Form of Underwriting Agreement
Exhibit 1.1
LA ROSA HOLDINGS CORP.
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
[●], 2024
Alexander Capital L.P.
17 State Street
New York, New York 10004
As Representative of the Underwriters
named on Schedule I hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
La Rosa Holdings Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell (i) an aggregate of [●] units (each, a “Firm Unit” and in the aggregate, the “Firm Units”), each Unit consisting of one (1) share (the “Firm Unit Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) and one (1) common stock purchase warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock (the “Firm Common Warrants”) at an exercise price of $ [●] per share, subject to adjustment as provided in the Firm Common Warrants, and (ii) [●] pre-funded units (each, a “Firm Pre-Funded Unit”, and in the aggregate, the “Firm Pre-Funded Units”), each Pre-Funded Unit consisting of one (1) pre-funded common stock purchase warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock (the “Firm Pre-Funded Warrants” and together with the Firm Common Warrants, the “Firm Warrants”) at an exercise price of $0.0001 per Pre-Funded Warrant, subject to adjustment as provided in the Firm Pre-Funded Warrants, and one (1) Firm Common Warrant, to the several underwriters listed on Schedule I hereto the “Underwriters” and each an “Underwriter”), for whom Alexander Capital L.P. is acting as the representative (the “Representative”). The Firm Units and Firm Pre-Funded Units are collectively referred to herein as the “Firm Securities”. The Company has also agreed to grant to the Underwriters an option (the “Over-allotment Option”), on the terms set forth in Section 1(b) hereof, to purchase up to an additional [●] Firm Unit Shares (“Option Shares”), or [●] Firm Common Warrants (the “Option Common Warrants” and together with Firm Common Warrants, the “Common Warrants”) or [●] Firm Pre-Funded Warrants ("Option Pre-Funded Warrants”, together with Option Shares and Option Common Warrants, the “Option Securities”) and together with the Firm Securities, the “Public Securities”), and the offering of such Public Securities is hereinafter called the “Offering”. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Firm Pre-Funded Warrants are herein referred to as the “Firm Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”. The Company has also agreed to issue to the Representative, the Representative’s Warrants (as defined in Section 1(c)), which together with the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Representative’s Warrants are referred to herein as the “Representative’s Securities”. The Public Securities and the Representative’s Securities are herein collectively called the “Securities”.
1. | Purchase and Sale. The Company confirms as follows its agreement with each of the Underwriters: |
(a) Purchase of Firm Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, and the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company, an aggregate of [●] Firm Units, which purchase price will be allocated as $ [●] per Firm Unit Share and $[●] per Firm Common Warrant (the “Firm Unit Purchase Price”)1 and an aggregate of [●] Pre-Funded Units, which purchase price will be allocated as $[●] per Firm Pre-Funded Warrant and $[●] per Firm Common Warrant2 (the “Firm Pre-Funded Unit Purchase Price”, together with Firm Unit Purchase Price, the “Purchase Price”) set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereto. The Firm Units and Pre-Funded Units are to be offered initially to the public at their respective offering prices set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus (as defined in Section 3(a) hereof).
1 | 110% of the offering price per Firm Unit |
2 | The purchase price of each Pre-Funded Unit is equal to the price per Firm Unit minus $0.0001 |
(b) Purchase of Option Securities. Subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company grants to the Underwriters, the Over-allotment Option to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to [●] Option Shares, Option Common Warrants or Option Pre-Funded Warrants, representing fifteen percent (15%) of the Firm Securities sold in the Offering, from the Company, solely to cover over-allotments, if any. The purchase price to be paid for each Option Share and for each Option Pre-Funded Warrant will be equal to Firm Share Purchase Price and the Pre-Funded Warrant Purchase Price, respectively. The purchase price of the Option Common Warrant will be equal to $[0.01]. The Over-allotment Option may be exercised in whole or in part and from time to time at any time on or before the 45th day after the date of this Agreement, upon written notice (the “Option Notice”) by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters to the Company no later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, at least one and no more than five Business Days before the date specified for closing in the Option Notice (the “Option Closing Date”) setting forth the aggregate number of Option Shares, Option Common Warrants and/or Option Pre-Funded Warrants to be purchased and the time and date for such purchase. Upon exercise of the Over-allotment Option, the Company will become obligated to sell to the Underwriters, and, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Underwriters will become obligated to purchase, severally and not jointly, the number of Option Securities specified in the Option Notice. If any Option Securities are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Option Securities that bears the same proportion to the number of Firm Securities to be purchased by it as set forth on Schedule I opposite such Underwriter’s name. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or obligated to be closed due to a “shelter in place,” “non-essential employee” or similar closure of physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority if such banks’ electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) are open for use by customers on such day.
(c) Representative’s Warrants. The Company hereby agrees to issue to the Representative (and/or its designees) on the Closing Date, warrants to purchase an aggregate of five percent (5%) of the shares of Common Stock and shares issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants sold in the Offering (the “Representative’s Warrants”), pursuant to that certain Representative’s Warrant Agreement, to be executed by the Company on the Closing Date, substantially in the form set forth as Exhibit B (“Representative Warrant Agreement”). Each Representative’s Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase shares of Common Stock at the exercise price thereof. The Representative’s Warrant shall be exercisable, in whole or in part, during a period commencing on the 181st day after the commencement of sales of the Public Securities and expiring on the five-year anniversary of the commencement of sales of the Public Securities at an initial exercise price of $[●] per share, which is equal to 110% of the public offering price of the Firm Units. The Representative understands and agrees that there are significant restrictions pursuant to Rule 5110(e)(1) of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) on the transfer of the Representative’s Warrant and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Representative Warrant during the one hundred eighty (180) day period commencing on the date of the commencement of sales of the Public Securities and by its acceptance thereof shall agree that it will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate the Representative’s Warrant, or any portion thereof, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of such securities for a period of three hundred sixty five (365) days following the date of commencement of sales of the Public Securities to anyone other than to officers or partners of the Representative or members of the selling group. The Representative’s Warrants provide for registration rights (including a one-time demand registration right at the Company’s expense and unlimited piggyback rights, each expiring five (5) years from commencement of sales of the Public Securities) and customary anti-dilution provisions, as permitted by FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8).
