MONTALVO SPIRITS, INC.
EX-10.1 2 ex10-1.htm SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT ex10-1.htm
MONTALVO SPIRITS, INC.
Exhibit 10.1
MONTALVO SPIRITS, INC.
SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT
This Subscription Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made as of the date set forth on the signature page of this Agreement between the subscriber set forth on the signature page hereof (the “Subscriber”) and Montalvo Spirits, Inc., a publicly-owned Nevada corporation whose shares are quoted under the symbol “TQLA” (the “Company”), and each party who is a signatory hereto (the “Subscriber”).
1. DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFERING. This Offering (the “Offering”) is for units (the “Units”) to purchase securities of the Company, with a Unit being comprised of 1,136,363 (One Million One Hundred Thirty Six Three Hundred Sixty Three) shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Shares”) and a warrant (“Warrant”) to purchase 568,181 (Five hundred Sixty Eight Thousand One Hundred Eighty One Dollars) shares of the Company’s Common Stock (“Warrant Shares”), at an exercise price of $0.022, and expiring in three years (the Units, the Shares, the Warrant, and the Warrant Shares are sometimes referred to herein as the “Securities”). The Company is offering Units on a “best efforts” basis for $25,000 per Unit, with a maximum of 40 Units for a maximum offering amount of $1,000,000 (the “Maximum Offering”); however, the Board of Directors of the Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to increase the Maximum Offering. The Offering is being made only to accredited investors who qualify as accredited investors pursuant to suitability standards for investors described under Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and who have no need for liquidity in their investments. Prior to this Offering there was no public market for the Securities and no assurance can be given that a market will develop for the Securities or if developed, that it will be maintained so that any subscribers in this offering may avail any benefit form the same. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to accept fractional subscriptions. The Company has not engaged the services of a placement agent, but reserves the right in its sole discretion to do so in the future.
THE SECURITIES OFFERED HEREBY ARE SPECULATIVE AND INVOLVE A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK AND SHOULD NOT BE PURCHASED BY ANYONE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE LOSS OF THEIR ENTIRE INVESTMENT. THE SECURITIES OFFERED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE, OR OTHER JURISDICTION AND ARE BEING OFFERED AND SOLD IN RELIANCE ON EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND SUCH LAWS. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED, SOLD, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR ASSIGNED EXCEPT AS PERMITTED UNDER SUCH ACT OR SUCH LAWS PURSUANT TO REGISTRATION OR EXEMPTION THEREFROM.
2. OTHER TERMS OF THE OFFERING. The Offering will continue until subscriptions for the Maximum Offering are received or until June 15, 2015 (the “Offering Period”), unless extended an additional thirty (30) days (the “Termination Date”) by the Company, in its sole discretion. The execution of this Subscription Agreement shall constitute an offer by the Subscriber to exercise the Warrants in the amount and on the terms specified herein. The Subscriber must also complete and execute the Subscriber Questionnaire attached hereto. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject in whole or in part, any subscription offer. If the Subscriber's offer is accepted, the Company will execute a copy of this Subscription Agreement and return it to Subscriber. The Company, may in its sole discretion, accept fractional subscriptions.
3. SUBSCRIPTION PROCEDURES. To subscribe, the Subscriber must send a completed and executed copy of each this Subscription Agreement and Subscriber Questionnaire to:
Montalvo Spirits, Inc.
5301 N. Commerce Ave
Suite F
Moorpark, California 93021
along with, either
| · | payment of the Subscriber’s subscribed amount by wire transfer as follows: |
Bank of America
Goshen, NY 10924
Account Name:
Account #
ABA #
Memo: Montalvo Spirits, Inc.
or
| · | payment of the Subscriber’s subscribed amount by check payable to Montalvo Spirits, Inc |
4. TERMS OF THE SUBSCRIPTION.
4.1. The Company hereby agrees to issue and to sell to Subscriber, and Subscriber hereby agrees to purchase from the Company, such number of Units at the price and for the aggregate subscription amount set forth on the signature page hereto. The Subscriber understands that this subscription is not binding upon the Company until the Company accepts it. The Subscriber acknowledges and understands that acceptance of this Subscription will be made only by a duly authorized representative of the Company executing and mailing or otherwise delivering to the Subscriber at the Subscriber’s address set forth herein, a counterpart copy of the signature page to this Subscription Agreement indicating the Company’s acceptance of this Subscription. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion for any reason whatsoever, to accept or reject this subscription in whole or in part. Following the acceptance of this Subscription Agreement by the Company, the Company shall instruct its transfer agent to issue and deliver to Subscriber (i) a certificate evidencing the Common Stock purchased by the Subscriber pursuant to this Agreement against payment in U.S. Dollars of the Purchase Price (as defined below) and (ii) a certificate evidencing the Warrants purchased by the Subscriber pursuant to this Agreement. If this subscription is rejected, the Company and the Subscriber shall thereafter have no further rights or obligations to each other under or in connection with this Subscription Agreement.
4.2. Subscriber has hereby delivered and paid concurrently herewith the aggregate purchase price for the Units set forth on the signature page hereof in an amount required to purchase and pay for the Units subscribed for hereunder (the “Purchase Price”), which amount has been paid in U.S. Dollars by wire transfer or check, subject to collection, to the order of “Casa Montalvo Holdings, Inc.”
4.3. Subscriber understands and acknowledges that this subscription is part of a private placement by the Company of the Units, which offering is being made on a “best efforts” basis, for a maximum of the Maximum Offering (as defined above).
5. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SUBSCRIBER. The Subscriber agrees, represents and warrants to the Company with respect to itself and its purchase hereunder and not with respect to any of the other Subscribers, that:
5.1. Organization and Qualification. If an entity, the Subscriber is duly incorporated, organized or otherwise formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated, organized or otherwise formed.
5.2. Authorization. If an entity: (a) the Subscriber has the requisite corporate or other requisite power and authority to enter into and to perform its obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby in accordance with the terms hereof; and (b) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Subscriber and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by the Subscriber’s Board of Directors or other governing body and no further consent or authorization of the Subscriber, its Board of Directors or its shareholders, members or other interest holders is required.
5.3. Enforcement. This Agreement has been duly executed by the Subscriber and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Subscriber enforceable against the Subscriber in accordance with its terms, subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or moratorium or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and the application of general principles of equity.
5.4. Consents. The Subscriber is not required to give any notice to, make any filing, application or registration with, obtain any authorization, consent, order or approval of or obtain any waiver from any person or entity in order to execute and deliver this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.
5.5. Non-contravention. Neither the execution and the delivery by the Subscriber of this Agreement, nor the consummation by the Subscriber of the transactions contemplated hereby, will (a) violate any law, rule, injunction, or judgment of any governmental agency or court to which the Subscriber is subject or any provision of its charter, bylaws, trust agreement, or other governing documents or (b) conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute a default under, any agreement, contract, lease, license, instrument, or other arrangement to which the Subscriber is a party or by which the Subscriber is bound or to which any of its assets is subject.
5.6. Investment Purpose. The Subscriber is purchasing the Securities, for its own account and not with a present view toward the public sale or distribution thereof.
5.7. Accredited Subscriber Status. The Subscriber is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and has delivered to the Company a Confidential Subscriber Questionnaire substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. The Subscriber hereby represents and warrants that, either by reason of the Subscriber’s business or financial experience or the business or financial experience of the Subscriber’s advisors (including, but not limited to, a “purchaser representative” (as defined in Rule 501(h) promulgated under Regulation D), attorney and/or an accountant each as engaged by the Subscriber at its sole risk and expense) the Subscriber (a) has the capacity to protect its own interests in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby and/or (b) the Subscriber has prior investment experience, including investments in securities of privately-held companies or companies whose securities are not listed, registered, quoted and/or traded on a national securities exchange, to the extent necessary, the Subscriber has retained, at its sole risk and expense, and relied upon appropriate professional advice regarding the investment, tax and legal merits and consequences of this Agreement and the purchase of the Units hereunder; if an entity, the Subscriber was not formed for the sole purpose of purchasing the Units.
