arbitration Provisions, the parties hereby authorize and direct the arbitrator to take such actions and make such rulings as may be necessary to carry out the parties’ intent for the Arbitration proceedings to be efficient and expeditious. The parties hereby agree that an Arbitration Award must be made within one hundred twenty (120) calendar days after the Arbitration Commencement Date. The arbitrator is hereby authorized and directed to hold a scheduling conference within ten (10) calendar days after the Arbitration Commencement Date in order to establish a scheduling order with various binding deadlines for discovery, expert testimony, and the submission of documents by the parties to enable the arbitrator to render a decision prior to the end of such 120-day period.
4.9 Relief. The arbitrator shall have the right to award or include in the Arbitration Award (or in a preliminary ruling) any relief which the arbitrator deems proper under the circumstances, including, without limitation, specific performance and injunctive relief, provided that the arbitrator may not award exemplary or punitive damages.
4.10 Fees and Costs. As part of the Arbitration Award, the arbitrator is hereby directed to require the losing party (the party being awarded the least amount of money by the arbitrator, which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall be determined without regard to any statutory fines, penalties, fees, or other charges awarded to any party) to (a) pay the full amount of any unpaid costs and fees of the Arbitration, and (b) reimburse the prevailing party for all reasonable attorneys’ fees, arbitrator costs and fees, deposition costs, other discovery costs, and other expenses, costs or fees paid or otherwise incurred by the prevailing party in connection with the Arbitration.
5. Arbitration Appeal.
5.1 Initiation of Appeal. Following the entry of the Arbitration Award, either party (the “Appellant”) shall have a period of thirty (30) calendar days in which to notify the other party (the “Appellee”), in writing, that the Appellant elects to appeal (the “Appeal”) the Arbitration Award (such notice, an “Appeal Notice”) to a panel of arbitrators as provided in Paragraph 5.2 below. The date the Appellant delivers an Appeal Notice to the Appellee is referred to herein as the “Appeal Date”. The Appeal Notice must be delivered to the Appellee in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 4.1 above with respect to delivery of an Arbitration Notice. In addition, together with delivery of the Appeal Notice to the Appellee, the Appellant must also pay for (and provide proof of such payment to the Appellee together with delivery of the Appeal Notice) a bond in the amount of 110% of the sum the Appellant owes to the Appellee as a result of the Arbitration Award the Appellant is appealing. In the event an Appellant delivers an Appeal Notice to the Appellee (together with proof of payment of the applicable bond) in compliance with the provisions of this Paragraph 5.1, the Appeal will occur as a matter of right and, except as specifically set forth herein, will not be further conditioned. In the event a party does not deliver an Appeal Notice (along with proof of payment of the applicable bond) to the other party within the deadline prescribed in this Paragraph 5.1, such party shall lose its right to appeal the Arbitration Award. If no party delivers an Appeal Notice (along with proof of payment of the applicable bond) to the other party within the deadline described in this Paragraph 5.1, the Arbitration Award shall be final. The parties acknowledge and agree that any Appeal shall be deemed part of the parties’ agreement to arbitrate for purposes of these Arbitration Provisions and the Arbitration Act.
5.2 Selection and Payment of Appeal Panel. In the event an Appellant delivers an Appeal Notice to the Appellee (together with proof of payment of the applicable bond) in compliance with the provisions of Paragraph 5.1 above, the Appeal will be heard by a three (3) person arbitration panel (the “Appeal Panel”).
(a) Within ten (10) calendar days after the Appeal Date, the Appellee shall select and submit to the Appellant the names of five (5) arbitrators that are designated as “neutrals” or qualified arbitrators by AAA (https://www.adr.org/) or other arbitration service provider agreed upon by the parties (such five (5) designated persons hereunder are referred to herein as the “Proposed Appeal Arbitrators”). For the avoidance of doubt, each Proposed Appeal Arbitrator must be qualified as a “neutral” with AAA or other arbitration service provider agreed upon by the parties, and shall not be the arbitrator who rendered the Arbitration Award being appealed (the “Original Arbitrator”). Within five (5) calendar days after the Appellee has submitted to the Appellant the names of the Proposed Appeal Arbitrators, the Appellant must select, by written notice to the Appellee, three (3) of the Proposed Appeal Arbitrators to act as the members of the Appeal Panel. If the Appellant fails to select three (3) of the Proposed Appeal Arbitrators in writing within such 5-day period, then the Appellee may select such three (3) arbitrators from the Proposed Appeal Arbitrators by providing written notice of such selection to the Appellant.
