Distribution Agreement, dated November 7, 2022, by and among SmileDirectClub, Inc., SDC Financial LLC and UBS Securities LLC
Exhibit 1.1
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
November 7, 2022
UBS Securities LLC
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10019
Ladies and Gentlemen:
SmileDirectClub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), confirms its agreement with UBS Securities LLC, as agent and/or principal under any Terms Agreement (as defined in Section 1(a) below) (you or the Agent), with respect to the issuance and sale from time to time by the Company, in the manner and subject to the terms and conditions described below in this Distribution Agreement (this Agreement), of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the Common Stock), of the Company having an aggregate Gross Sales Price (as defined in Section 2(b) below) of up to $100,000,000 (the Maximum Amount) on the terms set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement. Such shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the Shares and are described in the Prospectus referred to below.
On the date hereof, the Company is a holding company which currently holds no material assets, other than an equity interest in SDC Financial LLC, a Delaware limited lability company (SDC LLC), and does not engage in any operations. The business of the Company is conducted through SDC LLC, of which the Company is the sole managing member, and its subsidiaries. As the sole managing member of SDC LLC, the Company operates and controls all of the business and affairs of SDC LLC and, through SDC LLC and its subsidiaries, conducts its business. The Company and SDC LLC are collectively referred to herein as the SDC Parties.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-267370) (the registration statement) for the registration of the Shares and other securities of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the Act); and such registration statement sets forth the terms of the offering, sale and plan of distribution of the Shares and contains additional information concerning the Company and its business. Except where the context otherwise requires, Registration Statement, as used herein, means the registration statement, as amended at the time of such registration statements effectiveness for purposes of Section 11 of the Act, as such section applies to the Agent, including (1) all documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein and (2) any information contained or incorporated by reference in a prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, to the extent such information is deemed, pursuant to Rule 430B or Rule 430C under the Act, to be part of the registration statement at the effective time. Basic Prospectus means the prospectus dated October 4, 2022 filed as part of the Registration Statement, including the documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such prospectus; Prospectus Supplement means the most recent prospectus supplement relating to the Shares, to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act on or before the
second business day after the date of its first use in connection with a public offering or sale of Shares pursuant hereto (or such earlier time as may be required under the Act), in the form furnished by the Company to the Agent in connection with the offering of the Shares; Prospectus means the Prospectus Supplement (and any additional prospectus supplement prepared in accordance with the provision of Section 4(h) of this Agreement and filed in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b)) together with the Basic Prospectus attached to or used with the Prospectus Supplement; and Permitted Free Writing Prospectus has the meaning set forth in Section 3(b). Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall, unless otherwise stated, be deemed to refer to and include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference, or deemed to be incorporated by reference, therein (the Incorporated Documents), including, unless the context otherwise requires, the documents, if any, filed as exhibits to such Incorporated Documents. Any reference herein to the terms amend, amendment or supplement with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall, unless stated otherwise, be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the Exchange Act) on or after the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, or the date of the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, as the case may be, and deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. References in this Agreement to financial statements or other information that is contained, included, described, set forth or provided in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and any similar references shall, unless stated otherwise, include any information incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.
The Company and the Agent agree as follows:
1. Issuance and Sale.
(a) Upon the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and provided the Company provides the Agent with any due diligence materials and information reasonably requested by the Agent necessary for the Agent to satisfy its due diligence obligations, on any Exchange Business Day (as defined below) selected by the Company, the Company and the Agent shall enter into an agreement in accordance with Section 2 hereof regarding the number of Shares to be placed by the Agent, as agent, and the manner in which and other terms upon which such placement is to occur (each such transaction being referred to as an Agency Transaction). The Company may also offer to sell the Shares directly to the Agent, as principal, in which event such parties shall enter into a separate agreement (each, a Terms Agreement) in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto (with such changes thereto as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Agent to accommodate a transaction involving additional underwriters), relating to such sale in accordance with Section 2(g) of this Agreement (each such transaction being referred to as a Principal Transaction). As used herein, (i) the Term shall be the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the earlier of (x) the date on which the aggregate Gross Sales Price of Shares issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement and any Terms Agreements equal to the Maximum Amount and (y) any termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8, (ii) an Exchange Business Day means any day during the Term that is a trading day for the Exchange other than a day on which trading on the Exchange is scheduled to close prior to its regular weekday closing time, and (iii) Exchange means the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
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(b) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth below, the Company appoints the Agent as agent in connection with the offer and sale of Shares in any Agency Transactions entered into hereunder. The Agent will use commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, to sell such Shares in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions hereof and of the applicable Transaction Acceptance (as defined below). Neither the Company nor the Agent shall have any obligation to enter into an Agency Transaction. The Company shall be obligated to issue and sell through the Agent, and the Agent shall be obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and as provided herein and in the applicable Transaction Acceptance, to place Shares only if and when the Company makes a Transaction Proposal (as defined below) to the Agent related to such an Agency Transaction and a Transaction Acceptance related to such Agency Transaction has been delivered to the Company by the Agent as provided in Section 2 below.
