Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 27, 2021, between Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the purchaser party thereto

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Purchase Agreements
EX-10.1 2 ny20000237x2_ex10-1.htm EXHIBIT 10.1
Exhibit 10.1

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of August 27, 2021 (the “Effective Date”) by and among Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of those persons listed as a Purchaser on the Schedule of Purchasers attached as Schedule I hereto (each, a “Purchaser” and together, the “Purchasers”). Certain terms used and not otherwise defined in the text of this Agreement are defined in Section 11 hereof.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Company and the Purchasers are executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Rule 506 of Regulation D as promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act; and

WHEREAS, the Company desires to issue and sell to the Purchasers, and the Purchasers desire to purchase from the Company, an aggregate of 812,516 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company common stock, par value $0.01 per share at a price of $32.48 per share (the “Common Stock”);

WHEREAS, contemporaneously with the sale of the Shares, the parties hereto will execute and deliver a Registration Rights Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company will agree to provide certain registration rights in respect of the Shares under the 1933 Act and applicable state laws;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

Section 1.           Authorization of Shares. The Company has authorized the sale and issuance of the Shares on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.

Section 2.           Sale and Purchase of the Shares.

2.1       Upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein contained, the Company agrees to sell to the Purchasers, and the Purchasers agree to purchase from the Company, at the Closing (as defined in Section 3), that number of Shares set forth on Schedule I hereto (the “Schedule of Purchasers”) for the purchase price set forth opposite such Purchaser’s name, which amount represents the number of Shares purchased by such Purchaser multiplied by the price per Share of $32.48. The purchase price to be paid by each Purchaser, as set forth on Schedule I, shall be referred to as the “Aggregate Purchase Price.”

2.2       At or prior to the Closing, each Purchaser will pay the purchase price set forth opposite such Purchaser’s name on Schedule I by wire transfer of immediately available funds in accordance with wire instructions provided by the Company to the Purchasers prior to the Closing. On or before the Closing, the Company will deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser a number of Shares, registered in the name of the Purchaser (or its nominee in accordance with its delivery instructions), equal to the number of Shares set forth opposite the name of such Investor under the heading “Number of Shares to be Purchased” on Schedule I hereto.  The Shares shall be delivered via a book-entry record through the Company’s transfer agent.

Section 3           Closing. Subject to the satisfaction of the closing conditions set forth in Section 7, the closing with respect to the transactions contemplated in Section 2 hereof (the “Closing”) shall take place at the offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, 555 Mission Street, Suite 3000, San Francisco, CA 94105-0921 on the second Business Day after the Effective Date (the “Closing Date”) or at such other time and place as the Company and Purchasers may agree, including remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures.


Section 4.           Representations and Warranties of the Purchaser. Each Purchaser represents and warrants to the Company that the statements contained in this Section 4 are true and correct as of the Effective Date, and will be true and correct as of the date of the Closing Date:

4.1       Validity. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, including the purchase of the Shares, in each case to which such Purchaser is a party, and the consummation by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability or similar actions, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such Purchaser and constitutes or will constitute a valid and binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance, and any other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, and as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable remedies.

4.2       Brokers. There is no broker, investment banker, financial advisor, finder or other Person that has been retained by or is authorized to act on behalf of such Purchaser who might be entitled to any fee or commission for which the Company will be liable in connection with the execution of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

4.3       Investment Representations and Warranties. Such Purchaser understands and agrees that the offering and sale of the Shares has not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws and are being made in reliance upon federal and state exemptions for transactions not involving a public offering that depend upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of the investment intent and the accuracy of such Purchaser’s representations as expressed herein.

4.4       Acquisition for Own Account; No Control Intent. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Shares for its own account for investment and not with a view toward distribution in a manner that would violate the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws. Such Purchaser is not a broker or dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the Exchange Act (a “registered broker-dealer”) and is not affiliated with a registered broker dealer. Such Purchaser is not party to any agreement providing for or contemplating the distribution of any of the Shares. Such Purchaser has no present intent to effect a “change of control” of the Company as such term is understood under the rules promulgated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act.

