Underwriting Agreement, dated April 1, 2020, by and between SG Blocks, Inc. and ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc

EX-1.1 2 ea120371ex1-1_sgblocks.htm UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT, DATED APRIL 1, 2020, BY AND BETWEEN SG BLOCKS, INC. AND THINKEQUITY, A DIVISION OF FORDHAM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

Exhibit 1.1

 

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

between

 

SG BLOCKS, INC.

 

and

 

ThinkEquity,

 

a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc.,

 

as Representative of the Several Underwriters

 

 

SG BLOCKS, INC.

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

New York, New York
April 1, 2020

 

ThinkEquity,

A Division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc.

 

As Representative of the several Underwriters named on Schedule 1 attached hereto
17 State Street, 22^nd Floor
New York, New York 10004

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned, SG Blocks, Inc., a corporation formed under the laws of the State of Delaware (collectively with its subsidiaries and affiliates, including, without limitation, all entities disclosed or described in the Registration Statement (as hereinafter defined) as being subsidiaries or affiliates of SG Blocks, Inc., the “Company”), hereby confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “you” (including its correlatives) or the “Representative”), and with the other underwriters named on Schedule 1 hereto for which the Representative is acting as representative (the Representative and such other underwriters being collectively called the “Underwriters” or, individually, an “Underwriter”) as follows:

 

1. Purchase and Sale of Shares.

 

1.1 Firm Shares.

 

1.1.1 Nature and Purchase of Public Securities.

 

(i) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters, an aggregate of 440,000 shares (the “Firm Shares” or “Public Securities”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”). The offering and sale of the Public Securities is hereinafter referred to as the “Offering.”

 

(ii) The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule 1 attached hereto and made a part hereof at a purchase price of $3.91 per Firm Share (92% of the per Firm Share offering price). The Firm Shares are to be offered initially to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus (as defined in Section 2.1.1 hereof).

 

1.1.2 Shares Payment and Delivery.

 

(i) Delivery of and payment for the Public Securities shall be made at 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the second (2^nd) Business Day following the effective date (the “Effective Date”) of the Registration Statement (as defined in Section 2.1.1 below) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) (or the third (3^rd) Business Day following the Effective Date if the pricing for the Offering (as defined in Section 2.1.1 below) occurs after 4:01 p.m., Eastern time on the Effective Date), or at such earlier time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at the offices of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11^th Floor, New York, New York 10105 (“Representative Counsel”), or at such other place (or remotely by facsimile or other electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company. The hour and date of delivery and payment for the Public Securities is called the “Closing Date.”

 

 

(ii) Payment for the Public Securities shall be made on the Closing Date by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds, payable to the order of the Company upon delivery of the certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Public Securities (or through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”)) for the account of the Representative. The Public Securities shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing at least two (2) full Business Days prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Public Securities except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all of the Public Securities. The term “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York, New York.

 

2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as of the Applicable Time (as defined below), as of the Closing Date as follows:

 

2.1 Filing of Registration Statement.

 

2.1.1 Pursuant to the Securities Act. The Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333- 228882), including any related prospectus or prospectuses, for the registration of the Public Securities under the Securities Act, which registration statement was prepared by the Company in all material respects in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act (the “Securities Act Regulations”) and contains and will contain all material statements that are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Except as the context may otherwise require, such registration statement on file with the Commission at any given time, including any amendments thereto to such time, exhibits and schedules thereto at such time, documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act at such time and the documents and information otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein pursuant to Rule 430B of the Securities Act Regulations (the “Rule 430B Information”) or otherwise pursuant to the Securities Act Regulations at such time, is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement.” The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is referred to herein as the “Initial Registration Statement.” If the Company files any registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, then after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include such registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b). The Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission on February 7, 2019.

 

The prospectus in the form in which it was filed with the Commission in connection with the Initial Registration Statement is herein called the “Base Prospectus.” Each preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented) that described the Public Securities and the Offering and omitted the Rule 430B Information and that was used prior to the filing of the final prospectus supplement referred to in the following paragraph is herein called a “Preliminary Prospectus.”

 

Promptly after the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus relating to the Public Securities and the Offering in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B and Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations. Such final prospectus supplement (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented), in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act is herein called the “Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act as of the date of such prospectus.

 

 

“Applicable Time” means 8:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on April 1, 2020.

 

“Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Preliminary Prospectus dated April 1, 2020 and the information included on Schedule 2-A hereto, all considered together.

 

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations) relating to the Public Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Public Securities or of the Offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule 2-B hereto.

 

“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

 

2.1.2 Pursuant to the Exchange Act. The Company has filed with the Commission a Form 8-A (Accession No. 0001213900-17-002571) providing for the registration pursuant to Section 12(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), of the shares of Common Stock. The registration of the shares of Common Stock and related Form 8-A have become effective under the Exchange Act on or prior to the date hereof. The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the shares of Common Stock under the Exchange Act, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration.

 

2.2 Stock Exchange Listing. The shares of Common Stock have been approved for listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market (the “Exchange”), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, delisting the shares of Common Stock from the Exchange, nor has the Company received any notification that the Exchange is contemplating terminating such listing except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company has submitted the Listing of Additional Shares Notification Form with the Exchange with respect to the Offering of the shares of Common Stock included in the Public Securities.

 

2.3 No Stop Orders, etc. Neither the Commission nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any state regulatory authority has issued any order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or has instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute, any proceedings with respect to such an order. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

 

2.4 Disclosures in Registration Statement.

 

2.4.1 Compliance with Securities Act and 10b-5 Representation.

 

(i) Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective (including each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B or otherwise under the Securities Act) complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. The conditions for use of Form S-3, set forth in the General Instructions thereto, including, but not limited to, General Instruction I.B.6 and other conditions related to the offer and sale of the Public Securities, have been satisfied. Each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, at the time each was or will be filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Each Preliminary Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this Offering and the Prospectus was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(ii) Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time, as of the Applicable Time, or at the Closing Date, 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.

 

(iii) The Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time or at the Closing Date, did not, does not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, and each such Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Prospectus as of the Applicable Time, did not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to the Underwriters by the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto. The parties acknowledge and agree that such information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of the following statements concerning the Underwriters contained in the “Underwriting” section of the Prospectus (the “Underwriters Information”): the first and second sentences in the first paragraph and the table in the second paragraph under “Underwriting”, the first and second sentences in “Underwriting” under the heading “Discounts and Commissions ” and the paragraphs under “Underwriting—Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids” and “Underwriting—Passive Market Making.”

 

(iv) Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the 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 the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to the Underwriters’ Information.