(d) Right of First Refusal. Subject to the right of the Company to terminate this Agreement for cause pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(g)(5)(B), the Company agrees that, if, for the period ending twelve (12) months from the Closing Date, the Company, any successor to or any Subsidiary (as defined below) decides to raise funds by means of a public or private equity and/or debt offering (excluding commercial debt), including all equity linked financings, in each case, the Representative (or any affiliate designated by the Representative) shall have the right of first refusal to act as sole book-runner and/or sole manager and/or sole placement agent, at the Representative’s sole discretion, with respect to each and every such financing or refinancing on terms customary to the Representative. The Representative shall have the sole right to determine whether any other broker dealer shall have the right to participate in any such Offering and the economic terms of any such participation. The Company shall provide written notice to the Representative with the terms of such offering and if the Representative fails to accept in writing any such proposal within ten (10) Business Days after receipt of such written notice, then the Representative will have no claim or right with respect to any such offering(s).
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(e) Tail Fee. Subject to the right of the Company to terminate this Agreement for cause pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(g)(5)(B), if, during the 12 month period following the Closing Date, the Company consummates any public or private equity and/or debt offering (excluding commercial debt), including all equity or equity linked financings, in each case (“Tail Financing”) with investors who were actually introduced to the Company by the Representative during the period in which the Company engaged the Representative, starting May 2, 2024 and until the Closing Date, or October 12, 2024, whichever is earlier, the Company will pay the Representative a fee equal to 8% of the gross proceeds of such financing and issue a warrant to the Representative to purchase a number of Common Stock of the Company equal to five percent (5%) of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock, sold in such Tail Financing, on the terms described in the Representative’s Warrant Agreement.
2. Delivery and Payment.
(a) Closing. Delivery of the Firm Units shall be made to the Representative through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the respective accounts of the Underwriters against payment of the Firm Share Purchase Price by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company. Such payment shall be made at 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the second Business Day (or the third Business Day should the Offering be priced after 4:30 p.m., Eastern time) after the date of this Agreement or at such time on such other date, but not later than ten Business Days after such date, as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative and as permitted under applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (such date is hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date”).
(b) Option Closing. To the extent the Over-allotment Option is exercised, delivery of the Option Securities against payment by the Underwriters (in the manner and at the location specified above) shall take place at the time and date (which may be the Closing Date, but not earlier than the Closing Date) specified in the Option Notice.
(c) Electronic Transfer. Electronic transfer of the Public Securities shall be made at the time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as the Representative shall specify.
(d) Tax Stamps. The cost of original issue tax stamps, if any, in connection with the issuance and delivery of the Securities by the Company to the Underwriters shall be borne by the Company. The Company shall pay and hold each Underwriter and any subsequent holder of the Securities harmless from any and all liabilities with respect to or resulting from any failure or delay in paying United States federal and state and foreign stamp and other transfer taxes, if any, which may be payable or determined to be payable in connection with the original issuance, sale and delivery to such Underwriter of the Securities.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and covenants with, each of the Underwriters as follows:
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-[●]) relating to the Public Securities, including a preliminary prospectus and such amendments to such registration statement as may have been required prior to the date of this Agreement, has been prepared by the Company under the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (collectively referred to as the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission thereunder, and has been filed with the Commission. Copies of such registration statement and of each amendment thereto, if any, including the related preliminary prospectuses, heretofore filed by the Company with the Commission have been delivered to the Underwriters. The term “Registration Statement” means such registration statement on Form S-1 as amended at the time it becomes or became effective, including financial statements, all exhibits and any information deemed to be included or incorporated by reference therein, including any information deemed to be included pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430B of the Rules and Regulations, as applicable. If the Company files a registration statement to register a portion of the Securities and relies on Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations for such registration statement to become effective upon filing with the Commission (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference to the “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include the Rule 462 Registration Statement, as amended from time to time. The term “preliminary prospectus” as used herein means a preliminary prospectus as contemplated by Rule 430 or Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations included at any time as part of, or deemed to be part of or included in, the Registration Statement. The term “Prospectus” means the final prospectus in connection with this Offering as first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations or, if no such filing is required, the form of final prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the effective date, except that if any revised prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be provided to the Representative by the Company for use in connection with the Securities which differs from the Prospectus (whether or not such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement is required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b)), the term “Prospectus” shall also refer to such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, as the case may be, from and after the time it is first provided to the Representative for such use. Any reference herein to the terms “amend”, “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include: (i) the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) after the effective date of the Registration Statement, the date of such preliminary prospectus or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, which is incorporated therein by reference, and (ii) any such document so filed.
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(b) Effectiveness of Registration. The Registration Statement, any Rule 462 Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto have been declared effective by the Commission under the Act or have become effective pursuant to Rule 462 of the Rules and Regulations on the date of this Agreement. The Company has responded to all requests, if any, of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462 Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission.
(c) Accuracy of Registration Statement. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462 Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, when any document filed under the Act was or is filed and at all subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times when a prospectus is delivered or required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) by applicable law to be delivered in connection with sales of Securities, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made. Each preliminary prospectus (including the preliminary prospectus or prospectuses filed as part of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto) complied when so filed in all material respects with the Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations, and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Representative for use in connection with this Offering is identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission on EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. The foregoing representations and warranties in this Section 3(c) do not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representative specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto. For all purposes of this Agreement, the information set forth in the Prospectus, including (i) the table under the first paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” setting forth the number of shares purchased by each Underwriter, (ii) in the second paragraph under the caption “Underwriting – Discounts, Commissions and Expenses” and in the last paragraph under the caption “Underwriting”, setting forth the amount of the selling concession, (iii) the paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting – Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Securities,” and (iv) the paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting – Stabilization”, “Underwriting – Passive Market Making”, “Underwriting – Other Relationships” regarding stabilization, short positions and penalty bids (the “Underwriters’ Information”) constitutes the only information relating to the Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representative specifically for inclusion in the preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
(d) Company Not an Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement relating to the Public Securities and (ii) as of the date of the execution and delivery of this Agreement (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations).
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(e) Disclosure at the Time of Sale. As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the most recent preliminary prospectus related to this Offering, and the information included on Schedule II hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the General Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representative specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters consists of the Underwriters’ Information.