4.5       Ability to Protect Its Own Interests and Bear Economic Risks. Such Purchaser, by reason of the business and financial experience of its management, has the capacity to protect its own interests in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the investment in the Shares. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Shares and is able to sustain a loss of all of its investment in the Shares without economic hardship, if such a loss should occur.

4.6        Accredited Investor; No Bad Actor. Such Purchaser is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act, a “Qualified Institutional Buyer” as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and a “qualified purchaser” as defined in Section 2(a)(51) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Such Purchaser has not taken any of the actions set forth in, and is not subject to, the disqualification provisions of Rule 506(d)(1) of the Securities Act. Such Purchaser is also acquiring the Shares as principal and has not been created, or is being used, solely to purchase or hold the Shares.

4.7       Access to Information. Such Purchaser has been given access to Company documents, records, and other information, and has had adequate opportunity to ask questions of, and receive answers from, the Company’s officers, employees, agents, accountants, and representatives concerning the Company’s business, operations, financial condition, assets, liabilities, and all other matters relevant to its investment in the  Shares. Such Purchaser understands that an investment in the   Shares bears significant risk and represents that it has reviewed the SEC Reports, which serve to qualify certain of the Company representations set forth below.


4.8        Restricted Securities.

(a)          Such Purchaser understands that the Shares will be characterized as “restricted securities” under the federal securities laws inasmuch as they are being acquired from the Company in a private placement under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and the applicable provisions of Regulation D promulgated thereunder, and that under such laws and applicable regulations such Shares may be resold without registration under the Securities Act only in certain limited circumstances.

(b)          Such Purchaser acknowledges that the Shares must be held indefinitely unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Such Purchaser understands that the Company is under no obligation to register the Shares, except as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement.

(c)          Such Purchaser is aware of the provisions of Rule 144 under the Securities Act, which permit limited resale of securities purchased in a private placement.

4.9       Such Purchaser has a substantive, pre-existing relationship with the Company and the management of the Company.

4.10     Such Purchaser became aware of the  Shares, and Shares were offered to such Purchaser, solely by direct contact between such Purchaser and the Company, and not by any other means, and such Purchaser is unaware of, and is in no way relying on, any form of general solicitation or general advertising, including, without limitation, any article, notice, advertisement or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio, or electronic mail over the Internet, in connection with the offer and sale of the  Shares, and is not subscribing for the  Shares and did not become aware of the  Shares through or as a result of any seminar or meeting to which such Purchaser was invited by, or any solicitation of a subscription by, a person not previously known to such Purchaser in connection with investments in securities generally.

Section 5          Representations and Warranties by the Company. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers set forth in Article 4 and except as set forth in the SEC Reports (defined below), which disclosures serve to qualify these representations and warranties in their entirety, the Company represents and warrants to the Purchasers that the statements contained in this Section 5 are true and correct in all material respects as of the Effective Date, and will be true and correct in all material respects as of the date of the Closing Date:

5.1       Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each Subsidiary: (a) is duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, (b) is duly qualified to do business as a foreign entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the nature of the property owned or leased by it or the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and (c) has all requisite corporate power and authority to own or lease and operate its assets and carry on its business as presently being conducted as disclosed in the SEC Reports.

5.2        Corporate Power and Authority; Valid Issuance of Shares.

(a)          The Company has all requisite corporate power and has taken all necessary corporate action required for the due authorization, execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, have been duly authorized by the Company’s board of directors or a duly authorized committee thereof and no further consent or authorization of the Company, its board of directors or its shareholders is required. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and the other instruments referred to herein to which it is a party will be duly executed and delivered by the Company, and each such agreement constitutes or will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance, and any other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, and as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable remedies.


(b)          The Shares, when issued and delivered in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of any preemptive or similar rights.

5.3       Consents. Neither the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company, nor the consummation by it of the obligations and transactions contemplated hereby, requires any consent of, authorization by, exemption from, filing with or notice to any Governmental Entity or any other Person, other than filings required under applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws.