 

 

(v) The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

2.4.2 Disclosure of Agreements. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained or incorporated by reference therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement or to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, that have not been so described or filed or incorporated by reference. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or (ii) is material to the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s business, has been duly authorized and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, none of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company or any Subsidiary, and none of the Company, any Subsidiary or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in default thereunder and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default thereunder. Performance by the Company or any Subsidiary of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, ordinance, judgment, order or decree of any governmental or regulatory agency, body, authority or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary or any of its assets or businesses (each, a “Governmental Entity”), including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations. The Company owns or controls, directly or indirectly, only the following corporations, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or other entities: SG Building Blocks, Inc. and SG Residential, Inc. (each a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”), and has no other interest, nominal or beneficial, direct or indirect, in any other corporation, joint venture or other business entity.

 

2.4.3 Prior Securities Transactions. No securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any person or persons controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Preliminary Prospectus.

 

2.4.4 Regulations. The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus concerning the effects of federal, state, local and all foreign regulation on the Offering and the Company’s business as currently contemplated are accurate, correct and complete in all material respects and no other such regulations are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which are not so disclosed.

 

 

2.4.5 No Other Distribution of Offering Materials. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the Offering other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Securities Act and consistent with Section 3.2 below.

 

2.5 Changes After Dates in Registration Statement.

 

2.5.1 No Material Adverse Change. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise specifically stated therein: (i) there has not been any material adverse change, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, business, assets, properties or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries, individually or in the aggregate (a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) there have been no material transactions entered into by the Company, other than as contemplated pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) no officer or director of the Company has resigned from any position with the Company; and (iv) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has sustained any material loss or interference with its business or properties from fire, explosion, flood, earthquake, hurricane, accident or other calamity.

 

2.5.2 Recent Securities Transactions, etc. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and except as may otherwise be indicated or contemplated herein or disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not: (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital stock.

 

2.6 Disclosures in Commission Filings. Since June 2017, (i) none of the Company’s filings with the Commission contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and (ii) the Company has made all filings with the Commission required under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act Regulations”).

 

2.7 Independent Accountants. To the knowledge of the Company, Whitley Penn LLP (the “Auditors”), whose respective reports are filed with the Commission and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is each an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The Auditors have not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act.

 

 

2.8 Financial Statements, etc. The financial statements, including the notes thereto and supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, fairly present the financial position and the results of operations of the Company at the dates and for the periods to which they apply; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved (provided that unaudited interim financial statements are subject to year-end audit adjustments that are not expected to be material in the aggregate and do not contain all footnotes required by GAAP); and the supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein. No other historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus by the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations. The pro forma financial statements and the related notes, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been properly compiled and prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations and present fairly the information shown therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission), if any, comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. Each of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus discloses all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (a) neither the Company nor any of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including each entity disclosed or described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being a Subsidiary of the Company, has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions other than in the ordinary course of business, (b) the Company has not declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock, (c) there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, other than in the course of business or any grants under any stock compensation plan, and (d) there has not been any Material Adverse Change in the Company’s long-term or short-term debt.

 

2.9 Authorized Capital; Options, etc. The Company had, at the date or dates indicated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the duly authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth therein. Based on the assumptions stated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company will have on the Closing Date the adjusted stock capitalization set forth therein. Except as set forth in, or contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, on the Effective Date, as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date, there will be no stock options, warrants, or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any authorized, but unissued shares of Common Stock of the Company or any security convertible or exercisable into shares of Common Stock of the Company, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell shares of Common Stock or any such options, warrants, rights or convertible securities.

 

2.10 Valid Issuance of Securities, etc.

 

2.10.1 Outstanding Securities. All issued and outstanding securities of the Company issued prior to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof have no rights of rescission or similar rights with respect thereto or put rights, and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or rights of participation of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The authorized shares of Common Stock conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The offers and sales of the outstanding shares of Common Stock were at all relevant times either registered under the Securities Act and the applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of such Shares, exempt from such registration requirements.

 

 

2.10.2 Securities Sold Pursuant to this Agreement. The Public Securities have been duly authorized for issuance and sale and, when issued and paid for, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Public Securities are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Public Securities has been duly and validly taken. The Public Securities conform in all material respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

2.11 Registration Rights of Third Parties. No holders of any securities of the Company or any rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of the Company under the Securities Act or to include any such securities in a registration statement to be filed by the Company.

 

2.12 Validity and Binding Effect of Agreements. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized by the Company, and, when executed and delivered, will constitute, the valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

 

2.13 No Conflicts, etc. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and all ancillary documents, the consummation by the Company of the transactions herein and therein contemplated and the compliance by the Company with the terms hereof and thereof do not and will not, with or without the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both: (i) result in a material breach of, or conflict with any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a material default under, or result in the creation, modification, termination or imposition of any lien, charge, mortgage, pledge, security interest, claim, equity, trust or other encumbrance, preferential arrangement, defect or restriction of any kind whatsoever or encumbrance upon any portion of any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, lease, loan agreement or any other agreement or instrument, franchise, license or permit to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or as to which any property of the Company or any Subsidiary is a party; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (as the same may be amended or restated from time to time, the “Charter”) or any Subsidiary’s governing documents (as the same may be amended or restated from time to time) or the by-laws of the Company or any Subsidiary (each as they may be amended or restated from time to time); or (iii) violate any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any Governmental Entity as of the date hereof, except in each case as would not, if determined adversely to the Company or its Subsidiaries, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Change.

 

 

2.14 No Defaults; Violations. No material default exists in the due performance and observance of any term, covenant or condition of any material license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, loan or credit agreement, or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed money, or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject. The Company or any Subsidiary is not in violation of any term or provision of its Charter or by-laws, or in violation of any franchise, license, permit, applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any Governmental Entity.

 

2.15 Corporate Power; Licenses; Consents.

 

2.15.1 Conduct of Business. Each of the Company and each Subsidiary has all requisite corporate power and authority, and has all necessary consents, authorizations, approvals, registrations, orders, licenses, certificates and permits of and from all governmental regulatory officials and bodies that it needs as of the date hereof to conduct its business purpose as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

2.15.2 Transactions Contemplated Herein. The Company has all power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to carry out the provisions and conditions hereof, and all consents, authorizations, approvals, registrations and orders required in connection therewith have been obtained. No consent, authorization or order of, and no filing with, any court, government agency or other body is required for the valid issuance, sale and delivery of the Public Securities and the consummation of the transactions and agreements contemplated by this Agreement and as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except with respect to applicable federal and state securities laws and the rules and regulations of the Exchange and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

2.16 D&O Questionnaires. To the Company’s knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires (the “Questionnaires”) completed by each of the Company’s directors and officers in connection with the Company’s 2019 Proxy Statement (the “Insiders”), as supplemented by all information concerning the Company’s directors, officers and principal shareholders as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as well as in the Lock-Up Agreement (as defined in Section 2.26 below) provided to the Underwriters, is true and correct in all material respects and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the Questionnaires to become materially inaccurate and incorrect.