(b) If the Appellee fails to submit to the Appellant the names of the Proposed Appeal Arbitrators within ten (10) calendar days after the Appeal Date pursuant to subparagraph (a) above, then the Appellant may at any time prior to the Appellee so designating the Proposed Appeal Arbitrators, identify the names of five (5) arbitrators that are designated as “neutrals” or qualified arbitrators by AAA or other arbitration service provider agreed upon by the parties (none of whom may be the Original Arbitrator) by written notice to the Appellee. The Appellee may then, within five (5) calendar days after the Appellant has submitted notice of its selected arbitrators to the Appellee, select, by written notice to the Appellant, three (3) of such selected arbitrators to serve on the Appeal Panel. If the Appellee fails to select in writing within such 5-day period three (3) of the arbitrators selected by the Appellant to serve as the members of the Appeal Panel, then the Appellant may select the three (3) members of the Appeal Panel from the Appellant’s list of five (5) arbitrators by providing written notice of such selection to the Appellee.
(c) If a selected Proposed Appeal Arbitrator declines or is otherwise unable to serve, then the party that selected such Proposed Appeal Arbitrator may select one (1) of the other five (5) designated Proposed Appeal Arbitrators within three (3) calendar days of the date a chosen Proposed Appeal Arbitrator declines or notifies the parties he or she is unable to serve as an arbitrator. If at least three (3) of the five (5) designated Proposed Appeal Arbitrators decline or are otherwise unable to serve, then the Proposed Appeal Arbitrator selection process shall begin again in accordance with this Paragraph 5.2; provided, however, that any Proposed Appeal Arbitrators who have already agreed to serve shall remain on the Appeal Panel.
(d) The date that all three (3) Proposed Appeal Arbitrators selected pursuant to this Paragraph 5.2 agree in writing (including via email) delivered to both the Appellant and the Appellee to serve as members of the Appeal Panel hereunder is referred to herein as the “Appeal Commencement Date”. No later than five (5) calendar days after the Appeal Commencement Date, the Appellee shall designate in writing (including via email) to the Appellant and the Appeal Panel the name of one (1) of the three (3) members of the Appeal Panel to serve as the lead arbitrator in the Appeal proceedings. Each member of the Appeal Panel shall be deemed an arbitrator for purposes of these Arbitration Provisions and the Arbitration Act, provided that, in conducting the Appeal, the Appeal Panel may only act or make determinations upon the approval or vote of no less than the majority vote of its members, as announced or communicated by the lead arbitrator on the Appeal Panel. If an arbitrator on the Appeal Panel ceases or is unable to act during the Appeal proceedings, a replacement arbitrator shall be chosen in accordance with Paragraph 5.2 above to continue the Appeal as a member of the Appeal Panel. If AAA or other arbitration service provider agreed upon by the parties ceases to exist or to provide a list of neutrals, then the arbitrators for the Appeal Panel shall be selected under the then prevailing rules of the American Arbitration Association.
(d) Subject to Paragraph 5.7 below, the cost of the Appeal Panel must be paid entirely by the Appellant.
5.3 Appeal Procedure. The Appeal will be deemed an appeal of the entire Arbitration Award. In conducting the Appeal, the Appeal Panel shall conduct a de novo review of all Claims described or otherwise set forth in the Arbitration Notice. Subject to the foregoing and all other provisions of this Paragraph 5, the Appeal Panel shall conduct the Appeal in a manner the Appeal Panel considers appropriate for a fair and expeditious disposition of the Appeal, may hold one or more hearings and permit oral argument, and may review all previous evidence and discovery, together with all briefs, pleadings and other documents filed with the Original Arbitrator (as well as any documents filed with the Appeal Panel pursuant to Paragraph 5.4(a) below). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in connection with the Appeal, the Appeal Panel shall not permit the parties to conduct any additional discovery or raise any new Claims to be arbitrated, shall not permit new witnesses or affidavits, and shall not base any of its findings or determinations on the Original Arbitrator’s findings or the Arbitration Award.