5.4        No Conflicts.

(a)          The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby  will not (a) result in a violation of articles or by-laws, as amended, or any equivalent organizational document of the Company or any Subsidiary (the “Charter Documents”) or require the approval of the Company’s shareholders, (b) violate, conflict with or result in the breach of the terms, conditions or provisions of or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give rise to any right of termination, acceleration or cancellation under, any material agreement, lease, mortgage, license, indenture, instrument or other contract to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party, (c) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including, without limitation, U.S. federal and state securities laws and regulations and regulations of any self-regulatory organizations to which the Company or its securities are subject) applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, (d) result in a violation of or require shareholder approval under any rule or regulation of The Nasdaq Stock Market, or (e) result in the creation of any encumbrance upon any of the Company’s or any of its Subsidiary’s assets.

(b)         Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is (i) in violation of its Charter Documents, (ii) in default (and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would cause the Company or any Subsidiary to be in default) under, nor has there occurred any event giving others (with notice or lapse of time or both) any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any material agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party, nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received written notice of a claim that it is in default under, or that it is in violation of, any material contract (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (iii) in violation of, or in receipt of written notice that it is in violation of, any law, ordinance or regulation of any Governmental Entity, except where the violation would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, and (iv) in violation of any order of any Governmental Entity having jurisdictional over the Company or any Subsidiary or any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s properties or assets.

5.5        Reserved.

5.6        The Nasdaq Stock Market. The Common Stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no proceedings to revoke or suspend such listing or the listing of the Common Stock. The Company is in compliance with the requirements of Nasdaq for continued listing of the Common Stock thereon and any other Nasdaq listing and maintenance requirements, and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby  will not result in any noncompliance by the Company with any such requirements.

5.7       No Integrated Offering. Neither the Company, any Subsidiary, nor any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s Affiliates or any other Person acting on the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s behalf, has directly or indirectly engaged in any form of general solicitation or general advertising with respect to the Shares, nor have any of such Persons made any offers or sales of any security of the Company, any Subsidiary or any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s Affiliates or solicited any offers to buy any security of the Company, any Subsidiary or any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s Affiliates under circumstances that would require registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or any other securities laws or cause this offering of Shares to be integrated with any prior offering of securities of the Company or any Subsidiary for purposes of the Securities Act in any manner that would affect the validity of the private placement exemption under the Securities Act for the offer and sale of the Shares hereunder.


5.8        SEC Reports; Financial Statements; Shell Company Status.

(a)           The Company’s Common Stock is registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, since January 1, 2020 (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and, in each case, to the rules promulgated thereunder, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(b)          The financial statements and the related notes of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present the consolidated financial position of the Company as of and for the dates thereof and the consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments. There is no transaction, arrangement, or other relationship between the Company or any Subsidiary and an unconsolidated or other off balance sheet entity that is required to be disclosed by the Company in SEC Reports and is not so disclosed and would have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(c)          The Company is not, and has never been, an issuer identified in Rule 144(i)(1) under the Securities Act.

5.9        Disclosure Controls and Procedures; Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting.

(a)         The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) that are effective in all material respects to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including any consolidated Subsidiaries, is made known to its principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed quarterly or annual periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed quarterly or annual periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date.

(b)          The Company maintains internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP and such internal control over financial reporting is effective. The Company presented in its most recently filed annual report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on their evaluations as of the end of the period covered by such report. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no significant changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting or, to the Company’s knowledge, in other factors that could significantly affect the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.


5.10      No Stop Order. The Company has not received any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act and, to the Company’s knowledge, the Commission has not issued any such order.

5.11      Taxes. The Company and the Subsidiary have filed all U.S. federal, and material state, municipal and local and any other foreign tax returns that are required to be filed or have properly requested extensions thereof and have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them except as may be contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and except where the failure to file or pay would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 5.8(b) above in respect of all U.S. federal, state, municipal, local and foreign taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or the Subsidiary has not been finally determined, except where the failure to make such adequate charge, accrual or reserve would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
 
5.12      Compliance with Laws.

(a)          The preclinical tests and clinical trials, and other studies (collectively, “studies”) that are described in, or the results of which are referred to in, the SEC Reports were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with the protocols, procedures and controls designed and approved for such studies and with standard medical and scientific research procedures; each description of the results of such studies is accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly presents the data derived from such studies, and the Company and the Subsidiary have no knowledge of any other studies the results of which are inconsistent with, or otherwise call into question, the results described or referred to in the SEC Reports; the Company and the Subsidiary have made all such filings and obtained all such approvals as may be required by the Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any committee thereof or from any other U.S. or foreign government or drug or medical device regulatory agency, or health care facility Institutional Review Board (collectively, the “Regulatory Agencies”); neither the Company nor the Subsidiary has received any notice of, or correspondence from, any Regulatory Agency requiring the termination, suspension or modification of any clinical trials that are described or referred to in the SEC Reports; and the Company and the Subsidiary have each operated and currently are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable rules, regulations and policies of the Regulatory Agencies.