 

2.17 Litigation; Governmental Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration, investigation, litigation or governmental proceeding pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against, or involving the Company, any Subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, any executive officer or director which has not been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or in connection with the Company’s listing application for the listing of the Public Securities on the Exchange, and which if resolved adversely to the Company or to any Subsidiary would result in a Material Adverse Change or otherwise affect the Company’s ability to consummate the Offering. The disclosure in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement under the caption “Legal Proceedings” contains fair and accurate summaries of those matters required to be disclosed therein pursuant to Item 103 of Regulation S-K.

 

 

2.18 Good Standing. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation and is in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware as of the date hereof, and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. Each Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation and is in good standing under the laws of the State in which it was incorporated as of the date hereof, and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change

 

2.19 Insurance. The Company and each operating Subsidiary carries or is entitled to the benefits of insurance, with reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks which the Company believes are adequate, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to $5,000,000 and the Company has included each Underwriter as an additional insured party to the directors and officers insurance coverage, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any Subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

2.20 Transactions Affecting Disclosure to FINRA.

 

2.20.1 Finder’s Fees. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a finder’s, consulting or origination fee by the Company or any Insider with respect to the sale of the Public Securities hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its shareholders that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA.

 

2.20.2 Payments Within Twelve Months. Except for payments made to the Representative and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) any FINRA member; or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the twelve months prior to the date of this Agreement, other than the payment to the Underwriters as provided hereunder in connection with the Offering.

 

2.20.3 Use of Proceeds. None of the net proceeds of the Offering will be paid by the Company to any participating FINRA member or its affiliates, except as specifically authorized herein.

 

2.20.4 FINRA Affiliation. There is no (i) officer or director of the Company, (ii) beneficial owner of 5% or more of any class of the Company's securities or (iii) beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities which were acquired during the 180-day period immediately preceding the filing of the Registration Statement that is an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA). Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Public Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.

 

2.20.5 Information. All information provided by the Company and its officers and directors in their FINRA questionnaires to Representative Counsel specifically for use by Representative Counsel in connection with its Public Offering System filings (and related disclosure) with FINRA is true, correct and complete in all material respects.

 

 

2.21 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company and its Subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent acting on behalf of the Company, employee or controlled affiliate of the Company and its Subsidiaries or any other person acting on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries, has, directly or indirectly, given or agreed to give any money, gift or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Company (or assist it in connection with any actual or proposed transaction) that (i) might subject the Company to any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding, (ii) if not given in the past, might have had a Material Adverse Change; (iii) if not continued in the future, might adversely affect the assets, business, operations or prospects of the Company. The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”) or employee; (iv) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA or any applicable non-U.S. anti-bribery statute or regulation; (v) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment; or (vi) received notice of any investigation, proceeding or inquiry by any Governmental Entity regarding any of the matters in clauses (i)-(v) above; and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s affiliates have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

2.22 Compliance with OFAC. None of the Company and its Subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company and its Subsidiaries or any other person acting on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries, is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”), and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

 

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

 

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

 

2.25 Officers’ Certificate. Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to you or to Representative Counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

 

 

2.26 Lock-Up Agreements. Schedule 3 hereto contains a complete and accurate list of the Company’s officers and directors (collectively, the “Lock-Up Parties”). The Company has caused each of the Lock-Up Parties to deliver to the Representative an executed Lock-Up Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lock-Up Agreement”), prior to the execution of this Agreement.

 

2.27 Subsidiaries. All direct and indirect Subsidiaries of the Company are duly organized and in good standing under the laws of the place of organization or incorporation, and each Subsidiary is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to qualify would not have a Material Adverse Change. The Company’s ownership and control of each Subsidiary is as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

2.28 Related Party Transactions.

 

2.28.1 Business Relationships. There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any Subsidiary or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that have not been described as required. All transaction described under the captions Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions in the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement constitute fair and accurate summaries of all transactions required to be disclosed therein pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K.

 

2.28.2 No Relationships with Customers and Suppliers. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company and any Subsidiary on the one hand, and the directors, officers, 5% or greater stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any Subsidiary or any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s affiliates on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and which is not so described.

 

2.28.3 No Unconsolidated Entities. There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company, any Subsidiary, any of their affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structure finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources required to be described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein which have not been described as required.

 

2.28.4 No Loans or Advances to Affiliates. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company or any Subsidiary to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary, any other affiliates of the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

2.29 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of the Company is comprised of the persons disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the board comply with the Exchange Act, the Exchange Act Regulations, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) applicable to the Company and the listing rules of the Exchange. At least one member of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined under Regulation S-K and the listing rules of the Exchange. In addition, at least a majority of the persons serving on the Board of Directors qualify as “independent,” as defined under the listing rules of the Exchange.

 

 

2.30 Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance.

 

2.30.1 Disclosure Controls. The Company has developed and currently maintains disclosure controls and procedures that will comply with Rule 13a-15 or 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations, and such controls and procedures are effective to ensure that all material information concerning the Company will be made known on a timely basis to the individuals responsible for the preparation of the Company’s Exchange Act filings and other public disclosure documents.

 

2.30.2 Compliance. The Company is, or at the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date will be, in material compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act applicable to it, and has implemented or will implement such programs and taken reasonable steps to ensure the Company’s future compliance (not later than the relevant statutory and regulatory deadlines therefor) with all of the material provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

2.31 Accounting Controls. The Company and its Subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined under Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (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 the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal controls. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are known to the Company’s management and that have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’ ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud known to the Company’s management, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Disclosure Package, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

2.32 No Investment Company Status. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is and, after giving effect to the Offering and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will be, required to register as an “investment company,” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

2.33 No Labor Disputes. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent.

 

 

