At Market Issuance Sales Agreement by and among Modiv Inc., Modiv Operating Partnership, LP, B. Riley Securities, Inc., Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, BMO Capital Markets Corp., Colliers Securities LLC, EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Truist Securities, Inc., dated June 6, 2022

Contract Categories: Business Operations - Sales Agreements
EX-1.1 2 ny20004341x6_ex1-1.htm EXHIBIT 1.1
 

Exhibit 1.1

 

Modiv Inc.

 

Class C Common Stock

(par value $0.001 per share)

 

At Market Issuance Sales Agreement

 

June 6, 2022

 

B. Riley Securities, Inc.

299 Park Avenue, 21st Floor

New York, NY 10171

Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated

777 E. Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53202

   

BMO Capital Markets Corp.

151 W 42nd St

New York, NY 10036

Colliers Securities LLC

90 South 7th Street, Suite 4300

Minneapolis, MN 55402

   

EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC

590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor

New York, New York 10022

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

1717 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

   

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

640 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor

New York, NY 10172

Truist Securities, Inc.

3333 Peachtree Road NE, 11th Floor

Atlanta, Georgia 30326

   

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Modiv Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and Modiv Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), confirm this sales agreement (this “Agreement”) with B. Riley Securities, Inc., Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, BMO Capital Markets Corp., Colliers Securities LLC, EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Truist Securities, Inc. (each, an “Agent” and, collectively the “Agents”) as follows:

 

1.             Issuance and Sale of Shares. The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell through or to the Agents, as sales agents or principals, shares (the “Placement Shares”) of the Company’s Class C common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 (the “Maximum Amount”); provided however, that in no event shall the Company issue or sell through the Agents such number of Placement Shares that (a) exceeds the number of shares or dollar amount of Common Stock registered on the effective Registration Statement (as defined below) pursuant to which the offering is being made or (b) exceeds the number of shares or dollar amount of Common Stock registered on the Prospectus Supplement (as defined below); and provided further, however, that in no event shall the aggregate number of Placement Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement exceed the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 1 on the number of Placement Shares issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company and that the Agents shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance, provided that the Agents strictly follow the trading instructions provided pursuant to any Placement Notice (as defined below), including, without limitation, not selling in excess of the number of Placement Shares specified in any Placement Notice. The issuance and sale of Placement Shares through the Agents will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement, although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement to issue any Placement Shares.

 

 

 

The Company has filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Securities Act”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-263985), including a base prospectus, relating to certain securities including the Common Stock to be issued from time to time by the Company, and which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Exchange Act”). The Company has prepared a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus included as part of such registration statement specifically relating to the Placement Shares (the “Prospectus Supplement”). The Company will furnish to the Agents, for use by the Agents, copies of the base prospectus included as part of such registration statement, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, relating to the Placement Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act or deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, or any subsequent registration statement on Form S-3 filed pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act by the Company to cover any Placement Shares, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The base prospectus, including all documents incorporated or deemed incorporated therein by reference to the extent such information has not been superseded or modified in accordance with Rule 412 under the Securities Act (as qualified by Rule 430B(g) under the Securities Act), included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form in which such base prospectus and/or Prospectus Supplement have most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act is herein called the “Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”).

 

For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include the most recent copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System, or if applicable, the Interactive Data Electronic Application system when used by the Commission (collectively, “EDGAR”).

 

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2.           Placements. Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell Placement Shares hereunder (each, a “Placement”), it will notify an Agent by electronic mail (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) of the number of Placement Shares, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of Placement Shares that may be sold in any one day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made (a “Placement Notice”), the form of which is attached hereto as Schedule 1. The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company set forth on Schedule 3 (with a copy to each of the other individuals from the Company listed on such schedule), and shall be addressed to each of the individuals from the applicable Agent set forth on Schedule 3, as such Schedule 3 may be amended from time to time. The Placement Notice shall be effective for the applicable Agent immediately upon receipt by such Agent unless and until (i) such Agent declines to accept the terms contained therein for any reason, in its sole discretion by email notice to the Company within one Business Day (as defined below) from the time the Placement Notice is received, (ii) the entire amount of the Placement Shares thereunder has been sold, (iii) the Company suspends or terminates the Placement Notice, which suspension and termination rights may be exercised by the Company in its sole discretion, or (iv) this Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 13. The amount of any discount, commission or other compensation to be paid by the Company to the Agents in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in Schedule 2. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor the applicable Agent will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Shares unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to such Agent and the Agent does not decline such Placement Notice pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified therein and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of Sections 2 or 3 of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice, the terms of the Placement Notice will control. The Company agrees that any offer to sell, any solicitation of an offer to buy, or any sales of Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be effected only by or through one Agent on any Trading Day (as defined below), and the Company shall in no event request that more than one Agent sell Placement Shares on the same Trading Day.

 

3.             Sale of Placement Shares by the Agents. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, for the period specified in a Placement Notice, the applicable Agent will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the New York Stock Exchange LLC (the “Exchange”), to sell the Placement Shares up to the amount specified in, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of, such Placement Notice. The applicable Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Shares hereunder setting forth the number of Placement Shares sold on such day, the compensation payable by the Company to such Agent pursuant to Section 2 with respect to such sales, and the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company, with an itemization of the deductions made by the applicable Agent (as set forth in Section 5(b)) from the gross proceeds that it receives from such sales. Subject to the terms of a Placement Notice, the applicable Agent may sell Placement Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act. “Trading Day” means any day on which shares of Common Stock are purchased and sold on the Exchange.

 

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4.            Suspension of Sales. The Company or the applicable Agent may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 3, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 3), suspend any sale of Placement Shares (a “Suspension”); provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair any party’s obligations with respect to any Placement Shares sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. While a Suspension is in effect, any obligation under Sections 7(l), 7(m), and 7(n) with respect to the delivery of certificates, opinions, or comfort letters to the Agents, shall be waived. Each of the parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against any other party unless it is made to one of the individuals of the other party named on Schedule 3 hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time.

 

5.            Sale and Delivery to the Agents; Settlement.

 

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

 

b.           Settlement of Placement Shares. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice, settlement for sales of Placement Shares will occur on the second (2nd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). The applicable Agent shall notify the Company of each sale of Placement Shares no later than the opening of the Trading Day following the Trading Day that such Agent sold Placement Shares. The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Shares sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by the applicable Agent, after deduction for (i) such Agent’s commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof, and (ii) any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales.

 

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c.           Delivery of Placement Shares. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Shares being sold by crediting the applicable Agent’s or its designee’s account (provided such Agent shall have given the Company written notice of such designee and such designee’s account information at least one Trading Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, the applicable Agent will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, the Settlement Date. The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver Placement Shares on a Settlement Date through no fault of the Agents, then in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 11(a) hereto, it will (i) hold the applicable Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or reasonable, documented expense (including reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) and (ii) pay to the applicable Agent (without duplication) any commission, discount, or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.