(b)         To the Company’s knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers, employees or agents, has made, or caused the making of, any false statements on, or material omissions from, any other records or documentation prepared or maintained to comply with the requirements of the FDA or any other Governmental Entity.

5.13     Brokers. There is no investment banker, broker, finder, financial advisor, placement agent or other Person that has been retained by or is authorized to act on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary who might be entitled to any fee or commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

5.14     Environmental Matters. Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect: (i) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (ii) the Company and the Subsidiary have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements; (iii) there are no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or the Subsidiary; and (iv) to the Company’s knowledge, there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or the Subsidiary relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.


5.15     Intellectual Property Matters. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company owns, possesses, licenses or has other rights to use, on reasonable terms, all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as now conducted or as proposed in the SEC Reports to be conducted (the “Company Intellectual Property”) except where the failure to have such Intellectual Property would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, except as disclosed in the SEC Reports. To the Company’s knowledge, other than licensors to the Company: (i) there are no third parties who have rights to any Intellectual Property that is disclosed in the SEC Reports; and (ii) there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property. There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others: (A) challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (B) challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any material Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; or (C) asserting that the Company or the Subsidiary infringes or otherwise violates, or would, upon the commercialization of any product or service described in the SEC Reports as under development, infringe or violate, any patent, trademark, trade name, service name, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim, except as disclosed in the SEC Reports. The product candidates described in the SEC Reports as under development by the Company or the Subsidiary fall within the scope of the claims of one or more patents owned by, or exclusively licensed to, the Company or the Subsidiary.

5.16     Absence of Changes. Since the Evaluation Date: (a) there has not been any Material Adverse Effect or any event or events that individually or in the aggregate would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (b) there has not been any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, (c) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has sustained any material loss or interference with the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, and (d) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has incurred any material liabilities except in the ordinary course of business.

5.17     Suppliers and Customers. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any knowledge of any termination, cancellation or threatened termination or cancellation or limitation of, or any material dissatisfaction with, the business relationship between the Company or any Subsidiary and any material supplier, customer, vendor, customer or client.

5.18     Absence of Litigation. There is no claim, action, suit, arbitration, investigation or other proceeding pending against, or to the knowledge of the Company and each Subsidiary, threatened against or affecting, the Company, any Subsidiary or any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s properties or, to the knowledge of the Company and each Subsidiary, any of its respective officers or directors before any Governmental Entity, in each case other than legal proceedings that are not reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty relating to the Company or any Subsidiary.

5.19     Foreign Corrupt Practices. Since December 31, 2019, neither the Company nor the Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee, Affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or the Subsidiary has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or the Subsidiary (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any domestic government official, “foreign official” (as defined in the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”)) or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA or any applicable non-U.S. anti-bribery statute or regulation; or (iv) made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any domestic government official, such foreign official or employee; and the Company and the Subsidiary and, to the Company’s knowledge, the Company’s Affiliates have conducted their respective 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.


5.20      Insurance. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries are insured by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are generally deemed adequate and customary for their businesses including, but not limited to, policies covering material real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and each Subsidiary against theft, damage, destruction and acts of vandalism and policies covering the Company and the Subsidiary for product liability claims and clinical trial liability claims. The Company has no reason to believe that it or the Subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that could not be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

5.21      No Manipulation of Shares. The Company has not taken, nor will it take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to stabilize or manipulate the price of the Common Stock or any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares.

5.22     Disclosure. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representations in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. No representation or warranty by the Company contained in this Agreement contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Purchasers do not make and have not made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 4 hereof.

Section 6.           Covenants.

6.1        Reasonable Best Efforts. Each party shall use its reasonable best efforts to timely satisfy each of the conditions to be satisfied by it as provided in Section 7 of this Agreement.