2.34 Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns or possesses or has valid rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets and similar rights (“Intellectual Property Rights”) necessary for the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. To the knowledge of the Company, no action or use by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries necessary for the conduct of its business as currently carried on and as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will involve or give rise to any infringement of, or license or similar fees (other than license or similar fees described or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) for, any Intellectual Property Rights of others. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice alleging any such infringement of, license or similar fees for, or conflict with, any asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Change, (i) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement, misappropriation or violation by third parties of any of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company or any Subsidiary; (ii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary in or to any such Intellectual Property Rights, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim, that would, individually or in the aggregate, together with any other claims in this Section 2.34, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change; (iii) the Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property Rights licensed to the Company or any Subsidiary have not been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, and there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property Rights, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim that would, individually or in the aggregate, together with any other claims in this Section 2.34, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change; (iv) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any Subsidiary infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property Rights or other proprietary rights of others, the Company or any Subsidiary has not received any written notice of such claim and the Company is unaware of any other facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim that would, individually or in the aggregate, together with any other claims in this Section 2.34, result in a Material Adverse Change; and (v) to the Company’s knowledge, no employee of the Company or any Subsidiary is in or has ever been in violation in any material respect 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 any Subsidiary, or actions undertaken by the employee while employed with the Company or any Subsidiary and could be reasonably expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Change. To the Company’s knowledge, all material technical information developed by and belonging to the Company or any Subsidiary which has not been disclosed in a filed patent application has been kept confidential. None of the Company or any Subsidiary is a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property Rights of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and are not described therein. The Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus contain in all material respects the same description of the matters set forth in the preceding sentence. None of the technology employed by the Company or any Subsidiary has been obtained or is being used by the Company or any Subsidiary in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any Subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its officers, directors or employees, or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons

 

 

All licenses for the use of the Intellectual Property described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are in full force and effect in all material respects and are enforceable by the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with their terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company or any Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has, and to the Company’s knowledge, no other party is in default thereunder and no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default thereunder.

 

2.35 Taxes. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has filed all returns (as hereinafter defined) required to be filed with taxing authorities prior to the date hereof or has duly obtained extensions of time for the filing thereof. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has paid all taxes (as hereinafter defined) shown as due on such returns that were filed and has paid all taxes imposed on or assessed against the Company or such respective Subsidiary. The provisions for taxes payable, if any, shown on the financial statements filed with or as part of the Registration Statement are sufficient for all accrued and unpaid taxes, whether or not disputed, and for all periods to and including the dates of such consolidated financial statements. Except as disclosed in writing to the Underwriters, (i) no issues have been raised (and are currently pending) by any taxing authority in connection with any of the returns or taxes asserted as due from the Company or its Subsidiaries, and (ii) no waivers of statutes of limitation with respect to the returns or collection of taxes have been given by or requested from the Company or its Subsidiaries. The term “taxes” means all federal, state, local, foreign and other net income, gross income, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem, transfer, franchise, profits, license, lease, service, service use, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property, windfall profits, customs, duties or other taxes, fees, assessments or charges of any kind whatever, together with any interest and any penalties, additions to tax or additional amounts with respect thereto. The term “returns” means all returns, declarations, reports, statements and other documents required to be filed in respect to taxes.

 

2.36 ERISA Compliance. The Company, each Subsidiary and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary or its “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company and each Subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b),(c),(m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company is a member. No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, any Subsidiary or any of its ERISA Affiliates. No “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA). None of the Company, any Subsidiary nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any material liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code. Each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, any Subsidiary or any of its ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and, to the knowledge of the Company, nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.

 

 

2.37 Compliance with Laws. The Company and each Subsidiary: (i) is and at all times has been in compliance with all statutes, rules, regulations, ordinances, judgments, orders and decrees of all Governmental Entities applicable to the Company’s and the Subsidiaries’ businesses (“Applicable Laws”), except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change; (ii) has not received any warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or notice from any other Governmental Entity alleging or asserting noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any licenses, consents, certificates, approvals, clearances, authorizations, permits, orders and supplements or amendments thereto required by any such Applicable Laws (“Authorizations”); (iii) possesses all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and are not in material violation of any term of any such Authorizations; (iv) has not received written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, inquiry, arbitration or other action from any governmental authority or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and has no knowledge that any such Governmental Entity or third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (v) has not received written notice that any governmental authority has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any Authorizations and has no knowledge that any such Governmental Entity is considering such action; (vi) has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, filings, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and correct in all material respects on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission); and (vii) has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted, or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any recall, market withdrawal or replacement, safety alert, post-sale warning, “dear doctor” letter, or other notice or action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any product or any alleged product defect or violation and, to the Company’s knowledge, no third party has initiated, conducted or intends to initiate any such notice or action.

 

2.38 Smaller Reporting Company. As of the time of the filing of the Registration Statement, the Company was a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act Regulations.

 

2.39 Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all foreign, federal, state and local rules, laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or waste and protection of health and safety or the environment which are applicable to their businesses (“Environmental Laws”), except where the failure to comply would not, singularly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. There has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind of toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances by, due to, or caused by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may otherwise be liable) upon any of the property now or previously owned or leased by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or upon any other property, in violation of any law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit or which would, under any law, statute, ordinance, rule (including rule of common law), regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit, give rise to any liability; and there has been no disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind onto such property or into the environment surrounding such property of any toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances with respect to which the Company has knowledge. In the ordinary course of business, the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct periodic reviews of the effect of Environmental Laws on their business and assets, in the course of which they identify and evaluate associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or governmental permits issued thereunder, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such reviews, the Company and its Subsidiaries have reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not have, singularly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Change.

 

 

2.40 Real Property. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real or personal property which are material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests, claims and defects that do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

 

2.41 Contracts Affecting Capital. There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company, any of its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations) and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ liquidity or the availability of or requirements for their capital resources required to be described or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which have not been described or incorporated by reference as required.

 

2.42 Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations) of the Public Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

 

2.43 Industry Data. The statistical and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate or represent the Company’s good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources.

 

2.44 Margin Securities. The Company owns no “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of Offering will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the shares of Common Stock to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

 

2.45 Exchange Act Reports. The Company has filed in a timely manner all reports required to be filed pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(e), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (except to the extent that Section 15(d) requires reports to be filed pursuant to Sections 13(d) and 13(g) of the Exchange Act, which shall be governed by the next clause of this sentence); and the Company has filed in a timely manner all reports required to be filed pursuant to Sections 13(d) and 13(g) of the Exchange Act since July 1, 2017, except where the failure to timely file could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Change.

 

 

2.46 Minute Books. The minute books of the Company and each Subsidiary have been made available to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, and such books (i) contain a complete summary of all meetings and actions of the board of directors (including each board committee) and stockholders of the Company (or analogous governing bodies and interest holders, as applicable), and each of its Subsidiaries since the time of its respective incorporation or organization through the date of the latest meeting and action, and (ii) accurately in all material respects reflect all transactions referred to in such minutes. There are no material transactions, agreements, dispositions or other actions of the Company or any Subsidiary that are not properly approved and/or accurately and fairly recorded in the minute books of the Company or any Subsidiary, as applicable.

 

2.47 Integration. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause the Offering to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act that would require the registration of any such securities under the Securities Act.

 

2.48 No Stabilization. Neither the Company nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or stockholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken or shall take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under Regulation M of the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Public Securities.

