10,400,000 Shares of Common Stock And Warrants to Purchase 3,120,000 Shares of Common Stock Plug Power Inc. Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share) UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

EX-1.1 2 a16-21891_12ex1d1.htm EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

 

10,400,000 Shares of Common Stock

 

And

 

Warrants to Purchase 3,120,000 Shares of Common Stock

 

Plug Power Inc.

 

Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share)

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

December 19, 2016

 



 

December 19, 2016

 

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

85 Broad Street, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10004

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Plug Power Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (the “Underwriter” or “Oppenheimer”) (i) 10,400,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 (the “Shares”) and (ii) warrants to purchase 3,120,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Warrants,” and together with the Shares, the “Securities”).  The shares of common stock, par value $0.01 of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sales contemplated hereby are hereinafter referred to as the “Common Stock.” The shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants are hereinafter referred to as the “Warrant Shares.” The Shares and the Warrants shall be sold together as a fixed combination, each consisting of one Share and 0.3 of a Warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock. The Shares and the Warrants shall be immediately separable and transferable upon issuance. The terms of the Warrants are set forth in the form of Warrant attached as Exhibit A hereto.

 

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement (as defined in Section 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)) (File No. 333-214737), including a prospectus, relating to the Securities.  The registration statement as amended at the time it became effective, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”; the prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of Securities (or in the form first made available to the Underwriter by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus.”

 

For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus together with the documents and pricing information set forth in Schedule I hereto, and “broadly available road show” means a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person.  As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein as of the date hereof.  The terms “supplement,” “amendment” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.

 

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Substantially concurrently herewith, the Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement with Oppenheimer (the “Preferred Underwriting Agreement”) relating to the sale by the Company to Oppenheimer of newly issued Series D Convertible Preferred Stock of the Company and warrants to purchase Common Stock (the “Concurrent Securities”).

 

1.                                      Representations and Warranties.  The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with the Underwriter that:

 

(a)                                 The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or threatened by the Commission. The Company is eligible to use the Registration Statement as a shelf registration statement, and the Company has not received notice that the Commission objects to the use of the Registration Statement as a shelf registration statement.

 

(b)                                 (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) the Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (iv) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Securities in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 3), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (v) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (vi) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use therein.

 

(c)                                  The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act.  Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.  Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities

 

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Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.  Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule I hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

 

(d)                                 The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

(e)                                  Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims. None of the Company’s subsidiaries is a “significant subsidiary” (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act).

 

(f)                                   The Company has the power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the Warrants and to authorize, issue and sell the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement. Each of this Agreement and the Warrants has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.  The Warrants constitute valid, legal and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity.

 

(g)                                  The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

(h)                                 The shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Securities have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, and conform in all material respects to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

(i)                                     The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and

 

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non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights. All necessary corporate action has been duly and validly taken by the Company to authorize the issuance and delivery of the Warrant Shares by the Company. The Warrant Shares, when issued, paid for and delivered upon due exercise of the Warrants, will be duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, will be issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, and will be free of preemptive, registration or similar rights. The Warrant Shares have been reserved for issuance. The Securities, when issued, will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

(j)                                    The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement and the Warrants will not contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement or the Warrants, except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.

 

(k)                                 There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

 

(l)                                     There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale Prospectus and proceedings that would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Time of Sale Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.

 

(m)                             Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(n)                                 The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

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(o)                                 The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. The Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any existing liabilities concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and its subsidiaries. To the knowledge of the Company, no property which is or has been owned, leased, used, operated or occupied by the Company or its subsidiaries has been designated as a Superfund site pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation of Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 9601, et. seq.), or otherwise designated as a contaminated sit under applicable state or local law.

 

(p)                                 There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

(q)                                 Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any director, officer, or employee, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent or representative of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage; and the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain and will continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein.

 

(r)                                    The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued,

 

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administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-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 Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(s)                                   (i)  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any director, officer, or employee thereof, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:

 

(A)  the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union (“EU”), Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor

 

(B)  located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria).

