New York Mortgage Trust, Inc. Up to $25,000,000 of Common Stock EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT Dated: June 11, 2012

The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell through the Placement Agent, acting as agent and/or principal, up to an aggregate value of $25,000,000 of shares (the “Securities”) of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, except as set forth in a Placement Notice (as defined below) the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 1 on the number of the Securities issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and the Placement Agent shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance.  The issuance and sale of the Securities through the Placement Agent will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement to offer, sell or issue the Securities, and provided further that nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the Company from entering into a separate equity distribution agreement with another Placement Agent with respect to the Shares (an “Alternative Equity Distribution Agreement”) subsequent to the date hereof.

 

SECTION 5. Representations and Warranties.

 

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Placement Agent as of the date hereof and as of each Representation Date (as defined herein) on which a certificate is required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o) of this Agreement and as of the time of each sale of any Securities pursuant to this Agreement (the “Applicable Time”), as follows:

 

(1) Compliance with Registration Requirements.  The Securities have been duly registered under the Securities Act pursuant to the Registration Statement.  The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act, or, with respect to any registration statement to be filed to register the offer and sale of the Securities pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, including the documents incorporated by reference therein and the Rule 430A Information, (a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), will be filed with the Commission and become effective under the Securities Act no later than 10:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the date of determination of the public offering price for the Securities, and no stop order preventing or suspending the use of any base prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information with respect to such Registration Statement has been complied with.

 

At the respective times the Registration Statement became or becomes effective and as of the date hereof, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act.  The conditions for the use of Form S-3, as set forth in the General Instructions thereto, have been complied with and the Registration Statement meets, and the offering and sale of the Securities as contemplated hereby complies with, the requirements of Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Securities Act (including without limitation, Rule 415(a)(5)).  The Registration Statement, as of the date hereof and each effective date with respect thereto, did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, as of their respective dates, and at each Applicable Time, each Settlement Date (as defined below and each Representation Date), as the case may be, included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The Prospectus, at the time the Prospectus was issued and at each Settlement Date, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act.

 

The representations and warranties set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by the Placement Agent expressly for use therein.

 

 

The copies of the Registration Statement, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) that is required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 under the Securities Act and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto delivered and to be delivered to the Placement Agent (electronically or otherwise) in connection with the offering of the Securities were and will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.  “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, relating to the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show” that is a “written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) under the Securities Act whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) under the Securities Act because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, and all free writing prospectuses that are listed in Exhibit G hereto, in each case in the form furnished (electronically or otherwise) to the Placement Agent for use in connection with the offering of the Securities.

 

Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus relating to the Securities, if any, as of its issue date and as of each Applicable Time and Settlement Date (as defined below), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any incorporated document deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified; each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Prospectus, as of the Applicable Time and Settlement Date (as defined below), will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances, prevailing at that time, not misleading. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any issuer free writing prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for use therein.

 

Each document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply when filed in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

(2) Company Capitalization.  The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus; the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable.

 

(3) Disclosure Regarding Outstanding Securities.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there are no outstanding (A) securities or obligations of the Company or the subsidiaries of the Company required to be set forth in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Form 10-K filed for its most recently completed fiscal year, (each a “Subsidiary,” and together, the “Subsidiaries”) convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock of or partnership interests, membership interests or other equity interests, as the case may be, in the Company or any such Subsidiary, (B) warrants, rights or options to subscribe for or purchase from the Company or any Subsidiary any such capital stock or any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations, or (C) obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary to issue any securities or obligations, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations, or any such warrants, rights or options the existence of which, in each case (A), (B) and (C), is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and are not so disclosed.

 

 

(4) Good Standing.  Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has been duly incorporated or organized and is validly existing as a corporation, general or limited partnership, limited liability company or statutory trust, as the case may be, except to the extent, in the case of the Subsidiaries, that the failure to be so organized in its respective jurisdiction of incorporation or organization would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have any material adverse effect on, or any material adverse change with respect to, the assets, business operation, earnings, prospects, properties or financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect” or “Material Adverse Change”), and is in good standing under the laws of its respective jurisdiction of incorporation or organization except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(5) Corporate Power.  Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries have the corporate, partnership or limited liability company power, as the case may be, and authority, to own, lease or operate its respective properties and conduct its respective businesses, as presently conducted and as described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (as applicable) except to the extent that the failure to have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company has all necessary corporate power to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the transactions described in this Agreement.

 

(6) Foreign Qualifications.  The Company and the Subsidiaries are duly qualified or licensed and in good standing in each jurisdiction where such qualification or license is required except where the failure, individually or in the aggregate, to be so qualified or licensed would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(7) No Prohibition on Dividends Payable by the Subsidiaries.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, no Subsidiary (excluding, for purposes of this representation, each subsidiary set forth in Exhibit H hereto) is contractually prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying dividends or from making any other distribution with respect to the outstanding membership interests of such Subsidiary or from repaying to the Company or another subsidiary of the Company any amounts which may from time to time become due under any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or another subsidiary of the Company, or from transferring such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or another subsidiary of the Company except for any such prohibitions and restrictions that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or to the extent that any such restriction would currently materially limit the Company’s ability to pay dividends or that would be reasonably likely to materially limit the future payment of dividends on Common Stock.

 

(8) Absence of Defaults.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in breach of or in default under (nor has any event occurred which with notice, lapse of time, or both would constitute a breach of, or default under), its respective organizational documents, or in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any license, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any of them or their respective properties or assets is bound, except for such breaches or defaults which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(9) Absence of Conflicts.  The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein will not (A) conflict with, or result in any breach of, or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which with notice, lapse of time, or both would constitute a breach of, or default under): (1) any provision of the organizational documents of the Company, (2) any provision of any license, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank, loan or credit agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any of them or their respective assets or properties may be bound or affected, or (3) under any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary, except in the case of clauses (2) or (3), for such conflicts, breaches or defaults which have been validly waived or would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or (B) result in the creation or imposition of any material lien, charge, claim or encumbrance upon any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(10) Authorization of Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general equitable principles, and except to the extent that the indemnification and contribution provisions of Section 10 hereof may be limited by federal or state securities laws and public policy considerations in respect thereof.

 

(11) Absence of Further Requirements.  No approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency is required in connection with the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein by the Company, including the Company’s issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities, other than (A) such as have been obtained, or will have been obtained at the Settlement Date (as defined below), as the case may be, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or state securities laws or (B) any such approvals, authorizations, consents, orders, or filings that if not obtained or made, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or which would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(12) Possession of Licenses and Permits.  To the Company’s knowledge, each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, and has obtained all necessary authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, required in order to conduct its respective businesses as described in the Prospectus, except to the extent that any failure to have any such licenses, authorizations, consents or approvals, to make any such filings or to obtain any such authorizations, consents or approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation of, in default under, or has received any notice regarding a possible violation, default or revocation of any such license, authorization, consent or approval or any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, order or judgment applicable to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries the effect of which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

 

(13) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.  Except for the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses identified in Exhibit G hereto,  the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the prior consent of the Placement Agent or upon advice of counsel that failure to do so could result in a violation of applicable securities laws, prepare, use or refer to, any Free Writing Prospectus in connection with any Placement.

 

(14) Company Not an Ineligible Issuer.  (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act) of the Securities and (ii) as of the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Securities Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.

 

(15) Filing of Registration Statement.  The Company filed the Registration Statement with the Commission before using any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

 

(16) Absence of Proceedings.  There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(17) Financial Statements.  The consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and schedules (and related notes) present fairly the consolidated financial conditions of the Company and its subsidiaries, as of the dates indicated and consolidated results of operations and changes in financial condition and cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and on a consistent basis during the periods involved and in accordance with Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission; the financial statement schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus have been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements; no pro forma financial information, financial statements or supporting schedules other than the financial statements and schedules included in the Prospectus are required to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.  All non-GAAP financial measures (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act to the extent such rules are applicable to such financial measures.

 

(18) Independent Accountants.  Grant Thornton LLP, whose reports on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries constitute part of the Prospectus, is, and was during the periods covered by its reports, independent as required by the Securities Act.

 

 

(19) No Material Adverse Change.  Subsequent to the respective dates of the financial statements, and except as may be otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, there has not been (A) any Material Adverse Change or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (B) any transaction that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole entered into by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, (C) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, directly or indirectly incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (D) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

 

(20) Description of Securities.  The Common Stock, conforms in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Prospectus.

 

(21) Absence of Registration Rights.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries, including securities which are convertible into or exchangeable or redeemable for equity securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries, registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company under the Securities Act.

 

(22) Authorization of Securities.  The Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued and duly delivered against payment therefor as contemplated by this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and the sale of the Securities by the Company is not subject to preemptive, right of first refusal or other similar rights.

 

(23) Listing.  The Common Stock has been registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and the Company will provide the Placement Agent with evidence of the approval of the Securities for listing on NASDAQ, and, upon such notice, the Securities will be approved for listing on NASDAQ, subject to official notice of issuance;

 

(24) Absence of Stabilization and Manipulation.  The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

(25) Absence of Registration Requirements.  Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its affiliates, (A) is required to register as a “broker” or “dealer” in accordance with the provisions of the Exchange Act, or (B) directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or has any other association with (within the meaning of Article I of the By-laws of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”)) any member firm of FINRA, other than JMP Group Inc., the Placement Agent and their affiliates.

 

(26) Form of Certificates.  The form of certificate used to evidence the Common Stock complies in all material respects with all applicable statutory requirements, with any applicable requirements of the organizational documents of the Company and the requirements of NASDAQ.

 

(27) Title to Property.  The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property, if any, and good title to all personal property, if any, owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, security interests, pledges, charges, encumbrances, claims, restrictions, mortgages and defects in such title (collectively, the “Encumbrances”), except such Encumbrances that are disclosed in the Prospectus or would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; any real or personal property leased by the Company or any Subsidiary is held under a lease which is a valid and binding agreement, enforceable against the Company or such Subsidiary (to the extent a party thereto) and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, except (A) as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general principles of equity, and except to the extent that the indemnification and contribution provisions of Section 10 hereof may be limited by federal or state securities laws and public policy considerations in respect thereof, (B) as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus or (C) for such exceptions that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(28) Mortgages.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the mortgages, if any, encumbering any real property owned in fee simple by the Company or a Subsidiary are not and will not be: (A) convertible (in the absence of foreclosure) into an equity interest in such real property or in the Company or any Subsidiary, (B) cross-defaulted to any indebtedness other than indebtedness of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or (C) cross-collateralized to any property or assets not owned by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries.

 

(29) Description of Legal Proceedings.  The descriptions of legal or governmental proceedings, contracts, leases and other legal documents in the Prospectus constitute fair and accurate summaries of such proceedings or documents, and there are no legal or governmental proceedings, contracts, leases or other documents that are known to the Company of a character required to be described in the Prospectus or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which are not so described or filed; all agreements between the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and third parties expressly referenced in the Prospectus are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company or the Subsidiaries, to the extent a party thereto, and, to the knowledge of the Company, of the other parties thereto, enforceable against the Company or Subsidiaries in accordance with their respective terms, (except (A) to the extent enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles, and except to the extent that the indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by federal or state securities laws and public policy considerations in respect thereof and (B) where the failure to be enforceable would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect), and neither the company nor any Subsidiary is in breach or default under any such agreements except where the breach or default thereof would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(30) Possession of Intellectual Property.  The Company or the Subsidiaries own or possess adequate licenses or other rights to use all material patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, software licenses, trade secrets, other intangible property rights and know-how (collectively, “Intangibles”) necessary for the Company and the Subsidiaries taken together as a whole (the “Consolidated Company”) to conduct the business of the Consolidated Company as described in the Prospectus, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received notice of infringement of or conflict with (and the Company and the Subsidiaries know of no such infringement of or conflict with) asserted rights of others with respect to any Intangibles which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(31) Accounting Controls.  The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that, with respect to the Consolidated Company, (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the consolidated financial statements of the Company in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to maintain asset accountability; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

(32) Disclosure Controls.  (A) the Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act), which (1) are designed to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management of the Company, including its principal executive officer and its principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely disclosure to be made, (2) have been evaluated for effectiveness as of the end of the Company’s most recent quarterly fiscal period, and (3) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established, and (B) based on the evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures described above, the Company is not aware of (1) any material weakness in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which is reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information, or (2) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.  To the Company’s knowledge, since the most recent evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures described above and except as otherwise described in the Prospectus, there have been no significant changes in internal control over financial reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect internal control over financial reporting.

 

(33) ERISA.  The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”); no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “pension plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries would have any material liability; neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has incurred and none of them expect to incur any material liability under (A) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “pension plan” or (B) Section 412 or 4971 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“Code”); each “pension plan” for which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification, the result of which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(34) Tax Returns.  The Company and each of the Subsidiaries has filed on a timely basis all material federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof or have properly requested extensions thereof, and all such tax returns are true, correct and complete in all material respects (except where any omission or inaccuracy could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect), and have paid all material taxes required to be paid, including any tax assessment, fine or penalty levied against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries other than such amounts that are being contested in good faith and for which appropriate reserves have been provided for on the books of such entities; and no tax deficiency has been asserted against any such entity, nor does any such entity know of any tax deficiency which is likely to be asserted against any such entity which, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to any such entity, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; all material tax liabilities are adequately provided for on the respective books of such entities.

 

 

(35) REIT Qualification.  The Company is organized and has operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) under the Code; the Company qualified as a REIT for the taxable years ended December 31, 2004 through December 31, 2011 and the present and contemplated method of operation of the Company and the Subsidiaries will enable the Company to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for its tax year ending December 31, 2012 and subsequent taxable years; and the Company intends to continue to qualify as a REIT until the Board of Directors of the Company determines that it is no longer in the best interests of the Company to continue to qualify as a REIT; neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has taken any action that could reasonably be expected to cause the Company to fail to qualify as a REIT under the Code at any time.

 

(36) Federal Income Tax Considerations.  The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption “Material Federal Income Tax Considerations” and in The Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Additional Federal Income Tax Considerations” insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate and complete in all material respects.

 

(37) Tax Advice.  The Company has not relied upon the Placement Agent or legal counsel for the Placement Agent for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities.

 

(38) No Other Offering Documents or Prospectuses.  The Company has not distributed, and prior to the completion of the distribution of the Securities, will not distribute, any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities to be sold hereunder by the Placement Agent, other than the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Placement Agent.

 

(39) Insurance.  The Company maintains insurance, including title insurance (in each case, issued by insurers of recognized financial responsibility) of the types and in the amounts as are, in the reasonable opinion of management, prudent for their business, all of which insurance is in full force and effect.

 

(40) Environmental Laws.  The Company and the Subsidiaries have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable federal and state occupational safety and health and environmental laws, regulations and rules to conduct the business of the Consolidated Company, and the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permits, licenses or approvals, except for any failure to have required permits, licenses or other approvals or to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(41) Absence of Impermissible Transactions.  None of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any officer, director, employee or agent purporting to act on behalf of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries has at any time (A) made any contributions to any candidate for political office, or failed to disclose fully any such contributions, in violation of law, (B) made any payment of funds or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation or of a character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus, or (C) engaged in any material transactions, maintained any bank account or used any material corporate funds except for transactions, bank accounts and funds which have been or are, as applicable, reflected in the books and records of the Company and the Subsidiaries.

 

 

(42) Absence of Indebtedness.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there are no material outstanding loans, advances or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any officers and or directors of the Subsidiaries or any of the members of the immediate families of any such officers or directors.

 

(43) Issued Securities.  All securities issued by the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or any trusts established by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries have been issued and sold in compliance with (A) all applicable federal and state securities laws and (B) the applicable corporate or partnership law of the jurisdiction of incorporation or organization of the Company or Subsidiary, as applicable except, in each case, where failure thereof would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(44) Lessees.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, no lessee of any portion of any of the real properties owned by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries (collectively, the “Properties”) is in default under any of the leases governing such Properties and there is no event which, but for the passage of time or the giving of notice or both, would constitute a default under any of such leases, except such defaults that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(45) Hazardous Materials.  To the Company’s knowledge neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has any liability under any applicable environmental, health, safety or similar law or otherwise relating to any Hazardous Material (as hereinafter defined) and there are no written notices of potential liability or claims pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or concerning any of the Properties under any applicable environmental, health, safety or similar law or otherwise relating to any Hazardous Material, except for such liabilities or claims which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any other person, has contaminated or caused conditions that threaten to contaminate any of the Properties with Hazardous Materials, except for such contamination or threats of contamination which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Properties nor any other land ever owned by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is included on or, to the knowledge of the Company, is proposed for inclusion on the National Priorities List pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq., or any similar list or inventory of contaminated properties, the result of which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  As used herein, “Hazardous Material” shall mean any hazardous material, hazardous waste, hazardous substance, hazardous constituent, toxic substance, pollutant, contaminant, asbestos, petroleum, petroleum waste, radioactive material, biohazardous material, explosive or any other material, the presence of which in the environment is prohibited, regulated, or serves as the basis of liability, as defined, listed, or regulated by any applicable federal, state, or local environmental law, ordinance, rule, or regulation.

 

(46) Compliance with Securities Laws.  In connection with the offer and sale of the Securities, the Company has not offered shares of its Common Stock or any other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable or redeemable for Common Stock in a manner in violation of the Securities Act.

 

 

(47) Labor Relations.  With respect to employees of the Company or any Subsidiary, no labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, is imminent, that would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(48) Lending Relationship.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any outstanding borrowings from, or is a party to any line of credit, credit agreement or other credit facility or otherwise has a borrowing relationship with, any bank or other lending institution affiliated with the Placement Agent, and the Company does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any debt owed to the Placement Agent or, to the knowledge of the Company, any affiliate thereof.

 

(49) Absence of Finders’ Fees.  The Company has not incurred any liability for any finder’s fees or similar payments in connection with the transactions herein contemplated.

 

(50) No Other Contracts.  Other than this Agreement or any Alternative Equity Distribution Agreement, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or the Placement Agent for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment with respect to the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(51) Proprietary Trading by the Placement Agent.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent has informed the Company that the Placement Agent may, to the extent permitted under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, purchase and sell shares of Common Stock for its own account while this Agreement is in effect, and shall be under no obligation to purchase Securities on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the Placement Agent in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable); provided, that no such purchase or sales shall take place while a Placement Notice is in effect (except (i) as agreed by the Placement Agent in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) or (ii) to the extent the Placement Agent may engage in sales of Placement Securities purchased or deemed purchased from the Company as a “riskless principal” or in a similar capacity). The Company further acknowledges and agrees that, except as otherwise agreed in a Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), it shall not be deemed to have authorized or consented to any such purchases or sales by the Placement Agent.

 

(52) FINRA Matters.  All of the information provided to the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent by the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its officers and directors and the holders of any securities of the Company in connection with letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to the FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 or 5121 is true, complete and correct in all material respects.  The Company satisfies the pre-1992 eligibility requirements for the use of a registration statement on Form S-3 in connection with the offer and sale of the Placement Securities (the pre-1992 eligibility requirements for the use of the registration statement on Form S-3 include (i) having a non-affiliate, public common equity float of at least $150 million or a non-affiliate, public common equity float of at least $100 million and annual trading volume of at least three million shares and (ii) having been subject to the Exchange Act reporting requirements for a period of 36 months).

 

(53) Related Party Transactions.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of the Subsidiaries on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries on the other hand, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Prospectus and which is not so described.

 

 

(54) Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley.  The Company and the Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the officers and directors of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in their capacities as such, are, and at the Settlement Date (as defined below) and any Applicable Time will be, in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”).

 

(55) Investment Company Act.  The Company is not required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

 

(56) Statistical and Market Data.  The statistical and market related data included in the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.

 

(57) OFAC. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

 

(58) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that has resulted or would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”), except for such violations which would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA, and the Company and its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its other affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

(59) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

 

(60) Subsidiary Tax Classification. Any Subsidiary that is a partnership or a limited liability company (other than Hypotheca Capital, LLC and New York Mortgage Funding, LLC) has been properly classified either as a partnership or as an entity disregarded as separate from the Company for federal income tax purposes throughout the period from its formation through the date hereof.

 

(b) Certificates.  Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company delivered to the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent pursuant to the terms or provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Placement Agent as to the matters covered thereby.

 

SECTION 6. Sale and Delivery to the Placement Agent; Settlement.

 

(a) Sale of Placement Securities.  On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the Placement Agent’s acceptance of the terms of a Placement Notice or upon receipt by the Placement Agent of an Acceptance, as the case may be, and unless the sale of the Placement Securities described therein has been declined, suspended, or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Placement Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of NASDAQ to sell such Placement Securities up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that the Placement Agent will be successful in selling Placement Securities, (ii) the Placement Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Securities for any reason other than a failure by the Placement Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Securities as required under this Section 6, and (iii) the Placement Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Securities on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the Placement Agent in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable).

 

(b) Settlement of Placement Securities.  Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice, settlement for sales of Placement Securities will occur on the third (3rd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”).  The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Securities sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by the Placement Agent at which such Placement Securities were sold, after deduction for (i) the Placement Agent’s commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof and (ii) any other amounts due and payable by the Company to the Placement Agent hereunder pursuant to Section 8(a) hereof; provided such amounts are detailed and itemized in a written statement delivered to the Company at least one Business Day prior to the the Settlement Date.

 

(c) Delivery of Placement Securities.  On or before each Settlement Date, concurrently with the receipt by the Company of the Net Proceeds due to the Company in respect of such Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Securities being sold by crediting the Placement Agent’s or its designee’s account (provided the Placement Agent shall have given the Company written notice of such designee at least one Business Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form.  On each Settlement Date, the Placement Agent will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, the Settlement Date.  The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver Placement Securities on a Settlement Date, the Company agrees that, in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 10(a) hereto, it will (i) hold the Placement Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or expense (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company and (ii) pay to the Placement Agent any commission, discount, or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.

 

 

(d) Denominations; Registration.  If requested by the Placement Agent at least two Business Days prior to the Settlement Date, then in lieu of electronic transfer, certificates for the Securities shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Placement Agent shall have specified in such request.  The certificates for the Securities will be made available for examination and packaging by the Placement Agent in The City of New York not later than 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Business Day prior to the Settlement Date.

 

SECTION 7. Covenants of the Company.  The Company covenants with the Placement Agent as follows:

 

(a) Registration Statement Amendment.  After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to any Placement Securities is required to be delivered by the Placement Agent under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), (i) the Company will notify the Placement Agent promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed with the Commission, other than documents incorporated by reference, and of any comment letter from the Commission or any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (ii) unless otherwise advised by the Company’s legal counsel, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon the Placement Agent’s request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in the Placement Agent’s reasonable opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Securities by the Placement Agent (provided, however, that the failure of the Placement Agent to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Placement Agent’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, relating to the Placement Securities or a security convertible into the Placement Securities unless (A) a copy thereof has been submitted to the Placement Agent within a reasonable period of time before the filing and the Placement Agent has not reasonably objected thereto or (B) the Company has been advised by legal counsel that a failure to do so could result in a violation of applicable securities laws (provided, however, that the failure of the Placement Agent to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Placement Agent’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to the Placement Agent at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via EDGAR; and (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) of the Securities Act).

 

 

(b) Notice of Commission Stop Orders.  The Company will advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any other order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement or if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.  The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, the suspension of any qualification of the Securities for offering or sale and any loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, and if any such stop order is issued or any such suspension or loss occurs, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(c) Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus.  Except to the extent such documents have been publicly filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, the Company will furnish to the Placement Agent and its counsel (at the expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, that are filed with the Commission during any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), in each case as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities and at such locations as the Placement Agent may from time to time reasonably request.

 

(d) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If at any time when a Prospectus is required by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to be delivered in connection with a pending sale of the Placement Securities (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement together with the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary at any such time to amend the Registration Statement together with the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify the Placement Agent to suspend the offering of Placement Securities during such period and the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Placement Agent such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.  If at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted, conflicts or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Securities that was not superceded or modified or included, includes or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or together with the Prospectus omitted, omits or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Placement Agent to suspend the offering of Placement Securities during such period and the Company will, subject to Section 7(a) hereof, promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

 

(e) Blue Sky and Other Qualifications.  The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts, in cooperation with the Placement Agent, to qualify the Placement Securities for offering and sale, or to obtain an exemption for the Securities to be offered and sold, under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Placement Agent may designate and to maintain such qualifications and exemptions in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Securities (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.  In each jurisdiction in which the Placement Securities have been so qualified or exempt, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification or exemption, as the case may be, in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Securities (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement).

 

(f) Rule 158.  The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Placement Agent the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.

 

(g) Use of Proceeds.  The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(h) Listing.  During any period in which the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities is required to be delivered by the Placement Agent under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Securities (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Placement Securities to be listed on NASDAQ.

 

(i) Filings with NASDAQ.  The Company will timely seek to file NASDAQ all material documents and notices required by NASDAQ of companies that have securities traded on NASDAQ.