 

2.49 Confidentiality and Non-Competition. To the Company’s knowledge, no director, officer, key employee or consultant of the Company is subject to any confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer that could reasonably be expected to materially affect his ability to be and act in his respective capacity of the Company or be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

2.50 Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Public Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. The Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus sets forth as of their respective dates all outstanding secured and unsecured indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments.

 

2.51 Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not (i) alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications, other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the written consent of the Representative and with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) authorized anyone other than the Representative to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company confirms that the Representative has been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule 2-C 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 Securities Act.

 

 

3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees as follows:

 

3.1 Amendments to Registration Statement. The Company shall deliver to the Representative, prior to filing, any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, Disclosure Package or Prospectus proposed to be filed after the Effective Date and not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing.

 

3.2 Federal Securities Laws.

 

3.2.1 Compliance. The Company, subject to Section 3.2.2, shall comply with the requirements of Rule 424(b) and Rule 430B of the Securities Act Regulations, and will notify the Representative promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus shall have been filed and when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective; (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Public Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement; and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the Offering of the Public Securities. The Company shall effect all filings required under Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and shall take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

3.2.2 Continued Compliance. The Company shall comply with the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Public Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Public Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Public Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representative notice of such event; (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided, however, that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time. The Company shall give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time until the Closing Date and will furnish the Representative with copies of the related document(s) a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

 

 

3.2.3 Exchange Act Registration. For a period of three (3) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall use its best efforts to maintain the registration of the shares of Common Stock under the Exchange Act. The Company shall not deregister the shares of Common Stock under the Exchange Act without the prior written consent of the Representative.

 

3.2.4 Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, it shall not make any offer relating to the Public Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided, however, that the Representative shall be deemed to have consented to each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representative. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Underwriters as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement 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 existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

3.2.5 Testing-the-Waters Communications. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication 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 existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly notify the Representative and shall promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

 

3.3 Delivery to the Underwriters of Registration Statements. The Company has delivered or made available or shall deliver or make available to the Representative and counsel for the Representative, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

3.4 Delivery to the Underwriters of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered or made available or will deliver or make available to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Public Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

3.5 Events Requiring Notice to the Representative. The Company shall use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to remain effective with a current prospectus for at least nine (9) months after the Applicable Time, and shall notify the Representative immediately and confirm the notice in writing: (i) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (ii) of the issuance by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the Public Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iii) of the mailing and delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; (iv) of the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commission; and (v) of the happening of any event during the period described in this Section 3.5 that, in the judgment of the Company, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in (a) the Registration Statement in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or (b) in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Commission or any state securities commission shall enter a stop order or suspend such qualification at any time, the Company shall make every reasonable effort to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.

 

3.6 Review of Financial Statements. For a period of five (5) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company, at its expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent registered public accounting firm to review (but not audit) the Company’s financial statements for each of the three fiscal quarters immediately preceding the announcement of any quarterly financial information.

 

3.7 Listing. The Company shall use its best efforts to maintain the listing of the shares of Common Stock (including shares of Common Stock included in the Public Securities) on the Exchange for at least three years from the date of this Agreement.

 

 

3.8 Financial Public Relations Firm. The Company has retained a financial public relations firm reasonably acceptable to the Representative and the Company, which shall initially be Rubenstein Public Relations, which firm shall be experienced in assisting issuers in public offerings of securities and in their relations with their security holders, and shall retain such firm or another firm reasonably acceptable to the Representative for a period of not less than two (2) years after the Effective Date.

 

3.9 Reports to the Representative.

 

3.9.1 Periodic Reports, etc. For a period of three (3) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall furnish or make available to the Representative copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any class of its securities and also promptly furnish to the Representative: (i) a copy of each periodic report the Company shall be required to file with the Commission under the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations; (ii) a copy of every press release and every news item and article with respect to the Company or its affairs which was released by the Company; (iii) a copy of each Form 8-K prepared and filed by the Company; (iv) five copies of each registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act; (v) a copy of each report or other communication furnished to stockholders and (vi) such additional documents and information with respect to the Company and the affairs of any future subsidiaries of the Company as the Representative may from time to time reasonably request; provided, however, the Representative shall sign, if requested by the Company, a Regulation FD compliant confidentiality agreement which is reasonably acceptable to the Representative and Representative Counsel in connection with the Representative’s receipt of such information. Documents filed with the Commission pursuant to its EDGAR system shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Representative pursuant to this Section 3.9.1.

 

3.9.2 Transfer Agent; Transfer Sheets. For a period of three (3) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall retain a transfer agent and registrar acceptable to the Representative (the “Transfer Agent”) and shall furnish to the Representative at the Company’s sole cost and expense such transfer sheets of the Company’s securities as the Representative may reasonably request, including the daily and monthly consolidated transfer sheets of the Transfer Agent and DTC. American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC is acceptable to the Representative to act as Transfer Agent for the shares of Common Stock.

 

3.9.3 Trading Reports. During such time as the shares of Common Stock are listed on the Exchange, the Company shall provide to the Representative, at the Company’s expense, such reports published by Exchange relating to price trading of the shares of Common Stock (including the Public Securities), as the Representative shall reasonably request.

 

3.10 Payment of Expenses. The Company hereby agrees to pay on each of the Closing Date all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, but not limited to: (a) all filing fees and communication expenses relating to the registration of the Public Securities to be sold in the Offering with the Commission; (b) all filing fees and expenses associated with the review of the Offering by FINRA; (c) all fees and expenses relating to the listing of the Common Stock (including, without limitation, the Firm Shares) on The Nasdaq Capital Market, The Nasdaq Global Market, The Nasdaq Global Select Market, the NYSE or the NYSE American and on such other stock exchanges as the Company and Representative together determine, including any fees charged by The Depository Trust Company (DTC) for new securities; (d) intentionally omitted; (e) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration, qualification or exemption of such Public Securities under the securities laws of such foreign jurisdictions as Representative may reasonably designate; (f) the costs of all mailing and printing of the underwriting documents (including, without limitation, the this Agreement, any Blue Sky Surveys and, if appropriate, any Agreement Among Underwriters, Selected Dealers’ Agreement, Underwriters’ Questionnaire and Power of Attorney), Registration Statements, Disclosure Packages, Prospectuses and all amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto and as many preliminary and final Prospectuses as Representative may reasonably deem necessary; (g) the costs and expenses of the public relations firm referred to in Section 3.8 hereof; (h) the costs of preparing, printing and delivering certificates representing the Public Securities; (i) fees and expenses of the transfer agent for the Common Stock; (j) stock transfer and/or stamp taxes, if any, payable upon the transfer of the Public Securities from the Company to Representative; (k) intentionally omitted; (l) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants; (m) the fees and expenses of the Company’s legal counsel and other agents and representatives; (n) the fees and expenses of the Underwriter’s legal counsel not to exceed $60,000; and (o) the $7,500 cost associated with the use of Ipreo’s book building, prospectus tracking and compliance software for the Offering. The Representative may deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date the expenses set forth herein to be paid by the Company to the Underwriters, provided, however, that in the event that the Offering is terminated, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8.3 hereof.