 

d.           Limitations on Offering Size. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Placement Shares if, after giving effect to the sale of such Placement Shares, the aggregate number of Placement Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the lesser of (A) together with all sales of Placement Shares under this Agreement, the Maximum Amount, (B) the amount available for offer and sale under the currently effective Registration Statement and (C) the amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Company’s board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to the Agents in writing. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement at a price lower than the minimum price authorized from time to time by the Company’s board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to the Agents in writing.

 

6.            Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Operating Partnership. The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to, and agree with the Agents that as of the date of this Agreement and as of each Applicable Time (as defined below), unless such representation, warranty or agreement specifies a different date or time:

 

a.           S-3 Eligibility. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), the Company met the then applicable requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, including compliance with General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3, as applicable.

 

b.           Registration Statement and Prospectus. The transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for and comply with the conditions for the use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission and has been declared effective under the Securities Act. The Prospectus Supplement will name the Agents as the agents in the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.” The Company has not received, and has no notice of, any order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, or threatening or instituting proceedings for that purpose. The Registration Statement and the offer and sale of Placement Shares as contemplated hereby meet the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act and comply in all material respects with said Rule. Any 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 have been so described or filed, as applicable. Copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any such amendments or supplements and all documents incorporated by reference therein that were filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement have been delivered, or are available through EDGAR, to the Agents and their counsel. The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of each Settlement Date and completion of the distribution of the Placement Shares, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Placement Shares other than the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) to which the Agents have consented, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, or that is required by applicable law or the listing maintenance requirements of the Exchange. The Common Stock is currently quoted on the Exchange under the trading symbol “MDV.” The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from the Exchange to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of the Exchange. To the Company’s knowledge, it is in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements.

 

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c.           No Misstatement or Omission. At each Settlement Date, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of such date, will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. The Registration Statement, when it became or becomes effective, did not, and will not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendment and supplement thereto, on the date thereof and at each Applicable Time, did not or will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus delivered to the Agents for use in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement will be identical to the versions of the Prospectus created to be transmitted to the Commission for filing via EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. The foregoing shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, any such document made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Agents specifically for use in the preparation thereof.

 

d.           Documents Incorporated by Reference. Any documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereinafter filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and when taken together with the other information in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not, do not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

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e.           Company Not Ineligible Issuer. The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) as of the eligibility determination date for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act with respect to the offering of the Placement Shares contemplated by the Registration Statement.

 

f.           Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the Applicable Time, did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing representations and warranties in this Section 6(f) do not apply to any statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by the Agents specifically for use therein.

 

Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act on the date of first use and at all subsequent times through the completion of the Placement or Placements for which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is issued, and the Company has complied with any filing requirements applicable to such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to the Securities Act. Other than the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company and the Operating Partnership have not made any offer relating to the Placement Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Agents, except as set forth on Exhibit 23 hereto. The Company and the Operating Partnership have retained in accordance with the Securities Act all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that were not required to be filed pursuant to the Securities Act.

 

g.           Duly Authorized. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Common Stock, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right. The Placement Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, drag-along rights, tag-along rights, co-sale rights, registration rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of stockholders arising by operation of law, under any of the Company’s organizational documents or under any agreement to which the Company is a party, or otherwise. The Placement Shares, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be free of any restriction upon the voting or transfer thereof pursuant to the Company’s charter or bylaws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party other than the restrictions on ownership and transfer set forth in the Company’s charter. The units of Class C limited partnership interest of the Operating Partnership (the “Class C OP Units”) that will be received in exchange for the net proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized for issuance and delivery by the Operating Partnership to the Company and, when issued and delivered by the Operating Partnership to the Company, will be duly and validly issued and unitholders have no obligation to make any further payments for the purchase of such units or contributions to the Operating Partnership solely by reason of their ownership of such units, free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim; the issuance and delivery of such Class C OP Units by the Operating Partnership are not subject to any preemptive right, co-sale right, registration right, right of first refusal or other similar right of unitholders arising by operation of law, under the Operating Partnership Agreement (as defined below), under any agreement to which the Operating Partnership is a party or otherwise. Except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options.

 

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h.           Due Incorporation; Subsidiaries.

 

i.          The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and to issue, sell and deliver the Placement Shares as contemplated herein.

 

ii.         The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, (A) have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition, results of operations, stockholders’ equity, management or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries (as defined below) taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business; or (B) prevent or materially interfere with the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (the occurrence of any such effect or any such prevention or interference or any such result described in the foregoing clauses (A) and (B) being herein referred to as a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

iii.       The Operating Partnership has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited partnership in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has the requisite limited partnership power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Operating Partnership is duly qualified as a foreign limited partnership for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification in such jurisdiction, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Third Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement of the Operating Partnership, dated February 1, 2021, as amended (the “Operating Partnership Agreement”), is in full force and effect; the aggregate percentage interests of the Company and the limited partners in the Operating Partnership are as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

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iv.       The Company has no subsidiaries other than those subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year and other than (i) those subsidiaries not required to be listed on Exhibit 21.1 by Item 601 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act and (ii) those subsidiaries formed since the last day of the most recently ended fiscal year (each, including the Operating Partnership, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”). Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company owns all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity interests of each of the Subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership; other than the capital stock or other equity interests of the Subsidiaries, the Company and the Operating Partnership do not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity. Complete and correct copies of the charters and the bylaws of the Company and all amendments thereto have been made available to the Agents. Each Subsidiary has been duly incorporated, formed or organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, formation or organization, with full corporate, limited liability company or partnership (as applicable) power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. Each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right and, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are owned by the Company or a Subsidiary free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or adverse claim (each, a “Lien”). Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligation into shares of capital stock or other equity interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.

 

i.            Capital Stock. The capital stock of the Company, including the Placement Shares, will, on each Settlement Date, conform in all material respects to each description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the certificates for the Placement Shares, if any, will, on each Settlement Date, be in due and proper form.

 

j.           Sales Agreement. The Company and the Operating Partnership have full power and authority to enter into this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Operating Partnership. This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company and the Operating Partnership and is enforceable against the Company and the Operating Partnership in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability hereof and thereof may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and moratorium laws in effect from time to time and by equitable principles restricting the availability of equitable remedies.