6.2       Reporting Status. During the Reporting Period, the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to: (a) timely file all reports required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, and (b) not take any action or file any document (whether or not permitted by the Securities Act or the rules promulgated thereunder) to terminate or suspend the Company’s reporting and filing obligations under the Exchange Act or Securities Act.

6.3        Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the proceeds from the sale of the Shares for general corporate purposes, research and development, business development, working capital and general and administrative expenses.

6.4       Disclosure of Transactions and Other Material Information. On or before 5:30 p.m., New York City time, on the Business Day following the date of this Agreement, the Company shall issue a press release and file a Current Report on Form 8-K describing the terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the this Agreement in the form required by the Exchange Act and attaching the Agreement as an exhibit to such filing (including all attachments, the “8-K Filing”). The Company hereby acknowledges that, immediately following such filing of the 8-K Filing, none of the Purchasers shall be in possession of any material non-public information regarding the Company provided by the Company or its agents. The Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser or any Affiliate or investment adviser of the Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser or any Affiliate or investment adviser of the Purchaser in any filing with the Commission (other than in a Registration Statement and any exhibits to filings made in respect of this transaction in accordance with periodic report or current report filing requirements under the Exchange Act) or any regulatory agency, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except to the extent such disclosure is required by law or regulations, in which case the Company shall provide each Purchaser whose name is to be disclosed with prior notice of such disclosure and a reasonable opportunity to comment on the proposed disclosure insofar as it relates specifically to such Purchaser. Subject to the foregoing, neither the Company nor the Purchasers shall issue any press releases or any other public statements with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby without the prior written consent of the other party, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed.


6.5       Expenses. The Company and each Purchaser is liable for, and will pay, its own expenses incurred in connection with the negotiation, preparation, execution and delivery of this Agreement, including, without limitation, attorneys’ and consultants’ fees and expenses.

Section 7.           Conditions of Parties’ Obligations.

7.1       Conditions of the Purchasers’ Obligations at the Closing. The obligations of the Purchasers under Section 2 hereof are subject to the fulfillment, prior to the Closing, of all of the following applicable conditions, any of which may be waived in whole or in part by the Purchasers in their absolute discretion. If the following conditions are not satisfied on or before 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the tenth Business Day following the Effective Date (the “Outside Date”), then the Purchasers may terminate this Agreement upon providing written notice to the Company.

(a)          Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement and in any certificate, if any, or other writing, if any, delivered by the Company pursuant hereto shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as though such representations and warranties had been made on and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent expressly made as of an earlier date in which case as of such earlier date).

(b)       Performance. The Company shall have performed and complied in all material respects with all covenants, agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied by it on or prior to the Closing Date.

(c)           Delivery. The Company shall deliver this Agreement duly executed by the Company.

(d)         Qualification under State Securities Laws. All registrations, qualifications, permits and approvals, if any, required under applicable state securities laws shall have been obtained for the lawful execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.

(e)          Consents and Waivers. The Company shall have obtained all consents or waivers necessary to execute and perform its obligations under this Agreement. All corporate and other action and governmental filings necessary for the Company to effectuate the terms of this Agreement and other agreements and instruments executed and delivered by the Company in connection herewith shall have been made or taken by the Company, and no Material Adverse Effect has occurred with respect to the operation of the Company’s business.

(f)          Absence of Litigation. No proceeding challenging this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, or seeking to prohibit, alter, prevent or materially delay the Closing, shall have been instituted or be pending before any court, arbitrator, governmental body, agency or official. The sale of the Shares by the Company shall not be prohibited by any law or governmental order or regulation.

7.2       Conditions of the Company’s Obligations. The Company’s obligations under Section 2 hereof are subject to the fulfillment prior to or on the Closing Date of all of the following conditions, any of which may be waived in whole or in part by the Company: (a) each Purchaser at the Closing shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder required to be performed by it at or prior to the Closing, and (b) the representations and warranties of the Purchasers at the Closing contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct at and as of the Closing as if made at and as of the Closing (except to the extent expressly made as of an earlier date, in which case as of such earlier date). If the foregoing conditions are not satisfied on or the Outside Date, then the Company may terminate this Agreement upon providing written notice to the Purchasers.