(c) The Agent, as agent in any Agency Transaction, hereby covenants and agrees not to make any sales of the Shares on behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement other than (A) by means of ordinary brokers transactions between members of the Exchange that qualify for delivery of a Prospectus in accordance with Rule 153 under the Act and meet the definition of an at the market offering under Rule 415(a)(4) under the Act (such transactions are hereinafter referred to as At the Market Offerings) and (B) such other sales of the Shares on behalf of the Company in its capacity as agent of the Company as shall be agreed by the Company and the Agent in writing.
(d) If Shares are to be sold in an Agency Transaction in an At the Market Offering, the Agent will confirm in writing to the Company the number of Shares sold on any Exchange Business Day and the related Gross Sales Price and Net Sales Price (as each of such terms is defined in Section 2(b) below) no later than the opening of trading on the immediately following Exchange Business Day.
(e) If the Company shall default on its obligation to deliver Shares to the Agent pursuant to the terms of any Agency Transaction or Terms Agreement, the Company shall (i) indemnify and hold harmless the Agent and its successors and assigns from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses arising from or as a result of such default by the Company and (ii) notwithstanding any such default, pay to the Agent the commission to which it would otherwise be entitled in connection with such sale in accordance with Section 2(b) below.
(f) The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that the Agent will be successful in selling the Shares, (ii) the Agent shall incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, and (iii) the Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as may otherwise be specifically agreed by the Agent and the Company in a Terms Agreement.
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2. Transaction Acceptances and Terms Agreements.
(a) The Company may, from time to time during the Term, propose to the Agent that they enter into an Agency Transaction to be executed on a specified Exchange Business Day or over a specified period of Exchange Business Days, which proposal shall be made to the Agent by telephone or by email from any of the individuals listed as an authorized representative of the Company on Schedule A hereto to make such sales and shall set forth the information specified below (each, a Transaction Proposal). If the Agent agrees to the terms of such proposed Agency Transaction or if the Company and the Agent mutually agree to modified terms for such proposed Agency Transaction, then the Agent shall promptly deliver to the Company by email a notice (each, a Transaction Acceptance) confirming the terms of such proposed Agency Transaction as set forth in such Transaction Proposal or setting forth the modified terms for such proposed Agency Transaction as agreed by the Company and the Agent, as the case may be, whereupon such Agency Transaction shall become a binding agreement between the Company and the Agent. Each Transaction Proposal shall specify:
(i) | the Exchange Business Day(s) on which the Shares subject to such Agency Transaction are intended to be sold (each, a Purchase Date); |
(ii) | the maximum number or amount of Shares to be sold by the Agent (the Specified Shares) on, or over the course of, such Purchase Date(s), or as otherwise agreed between the Company and Agent and documented in the relevant Transaction Acceptance; and |
(iii) | the lowest price, if any, at which the Company is willing to sell Shares on each such Purchase Date or a formula pursuant to which such lowest price shall be determined (each, a Floor Price). |
A Transaction Proposal shall not set forth an amount of Specified Shares that, when the Gross Sales Price of such Specified Shares is added to the aggregate Gross Sales Price of Shares previously purchased and to be purchased pursuant to pending Transaction Acceptances (if any) hereunder and any Terms Agreements, results or could result in a total that exceeds the Maximum Amount nor shall it set forth a Floor Price which is lower than the minimum price authorized from time to time by the Companys board of directors or, if permitted by applicable law and the Companys charter and by-laws, a duly authorized committee thereof. The Company shall have responsibility for maintaining records with respect to the aggregate number and aggregate Gross Sales Price of Shares sold and for otherwise monitoring the availability of Shares for sale under the Registration Statement and for insuring that the aggregate number and aggregate Gross Sales Price of Shares offered and sold does not exceed, and the price at which any Shares are offered or sold is not lower than, the aggregate number and aggregate Gross Sales Price of Shares and the minimum price