 

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k.           Compliance. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in breach or violation of or in default under (nor has any event occurred that, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (A) its charter or bylaws; or (B) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or affected; or (C) any applicable federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule; or (D) any applicable rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of the Exchange; or (E) any decree, judgment or order applicable to it or any of its properties, except for any of the foregoing in (B), (C), (D) or (E) as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

l.           Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company and the Operating Partnership of this Agreement, the consummation by the Company and the Operating Partnership of the transactions contemplated hereby, the compliance by the Company and the Operating Partnership with the terms and provisions hereunder, the sale, issuance and delivery of the Placement Shares by the Company and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, will not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event that, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (or result in the creation or imposition of a Lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to) (A) the charter or bylaws of the Company or the charters, the bylaws, the limited liability company agreements, partnership agreements or other organizational documents of any of the Subsidiaries; or (B) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected; or (C) any applicable federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule; or (D) any applicable rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of the Exchange); or (E) any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, except for any of the foregoing in (B), (C), (D) or (E) as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

m.          Consents. No approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or of or with any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority, or approval of the stockholders of the Company, is required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Placement Shares or the consummation by the Company and the Operating Partnership of the transactions contemplated hereby, other than (i) registration of the Placement Shares under the Securities Act, which has been effected, and (ii) such approvals, authorizations, consents, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Placement Shares are being offered by the Agents, by the rules of the Exchange or under the Conduct Rules of FINRA.

 

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n.           Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto) and the Prospectus, (i) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to issue or sell to it any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other equity interests of the Company; (ii) no person has any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company; (iii) no person has the right to act as an underwriter, agent, financial advisor to the Company or in any similar capacity in connection with the offer and sale of the Placement Shares; and (iv) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to register under the Securities Act any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company, or to include any such shares or interests in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby.

 

o.           Licenses. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any applicable law, regulation or rule and has obtained all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, in order to conduct their respective businesses, except where failure to obtain or maintain such licenses, authorizations, consents or approvals or make such filings would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, or has received notice of any proceedings relating to revocation or modification of, any such license, authorization, consent or approval or any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, order or judgment applicable to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, except where such violation, default, revocation or modification would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

p.           Litigation. Except as described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto) and the Prospectus, there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective directors or officers is or would be a party or of which any of their respective properties is or would be subject at law or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or before or by any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the Exchange), except any such action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding that, if resolved adversely to the Company or any Subsidiary, would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

q.           Auditors. Baker Tilly US, LP (the “Accountant”), whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries is included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accountant as required by the Securities Act and by the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

 

r.            Financial Statements. The financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity of the Company and the Subsidiaries for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and Exchange Act and in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved. The other financial and statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are accurately and fairly presented and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company and the Subsidiaries; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not included or incorporated by reference as required. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, not described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto) and the Prospectus; and all disclosures contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.

 

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s.           XBRL. The interactive data in eXtensibile 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.

 

t.           No Material Adverse Changes. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has not been (i) any material adverse change in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operations or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business; (ii) any transaction which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (iii) any obligation or liability, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (iv) any material change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiaries; or (v) except for regular monthly dividends on the Common Stock in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, any dividend or other distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

u.           Investment Company. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is, and at no time during which a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Placement Shares will any of them be, and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Placement Shares, neither of them will be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

v.           Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company, directly or indirectly through the Subsidiaries, has good and valid title to all assets and properties reflected as owned by it in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (whether through fee ownership, mineral estates or similar rights of ownership), in each case free and clear of any Liens, except such as are disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; and any material real property or personal property held under lease by the Company or any Subsidiary is held under a lease that is valid, existing and enforceable by the Company and such Subsidiary, with such exceptions as are disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and none of the Company or the Subsidiaries has received any notice of any claim that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary under any such lease, except for any exceptions or claims that would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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w.          Compliance with Regulations. Each of the real property interests owned, leased or permitted by the Company and each of the Subsidiaries, as applicable, complies with all applicable zoning laws, ordinances, regulations and deed restrictions or other covenants except such failures (if any) as are disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and there is no pending or threatened condemnation, zoning change or other similar proceeding or action that will affect the size or use of, improvements on, construction on or access to such properties, except such as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

x.           Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries own or possess the right to use sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, domain names, licenses, approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) reasonably necessary to conduct their businesses as now conducted. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property of others. The Company is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property rights of any other person or entity that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not described therein. None of the technology employed by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries has been obtained or is being used by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of its or the Subsidiaries’ officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons, except for such violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

y.           Labor Matters. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is engaged in any unfair labor practice. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) there is (A) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under collective bargaining agreements is pending or, to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, threatened; (B) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage pending or, to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries; and (C) no union representation dispute currently existing concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries; (ii) to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, no union organizing activities are currently taking place concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries; and (iii) there has been no violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, any applicable wage or hour laws or any provision of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries.

 

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z.           Environmental Matters. The Company and the Subsidiaries and their respective properties, assets and operations are in compliance with, and the Company and each of the Subsidiaries hold all permits, authorizations and approvals required under, Environmental Laws (as defined below), except to the extent that failure to so comply or to hold such permits, authorizations or approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, there are no past, present or, to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, reasonably anticipated future events, conditions, circumstances, activities, practices, actions, omissions or plans that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any costs or liabilities to the Company or any Subsidiary under, or to interfere with or prevent compliance by the Company or any Subsidiary with, Environmental Laws; except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries (i) is, to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, the subject of any investigation; (ii) has received any notice or claim; (iii) is a party to or affected by any pending or, to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, threatened action, suit or proceeding; (iv) is bound by any judgment, decree or order; or (v) has entered into any agreement, in each case relating to any alleged violation of any Environmental Law or any actual or alleged release or threatened release or cleanup at any location of any Hazardous Materials (as defined below) (as used herein, “Environmental Law” means any federal, state or local law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, decree, judgment or injunction, or common law, relating to the protection, cleanup or restoration of the environment or natural resources, including those relating to the distribution, processing, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, transportation, other handling or release or threatened release of Hazardous Materials, and “Hazardous Materials” means any material (including, without limitation, pollutants, contaminants, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes) that is regulated by or may give rise to liability under any Environmental Law).

 

aa.         Taxes. All income and other material foreign, federal, state and local tax returns that are filed or required to be filed by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries have been timely filed (taking into account any extension of time within which to file such tax returns), and all such returns are true, complete and accurate in all material respects. All material foreign, federal, state and local taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding), including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities, have been timely paid, other than those being contested in good faith which have not been finally determined and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. There is no tax Lien, whether imposed by any federal, state, foreign or other taxing authority, outstanding against the assets, properties or business of the Company or any Subsidiary, other than Liens for taxes not yet due and payable; and no material deficiency assessment with respect to a proposed material adjustment of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s federal, state, local or foreign taxes has been asserted or, to the knowledge of the Company or such Subsidiary, as applicable, threatened.