As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means ___________, New York City time, on [●], 2024 or such other date and time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.
“Bona Fide Electronic Road Show” means a “bona fide electronic road show”, as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) of the Rules and Regulations.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations, relating to the Public Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is “a written communication that is a road show” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the Offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule II hereto.
“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with the Underwriters’ Information. If at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Securities or included an untrue statement of material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified the Representative and has promptly amended or supplemented, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(g) Distribution of Offering Material by the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Public Securities, the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus, the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses reviewed and consented to by the Representative and included in Schedule I hereto, and the Prospectus. None of the Marketing Materials, as of their respective issue dates and at all subsequent times through the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement. If at any time following the issuance of any Marketing Material there occurred an event or development as a result of which such Marketing Material conflicted with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Securities or included an untrue statement of material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified the Representative and has promptly amended or supplemented, at its own expense, such Marketing Material to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
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(h) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company (each, a “Subsidiary”) are set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other similar restriction (each, a “Lien”), and (i) all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities and (ii) all of the issued and outstanding membership interests are validly issued.
(i) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Representative’s Warrant Agreement, the Representative’s Warrants, or any other agreement, document, certificate or instrument required to be delivered pursuant to this Agreement (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”), (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects, or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no action, claim, suit or proceeding (including, without limitation, a partial proceeding, such as a deposition), (each, a “Proceeding”) has been instituted or threatened in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(j) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals (as hereinafter defined in Section 3(l)). This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Representative, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(k) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(l) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (ii) such filings, if any, as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws, (iii) such notices, filings or authorizations as are required to be obtained or made under applicable rules of FINRA which has been filed by the Representative, and (iv) such notices, filings or authorizations as have been obtained, given or made as of the date hereof (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
(m) Issuance of the Securities. The Firm Securities (including the Firm Securities to be issued upon the exercise of the Representative’s Warrant) and the Option Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Agreement.
(n) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of the date hereof is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company has not issued any capital stock other than pursuant to employment agreements, consulting agreements, the Company’s equity incentive plan, and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock (“Common Stock Equivalents”) and is outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed amendment to the Registration Statement. No individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind (each, a “Person”) other than the Representative has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities or as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock or the capital stock of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or capital stock of any Subsidiary. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Underwriters) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. Except or as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no securities of the Company or any Subsidiary that have any anti-dilution or similar adjustment rights (other than adjustments for stock splits, recapitalizations, and the like) to the exercise or conversion price, have any exchange rights, or reset rights. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. Except or as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance in all material respects with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no stockholders’ agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
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(o) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the Registration Statement, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any material liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company equity incentive plans or as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement, no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed as of the date of this Agreement.
(p) Litigation. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) would, if there were an unfavorable decision, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or threatened in writing, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. To the knowledge of the Company, the Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(q) Labor Relations. The Company believes that its relations with its employees are good and, to the Company’s knowledge, no labor dispute exists with respect to any of the employees of the Company. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) Compliance. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received written notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including, without limitation, all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(s) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance in all material respects with all federal, state, local and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including 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 (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, except where the failure to possess such permits would not result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.
(u) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects.
(w) Intellectual Property. To the knowledge of the Company, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and which the failure to so have would have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, none of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a written notice that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement, except where such action would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the Registration Statement, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge that it lacks or will be unable to obtain any rights or licenses to use all Intellectual Property Rights that are necessary to conduct its business.
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(x) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to$2,500,000. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.
(y) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, none of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
(z) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries, as an emerging growth company and smaller reporting company, are, to the extent required, in material compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective and applicable to the Company as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as applicable. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms.
(aa) Certain Fees; FINRA Affiliation. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. To the Company’s knowledge, except with respect to the Representative, there are no other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its stockholders that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA. Except as described in the reports filed by the Company with the Commission and other than the compensation paid to FINRA members acting as underwriters in connection with the Company’s initial public offering in October 2023, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, investing fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who provided capital to the Company, (ii) any FINRA member, or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member within the 12-month period prior to the date on which the Registration Statement was filed with the Commission (the “Filing Date”) or thereafter. To the Company’s knowledge, no (i) officer or director of the Company or its Subsidiaries, (ii) owner of 5% or more of the Company’s unregistered securities or that of its Subsidiaries or (iii) owner of any amount of the Company’s unregistered securities acquired within the 180-day period prior to the Filing Date, has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member. The Company will advise the Underwriters and their respective counsel if it becomes aware that any officer, director or stockholder of the Company or its Subsidiaries is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering.
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(bb) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of the proceeds of the Offering or the application thereof, will not be or be an affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(cc) Registration Rights. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(dd) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any written notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. Based on information provided by the Representative, the Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic transfer through the DTC or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the DTC (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer. The issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not, to the Company’s knowledge, contravene the rules and regulations of The Nasdaq Stock Market.
(ee) No Integrated Offering. Neither the Company or any Person acting on its behalf, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with the Company (as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act) (each, an “Affiliate”) has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Public Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of The Nasdaq Stock Market.
(ff) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date and as of the Option Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Public Securities, the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, will be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as applicable. The Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
(gg) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) 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 and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material 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 to the best of the Company’s knowledge, there is no basis for any such claim.
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(hh) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company and its Subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company and its Subsidiaries or any other person acting on behalf of, and with authority from, the Company and its Subsidiaries, has, directly or indirectly, given or agreed to give any money, gift or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental entity (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or assist any of them in connection with any actual or proposed transaction) that (i) might subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding, (ii) if not given in the past, might have had a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) if not continued in the future, might adversely affect the assets, business, operations or prospects of the Company. The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
(ii) Compliance with Sanction Laws. None of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any directors, officers or employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government, (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, the Republic of Belarus, Crimea, the Russian Federation, Republic of Cuba, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), the Libyan Arab Republic, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Yemen (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past three years, the Company has not knowingly engaged in and is not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
(jj) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, including the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, as amended, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no Action or Proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, has been threatened in writing.
(kk) ERISA Compliance. The Company and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company or its “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company is a member. No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates. No “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA). Neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any material liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code. Each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and, to the knowledge of the Company, nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.