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authorized from time to time by the Companys board of directors or, if permitted by applicable law and the Companys charter and by-laws, a duly authorized committee thereof. In the event that more than one Transaction Acceptance with respect to any Purchase Date(s) is delivered by the Agent to the Company, the latest Transaction Acceptance shall govern any sales of Shares for the relevant Purchase Date(s), except to the extent of any action occurring pursuant to a prior Transaction Acceptance and prior to the delivery to the Company of the latest Transaction Acceptance. The Company or the Agent may, upon notice to the other such party by telephone (confirmed promptly by e-mail), suspend or terminate the offering of the Shares pursuant to Agency Transactions for any reason; provided, however, that such suspension or termination shall not affect or impair the parties respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice or their respective obligations under any Terms Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the terms of any Agency Transaction contemplate that Shares shall be sold on more than one Purchase Date, then the Company and the Agent shall mutually agree to such additional terms and conditions as they deem reasonably necessary in respect of such multiple Purchase Dates, and such additional terms and conditions shall be set forth in or confirmed by, as the case may be, the relevant Transaction Acceptance and be binding to the same extent as any other terms contained therein.
(b) The Purchase Date(s) in respect of the Shares deliverable pursuant to any Transaction Acceptance shall be set forth in or confirmed by, as the case may be, the applicable Transaction Acceptance. Except as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Agent, the Agents commission for any Shares sold through the Agent pursuant to this Agreement shall be 2.50%, of the actual sales price of such Shares (the Gross Sales Price), which commission shall be as set forth in or confirmed by, as the case may be, the applicable Transaction Acceptance; provided, however, that such commission shall not apply when the Agent acts as principal, in which case such commission or a discount shall be set forth in the applicable Terms Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Company engages the Agent for a sale of Shares in an Agency Transaction that would constitute a distribution, within the meaning of Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act or a block within the meaning of Rule 10b-18(a)(5) under the Exchange Act, the Company will provide the Agent, at the Agents request and upon reasonable advance notice to the Company, on or prior to the Agency Settlement Date (as defined below) the opinions of counsel, accountants letters and officers certificates pursuant to Section 5 hereof, each dated the Agency Settlement Date, and such other documents and information as the Agent shall reasonably request, and the Company and the Agent will agree to compensation that is customary for the Agent with respect to such transaction. The Gross Sales Price less the Agents commission and after deduction for any transaction fees, transfer taxes or similar taxes or fees imposed by any governmental, regulatory or self-regulatory organization in respect of the sale of the applicable Shares is referred to herein at the Net Sales Price.
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(c) Payment of the Net Sales Price for Shares sold by the Company on any Purchase Date pursuant to a Transaction Acceptance shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Company (which the Company shall provide to the Agent at least one Exchange Business Day prior to the applicable Agency Settlement Date) against delivery of such Shares to the Agents account, or an account of the Agents designee, at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System (DWAC) or by such other means of delivery as may be agreed to by the Company and the Agent. Such payment and delivery shall be made at or about 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the second Exchange Business Day (or such other day as may, from time to time, become standard industry practice for settlement of such a securities issuance or as agreed to by the Company and the Agent) following each Purchase Date (each, an Agency Settlement Date).
(d) If, as set forth in or confirmed by, as the case may be, the related Transaction Acceptance, a Floor Price has been agreed to by the parties with respect to a Purchase Date, and the Agent thereafter determines and notifies the Company that the Gross Sales Price for such Agency Transaction would not be at least equal to such Floor Price, then the Company shall not be obligated to issue and sell through the Agent, and the Agent shall not be obligated to place, the Shares proposed to be sold pursuant to such Agency Transaction on such Purchase Date, unless the Company and the Agent otherwise agree in writing.