 

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bb.        REIT Status of the Company and Partnership Status of the Operating Partnership. Commencing with the Company’s taxable year ended on December 31, 2016, the Company has been organized in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and all applicable regulations under the Code (“Regulations”), and its actual method of operation through the date hereof has enabled it to meet, and its proposed method of operation will enable it to continue to meet, the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code and all applicable regulations under the Code and Regulations. All statements in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” regarding its qualification and taxation as a REIT are correct in all material respects. The Company intends to continue to qualify as a REIT under the Code and Regulations, and the Company, after reasonable inquiry and diligence, does not know of any event that would reasonably be expected to cause the Company to fail to qualify as a REIT at any time. The Operating Partnership has been and will be taxed as a partnership or as a “disregarded entity” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section ###-###-####-2(c)(2)(i)) and not as an association or publicly traded partnership (within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code) subject to tax as a corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning with its first taxable year; the Company does not know of any event that would cause or would reasonably be expected to cause the Operating Partnership to cease being taxed as a partnership or as a “disregarded entity” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section ###-###-####-2(c)(2)(i)) for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the Company does not know of any event that would cause or would reasonably be expected to cause the Operating Partnership to be treated as an association or publicly traded partnership subject to tax as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

cc.        Insurance. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintain insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses as the Company reasonably deems adequate; such insurance insures against such losses and risks to an extent which is adequate in accordance with customary industry practice to protect the Company and the Subsidiaries and their respective businesses. All such insurance is fully in force and effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has reason to believe that it will not be able to renew any such insurance as and when such insurance expires.

 

dd.        Interference with Business. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the last audited consolidated financial statements of the Company, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

ee.        Documents Described in the Registration Statement. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any Subsidiary or, to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement, except, in each case, as would not individually or in the aggregate, be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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ff.          Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act) sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (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 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 incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) 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. The Company’s independent auditors and the Audit Committee of the Company’s board of directors have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies, if any, in the design or operation of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting; and (ii) all fraud, if any, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting; all material weaknesses, if any, in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting have been identified to the Company’s independent auditors.

 

gg.        Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company has established and maintains an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure. The principal executive officers (or their equivalents) and principal financial officers (or their equivalents) of the Company have made all applicable certifications required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, and the statements contained in each such certification were complete and correct as of the date then made; the Company, the Subsidiaries and the Company’s directors and officers are each in compliance in all material respects with all applicable effective provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

hh.        Forward-Looking Statements. Each “forward-looking statement” (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been made with a reasonable basis and in good faith.

 

ii.           No Untrue Statement; Statistical and Market Data. Any statistical or market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company 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.

 

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jj.           No Unlawful Contributions or Payments. Neither the Company, nor any of the Subsidiaries, nor any director or officer of the Company or the Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee or representative of the Company or the Subsidiaries, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or the Subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment of corporate funds or benefit to any foreign or domestic government or regulatory official or employee, including, without limitation, of any 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; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offense under any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company has instituted, maintained and enforced, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.

 

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

 

ll.           No Conflicts with Sanction Laws. Neither the Company, nor any of the Subsidiaries, nor any director or officer of the Company or the Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee or representative of the Company or the Subsidiaries, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company, or any of the Subsidiaries is currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of the Subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or the target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, principal, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company and the Subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

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mm.       Sufficiency of Assets. On each Settlement Date, the Company and the Subsidiaries will possess or have the right to use all of the assets, tangible and intangible, that they require, in all material respects, to conduct their respective businesses as presently conducted.

 

nn.        No Prohibition on Subsidiaries from Paying Dividends or Making Other Distributions. No Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company, except as described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto) and the Prospectus, and except as such limitations would not, taken as a whole, be material to the Company.

 

oo.        Restrictions. The issuance and sale of the Placement Shares as contemplated hereby will not cause any holder of any shares of capital stock, securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital stock or options, warrants or other rights to purchase capital stock or any other securities of the Company to have any right to acquire any shares of Common Stock of the Company.

 

pp.        Brokers and Finders. Except pursuant to this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has incurred any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

qq.        No Stabilization or Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action intended to cause or result in, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which has constituted, stabilization or manipulation, under the Securities Act or otherwise, of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Placement Shares.

 

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rr.          No Affiliations. To the Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s knowledge, other than in connection with the Company’s business arrangement with North Capital Private Securities Corporation, there are no affiliations or associations between (i) any member of FINRA; and (ii) the Company or any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater security holders.

 

ss.         No Indebtedness. There are no outstanding loans, extensions of credit or advances or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of the members of the families of any of them.

 

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

 

uu.        Descriptions of Legal Matters. The statements set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Capital Stock and OP Units,” “Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of Our Charter and Bylaws” and “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all material respects.

 

vv.        Independence of Directors. Each of the directors named in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and identified as “independent” is independent within the meaning of the corporate governance rules of the Exchange.

 

ww.       No Broker Dealer Status. None of the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries or their respective affiliates (i) is required to register as a “broker” or “dealer” in accordance with the provisions of the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, or (ii) directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or has any other association with (within the meaning of Article 1 of the Bylaws of the FINRA) any member firm of FINRA, other than in connection with the Company’s business arrangement with North Capital Private Securities Corporation.

 

xx.          Lending Relationships. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has any lending or similar relationship with the Agents or any bank of other lending institution affiliated with the Agents.

 

yy.        Stock Transfer Taxes. On each Settlement Date, all material stock transfer or other taxes (other than income taxes) which are required to be paid in connection with the sale and transfer of the Placement Shares to be sold hereunder will be, or will have been, fully paid or provided for by the Company and all laws imposing such taxes will be or will have been fully complied with by the Company in all material respects.

 

zz.         Cybersecurity. The Company and the Subsidiaries own or have a valid right to access and use all computer systems, networks, hardware, software, databases, websites and equipment used to process, store, maintain and operate data, information and functions used in connection with the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Company, (i) there has been no security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of their respective tenants, customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of them), or equipment (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and (ii) the Company has not been notified of, and has no knowledge of, any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data. The Company is presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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aaa.       Underwriter Agreements. Other than with respect to this Agreement, the Company is not a party to any agreement with an agent or underwriter for any other “at the market” or continuous equity transaction.

 

bbb.      Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Placement Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

 

Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Agents or to counsel for the Agents pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company and the Operating Partnership to the Agents as to the matters set forth therein.

 

7.             Covenants of the Company and the Operating Partnership. The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, covenant and agree with the Agents that:

 

a.           Registration Statement Amendments. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a prospectus relating to any Placement Shares is required to be delivered by the Agents under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”) (i) the Company will notify the Agents promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference or amendments not related to any Placement, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus related to the Placement or for additional information related to the Placement, (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon the Agents’ request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, upon the advice of the Company’s legal counsel, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Shares by the Agents (provided, however, that the failure of the Agents to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agents’ right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and provided, further, that the only remedy the Agents shall have with respect to the failure to make such filing shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement until such amendment or supplement is filed); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares or a security convertible into the Placement Shares (other than an Incorporated Document) unless a copy thereof has been submitted to the Agents within a reasonable period of time before the filing and the Agents have not reasonably objected thereto within two Business Days of receiving such copy (provided, however, that (A) the failure of the Agents to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agents’ right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and (B) the Company has no obligation to provide the Agents any advance copy of such filing or to provide the Agents an opportunity to object to such filing if the filing does not name the Agents or does not relate to the transaction herein provided; and provided, further, that the only remedy the Agents shall have with respect to the failure by the Company to obtain such consent shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to the Agents at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via EDGAR; and (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act or, in the case of any document to be incorporated therein by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the Exchange Act, within the time period prescribed (the determination to file or not file any amendment or supplement with the Commission under this Section 7(a), based on the Company’s reasonable opinion or reasonable objections, shall be made exclusively by the Company).

 

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b.           Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise the Agents, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; and it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued. The Company will advise the Agents promptly after it receives any request by the Commission for any amendments to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplements to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information related to the offering of the Placement Shares or for additional information related to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

 

c.           Delivery of Prospectus; Subsequent Changes. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will comply in all material respects with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as from time to time in force, and to file on or before their respective due dates all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, 15(d) or any other provision of or under the Exchange Act. If the Company has omitted any information from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the Commission pursuant to said Rule 430A and to notify the Agents promptly of all such filings. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an 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 then existing, not misleading, or if during such Prospectus Delivery Period it is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify the Agents to suspend the offering of Placement Shares during such period and the Company will promptly amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; provided, however, that the Company may delay the filing of any amendment or supplement, if in the judgment of the Company, it is in the best interest of the Company.

 

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d.           Listing of Placement Shares. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Placement Shares to be listed on the Exchange and to qualify the Placement Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Agents reasonably designate and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation or dealer in securities, file a general consent to service of process, or subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

 

e.           Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to the Agents and their counsel (at the reasonable expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that are filed with the Commission during the Prospectus Delivery Period (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), in each case as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities as the Agents may from time to time reasonably request and, at any Agent’s request, will also furnish copies of the Prospectus to each exchange or market on which sales of the Placement Shares may be made; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document (other than the Prospectus) to the Agents to the extent such document is available on EDGAR.

 

f.            Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 15 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement covering a 12-month period that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 under the Securities Act. The Company shall be deemed to satisfy this Section 7(f) through public filings made by the Company using the EDGAR system. The Company and the Agent acknowledge and agree that the Company’s timely-filed periodic filings with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act may be used to satisfy this obligation to the extent consistent with the requirements set forth herein.

 

g.           Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the Net Proceeds as described in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds.”

 

h.           Notice of Other Sales. The Company shall provide the Agents written notice as promptly as practicable before it offers to sell, sells, contracts to sell, grants any option to sell or otherwise disposes of any Common Stock (other than the Placement Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Common Stock during the period beginning on the date on which any Placement Notice is delivered to the Agents hereunder and ending on the third (3rd) Trading Day immediately following the final Settlement Date with respect to Placement Shares sold pursuant to such Placement Notice (or, if the Placement Notice has been terminated or suspended prior to the sale of all Placement Shares covered by a Placement Notice, the date of such suspension or termination); and will not, without the prior written consent of the Agents (which such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), directly or indirectly in any other “at the market” or continuous equity transaction offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock (other than the Placement Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Common Stock prior to the termination of this Agreement; provided, however, that such restrictions will not apply in connection with the Company’s issuance or sale of (i) Common Stock, options to purchase Common Stock or Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, or benefits plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan (but not Common Stock subject to a waiver to exceed plan limits in its dividend reinvestment plan) of the Company whether now in effect or hereafter implemented; (ii) Common Stock issuable upon conversion of securities or the exercise of warrants, options or other rights in effect or outstanding, and disclosed in filings by the Company available on EDGAR or otherwise in writing to the Agents; (iii) Common Stock, or securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock, offered and sold in a privately negotiated transaction to vendors, customers, strategic partners or potential strategic partners or other investors conducted in a manner so as not to be integrated with the offering of Common Stock hereby; and (iv) Common Stock in connection with any acquisition, strategic investment or other similar transaction (including any joint venture, strategic alliance or partnership). Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, nothing herein shall be construed to restrict the Company’s ability, or require the consent of the Agents, to file a registration statement under the Securities Act.

 

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i.           Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during the pendency of a Placement Notice, advise the Agents promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document required to be provided to the Agents pursuant to this Agreement.

 

j.           Due Diligence Cooperation. During the term of this Agreement, the Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agents or their representatives in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during regular business hours, upon reasonable prior notice, and at the Company’s principal offices or such other location (including by remote or virtual meeting or teleconference) as mutually agreed upon by the parties, as the Agents may reasonably request.

 

k.           Required Filings Relating to Placement of Placement Shares. The Company will disclose (i) in each Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by the Company in respect of any fiscal quarterly period (which, in the case of an Annual Report on Form 10-K, would mean the last quarterly period of the fiscal year) in which sales of Placement Shares were made by or through the Agents under this Agreement and (ii) to the extent required by applicable law and/or interpretations of the Commission, in prospectus supplements filed by the Company following the end of each fiscal quarterly period, the number of Placement Shares sold by or through the Agents under this Agreement during such fiscal quarterly period and the net proceeds received by the Company and the aggregate compensation paid by the Company to the Agents with respect to such sales. Additionally, the Company will deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to each exchange or market on which such sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of such exchange or market.

 

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l.           Representation Dates; Certificate. Each time during the term of this Agreement that the Company:

 

(i)        amends or supplements (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to an offering of securities other than the Placement Shares) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but not by means of incorporation of documents by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares;

 

(ii)       files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act (including any Form 10-K/A containing amended audited financial information or a material amendment to the previously filed Form 10-K);

 

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

 

(iv)      files a current report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than information “furnished” pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or to provide disclosure pursuant to Item 8.01 of Form 8-K relating to the reclassification of certain properties as discontinued operations in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144) under the Exchange Act;

 

(Each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a “Representation Date.”)

 

the Company shall furnish the Agents (but in the case of clause (iv) above only if the Agents reasonably determine that the information contained in such Form 8-K is material) with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(1). The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(1) shall be automatically waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) upon the delivery of the first Placement Notice hereunder and (ii) if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Agents with a certificate under this Section 7(1), then before any Agent sells any Placement Shares, the Company shall provide the Agents with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(1), dated the date of the Placement Notice.

 

m.           Legal Opinion. On or prior to the date of the first Placement Notice given hereunder, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agents (i) a written opinion and a negative assurance letter of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agents (“Company Counsel”), (ii) a written opinion of Company Counsel as to tax matters and (iii) a written opinion of Venable LLP, or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, as to matters related to Maryland corporate law, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents. Thereafter, within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(l) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agents a negative assurance letter of Company Counsel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents; provided that, in lieu of such negative assurance for subsequent periodic filings under the Exchange Act, counsel may furnish the Agents with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that the Agents may rely on the negative assurance letter previously delivered under this Section 7(m) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior letter shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented as of the date of the Reliance Letter).

 

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n.           Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date of the first Placement Notice given hereunder and within five (5) Trading Days after each subsequent Representation Date the Company shall cause its independent accountants to furnish the Agents letters (the “Comfort Letters”), dated the date the Comfort Letter is delivered, which shall meet the requirements set forth in this Section 7(n). The Comfort Letter from the Company’s independent accountants shall be in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, (i) confirming that they are an independent public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”), (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letter, the “Initial Comfort Letter”) and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letter with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letter had it been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.

 

o.           Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or would constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of Common Stock or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase Common Stock in violation of Regulation M, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Placement Shares other than the Agents provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent the Company from filing or submitting reports under the Exchange Act or issuing press releases in the ordinary course of business.

 

p.           Investment Company Act. The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that neither it nor the Subsidiaries will be or become, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement, an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act.

 

q.           No Offer to Sell. Other than an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus approved in advance by the Company and the Agents in their capacity as agents hereunder pursuant to Section 23, neither the Agents nor the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Agents in their capacity as such) will make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any written communication (as defined in Rule 405), required to be filed with the Commission, that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy Placement Shares hereunder.

 

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r.           Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company will maintain and keep accurate books and records reflecting its assets and maintain internal accounting controls in a manner 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 including those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, (iii) provide reasonable assurance that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with management’s and the Company’s directors’ authorization, and (iv) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on its financial statements. The Company will maintain disclosure controls and procedures that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

8.             Representations and Covenants of the Agents. Each Agent represents and warrants to the Company that it is duly registered as a broker-dealer under FINRA, the Exchange Act and the applicable statutes and regulations of each state in which the Placement Shares will be offered and sold, except such states in which such Agent is exempt from registration or such registration is not otherwise required. Each Agent agrees that it shall continue, for the term of this Agreement, to be duly registered as a broker-dealer under FINRA, the Exchange Act and the applicable statutes and regulations of each state in which the Placement Shares will be offered and sold, except such states in which such Agent is exempt from registration or such registration is not otherwise required, during the term of this Agreement. The Agents shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the issuance and sale through the Agents of the Placement Shares.

 

9.           Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, filing, including any fees required by the Commission, and printing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment and supplement thereto and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in such number as the Agents shall deem reasonably necessary, (ii) the printing and delivery to the Agents of this Agreement and such other documents as may be reasonably required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Shares, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates, if any, for the Placement Shares to the Agents, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any capital duties, stamp duties or other duties or taxes payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Shares to the Agents, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company, (v) the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agents (x) not to exceed $100,000 in the aggregate in connection with the execution of this Agreement and entering into the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (y) not to exceed $50,000 per year thereafter in connection with updates at the time of Representation Dates; (vi) the fees and expenses of the transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock, (vii) the filing fees incident to any review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Placement Shares, and (viii) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Placement Shares on the Exchange. The parties agree that except to the extent expressly provided in this Section 9 and Section 11 hereof, the Agents shall pay all of their own costs and expenses, including fees of their counsel.

 

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10.           Conditions to the Agents’ Obligations. The obligations of the Agents hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness in all material respects of the representations and warranties made by the Company herein (other than those representations and warranties made as of a specified date or time), to the due performance in all material respects by the Company of its obligations hereunder, to the completion by the Agents of a due diligence review satisfactory to them in their reasonable judgment, and to the continuing reasonable satisfaction (or waiver by the Agents in their sole discretion) of the following additional conditions:

 

a.           Registration Statement Effective. The Registration Statement shall remain effective and shall be available for the sale of all Placement Shares contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice.

 

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

 

c.           No Misstatement or Material Omission. The Agents shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in the reasonable opinion of the Agents is material, or omits to state a fact that in the reasonable opinion of the Agents is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

d.           Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, or disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that would cause a Material Adverse Effect, or a downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities) by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act (a “Rating Organization”), or a public announcement by any Rating Organization that it has under surveillance or review its rating of any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities), the effect of which, in the case of any such action by a Rating Organization described above, in the reasonable judgment of the Agents (without relieving the Company of any obligation or liability it may otherwise have), is so material as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering of the Placement Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

 

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e.           Company Counsel Legal Opinion. The Agents shall have received the opinions and negative assurance letter of Company Counsel and the opinion of Venable LLP required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(m) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinions and negative assurance letter are required pursuant to Section 7(m).

 

f.           Agent Counsel Legal Opinion. Agents shall have received from Morrison & Foerster LLP, counsel for the Agents, such opinion or opinions, on or before the date on which the delivery of the Company Counsel legal opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(m), with respect to such matters as the Agents 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.

 

g.           Comfort Letter. The Agents shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(n) on or before the date on which such delivery of such letter is required pursuant to Section 7(n).

 

h.          Representation Certificate. The Agents shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(1) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(1).

 

i.           Secretary’s Certificate. On or prior to the first Representation Date, the Agents shall have received a certificate, signed on behalf of the Company by its corporate Secretary, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel.

 

j.           No Suspension. Trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended on the Exchange and the Common Stock shall not have been delisted from the Exchange.

 

k.           Other Materials. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(1), the Company shall have furnished to the Agents such appropriate further information, certificates and documents as the Agents may reasonably request and which are usually and customarily furnished by an issuer of securities in connection with a securities offering of the type contemplated hereby. All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof.

 

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

 

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m.          Approval for Listing. The Placement Shares shall either have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to notice of issuance, or the Company shall have filed an application for listing of the Placement Shares on the Exchange at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.

 

n.           No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred any event that would permit the Agents to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 13(a).

 

11.           Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a)         Company and Operating Partnership Indemnification. The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Agents, their partners, members, directors, officers, employees and agents and each person, if any, who controls any Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:

 

(i)        against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any related Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(ii)       against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 11(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be delayed or withheld; and

 

(iii)      against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees and disbursements of counsel), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above, provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made solely in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company or the Operating Partnership by or on behalf of the Agents expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or in any related Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

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(b)         Indemnification by the Agents. The Agents, severally and not jointly, agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and the Operating Partnership and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents and each person, if any, who (i) controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with the Company, in each case, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 11(a), as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendments thereto) or in any related Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Agents and furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of the Agents expressly for use therein.

 

(c)         Procedure. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 11 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 11, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from (i) any liability that it might have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 11 and (ii) any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provisions of this Section 11 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other reasonable and actual expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (1) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (2) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (3) a conflict or potential conflict of interest exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (4) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly after the indemnifying party receives a written invoice relating to fees, disbursements and other charges in reasonable detail. An indemnifying party will not, in any event, be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 11 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (1) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (2) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

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(d)         Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 11 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable from the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Agents, the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Agents will contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company and the Operating Partnership from persons other than the Agents, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) to which the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Agents may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Operating Partnership on the one hand and the Agents on the other hand. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Operating Partnership on the one hand and the Agents on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total Net Proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Operating Partnership bear to the total compensation received by the Agents (before deducting expenses) from the sale of Placement Shares on behalf of the Company. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company and the Operating Partnership, on the one hand, and the Agents, on the other hand, with respect to the statements or omission that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Agents, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company, the Operating Partnership and the Agents agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 11(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 11(d) shall be deemed to include, for the purpose of this Section 11(d), any reasonable and documented out-of-pocket legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim to the extent consistent with Section 11(c) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11(d), the Agents shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the commissions received by them under this Agreement and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 11(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, and any officers, directors, partners, employees or agents of the Agents, will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 11(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify will not relieve that party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 11(d) except to the extent that the failure to so notify such other party materially prejudiced the substantive rights or defenses of the party from whom contribution is sought. Except for a settlement entered into pursuant to the last sentence of Section 11(c) hereof, no party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent if such consent is required pursuant to Section 11(c) hereof.

 

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(e)         For purposes of clarity and without limitation to any provision of this Agreement, (i) the obligations of the Agents under this Agreement are several and not joint, and (ii) the obligations of the Company and the Operating Partnership are joint and several.

 

12.           Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 11 of this Agreement and all representations and warranties of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Agents herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto shall survive, as of their respective dates, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agents, any controlling persons, or the Company (or any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons), (ii) delivery and acceptance of the Placement Shares and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.

 

13.           Termination.

 

a.          The Agents, in their sole discretion, or any one of them in its sole discretion as to itself, may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, as hereinafter specified at any time (1) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the date as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect that, in the reasonable judgment of the Agents or the applicable Agent, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Placement Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Placement Shares, (2) if there has occurred, and there is continuing at the time of such termination, any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the reasonable judgment of the Agents or the applicable Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Placement Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Placement Shares, (3) if trading in the Common Stock has been suspended or limited by the Commission or the Exchange and such suspension or limitation remains in effect at the time of such termination, or if trading generally on the Exchange has been suspended or limited, or minimum prices for trading have been fixed on the Exchange, (4) if any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such termination, (5) if a major disruption of securities settlements or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such termination, or (6) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either U.S. Federal or New York authorities and shall be continuing at the time of such termination. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial), Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 20 (Use of Information) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. If the applicable Agent elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 13(a), the applicable Agent shall provide the required notice as specified in Section 14 (Notices).

 

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b.          The Company shall have the right, by giving five (5) days’ notice to the Agents as hereinafter specified, to terminate this Agreement, or to terminate this Agreement as to any Agent, in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial), Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 20 (Use of Information) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

 

c.          The Agents, in their sole discretion, or any one of them in its sole discretion as to itself, shall have the right, by giving five (5) days’ notice to the Company as hereinafter specified, to terminate this Agreement at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial), Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 20 (Use of Information) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

 

d.          Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 13, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Placement Shares through the Agents on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein except that the provisions of Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial), Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 20 (Use of Information) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

 

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e.          This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 13(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided, however, that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial), Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 20 (Use of Information) shall remain in full force and effect. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Company shall not have any liability to the Agents for any discount, commission or other compensation with respect to any Placement Shares not otherwise sold by the Agents under this Agreement.

 

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

 

14.          Notices. All notices or other communications required or permitted to be given by any party to any other party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing, unless otherwise specified, and if sent to the Agents, shall be delivered to:


 
B. Riley Securities, Inc.
299 Park Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10171
Attention: General Counsel
Telephone: (212) 457-9947
Email: ***@***
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated
777 E. Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Attention: Syndicate Department
Facsimile: (414) 298-7474, with a copy to the Legal
Department
   
BMO Capital Markets Corp.
151 W 42nd St
New York, NY 10036
Attention: Eric Benedict
Telephone: (212) 702-1231
Email: ***@***
Colliers Securities LLC
90 South 7th Street, Suite 4300
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Attention: David Edwards
Telephone: (612) 317-2152
Email: ***@***
   
EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC
590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor
New York, New York 10022
Attention: Ryan Whalen
Telephone: (929) 586-0023
Email: ***@***
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
1717 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Attention: Dave Lau
Telephone: (617) 557-2971
Email: ***@***

 

34

 

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.
640 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10172
Attention: Jeffrey Caliva
Telephone: (212) 409-2119
Email: ***@***
Truist Securities, Inc.
3333 Peachtree Road NE, 11th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
Attention: Equity Capital Markets
Telephone: (404) 926-5832
Email: ***@***

 

with a copy to:

 

Morrison & Foerster LLP

2100 L Street, NW, Suite 900

Washington, DC 20037

Attention: Andrew P. Campbell
Telephone: (202) 887-1584
Email: ***@***

 

and if to the Company, shall be delivered to:

 

Modiv Inc.

120 Newport Center Drive

Newport Beach, California 92660

Attention: John Raney
Telephone: (949) 742-4855
Email: ***@***

 

with a copy to:

 

Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP

3343 Peachtree Road NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30326

Attention: Lauren B. Prevost
Telephone: (404) 504-7744
Email: ***@***

 

Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose. Each such notice or other communication shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally, by email, or by verifiable facsimile transmission on or before 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on a Business Day or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day, (ii) on the next Business Day after timely delivery to a nationally-recognized overnight courier and (iii) on the Business Day actually received if deposited in the U.S. mail (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). For purposes of this Agreement, “Business Day” shall mean any day on which the Exchange and commercial banks in the City of New York are open for business.

 

15.           Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and the Agents and their respective successors and the affiliates, controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 11 hereof. References to any of the parties contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the successors and permitted assigns of such party. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Neither the Company nor the Agents may assign their rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party.

 

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16.           Adjustments for Stock Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all share-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any share consolidation, stock split, stock dividend, corporate domestication or similar event effected with respect to the Placement Shares.

 

17.         Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto and Placement Notices issued pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Agents. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the parties as reflected in this Agreement.

 

18.           GOVERNING LAW AND TIME; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS. SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME. THE COMPANY, THE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP AND THE AGENTS EACH HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

19.           CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND AGREES NOT TO ASSERT IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING, ANY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH COURT, THAT SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM OR THAT THE VENUE OF SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS IMPROPER. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS AND CONSENTS TO PROCESS BEING SERVED IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF (CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED) TO SUCH PARTY AT THE ADDRESS IN EFFECT FOR NOTICES TO IT UNDER THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREES THAT SUCH SERVICE SHALL CONSTITUTE GOOD AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE THEREOF. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO LIMIT IN ANY WAY ANY RIGHT TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW.

 

36

 

20.           Use of Information. The Agents may not use or disclose any information gained in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including due diligence, to advise any party with respect to transactions not expressly approved by the Company.

 

21.           Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement by one party to the other may be made by facsimile transmission or email of a .pdf attachment.

 

22.           Effect of Headings. The section, Schedule and Exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

23.           Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Agents (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), and the Agents represent, warrant and agree, severally and not jointly, that, unless they obtain the prior consent of the Company, they have not made and will not make any offer relating to the Placement Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Agents or by the Company, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents and warrants that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. For the purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that all free writing prospectuses, if any, listed in Exhibit 23 hereto are Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.

 

37

 

24.           Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. Each of the Company and the Operating Partnership acknowledges and agrees that:

 

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

 

b.          it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

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

 

d.          it is aware that the Agents and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and the Operating Partnership and the Agents have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company or the Operating Partnership by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and

 

e.          it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Agents for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the sale of Placement Shares under this Agreement and agrees that the Agents shall not have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of it or the Company and the Operating Partnership, employees or creditors of Company and the Operating Partnership, other than in respect of the Agents’ obligations under this Agreement and to keep information provided by the Company and the Operating Partnership to the Agents and their counsel confidential to the extent not otherwise publicly-available.

 

25.           Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below:

 

Applicable Time” means (i) each Representation Date and (ii) the time of each sale of any Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement.

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Placement Shares that (1) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (2) is a “road show” that is a “written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (3) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Placement Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Securities Act.

 

38

 

Rule 172,” “Rule 405,” “Rule 415,” “Rule 424,” “Rule 424(b),” “Rule 430B,” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Securities Act.

 

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

 

All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR; all references in this Agreement to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that, pursuant to Rule 433, are not required to be filed with the Commission) shall be deemed to include the copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR; and all references in this Agreement to “supplements” to the Prospectus shall include, without limitation, any supplements, “wrappers” or similar materials prepared in connection with any offering, sale or private placement of any Placement Shares by the Agents outside of the United States.

 

[Remainder of the page intentionally left blank]

 

39

 

If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Agents, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Agents.

 

  Very truly yours,
       
    MODIV INC.
       
    By: /s/ Raymond J. Pacini
      Name: Raymond J. Pacini
      Title: Chief Financial Officer
       
    MODIV OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, LP
    By: Modiv Inc., its general partner
       
    By: /s/ Raymond J. Pacini
      Name: Raymond J. Pacini
      Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

40

 

ACCEPTED as of the date first-above written:
 
     
B. RILEY SECURITIES, INC.
 
     
By:
/s/ Patrice McNicoll
 
Name:  Patrice McNicoll
 
Title:  Co-Head of Investment Banking
 
     
ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INCORPORATED
 
     
By:
/s/ Christopher Walter
 
Name: Christopher Walter
 
Title: Managing Director
 
     
BMO CAPITAL MARKETS CORP.
 
     
By:
/s/ Eric Benedict
 
Name: Eric Benedict
 
Title: Managing Director
 
     
COLLIERS SECURITIES LLC
 
     
By:
/s/ Keith Getter
 
Name: Keith Getter
 
Title: Managing Director
 
     
EF HUTTON, DIVISION OF BENCHMARK INVESTMENTS, LLC
 
     
By:
/s/ Sam Fleischman
 
Name: Sam Fleischman
 
Title: Supervisory Principal
 
     
JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT LLC
 
     
By:
/s/ David Lau
 
Name: David Lau
 
Title:  Managing Director – Head of Equities
 



 

 

41

 

LADENBURG THALMANN & CO. INC.
 
     
By:
/s/ Jeffrey Caliva
 
Name: Jeffrey Caliva
 
Title: Managing Director
 
     
TRUIST SECURITIES, INC.
 
     
By:
/s/ Geoffrey Fennel
 
Name: Geoffrey Fennel
 
Title: Director
 


 

42

 

SCHEDULE 1

 

 

 

FORM OF PLACEMENT NOTICE

 

 

 

From: Modiv Inc.

 

  To:                                 

 

Attention:                                 

 

Subject: At Market Issuance--Placement Notice

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement between Modiv Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and Modiv Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), and B. Riley Securities, Inc., Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, BMO Capital Markets Corp., Colliers Securities LLC, EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Truist Securities, Inc., dated June 6, 2022, the Company hereby requests that [____] sell up to [____] of the Company’s Class C Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, at a minimum market price of $  per share, during the time period beginning [month, day, time] and ending [month, day, time].

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 2

 

 

 

Compensation

 

 

 

The Company shall pay to the Agents in cash, upon each sale of Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement, an aggregate amount up to 2.2% of the gross proceeds from each such sale of Placement Shares.

 

 

 

SCHEDULE 3

 

 

 

Notice Parties

 

 

 

[On file with Company]


 

 

EXHIBIT 7(1)

 

Form of Representation Date Certificate

 

___________, 20___

 

This Representation Date Certificate (this “Certificate”) is executed and delivered in connection with Section 7(1) of the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated June 6, 2022, and entered into between Modiv Inc. (the “Company”) and Modiv Operating Partnership, LP (the “Operating Partnership”) and B. Riley Securities, Inc., Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, BMO Capital Markets Corp., Colliers Securities LLC, EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Truist Securities, Inc. (collectively, the “Agents”) All capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Agreement.

 

Each of the Company and the Operating Partnership hereby certifies as follows:

 

1.          As of the date of this Certificate (i) the Registration Statement does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading and (ii) neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (iii) no event has occurred as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein not untrue or misleading for this paragraph 1 to be true.

 

2.          Each of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Operating Partnership contained in the Agreement were, when originally made, and are, as of the date of this Certificate, true and correct in all material respects, except for those representations and warranties that speak solely as of a specific date, which were as of such date, and are, as of the date of this Certificate, true and correct in all material respects.

 

3.          Except as waived by the Agents in writing, each of the covenants required to be performed by the Company and the Operating Partnership in the Agreement on or prior to the date of the Agreement, this Representation Date, and each such other date prior to the date hereof as set forth in the Agreement, has been duly, timely and fully performed in all material respects and each condition required to be complied with by the Company and the Operating Partnership on or prior to the date of the Agreement, this Representation Date, and each such other date prior to the date hereof as set forth in the Agreement has been duly, timely and fully complied with in all material respects.

 

4.          Subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the Prospectus, and except as described in the Prospectus, including Incorporated Documents, there has been no Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.          No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any part thereof has been issued, and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened by any securities or other governmental authority (including, without limitation, the Commission).

 

 

 

6.          No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the qualification or registration of the Placement Shares under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction are in effect and no proceeding for such purpose is pending before, or threatened, to the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s knowledge or in writing by, any securities or other governmental authority (including, without limitation, the Commission).

 

 

 

The undersigned have executed this Representation Date Certificate as of the date first written above.

 

  MODIV INC.
       
  By:    
     
  Name:  
     
  Title:  
     
  MODIV OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, LP
  By: Modiv Inc., its general partner
       
  By:    
       
  Name:  
     
  Title:  

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 23

 

Permitted Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses

 

None.