 

 

3.11 Non-accountable Expenses. The Company further agrees that, in addition to the expenses payable pursuant to Section 3.10, on the Closing Date it shall pay to the Representative, by deduction from the net proceeds of the Offering contemplated herein, a non-accountable expense allowance equal to one percent (1.0%) of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Public Securities, provided, however, that in the event that the Offering is terminated, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8.3 hereof.

 

3.12 Application of Net Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the Offering received by it in a manner consistent with the application thereof described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

3.13 Delivery of Earnings Statements to Security Holders. The Company shall make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but not later than the first day of the fifteenth (15^th) full calendar month following the date of this Agreement, an earnings statement (which need not be certified by independent registered public accounting firm unless required by the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, but which shall satisfy the provisions of Rule 158(a) under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act) covering a period of at least twelve (12) consecutive months beginning after the date of this Agreement.

 

3.14 Stabilization. Neither the Company nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken or shall take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under Regulation M of the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Public Securities.

 

3.15 Internal Controls. The Company shall maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance 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.

 

3.16 Accountants. As of the date of this Agreement, the Company shall continue to retain a nationally recognized independent registered public accounting firm for a period of at least three (3) years after the date of this Agreement. The Representative acknowledges that Whitley Penn LLP is acceptable to the Representative.

 

 

3.17 FINRA. The Company shall advise the Representative (who shall make an appropriate filing with FINRA) if it is or becomes aware that (i) any officer or director of the Company, (ii) any beneficial owner of 5% or more of any class of the Company's securities or (iii) any beneficial owner of the Company's unregistered equity securities which were acquired during the 180 days immediately preceding the filing of the Registration Statement is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA).

 

3.18 No Fiduciary Duties. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters’ responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and that none of the Underwriters or their affiliates or any selling agent shall be deemed to be acting in a fiduciary capacity, or otherwise owes any fiduciary duty to the Company or any of its affiliates in connection with the Offering and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

3.19 Restriction on Continuous Offerings. Notwithstanding the restrictions contained in Section 3.18, the Company, on behalf of itself and any successor entity, agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not, for a period of 12 months after the date of this Agreement, directly or indirectly in any “at-the-market” or continuous equity transaction, offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company.

 

3.20 Company Lock-Up Agreements. The Company, on behalf of itself and any successor entity, agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not for a period of ninety (90) days after the date of this Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), (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 to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (ii) file or cause to be filed any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; or (iii) complete any offering of debt securities of the Company, other than entering into a line of credit with a traditional bank or (iv) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of capital stock of the Company, whether any such transaction described in clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of capital stock of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.

 

The restrictions contained in this Section 3.20 shall not apply to (i) the Public Securities to be sold hereunder, (ii) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of a stock option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof, which is disclosed in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Prospectus, (iii) the issuance by the Company of stock options, shares of capital stock of the Company or other awards under any equity compensation plan of the Company, provided that in each of (ii) and (iii) above, the underlying shares shall be restricted from sale during the entire Lock-Up Period.

 

3.21 Release of D&O Lock-up Period. If the Representative, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in the Lock-Up Agreements described in Section 2.26 hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three (3) Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two (2) Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

 

 

3.22 Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company shall use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, if necessary, to qualify the Public Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Public Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

3.23 Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Public Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and Exchange Act Regulations. Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Public Securities as may be required under Rule 463 under the Securities Act Regulations.

 

3.24 Press Releases. Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall not issue any press release or other communication directly or indirectly or hold any press conference with respect to the Company, its condition, financial or otherwise, or earnings, business affairs or business prospects (except for routine oral marketing communications in the ordinary course of business and consistent with the past practices of the Company and of which the Representative is notified), without the prior written consent of the Representative, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, unless in the judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification to the Representative, such press release or communication is required by law.

 

3.25 Sarbanes-Oxley. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company shall at all times comply with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in effect from time to time.

 

4. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Public Securities, as provided herein, shall be subject to (i) the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date; (ii) the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company made pursuant to the provisions hereof; (iii) the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; and (iv) the following conditions:

 

4.1 Regulatory Matters.

 

4.1.1 Commission Actions; Required Filings. At the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have been issued under the Securities Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes shall have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated by the Commission. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. A prospectus containing the Rule 430B Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act Regulations (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B under the Securities Act Regulations.

 

 

4.1.2 FINRA Clearance. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received confirmation from FINRA that it has no objection to the underwriting terms and arrangements as described in the Registration Statement.

 

4.1.3 Exchange Clearance. On the Closing Date, the Company’s shares of Common Stock, including the Public Securities) shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

4.2 Company Counsel Matters.

 

4.2.1 Closing Date Opinion of Counsel. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion of Gracin& Marlow, LLP, counsel to the Company, and a written statement providing certain “10b-5” negative assurances, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representative, substantially in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto.

 

4.2.2 Intentionally omitted.

 

4.2.3 Reliance. In rendering such opinions, such counsel may rely: (i) as to matters involving the application of laws other than the laws of the United States and jurisdictions in which they are admitted, to the extent such counsel deems proper and to the extent specified in such opinion, if at all, upon an opinion or opinions (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative) of other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Representative, familiar with the applicable laws; and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates or other written statements of officers of the Company and officers of departments of various jurisdictions having custody of documents respecting the corporate existence or good standing of the Company; provided that copies of any such statements or certificates shall be delivered to Representative Counsel if requested. The opinions of Gracin & Marlow, LLP, and any opinion relied upon by Gracin & Marlow, LLP, shall include a statement to the effect that it may be relied upon by Representative Counsel in its opinion delivered to the Underwriters.

 

4.3 Comfort Letters. At the Closing Date you shall receive a cold comfort letter from the Auditors containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to you and to the Auditors, dated as of the Closing Date.

 

4.4 Officers’ Certificates.

 

4.4.1 Officers’ Certificate. The Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate, dated the Closing Date, of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer stating that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as of its date and as of the Closing Date, and the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, as of the Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date, and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would involve a Material Adverse Change and (v) all correspondence between the Company or its counsel and the Commission are accurate and complete.

 

 

4.4.2 Secretary’s Certificate. At the Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Secretary of the Company, dated the Closing Date, certifying: (i) that each of the Charter and Bylaws is true and complete, has not been modified and is in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors relating to the Offering are in full force and effect and have not been modified; (iii) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company. The documents referred to in such certificate shall be attached to such certificate.