Section 8.          Transfer Restrictions; Restrictive Legend. The Purchasers understand that the Company may, as a condition to the transfer of any of the Shares, require that the request for transfer be accompanied by an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that the proposed transfer does not result in a violation of the Securities Act, unless such transfer is covered by an effective registration statement or by Rule 144 or Rule 144A under the Securities Act; provided, however, that an opinion of counsel shall not be required for a transfer: (A) to its partners or former partners in accordance with partnership interests, (B) to any Affiliate or other Person under common management with such Purchaser, or (C) a transfer that is made pursuant to a bona fide gift to a third party; provided, further, that (i) the transferee in each case agrees to be subject to the restrictions in this Section 8 and provides the Company with a representation letter containing customary investment representations under the Securities Act, (ii) the Company reasonably satisfies itself that the number of transferees is sufficiently limited and (iii) in the case of transferees that are partners or limited liability company members, the transfer is for no consideration. It is understood that the book-entry registrations for the Shares may bear substantially the following legend:

 “THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THEY MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED IN THE ABSENCE OF A REGISTRATION STATEMENT IN EFFECT WITH RESPECT TO THE SECURITIES UNDER SUCH ACT OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED OR UNLESS SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OR RULE 144A OF SUCH ACT.”

Section 9.           Registration, Transfer and Substitution of Shares.

9.1       Register; Ownership of Shares. The Company will keep at its principal office, or will cause its transfer agent to keep, a register in which the Company will provide for the registration of transfers of the Shares. The Company may treat the Person in whose name any of the Shares are registered on such register as the owner thereof and the Company shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary. All references in this Agreement to a “holder” of any Shares shall mean the Person in whose name such Shares are at the time registered on such register.

Section 10.         Reserved.

Section 11.        Definitions. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms defined in this Section 11 shall have the meanings specified for all purposes of this Agreement. All accounting terms used in this Agreement, whether or not defined in this Section 11, shall be construed in accordance with GAAP. If the Company has one or more Subsidiaries, such accounting terms shall be determined on a consolidated basis for the Company and each of its Subsidiaries, and the financial statements and other financial information to be furnished by the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall be consolidated and presented with consolidating financial statements of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries.

Affiliate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.

Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed.

Effectiveness Date” means the date the Registration Statement pursuant to Section 10 has been declared effective by the Commission.

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.


GAAP” means U.S. generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied.

Governmental Entity” means any national, federal, state, municipal, local, territorial, foreign or other government or any department, commission, board, bureau, agency, regulatory authority, self-regulatory organization or instrumentality thereof, or any court, judicial, administrative or arbitral body or public or private tribunal.

knowledge” by a Person of a particular fact or other matter means the following: (a) if the Person is an individual, that such individual is actually aware or reasonably should be aware, after due inquiry, by virtue of such person’s office, of such fact or other matter; and (b) if the Person is an entity, that any executive officer of such Person is actually aware or reasonably should be aware, after due inquiry, of such fact or other matter.

Material Adverse Effect” means any (i) adverse effect on the issuance or delivery of the Shares, as applicable, or the transactions contemplated hereby or on the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, or (ii) material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, properties, assets, liabilities, business or operations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

Person” means and includes all natural persons, corporations, business trusts, associations, companies, partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies and other entities and governments and agencies and political subdivisions.

Registration Rights Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

Registration Statement” means a registration statement or registration statements of the Company filed under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 10 hereof.

Reporting Period” means the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on the earliest of: (i) the date as of which the Purchasers may sell all of the Shares under Rule 144 without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirements under Rule 144(c)(1) (or any successor thereto) promulgated under the Securities Act; and (ii) the date on which such Purchaser shall have sold all of the Shares pursuant to a registration statement.

Subsidiary” means any corporation, association trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture or other business association or entity, at least 50% of the outstanding voting securities of which are at the time owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the Company.


Section 12.         Miscellaneous.

12.1     Waivers and Amendments. Upon the approval of the Company and the written consent of the Purchasers, the obligations of the Company and the rights of the Purchasers under this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, either retroactively or prospectively and either for a specified period of time or indefinitely). Neither this Agreement, nor any provision hereof, may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally or by course of dealing, but only by an instrument in writing executed by the Company and the Purchasers.