 

(ii)  The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:

 

(A)  to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or

 

(B)  in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

 

(iii)  For the past 5 years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.

 

(t)                                    The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect) and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not have a material adverse effect, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which has had (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could

 

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reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a material adverse effect.

 

(u)                                 The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement is accurate. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(v)                                 The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

(w)                               The Company and each of its subsidiaries holds, and is in compliance with, all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certificates and orders (“Permits”) of any governmental or self-regulatory agency, authority or body required for the conduct of its business, and all such Permits are in full force and effect, in each case except where the failure to hold, or comply with, any of them is not reasonably likely to result in a material adverse effect.

 

(x)                                 The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all property (whether real or personal) described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as being owned by them that is material to the business of the Company, in each case free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests, other encumbrances or defects, except those that are not reasonably likely to result in a material adverse effect. The property held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries is held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with only such exceptions with respect to any particular lease as do not interfere in any material respect with the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries.

 

(y)                                 The Company and each of its subsidiaries owns or possesses or has valid right to use all patents, patent applications, trademark service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets and similar rights (“Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. To the knowledge of the Company, no action or use by the Company or any of its subsidiaries will involve or give rise to any

 

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infringement of, or license or similar fees for, any Intellectual Property of others, except where such action, use, license or fee is not reasonably likely to result in a material adverse effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice alleging any such infringement or fee.

 

(z)                                  The Company and each of its subsidiaries carries, or is covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as, in the Company’s reasonable judgment, is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and as is customary for similarly sized companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries.

 

(aa)                          No labor dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, that is reasonably likely to result in a material adverse effect.

 

(bb)                          No supplier, customer, distributor or sales agent of the Company has notified the Company that it intends to discontinue or decrease the rate of business transacted with Company, except where such decrease is not reasonably likely to result in a material adverse effect.

 

(cc)                            Since the respective dates as of which information is given (including by incorporation by reference) in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, (a) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions other than in the ordinary course of business, (b) the Company has not declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock (other than dividends on the Company’s Series C Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms of such stock), (c) there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than a change in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or the issuance of restricted stock awards or restricted stock units under the Company’s existing stock awards plan, or any new grants thereof in the ordinary course of business, and other than the dividends on the Company’s Series C Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms of such stock paid in shares of Common Stock), (d) except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, there has not been any material change in the Company’s long-term or short-term debt, and (e) there has not been the occurrence of any material adverse effect.

 

(dd)                          Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right (other than rights which have been waived in writing or otherwise satisfied) to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act.

 

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(ee)                            The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are being conducted in material compliance with applicable employment laws, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Employee Benefit 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 Employee Benefit Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(ff)                              The Company had a reasonable basis for, and made in good faith, each “forward-looking statement” (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained or by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, in each case at the time such “forward-looking statement” was made.

 

(gg)                            All statistical or market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources, to the extent required, other than such consents the failure of which to obtain is not reasonably likely to result in a material adverse effect.

 

(hh)                          The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there is no action pending by the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, by the NASDAQ Capital Market to delist the Common Stock from the NASDAQ Capital Market, nor except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus has the Company received any notification that the NASDAQ Capital Market is contemplating terminating such listing. The Company will submit, prior to the Closing Date, a Notification Form: Listing of Additional Shares with the NASDAQ Capital Market with respect to the Shares and the Warrant Shares.

 

(ii)                                  The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

(jj)                                The Company and each of its subsidiaries have made and keep books, records and accounts, which, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries in all material respects.

 

(kk)                          The minute books of the Company have been made available to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter, and such books (i) contain a complete summary of all meetings and actions of the board of directors (including each board committee) and shareholders of the Company (or analogous governing bodies and interest holders, as applicable), since January 1, 2014 through the date of the latest meeting and action, and (ii)   accurately in all material respects reflect all transactions referred to in such minutes.