 

4.5 No Material Changes. Prior to and on the Closing Date: (i) there shall have been no material adverse change or development involving a prospective material adverse change in the condition or prospects or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and no change in the capital stock or debt of the Company, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (ii) no action, suit or proceeding, at law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened against the Company or any Insider before or by any court or federal or state commission, board or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding may materially adversely affect the business, operations, properties, assets, prospects or financial condition or income of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (iii) no stop order shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; (iv) no action shall have been taken and no law, statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any Governmental Entity which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Public Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; (v) no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Public Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and (vi) the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all material statements which are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and shall conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, and neither the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

4.6 Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of each of this Agreement, the Public Securities, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Underwriters, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

 

4.7 Delivery of Agreements.

 

4.7.1 Lock-Up Agreements. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of the Lock-Up Agreements from each of the persons listed in Schedule 3 hereto.

 

4.7.2 Intentionally Omitted.

 

4.8 Additional Documents. At the Closing Date, Representative Counsel shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling Representative Counsel to deliver an opinion to the Underwriters, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Public Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and Representative Counsel.

 

5. Indemnification.

 

5.1 Indemnification of the Underwriters.

 

5.1.1 General. Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees, representatives, partners, shareholders, affiliates, counsel and agents and each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Underwriter Indemnified Parties,” and each an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”), against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including but not limited to any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, whether arising out of any action between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and the Company or between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and any third party, or otherwise) to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other statute or at common law or otherwise or under the laws of foreign countries (a “Claim”), arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (i) the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented); (ii) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the Offering, including any “road show” or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); (iii) any application or other document or written communication (in this Section 5, collectively called “application”) executed by the Company or based upon written information furnished by the Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Public Securities under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, any state securities commission or agency, the Exchange or any other national securities exchange; or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of 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, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, the Underwriters’ Information, or (iv) otherwise arising in connection with or allegedly in connection with the Offering. The Company also agrees that it will reimburse each Underwriter Indemnified Party for all fees and expenses (including but not limited to any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, whether arising out of any action between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and the Company or between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and any third party, or otherwise) (collectively, the “Expenses”), and further agrees wherever and whenever possible to advance payment of Expenses as they are incurred by an Underwriter Indemnified Party in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any Claim.

 

 

5.1.2 Procedure. If any action is brought against an Underwriter Indemnified Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to Section 5.1.1, such Underwriter Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such action and the Company shall assume the defense of such action, including the employment and fees of counsel (subject to the approval of such Underwriter Indemnified Party) and payment of actual expenses if an Underwriter Indemnified Party requests that the Company do so. Such Underwriter Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Company, and shall be advanced by the Company. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any action effected without its consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld). In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened action in respect of which advancement, reimbursement, indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination (i) includes an unconditional release of each Underwriter Indemnified Party, acceptable to such Underwriter Indemnified Party, from all liabilities, expenses and claims arising out of such action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any Underwriter Indemnified Party.

 

5.2 Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and persons who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the several Underwriters, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any application, in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, the Underwriters’ Information. In case any action shall be brought against the Company or any other person so indemnified based on any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or any application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company and each other person so indemnified shall have the rights and duties given to the several Underwriters by the provisions of Section 5.1.2. The Company agrees promptly to notify the Representative of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its officers, directors or any person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, in connection with the issuance and sale of the Public Securities or in connection with the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication.

 

 

5.3 Contribution.

 

5.3.1 Contribution Rights. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 5.1 or 5.2 in respect of any loss, claim, damage or liability, or any action in respect thereof, referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, (i) in such proportion as shall be 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 Public 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, with respect to the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, 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, with respect to such Offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the Offering of the Public Securities purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters with respect to the shares of the Common Stock purchased under this Agreement, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the other hand. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 5.3.1 were to be determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 5.3.1 shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 5.3.1, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5.3.1 in no event shall an Underwriter 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 Offering of the Public 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 Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

5.3.2 Contribution Procedure. Within fifteen (15) days after receipt by any party to this Agreement (or its representative) of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, such party will, if a claim for contribution in respect thereof is to be made against another party (“contributing party”), notify the contributing party of the commencement thereof, but the failure to so notify the contributing party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any other party other than for contribution hereunder. In case any such action, suit or proceeding is brought against any party, and such party notifies a contributing party or its representative of the commencement thereof within the aforesaid 15 days, the contributing party will be entitled to participate therein with the notifying party and any other contributing party similarly notified. Any such contributing party shall not be liable to any party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, action or proceeding affected by such party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, action or proceeding affected by such party seeking contribution without the written consent of such contributing party. The contribution provisions contained in this Section 5.3.2 are intended to supersede, to the extent permitted by law, any right to contribution under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise available. Each Underwriter’s obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 5.3 are several and not joint.

 

6. Default by an Underwriter.

 

6.1 Default Not Exceeding 10% of Public Securities. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligations to purchase the Public Securities, and if the number of the Public Securities with respect to which such default relates does not exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of Public Securities that all Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, then such Public Securities to which the default relates shall be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder.

 

 

6.2 Default Exceeding 10% of Public Securities. In the event that the default addressed in Section 6.1 relates to more than 10% of the Public Securities, you may in your discretion arrange for yourself or for another party or parties to purchase such Public Securities to which such default relates on the terms contained herein. If, within one (1) Business Day after such default relating to more than 10% of the Public Securities, you do not arrange for the purchase of such Public Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of one (1) Business Day within which to procure another party or parties satisfactory to you to purchase said Public Securities on such terms. In the event that neither you nor the Company arrange for the purchase of the Public Securities to which a default relates as provided in this Section 6, this Agreement will automatically be terminated by you or the Company without liability on the part of the Company (except as provided in Section 3.9 and Section 5 hereof) or the several Underwriters (except as provided in Section 5 hereof); provided, however, that nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the other Underwriters and to the Company for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

 

6.3 Postponement of Closing Date. In the event that the Public Securities to which the default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a reasonable period, but not in any event exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 6 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such shares of Common Stock.

 

7. Additional Covenants.

 

7.1 Board Composition and Board Designations. The Company shall ensure that: (i) the qualifications of the persons serving as members of the Board of Directors and the overall composition of the Board comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, with the Exchange Act and with the listing rules of the Exchange or any other national securities exchange, as the case may be, in the event the Company seeks to have any of its securities listed on another exchange or quoted on an automated quotation system, and (ii) if applicable, at least one member of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined under Regulation S-K and the listing rules of the Exchange.

 

7.2 Prohibition on Press Releases and Public Announcements. The Company shall not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without the Representative’s prior written consent, for a period ending at 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the first (1^st) Business Day following the fortieth (40^th) day after the Closing Date, other than normal and customary releases issued in the ordinary course of the Company’s business.