(e) If either party has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with respect to the Shares, it shall promptly notify the other party and sales of the Shares under this Agreement, any Transaction Acceptance or any Terms Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of each party. On or prior to the delivery of a prospectus that is required (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares, the Company shall calculate the average daily trading volume (as defined under ADTV by Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act) of the Common Stock based on market data provided by Bloomberg L.P. or such other sources as agreed upon by the Company and the Agent.
(f) | (i) If the Company wishes to issue and sell the Shares pursuant to this Agreement but other than as set forth in Section 2(a) of this Agreement, it will notify the Agent of the proposed terms of the Principal Transaction. If the Agent, acting as principal, wishes to accept such proposed terms (which it may decline to do for any reason in its sole discretion) or, following discussions with the Company, wishes to accept amended terms, the Company and the Agent shall enter into a Terms Agreement setting forth the terms of such Principal Transaction. |
(ii) The terms set forth in a Terms Agreement shall not be binding on the Company or the Agent unless and until the Company and the Agent have each executed and delivered such Terms Agreement accepting all of the terms of such Terms Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Terms Agreement, the terms of such Terms Agreement shall control. |
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(g) Each sale of the Shares to the Agent in a Principal Transaction shall be made in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and a Terms Agreement, which shall provide for the sale of such Shares to, and the purchase thereof by, the Agent. A Terms Agreement may also specify certain provisions relating to the reoffering of such Shares by the Agent. The commitment of the Agent to purchase the Shares pursuant to any Terms Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained, and shall be subject to the terms and conditions set forth, in this Agreement and such Terms Agreement. Any such Terms Agreement shall specify the number of the Shares to be purchased by the Agent pursuant thereto, the price to be paid to the Company for such Shares, any provisions relating to rights of, and default by, underwriters, if any, acting together with the Agent in the reoffering of the Shares, and the time and date (each such time and date being referred to herein as a Principal Settlement Date; and, together with any Agency Settlement Date, a Settlement Date) and place of delivery of and payment for such Shares.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall not offer, sell or deliver, or request the offer or sale, of any Shares pursuant to this Agreement (whether in an Agency Transaction or a Principal Transaction) and, by notice to the Agent given by telephone (confirmed promptly by email), shall cancel any instructions for the offer or sale of any Shares, and the Agent shall not be obligated to offer or sell any Shares, (i) during any period in which the Company is, or could be deemed to be, in possession of material non-public information or (ii) at any time from and including the date on which the Company shall issue a press release containing, or shall otherwise publicly announce, its earnings, revenues or other results of operations (an Earnings Announcement) through the later of: (a) the time that the Company files a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or an Annual Report on Form 10-K that includes consolidated financial statements as of and for the same period or periods, as the case may be, covered by such Earnings Announcement and (b) the completion of a teleconference, webcast or similar oral presentation of the information covered by such Earnings Announcement.
(i) The Company agrees that any offer to sell, any solicitation of an offer to buy, or any sales of Shares by the Company shall be effected only by or through the Agent on any Exchange Business Day.
(j) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not authorize the issuance and sale of, and the Agent, as sales agent, shall not be obligated to use its commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, to sell, any Shares at a price lower than the minimum price, or in a number or with an aggregate gross or net sales price in excess of the number or aggregate gross or net sales price, as the case may be, authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement, in each case by the Companys board of directors or, if permitted by applicable law and the Companys charter and by-laws, a duly authorized committee thereof, or in a number in excess of the number of Shares approved for listing on the Exchange, or in excess of the number or amount of Shares available for issuance on the Registration Statement or as to which the Company has paid the applicable registration fee, it being understood and agreed by the parties hereto that compliance with any such limitations shall be the sole responsibility of the Company.
3. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the SDC Parties. Each SDC Party represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Agent, on and as of (i) the date hereof, (ii) each date on which the Company receives a Transaction Acceptance (the Time of Acceptance), (iii) each date on which the Company executes and delivers a Terms Agreement, (iv) each Time of Sale (as defined in Section 3(a)), (v) each Settlement Date and (vi) each Bring-Down Delivery Date (as defined in Section 6(b)) (each such date listed in (i) through (vi), a Representation Date), as follows:
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(a) The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. There is no order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, and, to the knowledge of each SDC Party, no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act against the Company or related to the offering has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; the Registration Statement complied when it initially became effective, complies as of the date hereof and, as then amended or supplemented, as of each other Representation Date will comply, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Act; the conditions to the use of Form S-3 in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby have been satisfied; the Registration Statement meets, and the offering and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby comply with, the requirements of Rule 415 under the Act (including, without limitation, Rule 415(a)(5)); the Prospectus complied or will comply, at the time it was or will be filed with the Commission, and will comply, as then amended or supplemented, as of each Representation Date, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Act; the Registration Statement did not, as of the time of its initial effectiveness, and does not or will not, as then amended or supplemented, as of each Representation Date, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; as of each Representation Date, the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, together with all of the then issued Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the SDC Parties make no representation or warranty with respect to any statement in or omission from the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information concerning the Agent and furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Agent expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (it being understood that such information consists solely of the information specified in Section 9(b)). As used herein, Time of Sale means (i) with respect to each offering of Shares pursuant to this Agreement, the time of the Agents initial entry into contracts with investors for the sale of such Shares and (ii) with respect to each offering of Shares pursuant to any relevant Terms Agreement, the time of sale of such Shares.
(b) Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, offered or sold any of the Shares by means of any prospectus (within the meaning of the Act) or used any prospectus (within the meaning of the Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares, in each case other than the Basic Prospectus. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Agent, until the termination of this Agreement, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act) or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) other than any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. Any such free writing prospectus relating to the Shares consented to by the Agent (including any Free Writing Prospectus prepared by the
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Company solely for use in connection with the offering contemplated by a particular Terms Agreement) is hereinafter referred to as a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company has complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. The conditions set forth in one or more of subclauses (i) through (iv), inclusive, of Rule 433(b)(1) under the Act are satisfied, and the registration statement relating to the offering of the Shares contemplated hereby, as initially filed with the Commission, includes a prospectus that, other than by reason of Rule 433 under the Act, satisfies the requirements of Section 10 of the Act; the Company is not disqualified, by reason of Rule 164(f) or (g) under the Act, from using, in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, free writing prospectuses (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) pursuant to Rules 164 and 433 under the Act; the Company was not as of each eligibility determination date for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act with respect to the offering of the Shares contemplated by the Registration Statement and this Agreement and is not an ineligible issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act). The Company has paid or, no later than the business day after the date of this Agreement, will pay the registration fee for the offering of the Maximum Amount of Shares pursuant to Rule 457 under the Act.
(c) The Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission (or, if any amendment with respect to any such document was filed, when such amendment was filed), conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed during the Term and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing 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 Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(d) The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby; the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the SDC Parties and their consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby.
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(e) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (i) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, in the aggregate, or long-term debt of either SDC Party or any of their subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by any SDC Party on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders equity, results of operations or prospects of the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the SDC Parties nor any of their subsidiaries have entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) none of the SDC Parties nor any of their subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The subsidiaries listed in Exhibit D to this Agreement are the only Significant Subsidiaries of the Company.
(f) Each SDC Party and each of their subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders equity, results of operations or prospects of the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a Material Adverse Effect).
(g) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of each SDC Party have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of any such SDC Party or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of each SDC Party conforms in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by each SDC Party has been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the SDC
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Parties, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party except pursuant to the Loan Agreement, dated as of April 27, 2022, among SDC U.S. SmilePay SPV, as borrower, SmileDirectClub, LLC, as the seller and servicer, the lenders from time to time party thereto, and HPS Investment Partners, LLC, as administrative agent and collateral agent (the 2022 HPS Facility).
(h) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each SDC Party and any Terms Agreement will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(i) The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder or under any Terms Agreement have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided herein or in any Terms Agreement, as the case may be, will be duly and validly issued, will be fully paid and nonassessable and will conform to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; and the issuance and sale of the Shares are not and will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
(j) Each SDC Party has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver, to the extent a party thereto, this Agreement and any Terms Agreement and perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder, including the Companys issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares as provided herein and therein; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by each SDC Party of this Agreement and any Terms Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby has been duly and validly taken (or, in the case of any Terms Agreement, such action will have been duly and validly authorized).