 

(j)Reporting Requirements.  The Company, during any period when the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

 

(k) Notice of Other Sales.  During the pendency of any Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) given hereunder, the Company shall provide the Placement Agent notice a reasonable time before it offers to sell, contracts to sell, sells, grants any option to sell or otherwise disposes of any shares of Common Stock (other than Placement Securities offered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Common Stock; provided, that such notice shall not be required in connection with the (i) issuance, grant or sale of restricted stock, Common Stock, LTIP units, options to purchase Common Stock, or Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or other equity awards pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock or compensatory plan or arrangement described in the Prospectus, (ii) the issuance of securities in connection with an acquisition, merger or sale or purchase of assets described in the Prospectus, (iii) the issuance or sale of Common Stock pursuant to any dividend reinvestment plan or direct stock purchase plan that the Company has in effect or may adopt from time to time, provided the implementation of such new plan is disclosed to the Placement Agent in advance, or (iv) the issuance of Common Stock upon the exercise of any outstanding security of the Company convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Common Stock; provided further that such notice shall not be required if such information has been filed or furnished on EDGAR or has otherwise been publicly disclosed in advance of such offer, contract, sale, grant or other disposal.

 

 

(l) Change of Circumstances.  The Company will, at any time during a fiscal quarter in which the Company intends to tender a Placement Notice or sell Placement Securities, advise the Placement Agent promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document provided to the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement during such fiscal quarter.

 

(m) Due Diligence Cooperation.  The Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Placement Agent or its agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.

 

(n) Disclosure of Sales.  The Company agrees that it will either (i) disclose in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in its Annual Report on Form 10-K the number of Placement Securities sold through the Placement Agent during the most recent fiscal quarter, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid or payable by the Company to the Placement Agent with respect to such Placement Securities or (ii) (x) on or prior to the date of each such filing of its Annual and Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, file a prospectus supplement with the Commission under the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, which prospectus supplement will contain the information required by clause (i), and (y) deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to each exchange or market on which such sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of such exchange or market.

 

(o) Representation Dates; Certificate.  On or prior to the date that the Securities are first sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and:

 

(i) each time the Company files the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities or amends or supplements the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities (other than amendments or supplements that are filed solely to report sales of the Placement Securities pursuant to this Agreement) by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but, except as as set forth in clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) below, not by means of incorporation of documents by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities;

 

(ii) each time the Company files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act;

 

(iii) each time the Company files its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or

 

(iv) each time the Company files a report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than an earnings release, to “furnish” information pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or to provide disclosure pursuant to Item 8.01 of Form 8-K relating to the reclassifications of certain properties as discontinued operations in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144) under the Exchange Act (each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a “Representation Date”);

 

 

the Company shall furnish the Placement Agent with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F, within three (3) Trading Days of any Representation Date.  The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(o) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date; provided, however, that such waiver shall not apply for any Representation Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Securities following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Placement Agent with a certificate under this Section 7(o), then before the Company delivers the Placement Notice or the Placement Agent sells any Placement Securities, the Company shall provide the Placement Agent with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F, dated the date of the Placement Notice.

 

(p) Legal Opinions.  On or prior to the date that the Securities are first sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and within three (3) Trading Days after each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause to be furnished to the Placement Agent (i) a written opinion of Hunton & Williams LLP, corporate counsel to the Company (“Company Corporate Counsel”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit D-1, (ii) a written opinion of Venable LLP, special Maryland counsel to the Company (“Company Maryland Counsel”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit D-2 and (iii) a written opinion of Hunton & Williams LLP, special tax counsel to the Company (“Company Special Counsel”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit E.  Unless waived by the Placement Agent, the Placement Agent covenants to use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause to be furnished to itself a written opinion of Reed Smith LLP, counsel to the Placement Agent (“Counsel to the Placement Agent”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered.  In lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation Dates, counsel may furnish the Placement Agent with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that the Placement Agent may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 7(p) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at such Representation Date).

 

(q) Comfort Letter.  On or prior to the date that the Securities are first sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and within three (3) Trading Days after each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause its independent accountants (and any other independent accountants whose report is included in the Prospectus) to furnish the Placement Agent letters (the “Comfort Letters”), dated the date the Comfort Letter is delivered, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the PCAOB, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings.

 

 

(r) Market Activities.  The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase the Securities to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Securities to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement other than the Placement Agent; provided, however, that the Company may bid for and purchase its Common Stock in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act.

 

(s) Investment Company Act.  The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that neither it nor its subsidiaries will be required to register as, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement, an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act, assuming no change in the Commission’s current interpretation as to entities that are not considered an investment company.

 

(t) Securities Act and Exchange Act.  The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of, or dealings in, the Placement Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof and the Prospectus.

 

(u) No Offer to Sell.  Other than a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) approved in advance in writing by the Company and the Placement Agent in its capacity as principal or agent hereunder, or as deemed necessary by the Company to comply with applicable securities laws under advice of counsel, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Placement Agent in its capacity as such) will not, directly or indirectly, make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any free writing prospectus relating to the Securities to be sold by the Placement Agent as principal or agent hereunder.

 

(v) Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all effective applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

(w) Regulation M.  If the Company has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with respect to the Company or the Common Stock, it shall promptly notify the Placement Agent and sales of the Placement Securities under this Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of each party.

 

(x) REIT Qualification.  The Company will use its best efforts to enable the Company to meet the requirements to qualify as a REIT under the Code until the Board of Directors of the Company determines that it is no longer in the best interests of the Company to qualify as a REIT.

 

SECTION 8 Payment of Expenses.  The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment and supplement thereto, (ii) the word processing, printing and delivery to the Placement Agent of this Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Placement Securities by the Company to the Placement Agent, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any capital duties, stamp duties or other duties or taxes payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Securities to the Placement Agent, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company, (iv) the qualification or exemption of the Placement Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof (provided, however, that any fees or disbursements of counsel for the Placement Agent in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplements thereto shall be paid by the Placement Agent), (v) the printing and delivery to the Placement Agent of copies of any permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Placement Agent to investors, (vi) the fees and expenses of the transfer agent and registrar for the Securities, (vii) the filing fees incident to the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, and (viii) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Placement Securities on NASDAQ.

 

 

SECTION 9. Conditions of the Placement Agent’s Obligations.  The obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

 

(a) Opinions of Company Corporate Counsel, Company Maryland Counsel, Company Special Counsel and Counsel to the Placement Agent.  On or prior to the date that Securities are first sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement the Company shall furnish to the Placement Agent the opinions, each addressed to the Placement Agent, of (i) Company Corporate Counsel, or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit D-1; (ii) Company Maryland Counsel, or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit D-2; (iii) Company Special Counsel, or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit E; and (iv) unless waived by the Placement Agent, Counsel to the Placement Agent, or other counsel satisfactory to the Placement Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered.

 

(b) Effectiveness of Registration Statement.  The Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective and shall be available for (i) all sales of Placement Securities issued pursuant to all prior Placement Notices (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) and (ii) the sale of all Placement Securities contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable).

 

(c) No Material Notices.  None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any material document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or such documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, that in the case of the Prospectus, and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (when read together with the Prospectus), it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

 

(d) No Misstatement or Material Omission.  The Placement Agent shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in the Placement Agent’s reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in the Placement Agent’s opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(e) Material Changes.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there shall not have been any Material Adverse Change.

 

(f) Representation Certificate.  The Placement Agent shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(o).

 

(g) Accountant’s Comfort Letter.  The Placement Agent shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant Section 7(q) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(q).

 

(h) Approval for Listing.  The Placement Securities shall either have been (i) approved for listing on NASDAQ, subject only to notice of issuance, or (ii) the Company shall have filed an application for listing of the Placement Securities on NASDAQ at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.

 

(i) No Suspension.  Trading in the Securities shall not have been suspended on NASDAQ.

 

(j) Additional Documents.  On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(o), counsel for the Placement Agent shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, contained in this Agreement.

 

(k) Securities Act Filings Made.  All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

 

SECTION 10. Indemnity and Contribution by the Company and the Placement Agent.

 

(a) Indemnification by the Company.  The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Placement Agent and any person who controls the Placement Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, expense, liability, damage or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, the Placement Agent or any controlling person may incur under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, expense, liability, damage or claim arises out of or is based upon (1) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereof), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed or was required to file with the Commission or the Prospectus (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 10 being deemed to include the Prospectus as of its date and as amended or supplemented by the Company), (2) any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated in any such Registration Statement, or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, or (3) any omission or alleged omission from any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Prospectus of a material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; except, in the case of each of clauses (1), (2) and (3), insofar as any such loss, expense, liability, damage or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, in each such case, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Placement Agent and furnished in writing by the Placement Agent to the Company expressly stating that such information is intended for inclusion in any document described in clause (a)(1) above.  The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 10(a) shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.  If any action is brought against the Placement Agent or any controlling person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to the foregoing paragraph of this Section 10(a), the Placement Agent shall promptly notify the Company, as the case may be, in writing of the institution of such action (enclosing a copy of all papers served), and the Company, as the case may be, shall if it so elects, assume the defense of such action, including the employment of counsel and payment of expenses; provided, however, that any failure or delay to so notify the Company, as the case may be, will not relieve the Company of any obligation hereunder, except to the extent that their ability to defend is materially prejudiced by such failure or delay.  The Placement Agent or such controlling person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Placement Agent or such controlling person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Company, as the case may be, in connection with the defense of such action, or the Company shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent or such controlling person, as the case maybe, to have charge of the defense of such action within a reasonable time or such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded (based on the advice of counsel) that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Company shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys for the Placement Agent or such controlling persons in any one action or series of related actions in the same jurisdiction (other than local counsel in any such jurisdiction) representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action).  Anything in this paragraph to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any such claim or action effected without its consent.

 

(b) Indemnification by the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, the Company’s directors, the Company’s officers that signed the Registration Statement, any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, expense, liability, damage or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, the Company or any such person may incur under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, expense, liability, damage or claim arises out of or is based upon (1) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereof), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed or was required to file with the Commission, or the Prospectus, (2) any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated in any such Registration Statement, or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, or (3) any omission or alleged omission from any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus of a material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, but in each case only insofar as such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in such Registration Statement, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Placement Agent furnished in writing by the Placement Agent to the Company expressly stating that such information is intended for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (or any amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto). The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 10(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Placement Agent may otherwise have.