 

7.3. Right of First Refusal. The Company reaffirms that, commencing on May 11, 2020 (the “Commencement Date”), the Representative shall have a right of first refusal (the “Right of First Refusal”), for a period of twelve (12) months after the Commencement Date, to act as sole and exclusive investment banker, sole and exclusive book-runner, sole and exclusive financial advisor, sole and exclusive underwriter and/or sole and exclusive placement agent, at the Representative’s sole and exclusive discretion, for each and every future public equity and debt offerings, including all equity linked financings (each, a “Subject Transaction”), during such twelve (12) month period, of the Company, or any successor to or Subsidiary of the Company, on terms and conditions customary to the Representative for such Subject Transactions. For the avoidance of any doubt, the Company shall not retain, engage or solicit any additional investment banker, book-runner, financial advisor, underwriter and/or placement agent in a Subject Transaction without the express written consent of the Representative. The Representative shall have the sole right to determine whether or not any other broker dealer shall have the right to participate in any Subject Transaction in which it exercises its right of first refusal and the economic terms of any such participation.

 

 

The Company shall notify the Representative of its intention to pursue a Subject Transaction, including the material terms thereof, by providing written notice thereof by registered mail or overnight courier service addressed to the Representative. If the Representative fails to exercise its Right of First Refusal with respect to any Subject Transaction within ten (10) Business Days after the mailing of such written notice, then the Representative shall have no further claim or right with respect to the Subject Transaction. The Representative may elect, in its sole and absolute discretion, not to exercise its Right of First Refusal with respect to any Subject Transaction; provided that any such election by the Representative shall not adversely affect the Representative’s Right of First Refusal with respect to any other Subject Transaction during the twelve (12) month period agreed to above.

 

8. Effective Date of this Agreement and Termination Thereof.

 

8.1 Effective Date. This Agreement shall become effective when both the Company and the Representative have executed the same and delivered counterparts of such signatures to the other party.

 

8.2 Termination. The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to any Closing Date, (i) if any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in your opinion will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States; or (ii) if trading on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required by FINRA or by order of the Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction; or (iii) if the United States shall have become involved in a new war or an increase in major hostilities; or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State or federal authority; or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States securities markets; or (vi) if the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in your opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Public Securities; or (vii) if the Company is in material breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants hereunder; or (viii) if the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of such a material adverse change in the conditions or prospects of the Company, or such adverse material change in general market conditions as in the Representative’s judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Public Securities or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Public Securities.

 

8.3 Expenses. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, in the event that this Agreement shall be terminated by the Company for any reason whatsoever, pursuant to the terms herein, the Company shall be obligated to pay to the Underwriters their actual and accountable out-of-pocket expenses related to the transactions contemplated herein then due and payable (including the fees and disbursements of Representative’s Counsel) up to $40,000, and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters; provided, however, that such expense cap in no way limits or impairs the indemnification and contribution provisions of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any advance received by the Representative will be reimbursed to the Company to the extent not actually incurred in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(C).

 

 

8.4 Survival of Indemnification. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement, and whether or not this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Section 5 shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be in any way affected by, such election or termination or failure to carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.

 

8.5 Representations, Warranties, Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company or (ii) delivery of and payment for the Public Securities.

 

9. Miscellaneous.

 

9.1 Notices. All communications hereunder, except as herein otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and shall be mailed (registered or certified mail, return receipt requested), personally delivered or sent by e-mail or facsimile transmission and confirmed and shall be deemed given when so delivered, e-mailed or faxed and confirmed or if mailed, two (2) days after such mailing.

 

If to the Representative:

 

ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc.
17 State Street, 22^nd Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attention: Mr. Eric Lord, Head of Investment Banking

E-mail: ***@***

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP

1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11^th Floor

New York, New York 10105

Attn: Barry I. Grossman, Esq.

Email: ***@***

 

If to the Company:

  

SG Blocks, Inc.
195 Montague Street, 14th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Attention: Paul M. Galvin

Email: ***@***

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Gracin& Marlow, LLP

The Chrysler Building

405 Lexington Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10174

Attention: Leslie Marlow, Esq. or Patrick J. Egan, Esq.

Fax No: (212) 208-4657

E-mail: ***@*** or ***@***

 

 

9.2 Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that each Underwriter’s research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from its investment banking division and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriter’s research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the Offering that differ from the views of their investment banking division. The Company acknowledges that each Underwriter is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the Company; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 9.2 shall relieve the Underwriter of any responsibility or liability it may otherwise bear in connection with activities in violation of applicable securities laws, rules or regulations.

 

9.3 Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement.

 

9.4 Amendment. This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.

 

9.5 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, it is understood and agreed by the parties hereto that all other terms and conditions of that certain engagement letter between the Company and ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc., dated November 20, 2019, as amended December 9, 2019, shall remain in full force and effect.

 

9.6 Binding Effect. This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Representative, the Underwriters, the Company and the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 5 hereof, and their respective successors, legal representatives, heirs and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provisions herein contained. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser, in its capacity as such, of securities from any of the Underwriters.

 

9.7 Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Trial by Jury. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws principles thereof. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of, or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 9.1 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. The Company agrees that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

 

9.8 Execution in Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts has been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by facsimile or email/pdf transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.

 

9.9 Waiver, etc. The failure of any of the parties hereto to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way effect the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof or the right of any of the parties hereto to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

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

 

			Very truly yours,
			SG BLOCKS, INC.
			By:	/s/ Paul M. Galvin
				Name:	Paul M. Galvin
				Title:	Chief Executive Officer
Confirmed as of the date first written above mentioned, on behalf of itself and as Representative of the several Underwriters named on Schedule 1 hereto:
THINKEQUITY
A Division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc.
By:	/s/ Eric Lord
	Name: Eric Lord
	Title: Head of Investment Banking

 

 

SCHEDULE 1

 

Underwriter		Total Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased
ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc.			440,000
TOTAL			440,000

 

 

SCHEDULE 2-A 

Pricing Information

 

Number of Firm Shares: 440,000

 

Public Offering Price per Firm Share: $4.25

 

Underwriting Discount per Share: $0.34

 

Proceeds to Company per Firm Share (before expenses): $1,720,400

 

SCHEDULE 2-B

 

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses

 

None.

 

SCHEDULE 2-C

 

Written Testing-the-Waters Communications

 

None.

  

 

SCHEDULE 3

 

List of Lock-Up Parties

 

1. Paul M. Galvin

2. Yaniv Blumenfeld

3. Christopher Melton

4. James C. Potts

5. Stevan Armstrong

6. Gerald Sheeran