 

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(ll)                                  There is no franchise agreement, lease, contract, or other agreement or document required by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and in the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or a document incorporated by reference therein which is not so described or filed therein as required; and all descriptions of any such franchise agreements, leases, contracts, or other agreements or documents contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and in the Prospectus or in a document incorporated by reference therein are accurate and complete descriptions of such documents in all material respects.

 

Except as described in the Prospectus, no such franchise agreement, lease, contract or other agreement has been suspended or terminated for convenience or default by the Company or any of the other parties thereto, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of and the Company does not have Knowledge of any such pending or threatened suspension or termination.

 

(mm)                  No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders (or analogous interest holders), customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its affiliates on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and which is not so described.

 

(nn)                          The exercise price of each option issued under the Company’s stock option or other employee benefit plans has been no less than the fair market value of a share of common stock as determined on the date of grant of such option. All grants of options were validly issued and properly approved by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly authorized committee thereof) in material compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and recorded in the Company’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such grants involved “back dating,” “forward dating” or similar practice with respect to the effective date of grant.

 

2.                                      Agreements to Sell and Purchase.  The Company hereby agrees to sell to Oppenheimer, and Oppenheimer, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees to purchase from the Company, the Securities at a purchase price of $1.1875 per share and respective Warrant for the fixed combination (the “Purchase Price”).

 

3.                                      Terms of Offering.  The Company is advised by you that you propose to make a an offering of the Securitiesunder the Registration Statement as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in your judgment is advisable.  The Company is further advised by you that the Securities are to be offered to the public initially at $1.25 per share and Warrant for the fixed combination (the “Offering Price”).

 

4.                                      Payment and Delivery.  Payment for the Securities shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Securities for the account of the Underwriter at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on December 22, 2016, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than December 30, 2016,

 

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as shall be designated in writing by you.  The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”

 

The Securities shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as you shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date.  The Securities shall be delivered to you on the Closing Date for the account of the Underwriter, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Securities to the Underwriter duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.

 

5.                                      Conditions to the Underwriter’ Obligations.  The obligations of the Company to sell the Securities to the Underwriter and the obligation of the Underwriter to purchase and pay for the Securities on the Closing Date are subject to the condition that no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission.

 

The obligations of the Underwriter are subject to the following further conditions:

 

(a)                                 Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:

 

(i)                  there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any of the securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act;

 

(ii)               there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your judgment, impracticable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus; and

 

(iii)            The Limited Waiver No. 4 to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of December 16, 2016, remains in full force and effect and the Company is not in material breach of the terms and conditions thereof. The Limited Waiver to Series C Preferred Stock Certificate of Designations, dated as of December 16, 2016, remains in full force and effect and the Company is not in material breach of the terms and conditions thereof. Amendment No. 6 to the Shareholder Rights Agreement, dated as of December 19, 2016, has been duly authorized and executed and is in full force and effect.

 

(iv)           All amounts outstanding under the Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of June 27, 2016, by and between the borrower and the lender parties thereto (as amended or supplemented from time to the, the “Loan Agreement”), have been, or are concurrently being, paid in full, and the Loan Agreement has been, or is being concurrently, terminated and of no further force and effect.

 

11



 

(b)                                 The Underwriter shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Section 5(a)(i) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.

 

The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

 

(c)                                  The Underwriter shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto.

 

(d)                                 The Underwriter shall have received from Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Underwriter may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

(e)                                  The Underwriter shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, from KPMG LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.

 

(f)                                   The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, between you and the shareholders, officers and directors of the Company listed in Schedule II hereto, relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.

 

(g)                                  The Underwriter shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a certificate, dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter.

 

(h)                                 The Company shall have entered into the Preferred Underwriting Agreement and the sale of the Concurrent Securities to Oppenheimer thereunder shall have been consummated concurrently herewith.

 

6.                                      Covenants of the Company.  The Company covenants with the Underwriter as follows:

 

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(a)                                 To furnish to you, without charge, 3 signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto but including documents incorporated by reference) and to furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(e) or 6(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

 

(b)                                 Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

 

(c)                                  To furnish to you a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which you reasonably object.