5.4 Timing.
(a) Within seven (7) calendar days of the Appeal Commencement Date, the Appellant (i) shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Appeal Panel copies of the Appeal Notice, all discovery conducted in connection with the Arbitration, and all briefs, pleadings and other documents filed with the Original Arbitrator (which material Appellee shall have the right to review and supplement if necessary), and (ii) may, but is not required to, deliver to the Appeal Panel and to the Appellee a Memorandum in Support of the Appellant’s arguments concerning or position with respect to all Claims, counterclaims, issues, or accountings presented or pleaded in the Arbitration. Within seven (7) calendar days of the Appellant’s delivery of the Memorandum in Support, as applicable, the Appellee shall deliver to the Appeal Panel and to the Appellant a Memorandum in Opposition to the Memorandum in Support. Within seven (7) calendar days of the Appellee’s delivery of the Memorandum in Opposition, as applicable, the Appellant shall deliver to the Appeal Panel and to the Appellee a Reply Memorandum to the Memorandum in Opposition. If the Appellant shall fail to substantially comply with the requirements of clause (i) of this subparagraph (a), the Appellant shall lose its right to appeal the Arbitration Award, and the Arbitration Award shall be final. If the Appellee shall fail to deliver the Memorandum in Opposition as required above, or if the Appellant shall fail to deliver the Reply Memorandum as required above, then the Appellee or the Appellant, as the case may be, shall lose its right to so deliver the same, and the Appeal shall proceed regardless.
(b) Subject to subparagraph (a) above, the parties hereby agree that the Appeal must be heard by the Appeal Panel within thirty (30) calendar days of the Appeal Commencement Date, and that the Appeal Panel must render its decision within thirty (30) calendar days after the Appeal is heard (and in no event later than sixty (60) calendar days after the Appeal Commencement Date).
5.5 Appeal Panel Award. The Appeal Panel shall issue its decision (the “Appeal Panel Award”) through the lead arbitrator on the Appeal Panel. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, the Appeal Panel Award shall (a) supersede in its entirety and make of no further force or effect the Arbitration Award (provided that any protective orders issued by the Original Arbitrator shall remain in full force and effect), (b) be final and binding upon the parties, with no further rights of appeal, (c) be the sole and exclusive remedy between the parties regarding any Claims, counterclaims, issues, or accountings presented or pleaded in the Arbitration, and (d) be promptly payable in United States dollars free of any tax, deduction or offset (with respect to monetary awards). Any costs or fees, including without limitation attorneys’ fees, incurred in connection with or incident to enforcing the Appeal Panel Award shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law, be charged against the party resisting such enforcement. The Appeal Panel Award shall include Default Interest (with respect to monetary awards) at the rate specified in the Note for Default Interest both before and after the Arbitration Award. Judgment upon the Appeal Panel Award will be entered and enforced by a state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware. 5.6 Relief. The Appeal Panel shall have the right to award or include in the Appeal Panel Award any relief which the Appeal Panel deems proper under the circumstances, including, without limitation, specific performance and injunctive relief, provided that the Appeal Panel may not award exemplary or punitive damages.
5.7 Fees and Costs. As part of the Appeal Panel Award, the Appeal Panel is hereby directed to require the losing party (the party being awarded the least amount of money by the arbitrator, which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall be determined without regard to any statutory fines, penalties, fees, or other charges awarded to any party) to (a) pay the full amount of any unpaid costs and fees of the Arbitration and the Appeal Panel, and (b) reimburse the prevailing party (the party being awarded the most amount of money by the Appeal Panel, which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall be determined without regard to any statutory fines, penalties, fees, or other charges awarded to any part) the reasonable attorneys’ fees, arbitrator and Appeal Panel costs and fees, deposition costs, other discovery costs, and other expenses, costs or fees paid or otherwise incurred by the prevailing party in connection with the Arbitration (including without limitation in connection with the Appeal).
6. Miscellaneous.
6.1 Severability. If any part of these Arbitration Provisions is found to violate or be illegal under applicable law, then such provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make such provision enforceable under applicable law, and the remainder of the Arbitration Provisions shall remain unaffected and in full force and effect.
6.2 Governing Law. These Arbitration Provisions shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to the conflict of laws principles therein.
6.3 Interpretation. The headings of these Arbitration Provisions are for convenience of reference only and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, these Arbitration Provisions.
6.4 Waiver. No waiver of any provision of these Arbitration Provisions shall be effective unless it is in the form of a writing signed by the party granting the waiver.
6.5 Time is of the Essence. Time is expressly made of the essence with respect to each and every provision of these Arbitration Provisions.
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