5.8. Reliance on Exemptions. The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that the Units are being offered and sold to it in reliance upon specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws and that the Company and its counsel are relying upon the truth and accuracy of, and the Subscriber’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of the Subscriber set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of the Subscriber to acquire the Units.
5.9. No General Solicitation. No Units were offered or sold to it by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising, and in connection therewith, the Subscriber did not receive any general solicitation or general advertising including, but not limited to, the Subscriber’s: (i) receipt or review of any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio, whether closed circuit, or generally available; or (ii) attendance at any seminar meeting or industry investor conference whose attendees were invited by any general solicitation or general advertising.
5.10. Information. The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that the Subscriber and its advisors, if any, have been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company, and materials relating to the offer and sale of the Units that have been requested by the Subscriber or its advisors, if any, the risk factors set forth therein. The Subscriber represents and warrants that the Subscriber and its advisors, if any, have been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company. The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigation conducted by the Subscriber or any of its advisors or representatives modify, amend or affect the Subscriber’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained herein.
5.11. Governmental Review. The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Units or an investment therein.
5.12. Transfer or Resale. The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that:
(a) the Securities have not been and, except as set forth herein, are not being registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws. Consequently, the Subscriber may have to bear the risk of holding the Securities for an indefinite period of time because the Securities may not be transferred unless: (i) the resale of the Securities and is registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act; (ii) the Subscriber has delivered to the Company an opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company and its counsel (in form, substance and scope customary for opinions of counsel in comparable transactions) to the effect that the Securities to be sold or transferred may be sold or transferred pursuant to an exemption from such registration; or (iii) the Securities are sold or transferred pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”);
(b) any sale of the Securities made in reliance on Rule 144 may be made only in accordance with the terms of Rule 144 and, if Rule 144 is not applicable, any resale of the Securities under circumstances in which the seller (or the person through whom the sale is made) may be deemed to be an underwriter (as that term is defined in the Securities Act) may require compliance with some other exemption under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) promulgated thereunder; and
(c) except as set forth in herein, neither the Company nor any other person is under any obligation to register the Securities under the Securities Act or any state securities or “blue sky” laws or to comply with the terms and conditions of any exemption thereunder.
5.13. Legends.
(d) The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that the certificates representing the Securities (the “Restricted Securities”) will bear restrictive legends in substantially the following form (and a stop-transfer order may be placed against transfer of the certificates for such Restricted Securities):
THESE SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY.
(e) The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that the Company will make a notation in the appropriate records with respect to the foregoing restrictions on the transferability of the Restricted Securities. Certificates evidencing the Restricted Securities shall not be required to contain such legend or any other legend (a) following any sale of the Restricted Securities pursuant to Rule 144, or (b) if the Restricted Securities are eligible for sale under Rule 144 or have been sold pursuant to a registration statement and in compliance with the Subscriber’s obligations set forth in this Agreement, or (c) such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the Staff of the Commission), in each such case (a) through (c) to the extent reasonably determined by the Company’s legal counsel.
5.14. Residency. The Subscriber is a resident of the jurisdiction set forth immediately below the Subscriber’s name on the signature pages hereto.
5.15. Not a Registered Representative. The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that if it is a Registered Representative of a FINRA member firm, he or she must give such firm the notice required by FINRA’s Rules of Fair Practice, receipt of which must be acknowledged by such firm in the Confidential Subscriber Questionnaire attached hereto as Exhibit A.
5.16. No Brokers. The Subscriber has not engaged, consented to or authorized any broker, finder or intermediary to act on its behalf, directly or indirectly, as a broker, finder or intermediary in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Subscriber hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company from and against all fees, commissions or other payments owing to any such person or firm acting on behalf of the Subscriber hereunder.
5.17. Integration. This Agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements, understandings, offers and negotiations, oral or written, with respect thereto and no extrinsic evidence whatsoever may be introduced in any judicial or arbitration proceeding, if any, involving this Agreement.
5.18. Reliance on Representations. The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that the Company and its counsel, are entitled to rely on the representations, warranties and covenants made by the Subscriber herein.
6. REPRESENTATIONS BY THE COMPANY. The Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Subscriber as follows:
6.1. Subsidiaries. Casa Montalvo Holdings, Inc., a company formed under the laws of the State of California is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Subsidiary”). The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of the Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and 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.
6.2. Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation or default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, does not have and would not reasonably be expected to result in (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, 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 this Agreement (any of (i), (ii), or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
6.3. Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder. The execution and delivery of each of the Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby 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 therewith. This Agreement has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, 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.
6.4. No Conflicts; No Violation. The execution, delivery and performance of the Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the other transactions contemplated hereby 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 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 clause (ii), such as does not have and would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
6.5. 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 in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than the filing of Form D with the Commission and such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws.
6.6. Issuance of the Securities. The Units and the Shares of the Company purchased under this Agreement, will be duly authorized and, upon issuance in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company other than restrictions on transfer provided for herein.
6.7. Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is set forth on Schedule 6.7. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Except as set forth in Schedule 6.7, as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities, 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 Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional Common Stock. The issuance and sale of the Common Stock will not obligate the Company to issue Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Subscribers) 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. There are no shares of outstanding Common Stock. All of the outstanding Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or other Person is required for the issuance and sale of the Common Stock. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to Common Stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
6.8. Litigation. There is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) or Proceeding which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Shares or (ii) would, if there were an unfavorable decision, reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any manager, director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action or Proceeding involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation or Proceeding by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company.
6.9. Labor Relations. No material labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company which does have or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s 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, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. No executive officer, to the knowledge of the Company, 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, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.10. Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is in violation of any order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body, or (ii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws applicable to its business and all such laws that affect the environment, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
6.11. Regulatory Permits. The Company and any Subsidiary’s possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except where the failure to possess such permits would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.
6.12. 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 Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
6.13. Patents and Trademarks. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or material for use in connection with their respective businesses and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any Subsidiary violates or infringes upon the rights of any Person. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. 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, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.14. Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to the Subscription Amount. 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.
6.15. Transactions with Affiliates and Employees. None of the officers or directors of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess of $50,000 other than for (i) payment of salary, consulting fees or bonuses in connection with services rendered or to be rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company, (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company, or (iv) any item referenced in the Company’s Annual Report filed on Form 10-K.
6.16. Internal Accounting Controls. 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.
6.17. No brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Subscriber shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
6.18. Private Placement. Assuming the accuracy of the Subscribers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 5.7, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Shares by the Company to the Subscribers as contemplated hereby.
6.19. Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Shares, will not be or be an Affiliate required to file as, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended within a period of one year from the date hereof.
6.20. Registration Rights. No Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company.
6.21. Disclosure. All disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Subscribers regarding the Company, its business and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Subscriber makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 5 hereof.
6.22. No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Subscriber’s representations and warranties set forth in Section 5.7, neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Shares to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act which would require the registration of any such securities under the Securities Act.
6.23. Tax Status. Except for matters that do not have (and would not reasonably be expected to result in), individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and each Subsidiary has filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and has paid or accrued all taxes shown as due thereon, and the Company has no knowledge of a tax deficiency which has been asserted or threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary.
6.24. No General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Shares by any form of general solicitation or general advertising. The Company has offered the Shares for sale only to the Subscribers and certain other “accredited investors” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act.
6.25 Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
6.26. Acknowledgement Regarding Subscriber’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding, it is understood and acknowledged by the Company (i) that none of the Subscribers have been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Subscriber agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Shares for any specified term; (ii) that past or future open market or other transactions by any Subscriber, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) that any Subscriber, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Subscriber is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Stock, and (iv) that each Subscriber shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that (a) one or more Subscribers may engage in hedging activities at various times during the period that the Shares are outstanding, and (b) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders’ equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities within the bounds of applicable law or regulation do not constitute a breach of any of the Agreement.
6.27. Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Shares, 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 Company’s placement agent in connection with the placement of the Shares.
7. RISK FACTORS. THE SUBSCRIBER ACKNOWLEDGES THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE UNITS AND THAT SUCH SECURITIES ARE HIGHLY SPECULATIVE AND SHOULD NOT BE PURCHASED BY ANYONE WHO CANNOT AFFORD A TOTAL LOSS OF HIS OR HER ENTIRE INVESTMENT. The Subscriber represents and warrants that he or she has carefully considered and reviewed all the information contained within the reports the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (available at www.sec.gov), and the following risks, in reaching a determination to purchase the Units:
OUR SECURITIES ARE HIGHLY SPECULATIVE, AND PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT AN INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. ACCORDINGLY, PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING RISK FACTORS IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER INFORMATION IN THIS CURRENT REPORT AND RELATED EXHIBITS, INCLUDING OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS
We have inadequate capital and need additional financing to accomplish our business and strategic plans.
We have very limited funds, and such funds are not adequate to develop our current business plan. We believe that for our company to be successful, we will be required to spend significant sums to market our products. If the sales of our products do not enable us to meet this need, our ultimate success may depend on our ability to raise additional capital. In the absence of additional financing or significant revenues and profits, the we will have to approach our business plan from a much different and much more restricted direction, attempting to secure additional funding sources to fund our growth, borrowing money from lenders or elsewhere or to take other actions to attempt to provide funding. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to obtain sufficient additional funds when needed, or that such funds, if available, will be obtainable on terms satisfactory to us.
Our limited operating history does not afford investors a sufficient history on which to base an investment decision.
We are currently in the early stages of developing our business. There can be no assurance that at this time that we will operate profitably or will have adequate working capital to meet our obligations as they become due.
Investors must consider the risks and difficulties frequently encountered by early stage companies, particularly in rapidly evolving and changing markets. Such risks include the following:
● | the nature of our competition and our ability to effectively market our products; |
● | ability to anticipate and adapt to the highly competitive alcoholic beverage and spirits market; |
● | ability to effectively manage expanding operations; amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures relating to expansion of our business, operations, and infrastructure; and |
● | dependence upon key personnel to market and sell our services and the loss of one of our key managers may adversely affect the marketing of our services. |
We cannot be certain that our business strategy will be successful or that we will successfully address these risks. In the event that we do not successfully address these risks, our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected and we may not have the resources to continue or expand our business operations.
Recent worldwide and domestic economic trends and financial market conditions could adversely impact our financial performance.
The worldwide and domestic economies have experienced adverse conditions and may be subject to further deterioration for the foreseeable future. We are subject to risks associated with these adverse conditions, including economic slowdown and the disruption, volatility and tightening of credit and capital markets. This global economic situation could adversely impact our major suppliers, distributors and retailers. In addition, unfavorable global or domestic economic situations could adversely impact our major suppliers, distributors and retailers. Financial difficulties experienced by our suppliers or customers could result in product delays, possible accounts receivable defaults and inventory challenges. The inability of suppliers, distributors or retailers to conduct business or to access liquidity could impact our ability to distribute our products.
There can be no assurance that market conditions will improve in the near future. A prolonged downturn, further worsening or broadening of the adverse conditions in the worldwide and domestic economies could affect consumer spending patterns and purchases of our products, and create or exacerbate credit issues, cash flow issues and other financial hardships for us and for our suppliers, distributors, retailers and consumers. Depending upon their severity and duration, these conditions could have a material adverse impact on our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. We are unable to predict the likely duration and severity of the current disruption in the financial markets and the adverse economic conditions in the U.S. and other markets.
We depend on a limited number of suppliers. Failure to obtain satisfactory performance from our suppliers or loss of our existing suppliers could cause us to lose sales, incur additional costs and lose credibility in the marketplace. We also have annual purchase obligations with certain suppliers.
We depend on a limited number of third-party suppliers for the sourcing of all of our products, including both our own proprietary brands and those we distribute for others. These suppliers consist of third-party distillers, bottlers and producers in Mexico. For our proprietary products, we may rely on a single supplier to fulfill one or all of the manufacturing functions for a brand. For instance, Destilidora Huerta Real, S.A. de C.V. is the sole producer for Montalvo Tequila. The termination of our written or oral agreements or an adverse change in the terms of these agreements could have a negative impact on our business. If our suppliers increase their prices, we may not have alternative sources of supply and may not be able to raise the prices of our products to cover all or even a portion of the increased costs. Also, our suppliers’ failure to perform satisfactorily or handle increased orders, delays in shipments of products from international suppliers or the loss of our existing suppliers, especially our key suppliers, could cause us to fail to meet orders for our products, lose sales, incur additional costs and/or expose us to product quality issues. In turn, this could cause us to lose credibility in the marketplace and damage our relationships with distributors, ultimately leading to a decline in our business and results of operations. If we are not able to renegotiate these contracts on acceptable terms or find suitable alternatives, our business could be negatively impacted.
The sales of our products could decrease significantly if we cannot secure and maintain listings in the control states.
In the control states, the state liquor commissions act in place of distributors and decide which products are to be purchased and offered for sale in their respective states. Products selected for listing must generally reach certain volumes and/or profit levels to maintain their listings. Products are selected for purchase and sale through listing procedures which are generally made available to new products only at periodically scheduled listing interviews. Products not selected for listings can only be purchased by consumers in the applicable control state through special orders, if at all. If, in the future, we are unable to maintain our current listings in the control states, or secure and maintain listings in those states for any additional products we may acquire, sales of our products could decrease significantly.
Currency exchange rate fluctuations and devaluations may have a significant adverse effect on our revenues, sales, costs of goods and overall financial results.
For fiscal 2014, non-U.S. operations accounted for none of our revenues but we are dependent upon resources in Mexico for the products we intend to market, distribute and sell. Therefore, gains and losses on the conversion of foreign payments into U.S. dollars could cause fluctuations in our results of operations, and fluctuating exchange rates could cause reduced revenues and/or gross margins from non-U.S. dollar-denominated international sales and inventory purchases. Our ability to acquire spirits and wine and produce and sell our products at favorable prices will also depend in part on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar. We may not be able to hedge against these risks.
If our inventory is lost due to theft, fire or other damage or becomes obsolete, our results of operations would be negatively impacted.
We expect our inventory levels to fluctuate to meet customer delivery requirements for our products. We are always at risk of loss of that inventory due to theft, fire or other damage, and any such loss, whether insured against or not, could cause us to fail to meet our orders and harm our sales and operating results. Also, our inventory may become obsolete as we introduce new products, cease to produce old products or modify the design of our products’ packaging, which would increase our operating losses and negatively impact our results of operations.
Weather conditions may have a material adverse effect on our sales or on the price of raw materials used to produce spirits.
We operate in an industry where performance is affected by the weather. Extreme changes in weather conditions may result in lower consumption of tequila and other alcoholic beverages. In particular, unusually cold spells in winter or high temperatures in the summer can result in temporary shifts in customer preferences and impact demand for the alcoholic beverages we produce and distribute. Similar weather conditions in the future may have a material adverse effect on our sales which could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, inclement weather may affect the availability of grain used to produce raw spirit, which could result in a rise in raw spirit pricing that could negatively affect margins and sales.
Climate change, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address climate change, may negatively affect our business, operations or financial performance, and water scarcity or poor quality could negatively impact our production costs and capacity.
Our business depends upon agricultural activity and natural resources. There has been much public discussion related to concerns that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may have an adverse impact on global temperatures, weather patterns and the frequency and severity of extreme weather and natural disasters. Severe weather events and climate change may negatively affect agricultural productivity in the regions from which we presently source our agricultural raw materials such as agave. Decreased availability of our raw materials may increase the cost of our products. Severe weather events or changes in the frequency or intensity of weather events can also disrupt our supply chain, which may affect production operations, insurance cost and coverage, as well as delivery of our products to wholesalers, retailers and consumers.
Water is essential in the production of our products. The quality and quantity of water available for use is important to the supply of agave and our ability to operate our business. Water is a limited resource in many parts of the world and if climate patterns change and droughts become more severe, there may be a scarcity of water or poor water quality which may affect our production costs or impose capacity constraints. Such events could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
The Company has limited protection of the Exclusive Master Distribution Agreement (“Distribution Agreement”).
The Company currently has an exclusive right to distribute all Casa Montalvo products throughout the world for a three-year term. The term will be extended indefinitely provided the Company hits minimal sales requirements. Any breach of the Distribution Agreement, or an act of terminating cause, could lead to the loss of the Company’s exclusive distribution rights, for the respective jurisdictions which the Company operates, which would have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations and financial condition.
Either our or our strategic partners’ failure to protect our respective trademarks and trade secrets could compromise our competitive position and decrease the value of our brand portfolio.
Since we frequently enter into exclusive arrangements to market our products with unaffiliated agents, our business and prospects depend in part on our, and with respect to our agency or joint venture brands, our strategic partners’ ability to develop favorable consumer recognition of our brands and trademarks. Although both we and our strategic partners actively apply for registration of our brands and trademarks, they could be imitated in ways that we cannot prevent. Also, we rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how, concepts and formulas. Our methods of protecting this information may not be adequate. Moreover, we may face claims of misappropriation or infringement of third parties’ rights that could interfere with our use of this information. Defending these claims may be costly and, if unsuccessful, may prevent us from continuing to use this proprietary information in the future and result in a judgment or monetary damages being levied against us. We do not maintain non-competition agreements with all of our key personnel or with some of our key suppliers. If competitors independently develop or otherwise obtain access to our or our strategic partners’ trade secrets, proprietary know-how or recipes, the appeal, and thus the value, of our brand portfolio could be reduced, negatively impacting our sales and growth potential.
We operate in highly competitive industries, and competitive pressures could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The alcoholic beverages production and distribution industries in our region are intensely competitive. The principal competitive factors in these industries include product range, pricing, distribution capabilities and responsiveness to consumer preferences, with varying emphasis on these factors depending on the market and the product. The alcoholic beverage industry competes with respect to brand recognition, product quality, brand loyalty, customer service and price. Failure to maintain and enhance our competitive position could materially and adversely affect our business and prospects for business. Wholesaler, retailer and consumer purchasing decisions are influenced by, among other things, the perceived absolute or relative overall value of our products, including their quality or pricing, compared to competitor’s products. Unit volume and dollar sales could also be affected by pricing, purchasing, financing, operational, advertising or promotional decisions made by wholesalers, state and provincial agencies, and retailers which could affect their supply of, or consumer demand for, our products. We could also experience higher than expected selling, general and administrative expenses if we find it necessary to increase the number of our personnel or our advertising or marketing expenditures to maintain our competitive position or for other reasons.
Our business could be adversely affected by a decline in the consumption of alcohol and spirits we sell.
While over the past several years there have been modest increases in consumption of beverage alcohol in most of our product categories and geographic markets, there have been periods in the past in which there were substantial declines in the overall per capita consumption of beverage alcohol products in the U.S. and other markets in which we participate. A limited or general decline in consumption in one or more of our product categories could occur in the future due to a variety of factors, including:
● | A general decline in economic or geopolitical conditions; |
● | Concern about the health consequences of consuming beverage alcohol products and about drinking and driving; |
● | A general decline in the consumption of beverage alcohol products in on-premise establishments, such as may result from smoking bans and stricter laws related to driving while under the influence of alcohol; |
● | Consumer dietary preferences favoring lighter, lower calorie beverages such as diet soft drinks, sports drinks and water products; |
● | The increased activity of anti-alcohol groups; |
● | Increased federal, state, provincial or foreign excise or other taxes on beverage alcohol products and possible restrictions on beverage alcohol advertising and marketing; and |
● | Increased regulation placing restrictions on the purchase or consumption of beverage alcohol products. |
We are subject to extensive government regulation and are required to obtain and renew various permits and licenses; changes in or violations of laws or regulations or failure to obtain or renew permits and licenses could materially adversely affect our business and profitability.
Our business of marketing and distributing alcoholic beverages in the United States is subject to regulation by national and local governmental agencies. These regulations and laws address such matters as licensing and permit requirements, regarding the production, storage and import of alcoholic products; competition and anti-trust matters; trade and pricing practices; taxes; distribution methods and relationships; required labeling and packaging; advertising; sales promotion; and relations with wholesalers and retailers. Loss of production capacity due to regulatory issues can negatively affect our sales and increase our operating costs as we attempt to increase production at other facilities during that time to offset the lost production. It is possible that we could have similar issues in the future that will adversely impact our sales and operating costs. Additionally, new or revised regulations or requirements or increases in excise taxes, customs duties, income taxes, or sales taxes could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, we are subject to numerous environmental and occupational, health and safety laws and regulations in the countries in which we plan to operate. We may incur significant costs to maintain compliance with evolving environmental and occupational, health and safety requirements, to comply with more stringent enforcement of existing applicable requirements or to defend against challenges or investigations, even those without merit. Future legal or regulatory challenges to the industry in which we operate or our business practices and arrangements could give rise to liability and fines, or cause us to change our practices or arrangements, which could have a material adverse effect on us, our revenues and our profitability.
Governmental regulation and supervision as well as future changes in laws, regulations or government policy (or in the interpretation of existing laws or regulations) that affect us, our competitors or our industry generally, strongly influence our viability and how we operate our business. Complying with existing laws, regulations and government policy is burdensome, and future changes may increase our operational and administrative expenses and limit our revenues.
Additionally, governmental regulatory and tax authorities have a high degree of discretion and may at times exercise this discretion in a manner contrary to law or established practice. Such conduct can be more prevalent in jurisdictions with less developed or evolving regulatory systems like Mexico. Our business would be materially and adversely affected if there were any adverse changes in relevant laws or regulations or in their interpretation or enforcement. Our ability to introduce new products may also be affected if we cannot predict how existing or future laws, regulations or policies would apply to such products or services.
If we fail to manage growth effectively or prepare for product scalability, it could have an adverse effect on our employee efficiency, product quality, working capital levels and results of operations.
Any significant growth in the market for our products or our entry into new markets may require an expansion of our employee base for managerial, operational, financial, and other purposes. As of March 31, 2014, we had no full time employees outside of our management team. During any period of growth, we may face problems related to our operational and financial systems and controls, including quality control and delivery and service capacities. We would also need to continue to expand, train and manage our employee base. Continued future growth will impose significant added responsibilities upon the members of management to identify, recruit, maintain, integrate, and motivate new employees.
Aside from increased difficulties in the management of human resources, we may also encounter working capital issues, as we will need increased liquidity to finance the marketing of the products we sell, and the hiring of additional employees. For effective growth management, we will be required to continue improving our operations, management, and financial systems and controls. Our failure to manage growth effectively may lead to operational and financial inefficiencies that will have a negative effect on our profitability. We cannot assure investors that we will be able to timely and effectively meet that demand and maintain the quality standards required by our existing and potential customers.
Our management team may not be able to successfully implement our business strategies.
If our management team is unable to execute on its business strategies, then our development, including the establishment of revenues and our sales and marketing activities would be materially and adversely affected. In addition, we may encounter difficulties in effectively managing the budgeting, forecasting and other process control issues presented by any future growth. We may seek to augment or replace members of our management team or we may lose key members of our management team, and we may not be able to attract new management talent with sufficient skill and experience.
If we are unable to retain key executives and other key affiliates, our growth could be significantly inhibited and our business harmed with a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our success is, to a certain extent, attributable to the management, sales and marketing, and operational and technical expertise of certain key personnel. Alex Viecco, our Chief Executive Officer, Carlos Gonzalez Rivera, our Chief Operating Officer, and Sergio Gonzalez Rivera, our President, perform key functions in the operation of our business. The loss of any of these individuals could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We do not maintain key-person insurance for members of our management team because it is cost prohibitive at this point. If we lose the services of any member of senior management, we may not be able to locate suitable or qualified replacements, and may incur additional expenses to recruit and train new personnel, which could severely disrupt our business and prospects.
Our success in the future may depend on our ability to establish and maintain strategic alliances, and any failure on our part to establish and maintain such relationships would adversely affect our market penetration and revenue growth.
Due to the regulated nature of the alcoholic beverage industry, we will be required to establish strategic relationships with third parties. Our ability to establish strategic relationships will depend on a number of factors, many of which are outside our control, such as the competitive position of our product and marketing plan relative to our competitors. We may not be able to establish other strategic relationships in the future. In addition, any strategic alliances that we establish may subject us to a number of risks, including risks associated with sharing proprietary information, loss of control of operations that are material to developed business and profit-sharing arrangements. Moreover, strategic alliances may be expensive to implement and subject us to the risk that the third party will not perform its obligations under the relationship, which may subject us to losses over which we have no control or expensive termination arrangements. As a result, even if our strategic alliances with third parties are successful, our business may be adversely affected by a number of factors that are outside of our control.
Our financial results may not meet the expectations of investors and may fluctuate because of many factors and, as a result, investors should not rely on our revenue and/or financial projections as indicative of future results.
Fluctuations in operating results or the failure of operating results to meet the expectations of investors may negatively impact the value of our securities. Operating results may fluctuate due to a variety of factors that could affect revenues or expenses in any particular quarter. Fluctuations in operating results could cause the value of our securities to decline. Investors should not rely on revenue or financial projections or comparisons of results of operations as an indication of future performance. As a result of the factors listed below, it is possible that in future periods results of operations may be below the expectations of investors. This could cause the market price of our securities to decline. Factors that may affect our quarterly results include:
● | delays in sales resulting from potential customer sales cycles; |
● | variations or inconsistencies in return on investment models and results; |
● | delays in demonstrating product performance or installations; |
● | changes in competition; and |
● | changes or threats of significant changes in legislation or rules or standards that would change the drivers for product adoption. |
Because our auditors have issued a going concern opinion, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our report from our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended March 31, 2014 includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our recurring losses from operations and negative cash flows raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected and we may be unable to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets and may receive less than the value at which those assets are carried on our audited consolidated financial statements, and it is likely that investors will lose all or a part of their investment.
Our strategy may include acquiring companies which may result in unsuitable acquisitions or failure to successfully integrate acquired companies, which could lead to reduced profitability.
We may embark on a growth strategy through acquisitions of companies or operations that complement existing product lines, customers or other capabilities. We may be unsuccessful in identifying suitable acquisition candidates, or may be unable to consummate desired acquisitions. To the extent any future acquisitions are completed, we may be unsuccessful in integrating acquired companies or their operations, or if integration is more difficult than anticipated, we may experience disruptions that could have a material adverse impact on future profitability. Some of the risks that may affect our ability to integrate, or realize any anticipated benefits from, acquisitions include:
● | unexpected losses of key employees or customer of the acquired company; |
● | difficulties integrating the acquired company’s standards, processes, procedures and controls; |
● | difficulties coordinating new product and process development; |
● | difficulties hiring additional management and other critical personnel; |
● | difficulties increasing the scope, geographic diversity and complexity of our operations; |
● | difficulties consolidating facilities, transferring processes and know-how; |
● | difficulties reducing costs of the acquired company’s business; |
● | diversion of management’s attention from our management; and |
● | adverse impacts on retaining existing business relationships with customers. |
RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDUSTRY
Demand for our products may be adversely affected by many factors, including changes in consumer preferences and trends.
Consumer preferences may shift due to a variety of factors including changes in demographic and social trends, public health initiatives, product innovations, changes in vacation or leisure activity patterns and a downturn in economic conditions, which may reduce consumers’ willingness to purchase distilled spirits or cause a shift in consumer preferences toward beer, wine or non-alcoholic beverages. Our success depends in part on fulfilling available opportunities to meet consumer needs and anticipating changes in consumer preferences with successful new products and product innovations.
We face substantial competition in our industry and many factors may prevent us from competing successfully.
We compete on the basis of product taste and quality, brand image, price, service and ability to innovate in response to consumer preferences. The global spirits industry is highly competitive and is dominated by several large, well-funded international companies which trend toward consolidation. It is possible that our competitors may either respond to industry conditions or consumer trends more rapidly or effectively or resort to price competition to sustain market share, which could adversely affect our sales and profitability. The dollar amount and unit volume of our sales could be negatively affected by our inability to maintain or increase prices, changes in geographic or product mix, a general decline in beverage alcohol consumption or the decision of wholesalers, retailers or consumers to purchase competitor’s products instead of our products. Wholesaler, retailer and consumer purchasing decisions are influenced by, among other things, the perceived absolute or relative overall value of our products, including their quality or pricing, compared to competitor’s products. Unit volume and dollar sales could also be affected by pricing, purchasing, financing, operational, advertising or promotional decisions made by wholesalers, state and provincial agencies, and retailers which could affect their supply of, or consumer demand for, our products. We could also experience higher than expected selling, general and administrative expenses if we find it necessary to increase the number of our personnel or our advertising or marketing expenditures to maintain our competitive position or for other reasons.
Adverse public opinion about alcohol could reduce demand for our products.
Anti-alcohol groups have, in the past, advocated successfully for more stringent labeling requirements, higher taxes and other regulations designed to discourage alcohol consumption. More restrictive regulations, negative publicity regarding alcohol consumption and/or changes in consumer perceptions of the relative healthfulness or safety of beverage alcohol could decrease sales and consumption of alcohol and thus the demand for our products. This could, in turn, significantly decrease both our revenues and our revenue growth, causing a decline in our results of operations.
Class action or other litigation relating to alcohol abuse or the misuse of alcohol could adversely affect our business.
The alcoholic beverage industry faces the possibility of class action or similar litigation alleging that the continued excessive use or abuse of beverage alcohol has caused death or serious health problems. It is also possible that governments could assert that the use of alcohol has significantly increased government funded health care costs. Litigation or assertions of this type have adversely affected companies in the tobacco industry, and it is possible that we, as well as our suppliers, could be named in litigation of this type.
Also, lawsuits have been brought in a number of states alleging that beverage alcohol manufacturers and marketers have improperly targeted underage consumers in their advertising. Plaintiffs in these cases allege that the defendants’ advertisements, marketing and promotions violate the consumer protection or deceptive trade practices statutes in each of these states and seek repayment of the family funds expended by the underage consumers. While we have not been named in these lawsuits, we could be named in similar lawsuits in the future. Any class action or other litigation asserted against us could be expensive and time-consuming to defend against, depleting our cash and diverting our personnel resources and, if the plaintiffs in such actions were to prevail, our business could be harmed significantly.
Regulatory decisions and legal, regulatory and tax changes could limit our business activities, increase our operating costs and reduce our margins.
The production, distribution, marketing, advertising and labeling of beverage alcohol products is subject to extensive regulation in all of the countries in which we operate. We are required to comply with these regulations and to maintain various permits and licenses. We are also required to conduct business only with holders of licenses to import, warehouse, transport, distribute and sell beverage alcohol products. We cannot assure you that these and other governmental regulations applicable to our industry will not change or become more stringent. Moreover, because these laws and regulations are subject to interpretation, we may not be able to predict when and to what extent liability may arise. Additionally, due to increasing public concern over alcohol-related societal problems, including driving while intoxicated, underage drinking, alcoholism and health consequences from the abuse of alcohol, various levels of government may seek to impose additional restrictions or limits on advertising or other marketing activities promoting beverage alcohol products. Failure to comply with any of the current or future regulations and requirements relating to our industry and products could result in monetary penalties, suspension or even revocation of our licenses and permits. Costs of compliance with changes in regulations could be significant and could harm our business, as we could find it necessary to raise our prices in order to maintain profit margins, which could lower the demand for our products and reduce our sales and profit potential.
Further, the distribution of beverage alcohol products is subject to extensive taxation both in the U.S. and internationally (and, in the U.S., at both the federal and state government levels), and beverage alcohol products themselves are the subject of national import and excise duties in most countries around the world. An increase in taxation or in import or excise duties could also significantly harm our sales revenue and margins, both through the reduction of overall consumption and by encouraging consumers to switch to lower-taxed categories of beverage alcohol.
We could face product liability or other related liabilities that increase our costs of operations and harm our reputation.
Although we maintain liability insurance and will attempt to limit contractually our liability for damages arising from our products, these measures may not be sufficient for us to successfully avoid or limit liability. Our product liability insurance coverage is limited to $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in the aggregate and our general liability umbrella policy is capped at $1 million. Further, any contractual indemnification and insurance coverage we have from parties supplying our products is limited, as a practical matter, to the creditworthiness of the indemnifying party and the insured limits of any insurance provided by these suppliers. In any event, extensive product liability claims could be costly to defend and/or costly to resolve and could harm our reputation.
If we become subject to product liability claims, personal injury claims or defective products, our business may be harmed.
The marketing and sale of our products entails risk of product liability and there can be no assurance that product liability claims will not be asserted against us. While we intend to obtain some business liability insurance, insurance designed to cover product liability is expensive, difficult to obtain in some cases and may not be available now or in the future on acceptable terms, if at all. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that such insurance coverage will be adequate, or that a product liability claim, even one without merit, would not have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition. As a result, any imposition of product liability could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we do not have any business interruption insurance due to the limited coverage of any such business interruption insurance, and as a result, any business disruption or natural disaster could severely disrupt our business and operations and significantly decrease our revenue and profitability.
Contamination of our products and/or counterfeit or confusingly similar products could harm the image and integrity of, or decrease customer support for, our brands and decrease our sales.
The success of our brands depends upon the positive image that consumers have of them. Contamination, whether arising accidentally or through deliberate third-party action, or other events that harm the integrity or consumer support for our brands, could affect the demand for our products. Contaminants in raw materials purchased from third parties and used in the production of our products or defects in the distillation and fermentation processes could lead to low beverage quality as well as illness among, or injury to, consumers of our products and could result in reduced sales of the affected brand or all of our brands. Also, to the extent that third parties sell products that are either counterfeit versions of our brands or brands that look like our brands, consumers of our brands could confuse our products with products that they consider inferior. This could cause them to refrain from purchasing our brands in the future and in turn could impair our brand equity and adversely affect our sales and operations.
RISKS RELATED TO THE SECURITIES MARKETS AND INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMON STOCK
There is a substantial lack of liquidity of our Common Stock and volatility risks.
Our Common Stock is quoted on the OTC Markets under the symbol “TQLA.” The liquidity of our Common Stock may be very limited and affected by our limited trading market. The OTC Markets market is an inter-dealer market much less regulated than the major exchanges, and is subject to abuses, volatilities and shorting. There is currently no broadly followed and established trading market for our Common Stock. An established trading market may never develop or be maintained. Active trading markets generally result in lower price volatility and more efficient execution of buy and sell orders. Absence of an active trading market reduces the liquidity of the shares traded.
The trading volume of our Common Stock may be limited and sporadic. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company which is relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. We cannot give you any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our Common Stock will develop or be sustained, or that current trading levels will be sustained. As a result of such trading activity, the quoted price for our Common Stock on the OTC Markets may not necessarily be a reliable indicator of our fair market value. In addition, if our shares of Common Stock cease to be quoted, holders would find it more difficult to dispose of or to obtain accurate quotation as to the market value of, our Common Stock and as a result, the market value of our Common Stock likely would decline.
The market price for our stock may be volatile and subject to fluctuations in response to factors, including the following:
● | The increased concentration of the ownership of our shares by a limited number of affiliated stockholders following the Exchange may limit interest in our securities; |
● | variations in quarterly operating results from the expectations of securities analysts or investors; |
● | revisions in securities analysts’ estimates or reductions in security analysts’ coverage; |
● | announcements of new attractions or services by us or our competitors; |
● | reductions in the market share of our services; |
● | announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments; |
● | general technological, market or economic trends; |
● | investor perception of our industry or prospects; |
● | insider selling or buying; |
● | investors entering into short sale contracts; |
● | regulatory developments affecting our industry; and |
● | additions or departures of key personnel. |
Many of these factors are beyond our control and may decrease the market price of our Common Stock, regardless of our operating performance. We cannot make any predictions or projections as to what the prevailing market price for our Common Stock will be at any time, including as to whether our Common Stock will sustain current market prices, or as to what effect that the sale of shares or the availability of Common Stock for sale at any time will have on the prevailing market price.
Our Common Stock may never be listed on a major stock exchange.
We anticipate seeking the listing of our Common Stock on a national or other securities exchange at some time in the future, assuming that we can satisfy the initial listing standards for such exchange. We currently do not satisfy the initial listing standards and cannot ensure that we will be able to satisfy such listing standards or that our Common Stock will be accepted for listing on any such exchange. Should we fail to satisfy the initial listing standards of such exchanges, or our Common Stock is otherwise rejected for listing, the trading price of our common stock could suffer, the trading market for our Common Stock may be less liquid, and our Common Stock price may be subject to increased volatility.
A decline in the price of our Common Stock could affect our ability to raise working capital and adversely impact our ability to continue operations.
A prolonged decline in the price of our Common Stock could result in a reduction in the liquidity of our Common Stock and a reduction in our ability to raise capital. A decline in the price of our Common Stock could be especially detrimental to our liquidity and our operations. Such reductions may force us to reallocate funds from other planned uses and may have a significant negative effect on our business plan and operations, including our ability to develop new services and continue our current operations. If our Common Stock price declines, we can offer no assurance that we will be able to raise additional capital or generate funds from operations sufficient to meet our obligations. If we are unable to raise sufficient capital in the future, we may not be able to have the resources to continue our normal operations.
Concentrated ownership of our Common Stock creates a risk of sudden changes in our Common Stock price.
The sale by any shareholder of a significant portion of their holdings could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our Common Stock.
Sales of our currently issued and outstanding stock may become freely tradable pursuant to Rule 144 and may dilute the market for your shares and have a depressive effect on the price of the shares of our Common Stock.
A substantial majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock are “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) (“Rule 144”). As restricted shares, these shares may be resold only pursuant to an effective registration statement or under the requirements of Rule 144 or other applicable exemptions from registration under the Securities Act and as required under applicable state securities laws. Rule 144 provides in essence that a non-affiliate who has held restricted securities for a period of at least six months may sell their shares of Common Stock. Under Rule 144, affiliates who have held restricted securities for a period of at least six months may, under certain conditions, sell every three months, in brokerage transactions, a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of 1% of a company’s outstanding shares of Common Stock or the average weekly trading volume during the four calendar weeks prior to the sale (the four calendar week rule does not apply to companies quoted on the OTC Markets). A sale under Rule 144 or under any other exemption from the Securities Act, if available, or pursuant to subsequent registrations of our shares of Common Stock, may have a depressive effect upon the price of our shares of Common Stock in any active market that may develop.
If we issue additional shares or derivative securities in the future, it will result in the dilution of our existing stockholders.
Our Articles of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 300,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share. Our board of directors may choose to issue some or all of such shares, or derivative securities to purchase some or all of such shares, to provide additional financing in the future.
We do not plan to declare or pay any dividends to our stockholders in the near future.
We have not declared any dividends in the past, and we do not intend to distribute dividends in the near future. The declaration, payment and amount of any future dividends will be made at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend upon, among other things, the results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, operating and capital requirements, and other factors as the board of directors considers relevant. There is no assurance that future dividends will be paid, and if dividends are paid, there is no assurance with respect to the amount of any such dividend.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and distract management.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). These requirements are extensive. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting.
We may incur significant costs associated with our public company reporting requirements and costs associated with applicable corporate governance requirements. We expect all of these applicable rules and regulations to significantly increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time consuming and costly. This may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We also expect that these applicable rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules, and we cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.
If we fail to establish and maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately. Any inability to report and file our financial results accurately and timely could harm our business and adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
We are required to establish and maintain internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures and to comply with other requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules promulgated by the SEC. Our management will need to include a report on our internal control over financial reporting and its assessment on whether such internal controls were effective for the prior fiscal year with our annual reports that we file under the Exchange Act with the SEC. Under current federal securities laws, our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective.
Our management has limited or no experience operating as a public reporting company under the Exchange Act or establishing the level of internal control over financial reporting required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Our management currently relies in many instances on the professional experience and advice of third parties including our attorneys and accountants. At present, we have started reviewing and instituting internal controls, but it may take time to implement them fully as a newly public reporting company under the Exchange Act.
Our management cannot guarantee that our internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all possible errors. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no system of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the possibility that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and subject to simple error or mistake. Furthermore, controls can be circumvented by individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more persons, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, a control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and may not be detected.
Persons associated with securities offerings, including consultants, may be deemed to be broker dealers.
In the event that any of our securities are offered without engaging a registered broker-dealer, we may face claims for rescission and other remedies. If any claims or actions were to be brought against us relating to our lack of compliance with the broker-dealer requirements, we could be subject to penalties, required to pay fines, make damages payments or settlement payments, or repurchase such securities. In addition, any claims or actions could force us to expend significant financial resources to defend our company, could divert the attention of our management from our core business and could harm our reputation.
Future changes in financial accounting standards or practices may cause adverse unexpected financial reporting fluctuations and affect reported results of operations.
A change in accounting standards or practices can have a significant effect on our reported results and may even affect our reporting of transactions completed before the change is effective. New accounting pronouncements and varying interpretations of accounting pronouncements have occurred and may occur in the future. Changes to existing rules or the questioning of current practices may adversely affect our reported financial results or the way we conduct business.
“Penny Stock” rules may make buying or selling our Common Stock difficult.
Trading in our Common Stock is subject to the “penny stock” rules. The SEC has adopted regulations that generally define a penny stock to be any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. These rules require that any broker-dealer that recommends our Common Stock to persons other than prior customers and accredited investors, must, prior to the sale, make a special written suitability determination for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to execute the transaction. Unless an exception is available, the regulations require the delivery, prior to any transaction involving a penny stock, of a disclosure schedule explaining the penny stock market and the risks associated with trading in the penny stock market. In addition, broker-dealers must disclose commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative and current quotations for the securities they offer. The additional burdens imposed upon broker-dealers by such requirements may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our Common Stock, which could severely limit the market price and liquidity of our Common Stock.
8. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY AND SUBSCRIBER.
8.1. Form D. The Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the Shares as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof to Subscriber promptly upon request of the Subscriber. The Company shall take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to qualify the Shares for, sale to the Subscribers at the Closing under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States, and shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon request of the Subscriber.
8.2. Expenses. Each Party is liable for, and shall pay, their own expenses incurred in connection with the negotiation, preparation, execution and delivery of this Agreement, including, without limitation, attorneys’ and consultants’ fees and expenses.
8.3. Sales by Subscribers. The Subscriber shall sell any and all Securities purchased hereby in compliance with applicable prospectus delivery requirements, if any, or otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The Subscriber will not make any sale, transfer or other disposition of the Units in violation of federal or state securities or “blue sky” laws and regulations.
9. MISCELLANEOUS.
9.1. Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada without regard to the principles of conflict of laws. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretation, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated this Agreement shall be commenced in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, County of New York (the “New York Courts”). Each party hereto hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Courts for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such New York Courts, or such New York Courts are improper or inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under the Transaction Documents and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by applicable law. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other reasonable costs and expenses incurred in the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
9.2. Counterparts; Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which are considered one and the same agreement and will become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other parties. This Agreement, once executed by a party, may be delivered to the other parties hereto by (e.g. electronic submission, facsimile transmission or e-mail of a copy of this Agreement bearing the signature of the party so delivering this Agreement).
9.3. Headings. The headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and do not affect its interpretation.
9.4. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
9.5. Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Subscriber and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under this Agreement. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in this Agreement and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
9.6. Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits hereto) constitutes the entire agreement among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except as set forth in herein, no provision of this Agreement may be waived or amended other than by an instrument in writing signed by the party to be charged with enforcement.
9.7. Removal of Legends. Upon the earlier of (i) registration for resale as set forth herein, or (ii) an exemption under Rule 144 becoming available, the Company shall (A) deliver to the transfer agent for the Securities (the “Transfer Agent”) irrevocable instructions that the Transfer Agent shall reissue a certificate representing shares of Common Stock without legends upon receipt by such Transfer Agent of the leg ended certificates for such shares, together with a customary representation by the Subscriber that Rule 144 applies to all shares of Common Stock represented thereby and (B) cause its counsel to deliver to the Transfer Agent one or more blanket opinions to the effect that the removal of such legends in such circumstances may be effected under the Securities Act subject to such investor and broker representations and notifications or qualifications (in the case of subscribers who are or may be deemed affiliates of the Company) that counsel may reasonably request. From and after the earlier of such dates, upon a Subscriber’s written request, the Company shall promptly cause certificates evidencing the Subscriber’s securities to be replaced with certificates which do not bear such restrictive legends, and Warrants Shares subsequently issued upon due exercise of the Warrants shall no bear such restrictive legends provided he provisions of either clause (i) or (ii) above, as applicable, are satisfied with respect to such Warrant Shares.
9.8. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement is binding upon and inures to the benefit of the parties and their successors and assigns. The Subscriber acknowledges that the Company will be assigning this Agreement and any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Subscriber and the Subscriber may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder upon the Closing without the prior written consent of the Company. This provision does not limit the Subscriber’s right to transfer the Common Stock or Warrants pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or to assign the Subscriber’s rights hereunder to any such transferee pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
9.9. Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other person.
9.10. Further Assurances. Each party will do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and will execute and deliver all other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as another party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
9.11. No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement is deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party.
9.12. Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel has reviewed and had an opportunity to revise this Agreement and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of this Agreement. Any reference to any federal, state, local, or foreign law will be deemed also to refer to law as amended and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires otherwise. The words “include,” “includes,” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by “without limitation.” The words “this Agreement,” “herein,” “hereof,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited.
9.13. Acceptance. Upon the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Subscriber, this Agreement shall become a binding obligation of the Subscriber with respect to the purchase of the Units as herein provided, subject to acceptance by the Company; subject, however, to the right hereby reserved to the Company to enter into the same agreements with other Subscribers and to add and/or delete other persons as Subscribers.
9.14. Waiver. It is agreed that a waiver by either party of a breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate, or be construed, as a waiver of any subsequent breach by that same party.
9.15. Other Documents. The parties agree to execute and deliver all such further documents, agreements and instruments and take such other and further action as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of this Agreement.
9.16. Public Statements. The Subscriber agrees not to issue any public statement with respect to the Subscriber’s investment or proposed investment in the Company or the terms of any agreement or covenant between them and the Company without the Company’s prior written consent, except such disclosures as may be required under applicable law or under any applicable order, rule or regulation.
9.17. Exculpation Among Subscribers. The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that it is not relying on any of the other Subscribers in making its investment or decision to invest in the Company. The Subscriber agrees, acknowledges and understands that none of the other Subscribers nor their respective controlling persons, officers, directors, partners, agents or employees shall be liable to the Subscriber for any action heretofore or hereafter taken or omitted to be taken by any of them in connection with the purchase of the Units or the execution of or performance under this Agreement, nor shall the Subscriber be liable to the other Subscribers for any action heretofore or hereafter taken or omitted to be taken by the Subscriber in connection with the purchase of the Units or the execution of or performance under this Agreement.
9.18. Several Obligations. The obligations of each Subscriber under any Subscription Agreements are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Subscriber, and no Subscriber shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Subscriber under any Subscription Agreement. Nothing contained herein or in any other Subscription Agreement, and no action taken by any Subscriber pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Subscribers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Subscribers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Subscription Agreements. Each Subscriber confirms that it has independently participated in the negotiation of the transaction contemplated hereby with the advice of its own counsel and advisors. Each Subscriber shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of any other Subscription Agreements, and it shall not be necessary for any other Subscriber to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. The Company acknowledges that each of the Subscribers has been provided with the same Subscription Agreements for the purpose of closing a transaction with multiple Subscribers and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Subscriber.
9.19. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVE FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
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SIGNATURE PAGE
The Subscriber hereby offers to purchase and subscribe to 10 Unit(s) and encloses payment of $250,000 per unit for an aggregate investment of $250,000.
__________________________________
Name of Subscriber
__________________________________
Signature of Subscriber
__________________________________
Name of Joint Subscriber
(If Applicable)
__________________________________
Signature of Joint Subscriber
(If Applicable)
__________________________________
Name and Title of Authorized Signatory
(If Applicable)
__________________________________
(Print) Street Address - Residence
__________________________________
(Print) City, State and Zip Code
__________________________________
Social Security/Taxpayer I.D. Number:
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
As of _______, 2015
MONTALVO SPIRITS, INC.
By: ____________________________
Name:
Title:
EXHIBIT A
CONFIDENTIAL INVESTOR QUESTIONNAIRE
The Subscriber represents and warrants that he, she or it comes within category as marked below, and that for any category marked, he, she or it has truthfully set forth, where applicable, the factual basis or reason the Subscriber comes within that category. ALL INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS SECTION WILL BE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. The undersigned agrees to furnish any additional information which the Company deems necessary in order to verify the answers set forth below.
[ ] The undersigned is an individual (not a partnership, corporation, etc.) whose individual net worth, or joint net worth with his or her spouse, presently exceeds $1,000,000.
Explanation. In calculating net worth you may include equity in personal property and real estate, including your principal residence, cash, short-term investments, stock and securities. Equity in personal property and real estate should be based on the fair market value of such property less debt secured by such property.
[ ] The undersigned is an individual (not a partnership, corporation, etc.) who had an income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years, or joint income with his or her spouse in excess of $300,000 in each of those years (in each case including foreign income, tax exempt income and full amount of capital gains and losses but excluding any income of other family members and any unrealized capital appreciation) and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year.
[ ] The undersigned is a director or executive officer of the Company which is issuing and selling the Units.
[ ] The undersigned is a bank; a savings and loan association; insurance company; registered investment company; registered business development company; licensed small business investment company (“SBIC”); or employee benefit plan within the meaning of Title 1 of ERISA and (a) the investment decision is made by a plan fiduciary which is either a bank, savings and loan association, insurance company or registered investment advisor, or (b) the plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000 or (c) is a self directed plan with investment decisions made solely by Persons that are accredited Subscribers. (describe entity)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
[ ] The undersigned is a private business development company as defined in section 202(a)(22) of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940. (describe entity)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
[ ] The undersigned is either a corporation, partnership, Massachusetts business trust, or non-profit organization within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, in each case not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Units and with total assets in excess of $5,000,000. (describe entity)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
[ ] The undersigned is a trust with total assets in excess of $5,000,000, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Units, where the purchase is directed by a “sophisticated person” as defined in Regulation 506(b)(2)(ii) under the Securities Act.
[ ] The undersigned is an entity (other than a trust) all of the equity owners of which are “accredited investors” within one or more of the above categories. If relying upon this Category H alone, each equity owner must complete a separate copy of this Agreement. (describe entity)
______________________________________________________
[ ] The undersigned is not within any of the categories above and is therefore not an accredited investor.
The undersigned agrees that the undersigned will notify the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date in the event that the representations and warranties made by the undersigned in this Agreement shall cease to be true, accurate and complete.
SUITABILITY (please answer each question)
(a) For an individual Subscriber, please describe your current employment, including the company by which you are employed and its principal business:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(b) For an individual Subscriber, please describe any college or graduate degrees held by you:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(c) For all Subscribers, please list types of prior investments:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(d) For all Subscribers, please state whether you have you participated in other private placements before:
YES_______ NO_______
(e) If your answer to question (d) above was “YES”, please indicate frequency of such prior participation in private placements of:
Public Companies | Private Companies | Public or Private [ ] | ||
Frequently | ||||
Occasionally | ||||
Never |
(f) For individual Subscribers, do you expect your current level of income to significantly decrease in the foreseeable future:
YES_______ NO_______
(g) For trust, corporate, partnership and other institutional Subscribers, do you expect your total assets to significantly decrease in the foreseeable future:
YES_______ NO_______
(h) For all Subscribers, do you have any other investments or contingent liabilities which you reasonably anticipate could cause you to need sudden cash requirements in excess of cash readily available to you:
YES_______ NO_______
(i) For all Subscribers, are you familiar with the risk aspects and the non-liquidity of investments such as the securities for which you seek to subscribe?
YES_______ NO_______
(j) For all Subscribers, do you understand that there is no guarantee of financial return on this investment and that you run the risk of losing your entire investment?
YES_______ NO_______
4. FINRA AFFILIATION.
Are you affiliated or associated with a FINRA member firm (please check one):
Yes _________ No __________
If yes, please describe:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
If Subscriber is a Registered Representative with a FINRA member firm, have the following acknowledgment signed by the appropriate party:
The undersigned FINRA member firm acknowledges receipt of the notice required by the Rules of Fair Practice.
_________________________________
Name of FINRA Member Firm
By: ______________________________
Authorized Officer
Date: ____________________________
5.The undersigned is informed of the significance to the Company of the foregoing representations and answers contained in the Confidential Investor Questionnaire and such answers have been provided under the assumption that the Company, its counsel and agents will rely on them.
Sign Name: ______________________________
Print Name: ______________________________
Date: ___________________