 

(d)                                 Not to take any action that would result in the Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

(e)                                  If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Securities at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriter and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

 

(f)                                   If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in

 

13



 

Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriter and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will furnish to the Company) to which Securities may have been sold by you and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

 

(g)                                  To endeavor to qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request.

 

(h)                                 To make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to you as soon as practicable an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(i)                                     If the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement occurs before all the Securities have been sold by the Underwriter, prior to the third anniversary to file a new shelf registration statement and to take any other action necessary to permit the public offering of the Securities to continue without interruption; references herein to the Registration Statement shall include the new registration statement declared effective by the Commission.

 

(j)                                    Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Securities under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriter and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Securities to the Underwriter, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum, (iv) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Shares and the Warrant Shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market, (v) the cost of printing certificates representing the Securities, (vi)the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (vii) the costs and

 

14



 

expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including, without limitation, third-party expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, third-party expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, (viii) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement, (ix) fees and disbursements of the Underwriter’s counsel in connection with the offering of the Securities hereby and the offering of the securities pursuant to the Preferred Underwriting Agreement and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section.  It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution” and the last paragraph of Section 10 below, the Underwriter will pay all of its other costs and expenses, excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, fees and disbursements of its counsel, but including stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Securities by it and any advertising expenses connected with any offers it may make.

 

The Company also covenants with the Underwriter that, without the prior written consent of Oppenheimer, it will not, during the period ending 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Restricted Period”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause 1 or 2 above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.  The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) the Securities to be sold hereunder or the securities to be sold under the Preferred Underwriting Agreement, (b) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise or settlement of any Warrants or securities sold under the Preferred Underwriting Agreement or any option, warrant or restricted stock unit outstanding on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus, or upon the conversion or redemption (in accordance with the terms thereof) of the securities sold under the Preferred Underwriting Agreement or the Company’s Series C Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Series C Preferred Stock”) outstanding on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus, (c) the issuance of Common Stock, options to acquire Common Stock or restricted stock units pursuant to the Company’s stock option plans or other employee compensation plans as such plans are in existence on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus, (d) issuances of Common Stock as matching contributions under the Company’s 401(k) plan, (e) the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to any employee benefit plan, (f) the issuance of securities as payment in satisfaction of accrued dividends payable upon the Series C Preferred Stock or (g) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or

 

15



 

filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by the Company regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period.

 

7.                                      Covenants of the Underwriter.  The Underwriter covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.

 

8.                                      Indemnity and Contribution.  (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of the Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any “road show” as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”), or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use therein.

 

(b)                                 The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, road show, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.

 

(c)                                  In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding.  In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall

 

16



 

have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them.  It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred.  Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Underwriter, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b).  The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

 

(d)                                 To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other hand from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(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 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriter on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriter, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Offering Price of the Securities.  The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter

 

17



 

on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriter and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

(e)                                  The Company and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(d).  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, the Underwriter shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that the Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  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.  The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

 

(f)                                   The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter, any person controlling the Underwriter or any affiliate of the Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.

 

9.                                      Termination.  The Underwriter may terminate this Agreement by notice given by you to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT, the NASDAQ Global Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in your judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

 

18



 

10.                               Effectiveness; Termination by the Underwriter.  This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

 

If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriter because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriter for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of the Underwriter’s counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.

 

11.                               Entire Agreement.  (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Securities, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Underwriter with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Securities.

 

(b)                                 The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Underwriter has acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owes no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person, (ii) the Underwriter owes the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, and (iii) the Underwriter may have interests that differ from those of the Company.  The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriter arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities.

 

12.                               Counterparts.  This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

 

13.                               Applicable Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.

 

14.                               Headings.  The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.

 

15.                               Notices.  All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriter shall be delivered, mailed or sent to you in care of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., 85 Broad Street, 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10004, Attention: Dennis McNamara, Executive VP — General Counsel; and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to Plug Power Inc., 968 Albany Shaker Road, Latham, New York 12110 (Attn: Gerard L. Conway Jr.), with a copy to Goodwin Procter LLP, 100 Northern Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02210 (Attn: Robert P. Whalen, Jr. and Jocelyn M. Arel).