          12.2      Notices. All notices, requests, consents, and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed delivered: (a) when delivered, if delivered personally, (b) four Business Days after being sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (c) one Business Day after being sent via a reputable nationwide overnight courier service guaranteeing next Business Day delivery, or (d) when receipt is acknowledged, in the case of email, in each case to the intended recipient as set forth below, with respect to the Company, and to the addresses set forth on the signature pages hereto, with respect to the Purchasers.


If to the Company:
Attn: Gaurav Shah, Chief Executive Officer
 
Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
 
9 Cedarbrook Drive
 
Cranbury, NJ 08512
 
Email: ***@***
   


with copies to:
 
   
 
Attn: William Collins
 
Goodwin Procter LLP
 
100 Northern Avenue
 
Boston, MA 02210
 
Email: ***@***

or at such other address as the Company or each Purchaser may specify by written notice to the other parties hereto in accordance with this Section 12.2.

12.3      Cumulative Remedies. None of the rights, powers or remedies conferred upon the Purchasers on the one hand or the Company on the other hand shall be mutually exclusive, and each such right, power or remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right, power or remedy, whether conferred by this Agreement or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.

12.4      Successors and Assigns. All the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the respective parties hereto, the successors and permitted assigns of each Purchaser and the successors of the Company, whether so expressed or not. None of the parties hereto may assign its rights or obligations hereof without the prior written consent of the Company, except that a Purchaser may, without the prior consent of the Company, assign its rights to purchase the Shares hereunder to any of its Affiliates (provided each such Affiliate agrees to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and makes the same representations and warranties set forth in Section 4 hereof). This Agreement shall not inure to the benefit of or be enforceable by any other Person.

12.5      Headings. The headings of the Sections and paragraphs of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and do not constitute a part of this Agreement.

12.6      Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any suit, action or proceeding seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter. Any action, suit or proceeding arising out of or in connection with, Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be brought in any federal or state court located in the City of New York and State of New York, and each of the Parties hereby consents to the jurisdiction of such courts (and of the appropriate appellate courts therefrom) in any such suit, action or proceeding and irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding in any such court or that any such suit, action or proceeding which is brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Process in any such suit, action or proceeding may be served on any party anywhere in the world, whether within or without the jurisdiction of any such court. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to this Agreement has, to the extent permitted by law, legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the jurisdiction of the courts herein described.

12.7     Counterparts; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, with the same effect as if all parties had signed the same document. All such counterparts (including counterparts delivered by facsimile or other electronic format) shall be deemed an original, shall be construed together and shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement shall become effective when each party hereto shall have received counterparts hereof signed by all of the other parties hereto.

12.8      Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire agreement among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and, except as set forth below, this agreement supersedes and replaces all other prior agreements, written or oral, among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement shall not supersede any confidentiality or other non-disclosure agreements that may be in place between the Company and any Purchaser.


12.9         Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall be found by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, the parties hereby waive such provision to the extent that it is found to be invalid or unenforceable. Such provision shall, to the maximum extent allowable by law, be modified by such court so that it becomes enforceable, and, as modified, shall be enforced as any other provision hereof, all the other provisions hereof continuing in full force and effect.

* * *


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed as of the Effective Date.

 
THE COMPANY:
   
 
ROCKET PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
   
 
By:
/s/ Gaurav Shah
 
Name: Gaurav Shah
 
Title: Chief Executive Officer


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed as of the Effective Date.

 
PURCHASERS:
     
 
RTW INNOVATION MASTER FUND, LTD.
     
 
By:
/s/ Roderick Wong
 
Name: Roderick Wong, M.D.
 
Title: Director


SCHEDULE I

Purchaser Name

Number of
Shares To be Purchased
 
Aggregate
Purchase
Price
 
RTW INNOVATION MASTER FUND, LTD., a company existing under the laws of the Cayman Islands, having its head office at 190 Elgin Avenue, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-9005, Cayman Islands, represented herein by its Director, Roderick Wong.
   
812,516
   
$
26,390,519.68
 


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT