PURCHASE AGREEMENT S1 BIOPHARMA, INC. 2,750,000 Shares(1) Common Stock

EX-1.1 2 a2222124zex-1_1.htm EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

 

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

S1 BIOPHARMA, INC.

 

2,750,000 Shares(1)

 

Common Stock

 

, 2014

 

MLV & Co. LLC

As representative of the several

Underwriters named in Schedule I

1251 Avenue of the Americas

41st Floor

New York, NY  10020

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

S1 Biopharma, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of 2,750,000 authorized but unissued shares (the “Firm Shares”) of Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”).  The Company has also granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to 412,500 additional authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock, on the terms and for the purposes set forth in Section 3 hereof (the “Option Shares”).  The Firm Shares and any Option Shares purchased pursuant to this Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) are hereinafter collectively called the “Securities.”

 

The Company hereby confirms its agreement with respect to the sale of the Securities to the several Underwriters, for whom MLV & Co. LLC is acting as representative (the “Representative”).

 

1.                                      Registration Statement and Prospectus.  A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-199111) with respect to the Securities, including a preliminary form of prospectus, has been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) promulgated thereunder (the “Rules and Regulations”), and has been filed with the Commission.  Such registration statement, including the amendments, exhibits and schedules thereto, as of the time it became effective, including the Rule 430A Information (as defined below), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement.”  The Company will prepare and file a prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations that discloses the information previously omitted from the prospectus in the Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, which information will be deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 430A Information”).  If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations to increase the size of the offering registered

 


(1)                                 Plus an option to purchase up to 412,500 additional shares to cover over-allotments.

 



 

under the Act, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement with respect to such increase pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations (such registration statement, including the contents of the Registration Statement incorporated by reference therein is the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”).  References herein to the “Registration Statement” will be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement at and after the time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.  “Preliminary Prospectus” means any prospectus included in the Registration Statement prior to the effective time of the Registration Statement, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Rules and Regulations and each prospectus that omits Rule 430A Information used after the effective time of the Registration Statement.  “Prospectus” means the prospectus that discloses the public offering price and other final terms of the Securities and the offering and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.  All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, is deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System or any successor system thereto (“EDGAR”).

 

2.                                      Representations and Warranties of the Company.

 

The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters as follows:

 

(a)                                 Registration Statement and Prospectuses.  The Registration Statement, including any post-effective amendment thereto, has become effective under the Act.  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued by the Commission, and to the Company’s knowledge, no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission.  No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) has been issued by the Commission, and to the Company’s knowledge, no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission.  As of the time each part of the Registration Statement (or any post-effective amendment thereto) became or becomes effective, such part conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations.  Upon the filing or first use within the meaning of the Rules and Regulations, each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (or any supplement to either) conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations.  For purposes of this Agreement, “to the Company’s knowledge” means the knowledge of any executive officer or director of the Company, and an individual shall be deemed to have “knowledge” of a particular fact, circumstance or other matter if: (i) such person is actually aware of such fact, circumstance or matter or (ii) an individual could have obtained such fact, circumstance or matter through a reasonable inquiry concerning the truth or existence of such fact, circumstance or other matter.

 

(b)                                 Accurate Disclosure.  Each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof or the time of first use within the meaning of the Rules and Regulations, did 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at the effective time of each part thereof, at the First Closing Date (as defined below) or at the Second Closing Date (as defined below), contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  As of the Time of Sale (as defined below), neither (A) the Time of Sale Disclosure Package (as defined below) nor (B) any issuer free writing prospectus (as defined below), when

 

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considered together with the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any supplement thereto, as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations, at the First Closing Date or at the Second Closing Date, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The representations and warranties in this Section 2(b) shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter specifically for use in the preparation of such document, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(e).

 

Each reference to an “issuer free writing prospectus” herein means an issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

Time of Sale Disclosure Package” means the Preliminary Prospectus dated [                    ], any free writing prospectus set forth on Schedule II and the information on Schedule III, all considered together.

 

Each reference to a “free writing prospectus” herein means a free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

Time of Sale” means     :00 **[a/p]m (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.

 

(c)                                  Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.

 

(i)                                     Each issuer free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative as described in Section 4(c)(ii), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus.  The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any issuer free writing prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter specifically for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(e).

 

(ii)                                  At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

 

(iii)                               Each issuer free writing prospectus satisfied, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, all other conditions to use thereof as set forth in Rules 164 and 433 under the Act.

 

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(d)                                 Emerging Growth Company.  From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined below)) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).  “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act.

 

(e)                                  Testing-the-Waters Materials.  The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications, other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the prior consent of the Representative with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Underwriters to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Company reconfirms that the Underwriters have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications (as defined below) other than those listed on Schedule V hereto.  “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.  Any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication does not conflict in any material respect with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, complied in all material respects with the Act and, when taken together with the Time of Sale Disclosure Package as of the Time of Sale, did not contain any 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.

 

(f)                                   No Other Offering Materials.  The Company has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or other materials permitted by the Act to be distributed by the Company; provided, however, that, except as set forth on Schedule II, the Company has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus, except in accordance with the provisions of Section 4(m) of this Agreement, and except as set forth on Schedule II, the Company has not made and will not make any communication relating to the Securities that would constitute a Testing-the-Waters Communication, except in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(e) of this Agreement.

 

(g)                                  Financial Statements.  The financial statements of the Company, together with the related notes, set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and fairly present the financial condition of the Company as of the dates indicated and the results of operations and changes in cash flows for the periods therein specified in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as otherwise disclosed therein and, in the case of unaudited interim financial statements, for normal year-end audit adjustments and the exclusion of certain footnotes, and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly, in all material respects, the information required to be stated therein.  All non-GAAP financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus complies with the requirements of Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, and except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material off-balance sheet arrangements (as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Act) or any other relationships with unconsolidated entities or

 

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other persons, that may have a material current or, to the Company’s knowledge, material future effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources or significant components of revenue or expenses.  No other financial statements or schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.  KPMG LLP, which has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements and schedules filed as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is (i) an independent public accounting firm within the meaning of the Act and the Rules and Regulations, (ii) a registered public accounting firm (as defined in Section 2(a)(12) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”)) and (iii) not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

(h)                                 Organization; Good Standing.  The Company has been duly organized and validly exists as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation.  The Company has full corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as currently being carried on and as described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases real property or in which the conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary and in which the failure to so qualify could have a material adverse effect upon the business, prospects, management, properties, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company, taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”).

 

(i)                                     Absence of Certain Events.  Except as contemplated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Company has not incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock, and there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than a change in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or conversion of convertible securities), or any material change in the short term or long term debt (other than as a result of the conversion of convertible securities), or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase the capital stock of the Company, or any material adverse change in the general affairs, condition (financial or otherwise), business, prospects, management, properties, operations or results of operations of the Company, taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Change”) or any development which would reasonably be expected to result in any Material Adverse Change.

 

(j)                                    Ownership of Other Entities.  The Company does not have any subsidiaries and owns no capital stock or other equity, ownership or proprietary interest, directly or indirectly, in any corporation, partnership, association, trust or other entity.

 

(k)                                 Absence of Proceedings.  Except as set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, there is not pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated, any action, suit or proceeding (i) to which the Company is a party or (ii) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of the Company, any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or any property or assets owned or leased by the Company before or by any court or Governmental Authority (as defined below) or any arbitrator, which, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in any Material Adverse Change, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or which are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Securities.  There are no current or, to the knowledge of the Company, pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings (i) to which the

 

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Company is subject or (ii) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of the Company, any employee plan sponsored by the Company or any property or assets owned or leased by the Company that are required to be described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus by the Act or by the Rules and Regulations and that have not been so described.

 

(l)                                     Authorization; No Conflicts; Authority.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnity hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity.  The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the Company’s charter or by-laws or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule, regulation or decree of any court or arbitrator or federal, state, local or foreign governmental agency or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties or assets (each, a “Governmental Authority”), except in the case of clauses (i) or (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or registration or filing with, any Governmental Authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement or for the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the issuance or sale of the Securities by the Company, except such as may be required under the Act, the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or state securities or blue sky laws, and the Company has full power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including the authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(m)                             Capitalization; the Securities; Registration Rights.  All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the outstanding shares of Common Stock, are duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal, state and foreign securities laws and were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or purchase securities that have not been waived in writing (a copy of any such waivers having been delivered to counsel to the Underwriters); the Securities which may be sold hereunder by the Company have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and fully paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable; and the capital stock of the Company, including the Common Stock, conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  Except as otherwise stated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus: (i) there are no preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase shares of Common Stock except those that have been duly and validly waived in writing (a copy of all such waivers having been delivered to counsel to the Underwriters), or any restriction upon the voting or transfer of, any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s charter, by-laws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound; (ii) neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company (collectively “Registration Rights”) that have not

 

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been duly and validly waived in writing (a copy of all such waivers having been delivered to counsel to the Underwriters); and (iii) any person to whom the Company has granted Registration Rights has agreed not to exercise such rights until after expiration of the Lock-Up Period (as defined below).  The Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization.”

 

(n)                                 Stock Options.  Except as described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no options, warrants, agreements, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company any shares of its capital stock.  The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and any other stock plans or arrangements (collectively, the “Company Stock Plans”) and the options (the “Options”) or other rights granted thereunder, as set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fairly present in all material respects the information required to be shown with respect to such Company Stock Plans, Options and other rights granted thereunder.  Each grant of an Option (i) was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Option was by its terms to be effective by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto and (ii) was made in accordance with the terms of the applicable Company Stock Plan, and all applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including all applicable federal securities laws.

 

(o)                                 Compliance with Laws.  The Company holds, and is operating in compliance in all material respects with, all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certificates and orders of any Governmental Authority or self-regulatory body required for the conduct of its business and all such franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certifications and orders are valid and in full force and effect except where the invalidity or failure to be in full force and effect, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect upon the Company; the Company has not received notice of any revocation or modification of any such franchise, grant, authorization, license, permit, easement, consent, certification or order that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect upon the Company, or has reason to believe that any such franchise, grant, authorization, license, permit, easement, consent, certification or order will not be renewed in the ordinary course; and the Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations, orders and decrees.

 

(p)                                 Ownership of Assets.  The Company has good and marketable title to all property (whether real or personal) described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned by it, in each case free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests, other encumbrances or defects except such as are described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  The property held under lease by the Company is held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with only such exceptions with respect to any particular lease as do not interfere in any material respect with the conduct of the business of the Company.

 

(q)                                 Intellectual Property.  The Company owns, possesses all Intellectual Property (as defined below) necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as now conducted or as described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus to be conducted, except as such failure to own, possess or acquire such rights would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Furthermore: (i) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement, misappropriation or

 

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violation by third parties of any such Intellectual Property, except as such infringement, misappropriation or violation would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s rights in or to any such Intellectual Property and the Company is unaware of any facts which would reasonably be expected to form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iii) the Intellectual Property owned by the Company, and to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property licensed to the Company, has not been adjudged invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, and there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property and the Company is unaware of any facts which would reasonably be expected to form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property or other proprietary rights of others, the Company has not received any written notice of such claim and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would reasonably be expected to form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (v) to the Company’s knowledge, no employee of the Company is in violation of or has ever been in violation of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company or actions undertaken by the employee while employed with the Company, except as such violation would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.  As used herein, “Intellectual Property” shall mean all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, domain names, technology, know-how and any other intellectual property.

 

(u)                                 No Violations or Defaults.  The Company is not (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws, or (ii) in breach of or otherwise in default, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default in the performance of any material obligation, agreement or condition contained in any bond, debenture, note, indenture, loan agreement or any other material contract, lease or other instrument to which it is subject or may be bound, or to which any of the material property or assets of the Company is subject.

 

(r)                                    Taxes.  The Company has timely filed all federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise tax returns required to be filed and is not in default in the payment of any taxes which were payable pursuant to said returns or any assessments with respect thereto, other than any which the Company is contesting in good faith.  There is no pending dispute with any taxing authority relating to any of such returns, and the Company has no knowledge of any proposed liability for any tax to be imposed upon the properties or assets of the Company for which there is not an adequate reserve reflected in the Company’s financial statements included in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect upon the Company.

 

(s)                                   Exchange Listing and Exchange Act Registration.  The Securities have been approved for listing on The NASDAQ Global Market subject to official notice of issuance, and on the date the Registration Statement became effective, the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A or other applicable form under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), became effective.  Except as set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no affiliations with members of FINRA among the Company’s officers or directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent or greater stockholders of the Company or any beneficial

 

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owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired during the 180-day period immediately preceding the initial filing date of the Registration Statement.

 

(t)                                    Internal Controls.  The Company has established a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurances 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; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and none of the Company, its board of directors or audit committee is aware of any “significant deficiencies” or “material weaknesses” (each as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board) in its internal control over financial reporting, or any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees of the Company who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls.  Since the end of the latest audited fiscal year, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.  The Company’s board of directors has, subject to the exceptions, cure periods and the phase-in periods specified in the applicable stock exchange rules (the “Exchange Rules”), validly appointed an audit committee to oversee internal accounting controls whose composition satisfies the applicable requirements of the Exchange Rules and the Company’s board of directors and/or the audit committee has adopted a charter that satisfies the requirements of the Exchange Rules.

 

(v)                                 No Brokers or Finders.  Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, the Company has not incurred and will not incur 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.

 

(w)                               Insurance.  The Company carries, or is covered by, insurance from reputable insurers in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties; all policies of insurance and any fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or its business, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company is in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; there are no claims by the Company under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; the Company has not been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(x)                                 Investment Company Act.  The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities, will not be an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(y)                                 Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  The Company is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

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(z)                                  Disclosure Controls.  The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 under the Exchange Act) and such controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer.  The Company has utilized such controls and procedures in preparing and evaluating the disclosures in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(aa)                          Anti-Bribery and Anti-Money Laundering Laws.  Each of the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, its affiliates and any of their respective officers, directors, supervisors, managers, agents or employees has not violated, its participation in the offering will not violate, and the Company has instituted and maintains policies and procedures designed to ensure continued compliance with, each of the following laws:  (i) anti-bribery laws, including but not limited to, any applicable law, rule, or regulation of any locality, including but not limited to any law, rule, or regulation promulgated to implement the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, signed December 17, 1997, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, or any other law, rule or regulation of similar purposes and scope; or (ii) anti-money laundering laws, including but not limited to, applicable federal, state, international, foreign or other laws, regulations or government guidance regarding anti-money laundering, including, without limitation, Title 18 U.S. Code section 1956 and 1957, the Patriot Act, the Bank Secrecy Act and international anti-money laundering principles or procedures by an intergovernmental group or organization, such as the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, of which the United States is a member and with which designation the United States representative to the group or organization continues to concur, all as amended, and any Executive order, directive, or regulation pursuant to the authority of any of the  foregoing, or any orders or licenses issued thereunder.

 

(bb)                          OFAC.

 

(i)                                     Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers or employees, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company is an individual or entity that is, or is owned or controlled by an individual or entity that is:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(iii)                               For the past five years, the Company has not knowingly engaged in, and is not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any individual or entity, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.

 

(cc)                            Compliance with Environmental Laws.  Except as disclosed in the Time of Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not in violation of any statute, any rule, regulation, decision or order of any Governmental Authority or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), does not own or operate any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to any Environmental Laws, is not liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any Environmental Laws and is not subject to any claim relating to any Environmental Laws, which violation, contamination, liability or claim could individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which might lead to such a claim.  The Company does not anticipate incurring any material capital expenditures relating to compliance with Environmental Laws.

 

(dd)                          Compliance with Occupational Laws.  The Company: (i) is in compliance, in all material respects, with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations, treaties, statutes and codes promulgated by any and all Governmental Authorities (including pursuant to the Occupational Health and Safety Act) relating to the protection of human health and safety in the workplace (“Occupational Laws”); (ii) has received all material permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Occupational Laws to conduct its business as currently conducted; and (iii) is in compliance, in all material respects, with all terms and conditions of such permit, license or approval.  No action, proceeding, revocation proceeding, writ, injunction or claim is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company relating to Occupational Laws and the Company does not have knowledge of any facts, circumstances or developments relating to its operations or cost accounting practices that could reasonably be expected to form the basis for or give rise to such actions, suits, investigations or proceedings.

 

(ee)                            ERISA and Employee Benefits Matters.  To the knowledge of the Company, no “prohibited transaction” as defined under Section 406 of ERISA (as defined below) or Section 4975 of the Code (as defined below) and not exempt under ERISA Section 408 and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder has occurred with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan (as defined below).  At no time has the Company or any ERISA Affiliate (as defined below) maintained, sponsored, participated in, contributed to or has or had any material liability or obligation in respect of any Employee Benefit Plan subject to Part 3 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA, Title IV of ERISA, or Section 412 of the Code or any “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA or any multiple employer plan for which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate has incurred or could incur liability under Section 4063 or 4064 of ERISA.  No Employee Benefit Plan provides or promises, or at any time provided or promised, retiree health, life insurance, or other retiree welfare benefits except as may be required by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended, or similar state law.  Each Employee Benefit Plan is and has been operated in material

 

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compliance with its terms and all applicable laws, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code and, to the knowledge of the Company, no event has occurred (including a “reportable event” as such term is defined in Section 4043 of ERISA) and no condition exists that would subject the Company or any ERISA Affiliate to any material tax, fine, lien, penalty or liability imposed by ERISA, the Code or other applicable law.  Each Employee Benefit Plan intended to be qualified under Code Section 401(a) is so qualified and has a favorable determination letter from the IRS upon which it can rely, or with respect to a prototype plan adopted by the Company, such prototype plan has received an opinion from the IRS that such prototype plan is so qualified, and any such determination letter or opinion remains in effect and has not been revoked.  To the knowledge of the Company, nothing has occurred since the date of any such determination or opinion letter that is reasonably likely to adversely affect such qualification.  With respect to each Foreign Benefit Plan (as defined below), such Foreign Benefit Plan (i) if intended to qualify for special tax treatment, meets, in all material respects, the requirements for such treatment, and (ii) if required to be funded, is funded to the extent required by applicable law, and with respect to all other Foreign Benefit Plans, adequate reserves therefor have been established on the accounting statements of the Company.  The Company does not have any obligations under any collective bargaining agreement with any union and no organization efforts are underway with respect to Company employees.  As used in this Agreement: “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; “Employee Benefit Plan” means any “employee benefit plan” within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA, including, without limitation, all stock purchase, stock option, stock-based severance, employment, change-in-control, medical, disability, fringe benefit, bonus, incentive, deferred compensation, employee loan and all other employee benefit plans, agreements, programs, policies or other arrangements, whether or not subject to ERISA, under which (i) any current or former employee, director or independent contractor of the Company has any present or future right to benefits and which are contributed to, sponsored by or maintained by the Company or (ii) the Company has had or has any present or future obligation or liability; “ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended; “ERISA Affiliate” means any member of the company’s controlled group as defined in Code Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o); and “Foreign Benefit Plan” means any Employee Benefit Plan established, maintained or contributed to outside of the United States of America or which covers any employee working or residing outside of the United States.

 

(ff)                              FDA.  To the knowledge of the Company, and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company’s operations are in compliance with applicable regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), including current Good Manufacturing Practices.

 

(gg)                            Clinical Trials.  To the knowledge of the Company, the descriptions of the results of the studies, tests and trials contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (the “Company Studies and Trials”) are accurate in all material respects; there are no other studies or tests, the results of which could reasonably be expected to discredit or call into question the results described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and except with respect to clinical trial holds that have been lifted with respect to completed clinical trials previously conducted by the Company, the Company has not received any notice or correspondence from the FDA or any other governmental agency requiring the termination or suspension of any pre-clinical or clinical trials conducted by, or on behalf of, the Company or in which the Company has participated.  The Company Studies and Trials were and, if still pending, are being, conducted in all material respects in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to, where applicable, accepted professional scientific standards.

 

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(hh)                          Regulatory Compliance.  Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable rules and regulations of the FDA, and all applicable U.S. and foreign laws, statutes, ordinances, rules or regulations.

 

(ii)                                  Business Arrangements.  Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not granted rights to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products to any other person and is not bound by any agreement that affects the exclusive right of the Company to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products.

 

(jj)                                Labor Matters.  No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company exists or is threatened or imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(kk)                          Disclosure of Legal Matters.  There are no statutes, regulations, legal or governmental proceedings, contracts or other documents required to be disclosed in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or included as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or included therein.

 

(ll)                                  Statistical Information.  Any third-party statistical and market-related data included in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects.

 

(mm)                  Forward-looking Statements.  No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

 

3.                                      Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Securities.

 

(a)                                 Firm Shares.  On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell the Firm Shares to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.  The purchase price for each Firm Share shall be $           per share.

 

(b)                                 Option Shares.  On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants to the several Underwriters an option to purchase all or any portion of the Option Shares at the same purchase price as the Firm Shares, for use solely in covering any over-allotments made by the Underwriters in the sale and distribution of the Firm Shares.  The option granted hereunder may be exercised in whole or in part at any time (but not more than once) within 30 days after the effective date of this Agreement upon notice (confirmed in writing) by the Representative to the Company setting forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option, the names and denominations in which the certificates for the Option Shares are to be registered and the date and time, as determined by the Representative, when the Option Shares are to be delivered, but in no event earlier than the First Closing Date (as defined below) nor earlier than the second business day or

 

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later than the tenth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised.  No Option Shares shall be sold and delivered unless the Firm Shares previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered.

 

(c)                                  Payment and Delivery.

 

(i)                                     The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters hereunder, in book-entry form in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request upon at least forty-eight hours prior notice to the Company, shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representative, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the respective accounts of the Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Securities to the Underwriters duly paid, against payment by or on behalf of the Underwriters of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representative at least forty-eight hours in advance.  The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on                  , 2014 or such other time and date as the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing and, with respect to the Option Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified by the Representative in each written notice given by the Representative of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares, or such other time and date as the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing.  Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the “First Closing Date,” each such time and date for delivery of the Option Shares, if not the First Closing Date, is herein called the “Second Closing Date,” and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Closing.”

 

(ii)                                  The documents to be delivered at each Closing by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 5 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Securities and any additional documents requested by the Representative pursuant to Section 5(k) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of K&L Gates LLP, 1 Park Plaza, Twelfth Floor, Irvine, CA  92614, or at such other place as the Company and the Representative may agree (the “Closing Location”), and the Securities will be delivered to the Representative, through the facilities of the DTC, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, all at such Closing.  A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at [   ·   ] [a.m./p.m.], New York City time, on the New York Business Day (as defined below) next preceding such Closing, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto.  For the purposes of this Section 3, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

(d)                                 Purchase by the Representative on Behalf of Underwriters.  It is understood that the Representative, individually and not as representative of the several Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment to the Company, on behalf of any Underwriter for the Securities to be purchased by such Underwriter.  Any such payment by the Representative shall not relieve any such Underwriter of any of its obligations hereunder.  Nothing herein contained shall constitute any of the Underwriters an unincorporated association or partner with the Company.

 

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4.                                      Covenants.

 

The Company covenants and agrees with the Underwriters as follows:

 

(a)                                 Required Filings.  The Company will prepare and file a Prospectus with the Commission containing the Rule 430A Information omitted from the Preliminary Prospectus within the time period required by, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of, Rules 424(b) and 430A of the Rules and Regulations.  If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations to increase the size of the offering registered under the Act and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has not yet been filed and become effective, the Company will prepare and file the Rule 462 Registration Statement with the Commission within the time period required by, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of, Rule 462(b) and the Act.  The Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon the Representative’s request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in the Representative’s opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters, and the Company will furnish the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus and will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus to which the Representative shall reasonably object by notice to the Company after having been furnished a copy a reasonable time prior to the filing.

 

(b)                                 Notification of Certain Commission Actions.  The Company will advise the Representative, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, and the Company will promptly use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued.

 

(c)                                  Continued Compliance with Securities Laws.

 

(i)                                     Within the time during which a prospectus (assuming the absence of Rule 172) relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or any dealer, the Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Act, as now and hereafter amended, and by the Rules and Regulations, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) 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 period it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective investors, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly (i) notify the Representative of such untrue statement or omission, (ii) amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance and (iii) notify the Representative when any amendment to the Registration Statement is filed or becomes effective or when any

 

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supplement to the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) is filed.

 

(ii)                                  If at any time following issuance of an issuer free writing prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such issuer free writing prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company (i) has promptly notified or promptly will notify the Representative of such conflict, untrue statement or omission, (ii) has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such issuer free writing prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission and (iii) has notified or promptly will notify the Representative when such amendment or supplement was or is filed with the Commission to the extent required to be filed by the Rules and Regulations.

 

(d)                                 Blue Sky Qualifications.  The Company shall take or cause to be taken all necessary action to qualify the Securities for sale under the securities laws of such domestic United States or foreign jurisdictions as the Representative reasonably designates and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities, except that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation or to execute a general consent to service of process in any state.

 

(e)                                  Provision of Documents.  The Company will furnish, at its own expense, to the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement (three of which will be signed and will include all consents and exhibits filed therewith), and to each of the Underwriters and any dealer each Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case as soon as practicable and in such quantities as the Underwriters may from time to time reasonably request.

 

(f)                                   Rule 158.  The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a 12-month period beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement (which, for purposes of this paragraph, will be deemed to be the effective date of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if applicable) that shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

(g)                                  Payment and Reimbursement of Expenses.  The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, will pay or cause to be paid: (A) all expenses (including transfer taxes allocated to the respective transferees) incurred in connection with the delivery to the Underwriters of the Securities; (B) all expenses and fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and counsel but, except as otherwise provided below, not including fees of the Underwriters’ counsel) in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, delivery and shipping of the Registration Statement (including the financial statements therein and all amendments, schedules and exhibits thereto), the Securities, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, and the printing, delivery and shipping of this Agreement and other underwriting documents, including Blue Sky Memoranda (covering the states and other

 

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applicable jurisdictions); (C) all filing fees and reasonable fees and disbursements of the Underwriters’ counsel incurred in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale by the Underwriters or by dealers under the securities or blue sky laws of the states and other jurisdictions which the Representative shall designate; (D) the filing fees and fees and reasonable disbursements of Underwriters’ counsel incident to any required review and approval by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities; (E) listing fees, if any; (F) the cost and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations or any “road show” undertaken in connection with marketing of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the Underwriters and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show (such fees and expenses, together with the fees and disbursements of Underwriters’ counsel in connection with obtaining FINRA approval, as described in Section 4(g)(D) above, are not to exceed $25,000 in the aggregate); (G) all other costs and expenses of the Company incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder that are not otherwise specifically provided for herein; and (H) any additional fees and expenses of the Underwriters (including the fees and expenses of Underwriters’ counsel) up to an aggregate maximum amount of $250,000.  If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative pursuant to Section 8 hereof or if the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to perform any agreement on its part to be performed, or because any other condition of the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder required to be fulfilled by the Company is not fulfilled, the Company will reimburse the several Underwriters for all out-of-pocket accountable disbursements (including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges) incurred by the Underwriters’ in connection with their investigation, preparing to market and marketing of the Securities or in contemplation of performing its obligations hereunder.

 

(h)                                 Use of Proceeds.  The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities to be sold by it hereunder in all material respects for the purposes set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus and will file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required in accordance with Rule 463 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

(i)                                     Company Lock Up.  The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, from the date of execution of this Agreement and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”) (i) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, except to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.

 

The restrictions contained in the preceding paragraph shall not apply to (i) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof which is described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or of which the Underwriters have been advised in writing,

 

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(ii) the grant by the Company of stock options or other stock based awards (or the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise thereof) to eligible participants pursuant to employee benefit or equity incentive plans of the Company described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided that, prior to the grant of any such stock options or other stock based awards pursuant to this clause (ii) that the vest within the Lock-Up Period, each recipient of such grant shall sign and deliver a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto or (iii) the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 or any successor form thereto with respect to the registration of securities to be offered under any employee benefit or equity incentive plans of the Company described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus to the Company’s “employees” (as that term is used in Form S-8).  The Company agrees not to accelerate the vesting of any option or warrant or the lapse of any repurchase right prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period.

 

(j)                                    Stockholder Lock-Ups.  The Company has caused to be delivered to the Representative prior to the date of this Agreement a letter, in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “Lock-Up Agreement”), from each individual or entity listed on Schedule IV.  The Company will enforce the terms of each Lock-Up Agreement and issue stop-transfer instructions to its transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock with respect to any transaction or contemplated transaction that would constitute a breach of or default under the applicable Lock-Up Agreement.  If the Representative, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions of any Lock-Up Agreement between an officer or director of the Company and the Representative and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of such release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by means of a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, issued through a major news service, at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

 

(k)                                 No Market Stabilization or Manipulation.  The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which has constituted, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities, and has not effected any sales of Common Stock which are required to be disclosed in response to Item 701 of Regulation S-K under the Act which have not been so disclosed in the Registration Statement.

 

(l)                                     SEC Reports.  The Company will file on a timely basis with the Commission such periodic and special reports as required by the Rules and Regulations.

 

(m)                             Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus required to be filed with the Commission; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the free writing prospectuses included in Schedule II.  Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representative is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.”  The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an issuer free writing prospectus, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Rules and Regulations applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.  The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.  Each of the several Underwriters represents and agrees that (A) unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company, it has not distributed, and will not distribute any Written Testing the Waters

 

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Communications other than those listed on Schedule V, and (B) any Testing the Waters Communications undertaken by it was with entities that are qualified institutional buyers with the meaning of Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act.

 

(n)                                 Emerging Growth Company.  The Company will promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (A) completion of the distribution of Securities within the meaning of the Act and (B) completion of the Lock-Up Period.

 

5.                                      Conditions of the Underwriters’ Obligations.  The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy, as of the date hereof and at each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date (as if made at such Closing Dates), of and compliance with all representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                 Required Filings; Absence of Certain Commission Actions.  All filings required by Rules 424, 430A and 433 of the Rules and Regulations shall have been timely made (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or Rule 164(b)); no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof or any amendment thereof, nor suspending or preventing the use of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus shall have been issued; no proceedings for the issuance of such an order shall have been initiated or threatened; and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the Representative’s satisfaction.

 

(b)                                 Continued Compliance with Securities Laws.  The Representative shall not have advised the Company that (i) the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a material fact which, in the Representative’s opinion, is material or omits to state a material fact which, in the Representative’s opinion, is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (ii) the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or any issuer free writing prospectus contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the Representative’s opinion, is material, or omits to state a fact which, in the Representative’s opinion, is material and is required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(c)                                  Absence of Certain Events.  Except as contemplated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company shall not have incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock; and there shall not have been any change in the capital stock (other than a change in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or conversion of convertible securities or the grant of options or equity awards under the Company’s equity incentive plans, in each case, that are described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), or any material change in the short-term or long-term debt of the Company (other than as a result of the conversion of convertible securities), or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase the capital stock of the Company, or any Material

 

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Adverse Change or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Change (whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business), that, in Representative’s reasonable judgment, makes it impractical or inadvisable to offer or deliver the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus.

 

(d)                                 No Downgrade.  On or after the Time of Sale (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities or preferred stock by any “nationally recognized statistical organization,” as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities or preferred stock;

 

(e)                                  Opinion of Company Counsel.  On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to the Representative, as representative of the several Underwriters, the opinion of Duane Morris LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date and addressed to the Representative, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.

 

(f)                                   Opinion of Intellectual Property Counsel.  On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to the Representative, as representative of the several Underwriters, the opinion of Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP, intellectual property counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date and addressed to the Representative, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.

 

(g)                                  Opinion of Underwriters’ Counsel.  On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to the Representative, as representative of the several Underwriters, such opinion or opinions from K&L Gates LLP, counsel for the several Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date and addressed to the Representative, with respect to the validity of the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and any other related matters as the Representative may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

(h)                                 Comfort Letter.  On the date hereof and on each Closing Date, the Representative, as the representative of the several Underwriters, shall have received a letter from KPMG LLP, confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualifications of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, and stating, as of the date of such letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, as of a date not prior to the date hereof or more than five days prior to the date of such letter), the conclusions and findings of said firm with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by its letter delivered to the Representative concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, and the effect of the letter so to be delivered on such Closing Date shall be to confirm the conclusions and findings set forth in such prior letter.

 

(i)                                     Officers’ Certificate.  On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to the Representative, as representative of the several Underwriters, a certificate, dated as of such Closing Date and addressed to the Representative, signed by the chief executive officer and by the chief financial officer of the Company, to the effect that:

 

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(A)                               The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct as if made at and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date; and

 

(B)                               No stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof or any amendment thereof or the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale, nor suspending or preventing the use of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus, has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge, is contemplated by the Commission or any state or regulatory body.

 

(j)                                    Lock-Up Agreement.  The Representative shall have received all of the Lock-Up Agreements referenced in Section 4 and the Lock-Up Agreements shall remain in full force and effect.

 

(k)                                 Other Documents.  The Company shall have furnished to the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters such additional documents, certificates and evidence as the Representative or counsel to the Underwriters may have reasonably requested.

 

(l)                                     FINRA No Objections.  FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

 

(m)                             Exchange Listing.  The Securities to be delivered on such Closing Date will have been approved for listing on The NASDAQ Global Market, subject to official notice of issuance.

 

All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters.  The Company will furnish the Representative with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents as the Representative shall reasonably request.

 

6.                                      Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a)                                 Indemnification by the Company.  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (i) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, including the 430A Information and any other information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to the Rules and Regulations, if applicable, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus, any issuer information that the Company has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Act (a “road show”), or (ii) arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with investigating or

 

21



 

defending against such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Underwriter specifically for use in the preparation thereof; it being understood and agreed that the only information furnished by or on behalf of the several Underwriters consists of the information described as such in Section 6(e).

 

(b)                                 Indemnification by the Underwriters.  Each Underwriter will, severally but not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (i) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus, any issuer information that the Company has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or any road show, or (ii) arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter, specifically for use in the preparation thereof (it being understood and agreed that the only information furnished by the several Underwriters consists of the information described as such in Section 6(e)), and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred.

 

(c)                                  Notice and Procedures.  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party except to the extent such indemnifying party has been materially prejudiced by such failure (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses).  In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of the indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.  An indemnifying party shall not be obligated under any settlement agreement relating to any action under this Section 6 to which it has not agreed in writing.  In addition, no indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party for all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and does not include a statement as to, or an admission of,

 

22



 

fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel pursuant to this Section 6(d), such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

(d)                                 Contribution; Limitations on Liability; Non-Exclusive Remedy.  If the indemnification provided for in this Section 6 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a), (b) or (c) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bears to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus.  The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relevant intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission.  The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d).  The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending against any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d).  Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.  The remedies provided for in this Section 6 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies that might otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

 

(e)                                  Information Provided by the Underwriters.  The Underwriters severally confirm and the Company acknowledges that the statements with respect to the public offering of the Securities by the Underwriters set forth on page      under the caption “Underwriting” in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning the Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for

 

23



 

inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus.

 

 

7.                                      Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery.  All representations, warranties, and agreements of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto, and the agreements of the several Underwriters and the Company contained in Section 6 hereof, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person thereof, or the Company or any of its officers, directors, or controlling persons, and shall survive delivery of, and payment for, the Securities to and by the Underwriters hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

8.                                      Substitution of Underwriters.

 

(a)                                 Obligation to Purchase Under Certain Circumstances.  If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail to take up and pay for the amount of Shares agreed by such Underwriter or Underwriters to be purchased hereunder, upon tender of such Shares in accordance with the terms hereof, and the amount of Shares not purchased does not aggregate more than 10% of the total amount of Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated to take up and pay for (in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations hereunder as set forth in Schedule I hereto except as may otherwise be determined by the Representative) the Firm Shares that the withdrawing or defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase.

 

(b)                                 Termination Under Certain Circumstances.  If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail to take up and pay for the amount of Shares agreed by such Underwriter or Underwriters to be purchased hereunder, upon tender of such Firm Shares in accordance with the terms hereof, and the amount of Shares not purchased aggregates more than 10% of the total amount of Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representative for the purchase of such Shares by other persons are not made within 36 hours thereafter, the Company or the Representative will have the right, by written notice given within the next 36-hour period to the parties to this Agreement, to terminate this Agreement.  In the event of any such termination, the Company shall not be under any liability to any Underwriter (except to the extent provided in Section 4(a)(vii) and Section 6 hereof) nor shall any Underwriter (other than an Underwriter who shall have failed, otherwise than for some reason permitted under this Agreement, to purchase the amount of Shares agreed by such Underwriter to be purchased hereunder) be under any liability to the Company (except to the extent provided in Section 6 hereof).

 

(c)                                  Postponement of Closing.  If Shares to which a default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters or by any other party or parties, the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for not more than seven business days in order that the necessary changes in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, in the Prospectus or in any other documents, as well as any other arrangements, may be effected.  As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 8.

 

(d)                                 No Relief from Liability.  No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

 

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9.                                      Termination.

 

(a)                                 Right to Terminate.  The Representative, as representative of the Underwriters, shall have the right to terminate this Agreement by giving notice as hereinafter specified at any time at or prior to the First Closing Date, and the option referred to in Section 3(b), if exercised, may be cancelled at any time prior to the Second Closing Date, if (i) the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable, at or prior to such Closing Date, to perform any agreement on its part to be performed hereunder, (ii) any other condition of the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder is not fulfilled, (iii) trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been wholly suspended, (iv) minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required, on The NASDAQ Stock Market or New York Stock Exchange, by such Exchange or by order of the Commission or any other Governmental Authority, (v) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or state authorities, or (vi) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in the Representative’s judgment, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the sale of and payment for the Securities.  Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4(g) and Section 6 hereof shall at all times be effective.

 

(b)                                 Notice of Termination.  If the Representative elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section, the Representative shall promptly notify the Company by telephone, confirmed by letter.

 

10.                               Default by the Company.

 

(a)                                 Default by the Company.  If the Company shall fail, at the First Closing Date, to sell and deliver the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of the Underwriters or, except as provided in Section 4(g) and Section 6 hereof, any non-defaulting party.

 

(b)                                 No Relief from Liability.  No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

 

11.                               Notices.  Except as otherwise provided herein, all communications hereunder shall be in writing and, if to the Underwriters, shall be mailed via overnight delivery service or hand delivered via courier, to the Representative at MLV & Co. LLC, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10020, to the attention of Miranda Toledano and, separately, General Counsel and (ii) if to the Company, shall be mailed or delivered to it at 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St., 46th Floor, New York City, NY 10007 Attention: Chief Executive Officer, or in each case to such other address as the person to be notified may have requested in writing.  Any 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.

 

12.                               Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns and the controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 6.  Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give to any other person, firm or corporation any legal or equitable remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained.  The term “successors and assigns” as

 

25



 

herein used shall not include any purchaser, as such purchaser, of any of the Securities from the Underwriters.

 

13.                               Absence of Fiduciary Relationship.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (a) the Representative has been retained solely to act as an underwriter in connection with the sale of the Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Representative has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether the Representative has advised or is advising the Company or on other matters; (b) the price and other terms of the Securities set forth in this Agreement were established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Representative, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (c) it has been advised that the Representative and its affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Representative has no obligation to disclose such interest and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; (d) it has been advised that the Representative is acting, in respect of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, solely for the benefit of the Representative, and not on behalf of the Company; (e) it waives to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Representative for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and agrees that the Representative shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

 

14.                               Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.  The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and each Underwriter hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to a trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

15.                               Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original and all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.  One or more counterparts of this Agreement may be delivered via e-mail, facsimile or other electronic transmission with the intention that it or they shall have the same effect as the delivery of an original counterpart hereof.

 

16.                               General Provisions.  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.  The Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof.  If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there

 

26



 

shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

27



 

Please sign and return to the Company the enclosed duplicates of this Agreement whereupon this Agreement will become a binding agreement between the Company and the Underwriters in accordance with its terms.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

S1 BIOPHARMA, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

Nicolas G. Sitchon

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

Confirmed as of the date first

 

mentioned above, on behalf of

 

themselves and the other several

 

Underwriters named in Schedule I

 

 

 

MLV & CO. LLC

 

 

 

 

 

By

 

 

 

 

Managing Director

 

 

 

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SCHEDULE I

 

UNDERWRITERS

 

Underwriter

 

Number of Firm Shares(1)

 

MLV & Co. LLC

 

2,337,500

 

Northland Securities, Inc.

 

412,500

 

Total

 

2,750,000

 

 


(1)                                 The Underwriters may purchase up to an additional 412,500 Option Shares, to the extent the option described in Section 3(b) of the Agreement is exercised, in the proportions and in the manner described in the Agreement.

 

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SCHEDULE II

 

CERTAIN PERMITTED FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, dated October 23, 2014.

 

30


 

SCHEDULE III

 

PRICING INFORMATION

 

31



 

SCHEDULE IV

 

LIST OF INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES EXECUTING LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS

 

Officers

 

 

 

Non-Employee Directors

 

 

 

Significant Stockholders

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

 

October     , 2014

 

MLV & Co. LLC

1251 Avenue of the Americas

41st Floor

New York, NY  10020

 

Re:          Proposed Public Offering by S1 Biopharma, Inc.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned, a securityholder of S-1 Biopharma, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), understands that MLV & Co. LLC (“MLV”) proposes to enter into a Purchase Agreement with the Company (the “Purchase Agreement”) providing for the public offering of shares (the “Securities”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”).  In recognition of the benefit that such an offering will confer upon the undersigned as a securityholder and, if applicable, as an officer and/or director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with MLV that, during the period beginning on the date of this Lock Up Agreement and ending on the date that is 180 days from the date of the final prospectus used to sell the Securities in the public offering pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of MLV, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or lend or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of the Company’s Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Undersigned’s Securities”), enter into a transaction which would have the same effect, or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of the Undersigned’s Securities, or file or cause to be filed any registration statement in connection therewith, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), (ii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Undersigned’s Securities, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise or (iii) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing.  If the undersigned is an officer and/or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed Securities the undersigned may purchase in the offering.

 

The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing restrictions preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to, or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in, a sale or disposition of the Undersigned’s Securities even if such Securities would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned.  Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include without limitation any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option) with respect

 

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to any of the Undersigned’s Securities or with respect to any security that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from such Securities.

 

The undersigned waives any registration rights related to the registration under the Securities Act, for any of the Undersigned’s Securities, including any rights to receive notice of the offering or the registration of the Securities to be sold in the offering.

 

If the undersigned is an officer and/or director of the Company: (i) MLV agrees that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of shares of Common Stock, MLV will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver; and (ii) the Company has agreed in the Purchase Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by issuing a press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.  Any release or waiver granted by MLV hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release.  The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if both (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this Lock-Up Agreement that are applicable to the transferor (to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer).

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Securities: (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts; (ii) to any trust, limited partnership or other estate planning vehicle for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned; (iii) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, (1) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is a direct or indirect affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act) of the undersigned or (2) pursuant to distributions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock to limited partners, limited liability company members or stockholders of the undersigned; (iv) if the undersigned is a trust, to the beneficiary of such trust; (v) by testate succession or intestate succession; or (vi) pursuant to the Purchase Agreement; provided, in the case of clauses (i)-(v), that (a) such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (b) the transferee agrees in writing with MLV to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement and (c) no filing by any party under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer.  For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.

 

In furtherance of the foregoing, the undersigned agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Undersigned’s Securities, except in compliance with the restrictions contained herein.  In addition, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of shares of Common Stock if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Lock-Up Agreement.

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement and that upon request, the undersigned will execute and additional documents necessary to ensure the validity or enforcement of this Lock-Up Agreement.  All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the

 

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undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.

 

The undersigned understands that the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Lock-Up Agreement if (i) the Company notifies MLV that it does not intend to proceed with the offering, (ii) MLV notifies the Company that it does not intend to act as an underwriter in connection with the offering, (iii) the registration statement relating to the offering contemplated by this Purchase Agreement is withdrawn, (iv) if the Purchase Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, or (v) the Purchase Agreement is not executed by the Company and MLV by December 31, 2014; provided that the Company may, by providing notice to the undersigned in advance of such date, extend such date by up to 90 days.

 

The undersigned understands that MLV is entering into the Purchase Agreement and proceeding with the offering in reliance upon this Lock-Up Agreement.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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THIS LOCK-UP AGREEMENT SHALL BE BINDING ON THE UNDERSIGNED AND THE SUCCESSORS, HEIRS, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES AND ASSIGNS OF THE UNDERSIGNED.  THIS LOCK-UP AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS LOCK-UP AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF DELAWARE WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

Signature:

 

 

 

 

 

Print Name:

 

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

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EXHIBIT B

 

Form of Company Counsel Opinion

 

B-1



 

EXHIBIT C

 

FORM OF COMPANY PRESS RELEASE FOR WAIVERS OR RELEASES

OF OFFICER/DIRECTOR LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS

 

[Company]

 

[Date]

 

[Name of Company] (the “Company”) announced today that MLV, the sole book-running manager, is waiving certain lock-up restrictions with respect to an aggregate of **[# of common shares] held by certain [officers] [directors] of the Company.  These [officers] [directors] entered into lock-up agreements with MLV in connection with the Company’s initial public offering.

 

This waiver will take effect on **[date that is at least 2 business days following date of this press release].

 

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

C-1