 

 

If any action is brought against the Company or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Placement Agent pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, the Company or such person shall promptly notify the Placement Agent in writing of the institution of such action (enclosing a copy of all papers served) and the Placement Agent shall if its so elects assume the defense of such action, including the employment of counsel and payment of expenses; provided, however, that any failure or delay to so notify the Placement Agent will not relieve the Placement Agent of any obligation hereunder, except to the extent that their ability to defend is materially prejudiced by such failure or delay.  The Company or such person shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Company or such person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Placement Agent in connection with the defense of such action or the Placement Agent shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company or such person, as the case may be, to have charge of the defense of such action within a reasonable time or such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded (based on the advice of counsel) that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to (in which case the Placement Agent shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by the Placement Agent and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Placement Agent shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys in any one action or series of related actions in the same jurisdiction (other than local counsel in any such jurisdiction) representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action).  Anything in this paragraph to the contrary notwithstanding, the Placement Agent shall not be liable for any settlement of any such claim or action effected without its written consent.

 

(c) Contribution.  If the indemnification provided for in this Section 10 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 10 in respect of any losses, expenses, liabilities, damages or claims referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, expenses, liabilities, damages or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and by the Placement Agent, each from the offering of the Securities, or (ii) if (but only if) the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Placement Agent in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, expenses, liabilities, damages or claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities (after underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting the expenses described in Section 8(a)) received by each of them and benefits received by the Placement Agent shall be deemed to be equal to the underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Placement Agent.  The relative fault of the Company and of the Placement Agent shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Placement Agent and the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. Subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 10(a) and 10(b) hereof, the amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any claim or action.

 

 

(d) The Company and the Placement Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in clause (i) and, if applicable, clause (ii) of subsection (c) above.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, the Placement Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Securities purchased by the Placement Agent and the liability of the Company pursuant to this Section 10 shall not exceed the total net proceeds (after underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting the expenses described in Section 8(a)) received by the Company in the offering.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

(e) The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company with respect to indemnification.

 

SECTION 11. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery.  All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent or controlling person, or by or on behalf of the Company, and shall survive delivery of the Securities to the Placement Agent.

 

SECTION 12. Termination of Agreement.

 

(a) Termination; General.  The Placement Agent may terminate this Agreement, by written notice to the Company, as hereinafter specified at any time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the date as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Change, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the reasonable judgment of the Placement Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in the Common Stock has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or NASDAQ, or if trading generally on NASDAQ, the NYSE MKT or the New York Stock Exchange has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, the FINRA or any other governmental authority, or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or in Europe, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

 

(b) Termination by the Company.  The Company shall have the right, by giving three (3) days notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement.  Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12(b), any outstanding Placement Notices (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) shall also be terminated.

 

 

(c) Termination by the Placement Agent.  The Placement Agent shall have the right, by giving three (3) days notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement.

 

(d) Automatic Termination.  Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 12, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Placement Securities through the Placement Agent on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein.

 

(e) Continued Force and Effect.  This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 12(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties.

 

(f) Effectiveness of Termination.  Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Placement Agent or the Company, as the case may be.  If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Securities, such Placement Securities shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(g) Liabilities.  If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section 12, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 8 hereof, and except that, in the case of any termination of this Agreement, Section 8, Section 10, Section 11, Section 16 and Section 19 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 13. Notices.  Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, all notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication.  Notices to the Placement Agent shall be directed to the Placement Agent at JMP Securities LLC, 600 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, California  94111, Facsimile:   ###-###-####, Attention: Equity Securities, with a copy to Reed Smith LLP, 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022, fax no. (212) 521-5450, Attention: Daniel I. Goldberg, Esq., and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at the offices of the Company at 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, Suite 403, New York, New York 10017, fax no. (732) 559-8250, Attention of Chief Executive Officer, with a copy to Hunton & Williams LLP, Bank of America Plaza, 600 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 4100, Atlanta, Georgia 30308, fax no. (404) 888-4190, Attention of Christopher C. Green, Esq.

 

SECTION 14. Parties.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Placement Agent, the Company and their respective successors.  Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Placement Agent, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Section 10 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained.  This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Placement Agent, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation.  No purchaser of Securities from the Placement Agent shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

SECTION 15. Adjustments for Stock Splits.  The parties acknowledge and agree that all stock-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any stock split, stock dividend or similar event effected with respect to the Securities.

 

 

SECTION 16. Governing Law and Time.  THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.  SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

SECTION 17. Effect of Headings.  The Section and Exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

SECTION 18. Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Placement Agent or is acting under advice of counsel in order to comply with applicable securities laws, and the Placement Agent represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, required to be filed with the Commission.  Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Placement Agent or by the Company, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.”  The Company represents and warrants that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.  For the purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that all free writing prospectuses, if any, listed in Exhibit G hereto are Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.

 

SECTION 19. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

 

(a) The Placement Agent is acting solely as agent and/or principal in connection with the public offering of the Securities and in connection with each transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transactions, and no fiduciary or advisory relationship between the Company or any of its respective affiliates, stockholders (or other equity holders), creditors or employees or any other party, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand, has been or will be created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether or not the Placement Agent has advised or is advising the Company on other matters, and the Placement Agent has no obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement;

 

(b) the public offering price of the Securities was not established by the Placement Agent; it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(c) the Placement Agent has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and it has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate;

 

(d) it is aware that the Placement Agent and its respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and the Placement Agent has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and

 

 

(e) it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Placement Agent for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Placement Agent shall not have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of it or the Company, employees or creditors of Company.