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(ll) Accountants. The Company’s accounting firm is Marcum LLP (the “Accountants”). To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Registration Statement for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
(mm) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one authorized to act on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to 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, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Underwriters in connection with the Offering.
(nn) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon the Representative’s request.
(oo) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates 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 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.
(pp) Emerging Growth Company. From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged in oral or written communications within the meaning of Section 5(d) of the Securities Act) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) the time when a prospectus relating to this Offering is not required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 of the Securities Act Regulations or any similar rule) and (ii) the expiration of the Lock-Up Period (as defined herein).
(qq) Smaller Reporting Company. As of the time of filing of the Registration Statement, the Applicable Time, the date hereof and the Closing Date, the Company was a “smaller reporting company”, as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K and Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act Regulations.
(rr) Share Option Plans. No share option has been granted by the Company under the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(ss) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries delivered to the Representative or its counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.
4. Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with the Underwriters as follows:
(a) Amendments and Supplements to Registration Statement. The Company shall not, either prior to any effective date or thereafter during such period as the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 of the Rules and Regulations or any similar rule) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”) in connection with sales of the Securities by an Underwriter or dealer, amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, unless a copy of such amendment or supplement thereof shall first have been submitted to the Representative within a reasonable period of time prior to the filing or, if no filing is required, the use thereof and the Representative shall not have objected thereto in good faith.
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(b) Amendments and Supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as now and hereafter amended, and by the Rules and Regulations, as from time to time in force, and by the Exchange Act so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof, the General Disclosure Package, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event or development shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representative it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or to file a new registration statement containing the Prospectus, in order to comply with the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Rules, including in connection with the delivery of the Prospectus, the Company agrees to (i) promptly notify the Representative of any such event or condition and (ii) promptly prepare (subject to Section 4(a) and 4(f) hereof), file with the Commission (and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement to be declared effective) and furnish at its own expense to the Representative (and, if applicable, to dealers), amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any new registration statement, necessary in order to make the statements in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or so that the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Rules.
(c) Notifications to the Underwriters. The Company shall use its commercial best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective, and shall notify the Representative promptly, and shall confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has become effective and when any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information, (iii) of the commencement by the Commission or by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of any of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose, including, without limitation, the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose or the threat thereof, (iv) of the happening of any event during the Prospectus Delivery Period that in the judgment of the Company makes any statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus misleading (including by omission) or untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading (including by omission), and (v) of receipt by the Company or any representative of the Company of any other communication from the Commission relating to the Company, the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus. If at any time the Commission shall issue any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible moment. The Company shall comply with the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the Commission pursuant to Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B and 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations and to notify the Representative promptly of all such filings.
(d) Executed Registration Statement. The Company shall furnish to the Representative, without charge, one signed copy of the Registration Statement, and of any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and all exhibits thereto, and shall furnish to the Representative, without charge, a copy of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules but without exhibits, provided however, that the Representative agrees that any Registration Statement filed with the Commission via EDGAR shall suffice.
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(e) Undertakings. The Company shall comply with all the provisions of any undertakings contained and required to be contained in the Registration Statement.
(f) Prospectus. The Company shall prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representative and shall file such Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations with a filing date not later than the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. Promptly after the effective date of the Registration Statement, and thereafter from time to time during the period when the Prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172 under the Act, would be required) to be delivered, the Company shall deliver to the Representative, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto as the Representative may reasonably request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto by the Representative and by all dealers to whom the Public Securities may be sold, both in connection with the offering or sale of the Public Securities and for any period of time thereafter during the Prospectus Delivery Period. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period any event shall occur that in the judgment of the Company or counsel to the Underwriters should be set forth in the Prospectus in order to make any statement therein, in the light of the circumstances under which it was made, not misleading (including by omission), or if it is necessary to supplement or amend the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company shall forthwith prepare and duly file with the Commission an appropriate supplement or amendment thereto, and shall deliver to the Representative, without charge, such number of copies thereof as the Representative may reasonably request.
(g) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that it has not made and, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative, will not make, any offer relating to the Public Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations, required to be filed with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations; provided that the prior written consent of the Representative hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule II hereto. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative is herein referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. If at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Public Securities or would include an untrue statement of material fact or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement, or omission. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(h) Compliance with Blue Sky Laws. If required, prior to any public offering of the Securities by the Underwriters, the Company shall cooperate with the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters in connection with the registration or qualification (or the obtaining of exemptions from the application thereof) of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may request, provided, however, that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify a public offering outside the United States or to do business as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified, to qualify or register as a dealer in securities, to take any action which would subject it to general service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject or subject itself to ongoing taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not so subject.
(i) Delivery of Financial Statements. During a period of one year commencing on the effective date of the Registration Statement applicable to the Underwriters, the Company shall furnish to the Representative and each other Underwriter who may so request copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company may from time to time distribute generally to the holders of any class of its capital stock, and will furnish to the Representative and each other Underwriter who may so request a copy of each annual or other report it shall be required to file with the Commission; provided, however, that the availability of electronically transmitted copies filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR shall satisfy the Company’s obligation to furnish copies hereunder.
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(j) Availability of Earnings Statements. The Company shall make generally available to holders of its securities as soon as may be practicable but in no event later than the last day of the fifteenth (15th) full calendar month following the calendar quarter in which the effective date occurs in accordance with Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations, an earnings statement (which need not be audited but shall be in reasonable detail) covering a period of twelve (12) months ended commencing after the effective date, and satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act (including Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations).
(k) Expenses.
Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company hereby agrees to pay the following expenses:
(1) all filing fees and communication expenses relating to the registration of the Securities with the Commission;
(2) all filing fees and communication expenses associated with the review of the Offering by FINRA;
(3) all fees and expenses relating to the listing of the shares of Common Stock on a national securities exchange;
(4) all fees and expenses in connection with the qualifications of the Securities for offering and sale under state or foreign securities or blue sky laws;
(5) the costs of all mailing and printing of the placement documents, registration statements, prospectuses and all amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto and as many preliminary and final prospectuses as the Representative may reasonably deem necessary;
(6) the costs of preparing, printing and delivering certificates representing the Securities;
(7) fees and expenses of the Company’s transfer agent in connection with the Offering which shall not exceed $12,900 in the aggregate;
(8) any stock transfer taxes and/or stamp taxes, if any, payable upon the transfer of securities to the Underwriters
(9) expenses related to the road show for the Offering;
(10) the cost associated with the Underwriters’ use of book-building and compliance software for the Offering;
(11) background checks of the Company’s officers and directors;
(12) preparation of bound volumes and lucite cube mementos in such quantities as the Representative may reasonably request;
(13) reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters not to exceed $75,000;
provided, however, that the total amount of these actual accountable expenses of the Underwriters shall not exceed $125,000, including the fees of counsel to the Underwriters.
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(l) Non-accountable Expenses. The Company further agrees that, in addition to the expenses payable pursuant to Section 4(k), on the Closing Date it shall pay to the Representative, by deduction from the net proceeds of the Offering contemplated herein, a non-accountable expense allowance equal to one percent (1%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Offering, provided, however, that in the event that the Offering is terminated, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters pursuant to Section 4(m) hereof.
(m) Reimbursement of Expenses upon Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Company pursuant to any of the provisions hereof or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations or to fulfill any conditions hereunder, or if the Underwriters shall terminate this Agreement pursuant to the last paragraph of Section 5, Section 7(a), Section 7(e) or Section 7(f), the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all reasonable and accountable out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable and accountable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriter) actually incurred by the Underwriters in connection herewith and as allowed under FINRA Rule 5110 in the amount not to exceed $50,000.
(n) No Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company shall not at any time, directly or indirectly, take any action intended to cause or result in, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which will constitute, stabilization or manipulation, under the Act or otherwise, of the price of the Securities to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities.
(o) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the offering and sale of the Securities to be sold by the Company in the manner set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds” and shall file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required in accordance with Rule 463 under the Act.
(p) Lock-Up Agreements of the Company, Management and Affiliates. The Company shall not, for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days after the Closing Date (the “Lock-Up Period”), without the prior written consent of the Representative (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or (2) file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act to register, any shares of Common Stock, warrants, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, except for the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 or S-3, or any successor forms thereto. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to: (i) any exercise (including a cashless exercise or broker-assisted exercise and payment of tax obligations), vesting or settlement, as applicable, of options or warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock or other equity awards pursuant to any stock incentive plan or stock purchase plan of the Company; provided that any shares of Common Stock received by the Person upon such exercise, conversion or exchange will be subject to the Lock-Up Period, (b) any establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock (a “Trading Plan”); provided that (i) the Trading Plan shall not provide for or permit any transfers, sales or other dispositions of share of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period and (ii) the Trading Plan would not require any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and no such filing is voluntarily made, (c) any transfer of shares of Common Stock acquired in open market transactions following the closing of this Offering, provided the transfer would not require any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and no such filing is voluntarily made, (d) the transfer of the Person’s shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to the Company in connection with the termination of the Person’s employment with the Company or pursuant to contractual arrangements under which the Company has the option to repurchase such shares, provided that no filing by any party under the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be made voluntarily within 45 days after the date the Person ceases to provide services to the Company, and after such 45th day, if the Person is required to file a report under the Exchange Act reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period, the Person shall indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the termination of the Person’s employment, and no other public announcement shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer (other than the filing on a Form 5, or such successor form, made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period), (e) the conversion of the outstanding securities into shares of Common Stock, provided that any such shares of Common Stock received upon such conversion shall be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Agreement, (f) the transfer of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer for securities of the Company, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction that is approved by the disinterested members of the board of directors of the Company, made to all holders of Common Stock involving a change of control, provided that all of the securities subject to Section 4(p) of this Agreement shall remain subject to the restrictions herein, (g) the Securities; (h) the issuance of Common Stock upon the exercise of existing options and warrants, upon the vesting of restricted stock units or other outstanding convertible or exchangeable securities disclosed as outstanding in the Registration Statement, and the Prospectus, (i) the issuance of equity and equity-linked awards pursuant to Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (or successor plan approved by the board of directors and stockholders of the Company) to eligible participants thereunder; provided that any grants awards under such plan shall vest no sooner than the expiration of the Lock-Up Period and shall not include the repricing of outstanding options awards or the conversion features of outstanding convertible securities, or (j) the issuance of unregistered securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company. Schedule IV hereto contains a complete and accurate list of the Company’s officers, directors and each owner of 5% or more of the Company’s outstanding shares of Common Stock (or securities convertible or exercisable into such shares) (collectively, the “Lock-Up Parties”). The Company has caused each of the Lock-Up Parties to deliver to the Representative an executed lock-up agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (each a “Lock-Up Agreement”), prior to the execution of this Agreement.
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(q) Lock-Up Releases. Upon the request of the Company, the Representative, in its sole discretion, may release the Common Stock and other Company’s securities subject to the lock-up restrictions set forth in Section 4(p) hereof for the Company and the Lock-Up Parties and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto through a major news service at least two Business Days before the effective date of such release or waiver, or any other method that satisfies the obligations described in FINRA Rule 5131(d)(2) at least two Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
(r) Nasdaq listing. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market for at least three (3) years after the Closing Date.
(s) The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and a current Prospectus relating thereto for a period of one year from the Closing Date.
5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Securities on the Closing Date or the Option Securities on the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein is subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company, the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Post Effective Amendments and Prospectus Filings. Notification that the Registration Statement has become effective shall be received by the Representative not later than 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement or at such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representative and all filings made pursuant to Rules 424, 430A, or 430B of the Rules and Regulations, as applicable, shall have been made or will be made prior to the Closing Date in accordance with all such applicable rules.
(b) No Stop Orders, Requests for Information and No Amendments. (i) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending or are, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, (ii) no order suspending the qualification or registration of the Securities under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction shall be in effect and no proceeding for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened or contemplated by the authorities of any such jurisdiction, (iii) any request for additional information on the part of the staff of the Commission or any such authorities shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the staff of the Commission or such authorities and (iv) after the date hereof no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall have been filed unless a copy thereof was first submitted to the Representative and the Representative did not object thereto in good faith, and the Representative shall have received certificates, dated the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date and signed by the Chief Executive Officer or the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company in their capacities as such, and not individually, (who may, as to proceedings threatened, certify to their knowledge), to the effect of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii).