 

[Signature page follows]

 

19



 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

PLUG POWER INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Paul Middleton

 

 

 

Name:

Paul Middleton

 

 

 

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accepted as of the date hereof

 

 

 

 

 

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Eric Helenek

 

 

 

Name:

Erik Helenek

 

 

 

Title:

Managing Director

 

 

 

20



 

SCHEDULE I

 

Time of Sale Prospectus

 

Preliminary Prospectus issued December 19, 2016

 

Final Term Sheet dated December 19, 2016

 

 



 

SCHEDULE II

 

Parties to Lock-Up Agreements

 

Andrew Marsh

 

George McNamee

 

Larry Garberding

 

Gary K. Willis

 

Maureen O. Helmer

 

Douglas T. Hickey

 

Johannes M. Roth

 

Gregory L. Kenausis

 

Xavier Pontone

 

Paul B. Middleton

 

Gerard L. Conway Jr.

 

Keith C. Schmid

 

Jose Luis Crespo

 

Martin D. Hull

 



 

EXHIBIT B

 

[FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER]

 

 

[·], 2016

 

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

 

c/o  Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

85 Broad Street, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10004

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“Oppenheimer”) proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Plug Power Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the Underwriter of 10,400,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the common stock, par value $0.01 of the Company (the “Common Stock”) and 3,120,000 warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock of the Company (the “Warrants,” and, together with the Shares, the “Securities”).

 

To induce the Underwriter to participate in the Public Offering to continue its efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of Oppenheimer, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 90 days after the date of the final prospectus (the “Restricted Period”) relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), by the undersigned or any other securities so owned convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.  The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of Common Stock or other securities acquired in such open market transactions, (b) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock as a bona fide gift or by will or intestate succession upon the death of the undersigned, (c) distributions of shares of Common Stock or

 

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any security convertible into Common Stock to limited partners, members, owners or shareholders of the undersigned, (d) the receipt by the undersigned from the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of options, warrants, restricted stock units or other equity awards, provided that any shares of Common Stock received pursuant to this clause (d) shall be subject to the restrictions on transferability contained in this agreement, (e) dispositions or transfers of securities exercisable for shares of Common Stock by the undersigned solely in connection with the “cashless” exercise of options and warrants outstanding on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus, provided that (x) any shares of Common Stock received upon the exercise of any options or warrants pursuant to this clause (e) shall be subject to the restrictions on transferability contained in this agreement and (y) if the undersigned is required to file a report under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock during the Restricted Period due to any disposition or transfer pursuant to this clause (e), the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that the disposition or transfer was made in connection with the exercise of an option or warrant and that the underlying shares of Common Stock issued upon such exercise remain subject to the terms of this agreement, (f) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, any transfer of shares of Common Stock or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock owned by the undersigned pursuant to a stock sale, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction involving the sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the undersigned’s assets to a bona fide third party purchaser that is not any entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the undersigned, provided that (x) such transfer may not be undertaken for the purpose of avoiding the restrictions imposed by this agreement, (y) any transferee shall sign and deliver a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this agreement and (z) if the foregoing transaction is not consummated, the shares of Common Stock or other securities will remain subject to the restrictions on transferability contained in this agreement, (g) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, any transfer made by the undersigned to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity that controls, is controlled by or under common control of the undersigned and such transfer is not for value and (h) the establishment of trading plans pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that (i) in the case of trading plans established after the date hereof, such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period, provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (b), (c) or (g), (i) each transferee, donee or distributee shall sign and deliver a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this agreement and (ii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of Oppenheimer, it will not, during the Restricted Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.  The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop

 

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transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriter are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering.  The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions.  Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriter.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Name)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Address)

 

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