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(c) No Material Adverse Changes. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (i) there shall not have been a material adverse change, (ii) the Company shall not have incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, (iii) the Company shall not have entered into any material transactions not in the ordinary course of business other than pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions referred to herein, (iv) the Company shall not have issued any securities (other than the Securities or the shares of Common Stock issued in the ordinary course of business pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) or declared or paid any dividend or made any distribution in respect of its capital stock of any class or debt (long-term or short-term), and (v) no material amount of the assets of the Company shall have been pledged, mortgaged or otherwise encumbered (each, a “Material Adverse Change”).
(d) No Actions, Suits or Proceedings. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there shall have been no actions, suits or proceedings instituted, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting, the Company or its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers in their capacity as such, before or by any federal, state or local court, commission, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign.
(e) All Representations True and Correct and All Conditions Fulfilled. Each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct as of the date of the Agreement and at the Closing Date as if made at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and all covenants and agreements contained herein to be performed by the Company and all conditions contained herein to be fulfilled or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, shall have been duly performed, fulfilled or complied with.
(f) Opinions of Counsel to the Company. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP, counsel to the Company (“Company Counsel”), dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representative, each in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.
(g) Accountants’ Comfort Letters. At the time this Agreement is executed, the Representative shall have received a “cold comfort letter” from the Accountants containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters, dated as of the date of this Agreement. At each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received from the Accountants a letter, dated as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as applicable, to the effect that the Accountants reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished to the Representative on the date hereof. In each case, the “cut off” date referred to in such letters shall be no more than three Business Days prior to the date of this Agreement, the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
(h) Officers’ Certificates. At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, there shall be furnished to the Representative an accurate certificate, dated the date of its delivery, signed by each of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in their capacities as such, and not individually, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters, to the effect that: (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date) did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as of its date and as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, involves a Material Adverse Change, except as set forth in the Prospectus.
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(i) Secretary’s Certificate. At each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Secretary of the Company, dated the Closing Date or the Option Date, as the case may be, respectively, certifying: (i) that each of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws is true and complete, has not been modified and is in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions of the Company’s board of directors relating to the Offering are in full force and effect and have not been modified; (iii) as to the accuracy and completeness of all correspondence between the Company or its counsel and the Commission; and (iv) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company. The documents referred to in such certificate shall be attached to such certificate.
(j) Transfer Agent’s Certificate. The Company’s transfer agent shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representative a certificate satisfactory to the Representative of one of its authorized officers with respect to the issuance of the Securities and such other customary matters related thereto as the Representative may reasonably request.
(k) Eligibility for DTC Clearance. At or prior to the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Firm Units shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of the DTC.
(l) Lock-Up Agreements. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed Lock-Up Agreements from each of the Lock-Up Parties.
(m) Compliance with Blue Sky Laws. If required, the Securities shall be qualified or registered for sale in such states and jurisdictions in the United States as the Representative may reasonably request, and each such qualification and registration shall be in effect and not subject to any stop order or other proceeding on the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.
(n) Stock Exchange Listing. The shares of Common Stock shall have been duly authorized for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, subject to official notice of issuance.
(o) Exchange Act Registration. One or more registration statements in respect of the shares of Common Stock have been filed on Form 8-A pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, each of which complies in all material respects with the Exchange Act.
(p) Good Standing. At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in their respective jurisdictions of organization (to the extent the concept of “good standing” or such equivalent concept exists under the laws of the applicable jurisdictions) and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions. If the applicable jurisdiction does not have a concept of “good standing,” the Company will furnish evidence in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities that the relevant company was duly incorporated and remains duly registered in the jurisdiction of its incorporation.
(q) Company Certificates. The Company shall have furnished to the Representative such certificates, in addition to those specifically mentioned herein, as the Representative may have reasonably requested as to the accuracy and completeness at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date of any statement in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as to the accuracy at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, as to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, or as to the fulfillment of the conditions concurrent and precedent to the obligations hereunder of the Underwriters.
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(r) No Objection. FINRA shall have confirmed that it has no objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representative by notifying the Company of such termination in writing at or prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, the directors, officers, employees and agents of such Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any and all investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding between any of the indemnified parties and any indemnifying parties or between any indemnified party and any third party, or otherwise, or any claim asserted), to which they, or any of them, may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to Rules 430A and 430B of the Rules and Regulations, as applicable, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) (collectively, Marketing Materials”) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iv) in whole or in part any inaccuracy in any material respect in the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable to the extent that such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage is based on any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with Underwriters’ Information. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.
(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its affiliates, the directors, officers, employees and agents of the Company and each other person or entity, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever, as incurred (including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees and any and all reasonable expenses whatsoever, incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to Rules 430A and 430B of the Rules and Regulations, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement to any of them, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense (or action in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon the Underwriters’ Information; provided, however, that in no case shall any Underwriter be liable or responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount and commissions applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. The parties agree that such information provided by or on behalf of the Underwriters through the Representative consists solely of the material referred to in the last sentence of Section 3(c) hereof.
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(c) Indemnification Procedures. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 6 shall, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 6, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provisions of this Section 6 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable out-of-pocket costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by one of the indemnifying parties in connection with the defense of such action and that indemnifying party agrees to pay the fees and expenses of such counsel, (ii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded that a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party), (iv) the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, or (v) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges shall be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. An indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 6 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless (x) such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising or that may arise out of such claim, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party, and (y) the indemnifying party confirms in writing its indemnification obligations hereunder with respect to such settlement, compromise or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a) effected without its written consent if (A) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (B) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
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(d) Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 6 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than the Underwriters, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who may also be liable for contribution), to which the Company and the Underwriter may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Underwriters shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (x) the total proceeds from the Offering (net of underwriting discount and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company bears to (y) the underwriting discount and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the statements or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 6(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) which does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 6(d) shall be deemed to include, for purpose of this Section 6(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6(d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by it. No person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 6(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Act will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution (but no personal obligation to contribute) as the Company, and each director, officer, employee, counsel or agent of an Underwriter will have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter (but no personal obligation to contribute), subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 6(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify will not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 6(d). The obligations of the Underwriters to contribute pursuant to this Section 6(d) are several in proportion to the respective number of Securities to be purchased by each of the Underwriters hereunder and not joint. No party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld).
(e) Survival. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 6 and the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling Person thereof, (ii) acceptance of any of the Securities and payment therefor or (iii) any termination under Section 7 of this Agreement.
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7. Termination. The obligations of the Underwriters under this Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing Date (or, with respect to the Option Securities, on or prior to the Option Closing Date), by notice to the Company from the Representative, without liability on the part of the Underwriters to the Company, if, prior to delivery and payment for the Firm Securities (or the Option Securities, as the case may be), in the sole judgment of the Representative, any of the following shall occur:
(a) trading or quotation in any of the equity securities of the Company shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission;
(b) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the NASDAQ Global Select Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on such exchange, or additional material governmental restrictions, not in force on the date of this Agreement, shall have been imposed upon trading in securities generally by such exchange or by order of the Commission or any court or other governmental authority;
(c) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of U.S. federal or New York banking authorities;
(d) the United States shall have become engaged in new hostilities, there shall have been an escalation in hostilities involving the United States or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such), or any other calamity or crisis shall have occurred, the effect of any of which is such as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus;
(e) the Company shall have sustained a loss material or substantial to the Company by reason of flood, fire, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage, or other calamity or malicious act, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, the effect of any of which is such as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus; or
(f) there shall have been a Material Adverse Change.
8. Underwriter Default.
(a) If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligation to purchase Firm Securities hereunder, and if the Securities with respect to which such default relates (the “Default Securities”) do not (after giving effect to arrangements, if any, made by the Representative pursuant to subsection (b) below) exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of the Firm Securities, each non-defaulting Underwriter, acting severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company that number of Default Securities that bears the same proportion to the total number of Default Securities then being purchased as the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the names of the non-defaulting Underwriters; subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representative in its discretion shall make.
(b) In the event that the aggregate number of Default Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Firm Securities, the Representative may in their discretion arrange for itself or for another party or parties (including any non-defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters who so agree) to purchase the Default Securities on the terms contained herein. In the event that within five (5) calendar days after such a default the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of the Default Securities as provided in this Section 8, this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of the Company with respect thereto (except in each case as provided in Sections 4(k), 4(m), and 6) or the Underwriters (except as provided in Section 6), but nothing in this Agreement shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters of its or their liability, if any, to the other Underwriters and the Company for damages occasioned by its or their default hereunder.
(c) In the event that any Default Securities are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period, not exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which, in the reasonable opinion of Underwriters’ Counsel, may be necessary or advisable. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 8 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Firm Securities.
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9. General.
(a) Notices. Each party to this Agreement shall deliver all notices, requests, consents, claims, demands, waivers, and other communications under this Agreement (each, a “Notice”) in writing and addressed to the other party at its address set out below (or to any other address that the receiving Party may designate from time to time in accordance with this section). Each party to this Agreement shall deliver all Notices by personal delivery, nationally recognized overnight courier (with all fees prepaid), or email (with confirmation of transmission), or certified or registered mail (in each case, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, a Notice is effective only (a) upon receipt by the receiving party and (b) if the party giving the Notice has complied with the requirements of this Section.
If to the Company: | La Rosa Holdings Corp. |
1420 Celebration Blvd., 2nd Floor, | |
Celebration, FL 34747 | |
Telephone number: (321) 250-1799 | |
Email: ***@*** | |
Attention: Joseph La Rosa, Chief Executive Officer | |
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice): | |
Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP | |
1185 Avenue of the Americas, 31st Floor | |
New York, NY 10036 | |
Telephone number: (212) 930-9700 | |
Email: ***@*** | |
Attention: Ross D. Carmel, Esq. | |
If to the Representative or the Underwriter: | Alexander Capital, L.P. |
17 State Street | |
New York, NY 10004 | |
Email: ***@*** | |
Attention: Jonathan Gazdak | |
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice): | |
Lucosky Brookman LLP | |
101 Wood Avenue South, 5th Floor | |
Woodbridge, NJ 08830 | |
Telephone number: (732) 395-4401 | |
Email: ***@*** | |
Attention: Joseph M. Lucosky, Esq. |
(b) No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and, with respect to Section 6, the controlling persons, directors, officers, employees, counsel and agents referred to in Section 6 hereof, and their respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” as used in this Agreement shall not include a purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter in his, her or its capacity as such a purchaser, as such purchaser of Securities from such Underwriter.
(c) Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein or in certificates or other instruments delivered pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or any of their controlling persons and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities hereunder.
25
(d) Disclaimer of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the Offering contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transaction, the Underwriters are and have been acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement and are not agents or fiduciaries of the Company or its securityholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed nor will it assume any advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter or its affiliates has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and each such Underwriter has no obligation to the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Underwriters and their affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) no Underwriter has provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the Offering contemplated by this Agreement and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
(e) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of New York, applicable to contracts entered into and to be performed fully within the State of New York.
(f) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York or of the United States of America, in each case sitting in The City and County of New York, over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the offering of the Securities. The Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Each of the Underwriters and the Company further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail or delivered by courier via overnight delivery to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon an Underwriter mailed by certified mail or delivered by courier via overnight delivery to the Underwriters’ address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon such Underwriter in any such suit, action or proceeding.
(g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
(h) Waiver, etc. The failure of any of the parties hereto to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way effect the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof or the right of any of the parties hereto to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.
(i) Amendments. This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.
(j) Survival of Provisions Upon Invalidity of Any Single Provision. In case any provision in this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
(k) Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company and each Underwriter each hereby irrevocably waive any right they may have to a trial by jury in respect of any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
(l) Headings. The titles of the sections and subsections of this Agreement are for convenience and reference only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.
(m) Entire Agreement. Other than that certain Engagement Letter, dated May 2, 2024, between the Company and the Representative, which shall remain in full force and effect, this Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or any provision hereof waived except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto.
[Signature page follows]
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth your understanding, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement among us.
Very truly yours, | ||
LA ROSA HOLDINGS CORP. | ||
By: | ||
Joseph La Rosa | ||
Chief Executive Officer |
Accepted by the Representatives, acting for themselves and as
Representatives of the Underwriters named on Schedule I hereto,
as of the date first written above:
ALEXANDER CAPITAL L.P. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title |
SCHEDULE I
Name of Underwriter | Number of | Number of | ||||
Alexander Capital L.P. | ||||||
Total |
SCHEDULE II
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
SCHEDULE III
Pricing Information
Number of Firm Units:
Number of Pre-Funded Units:
Number of Option Shares:
Number of Option Pre-Funded Warrants:
Number of Option Common Warrants:
Public Offering Price per Firm Unit:
Public Offering Price per Pre-Funded Unit:
Public Offering Price per Option Share:
Public Offering Price per Option Pre-Funded Warrant:
Public Offering Price per Option Common Warrant:
Underwriting Discount per Firm Unit:
Underwriting Discount per Pre-Funded Unit:
Underwriting non-accountable expense allowance per Firm Unit:
Underwriting non-accountable expense allowance per Pre-Funded Unit:
SCHEDULE IV
Lock-Up Parties
Directors and Officers:
● | Joseph La Rosa |
● | Kent Metzroth |
● | Deana La Rosa |
● | Alex Santos |
● | Michael A. La Rosa |
● | Jodi R. White |
● | Lourdes Felix |
● | Ned L. Siegel |
5% or more shareholders:
● | Carlos J. Bonilla |
● | Carlos G. Bonilla |
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF PRE-FUNDED WARRANT
A-1
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF REPRESENTATIVE’S WARRANT
B-1
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
[___], 2024
Alexander Capital L.P.
17 State Street
New York, New York 10004
As representative of the Underwriters
Re: | La Rosa Holdings Corp. |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As an inducement to Alexander Capital L.P., as representative of the underwriters (the “Representative”), to execute an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) on its behalf and on behalf of the underwriters named therein providing for the public offering (the “Offering”) of: (i) the number of units (the “Units”) indicated in the Underwriting Agreement, each Unit consisting of one (1) share of the common stock (the “Common Stock”), par value $0.0001 per share of La Rosa Holdings Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”) and one (1) common stock purchase warrant to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock (the “Common Warrants”), and (ii) the number of pre-funded units (the “Pre-Funded Units”) indicated in the Underwriting Agreement, each Pre-Funded Unit consisting of one (1) pre-funded common stock purchase warrant, each exerciseable for one share of Common Stock of the Company at the exercise price as set forth therein, and one (1) Common Warrant. The undersigned hereby agrees that without the prior written consent of the Representative, during the period specified in the second succeeding paragraph (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not: (1) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock (“Shares”) or any securities convertible into, exercisable or exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive Shares (including, without limitation, Shares which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option) whether now owned or hereafter acquired (the “Undersigned’s Securities”) or (2) file or caused to be filed any registration statement with the SEC (excluding a registration statement on Form S-8 or S-3) relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock of the Company. The foregoing restriction is expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of the Undersigned’s Securities even if such Undersigned’s Securities would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include, without limitation, any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including, without limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any of the Undersigned’s Securities or with respect to any security that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from such Undersigned’s Securities.
In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Shares other than as contemplated in the registration statement relating to the Offering.
The Lock-Up Period shall mean the period commencing on the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and continue and include the date one hundred and eighty (180) days after the date of the final prospectus used to sell Units and Pre-Funded Units in the Offering pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.
C-1
Notwithstanding the foregoing shall not apply to: (i) any exercise (including a cashless exercise or broker-assisted exercise and payment of tax obligations), vesting or settlement, as applicable, of options or warrants to purchase Shares or other equity awards pursuant to any stock incentive plan or stock purchase plan of the Company; provided that any Shares received by the Person upon such exercise, conversion or exchange will be subject to the Lock-Up Period, (b) any establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of Shares (a “Trading Plan”); provided that (i) the Trading Plan shall not provide for or permit any transfers, sales or other dispositions of Shares during the Lock-Up Period and (ii) the Trading Plan would not require any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and no such filing is voluntarily made, (c) any transfer of Shares acquired in open market transactions following the closing of this Offering, provided the transfer would not require any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and no such filing is voluntarily made, (d) the transfer of the Person’s Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to the Company in connection with the termination of the Person’s employment with the Company or pursuant to contractual arrangements under which the Company has the option to repurchase such shares, provided that no filing by any party under the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be made voluntarily within forty-five (45) days after the date the Person ceases to provide services to the Company, and after such forty-fifth (45th) day, if the Person is required to file a report under the Exchange Act reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Share during the Lock-Up Period, the Person shall indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the termination of the Person’s employment, and no other public announcement shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer (other than the filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period), (e) the conversion of the outstanding securities into Shares, provided that any such Shares received upon such conversion shall be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Lock-Up Agreement, or (f) the transfer of Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Shares pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer for securities of the Company, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction that is approved by the disinterested members of the board of directors of the Company, made to all holders of Common Stock involving a change of control, provided that all of the Undersigned’s Relevant Securities subject to this Lock-Up Agreement shall remain subject to the restrictions herein.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of Shares if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Lock-Up Agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement and that, upon request, the undersigned will execute any additional documents necessary in connection with the enforcement hereof. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.
The undersigned understands that the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Lock-Up Agreement if (i) the Company or the Representative informs the other that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, (ii) the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Shares to be sold thereunder, or (iii) the Offering is not completed by [●], 2024.
The undersigned understands that the Representative is entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Offering in reliance upon this Lock-Up Agreement.
This Lock-Up Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York.
Whether or not the Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Offering will only be made pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation among the parties thereto.
[Signature page follows]
C-2
Very truly yours, | |
(Name - Please Print) | |
(Signature) |
C-3
EXHIBIT D
Form of Press Release for Lock-Up Waiver/Release
[ ]
[Date]
La Rosa Holdings Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), announced today that Alexander Capital L.P., the sole book-running manager in the Company’s recent public sale of units and pre-funded units, is [waiving][releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [___] of the Company’s shares of common stock held by [certain officers or directors][an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver][release] will take effect on [___], and the shares of common stock may be sold on or after such date.
This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
D-1