(k) This Agreement conforms and each Terms Agreement will conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.
(l) Neither of the SDC Parties nor any of their subsidiaries are (i) in violation of their respective charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property or asset of any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute applicable to any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over either SDC Party or any of their subsidiaries, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(m) The execution, delivery and performance by each SDC Party of each of this Agreement and any Terms Agreement, to the extent a party thereto, the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company, the compliance by the SDC Parties with the terms hereof and of any Terms Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or by any Terms Agreement will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute applicable to any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) No consent, approval, authorization, order, license, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by each SDC Party of this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, to the extent a party thereto, the issuance and sale of the Shares, compliance by each SDC Party with the terms of this Agreement or of any Terms Agreement, to the extent a party thereto, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, except as have been made or obtained, except as may be required by and made in accordance with or obtained under state securities laws or regulations, and except for such filings of Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses and any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein as may be required by the Act or the Exchange Act from time to time, and except for such filings as the Exchange may require from time to time.
(o) Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries, audits, surveys, hearings, enforcements, proceedings or other actions (Actions) pending to which any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any property of any SDC Party or any of their subsidiaries is the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, no such Actions are threatened or, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) Ernst & Young LLP, who issued an opinion on the consolidated financial statements of the Company is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company, including SDC LLC, and their subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Act.
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(q) Except for the terms and conditions of the 2022 HPS Facility, each SDC Party and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the business of the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries taken as a whole (other than with respect to Intellectual Property, title to which is addressed exclusively in subsection (r)), in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the applicable SDC Party and its subsidiaries or (ii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, each SDC Party and its subsidiaries own or have the right to use, or can obtain on reasonable terms the right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, domain names and other source indicators, copyrights and copyrightable works, know-how, trade secrets, systems, procedures, proprietary or confidential information and all other worldwide intellectual property, industrial property and proprietary rights (collectively, Intellectual Property) used in the conduct of its business; (ii) each SDC Party and its subsidiaries conduct of their business does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property of any person; (iii) each SDC Party and its subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim relating to Intellectual Property; and (iv) to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, the Intellectual Property of the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries is not being infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any person.
(s) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Act to be described in a registration statement to be filed with the Commission and that is not so described in such documents and in any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.
(t) Neither the Company nor SDC LLC is and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the net proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, will not be required to register as an investment company or an entity controlled by an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the Investment Company Act).
(u) Each SDC Party and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof except where failure to pay or file would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets.
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(v) Each SDC Party and its subsidiaries and to the Companys knowledge, each Managed Entity (as defined below) possess and are in compliance in all material respects with, all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits, orders, registrations, accreditations, provider or supplier numbers, clearances, exemptions, approvals and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, any court or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority (each, a Governmental Authority) that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of the Companys business (collectively, Permits), as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus including, without limitation, those Permits issued or required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, neither of the SDC Parties or their subsidiaries has received notice that any such Permit has been revoked or materially modified or will not be renewed in the ordinary course. Managed Entity means a professional corporation, professional association and other licensed dental practice to which the SDC Parties and its subsidiaries provide management or other administrative or support services. Neither SDC Entity has any ownership interest in any Managed Entity.
(w) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, each SDC Party: (i) has not received any Form 483 that remains unresolved, notice of adverse finding, warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or written notice from the FDA, or other Governmental Authority alleging or asserting material noncompliance with the terms of any Permits required by any Health Care Laws (as defined below) (collectively, Authorizations); (ii) possesses all Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and each SDC Party is not in violation in respect of any term of any such Authorizations; (iii) has not received notice that any Governmental Authority has taken or intends to take action to limit, suspend, materially modify or revoke any material Authorizations that has not been closed without material impact to the Companys business and has no knowledge that any such Governmental Authority is threatening such action, and, to the SDC Parties knowledge, no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other material impairment of the rights of the holder of any material Authorization; (iv) (a) has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Health Care Laws or Authorizations (Submissions), (b) all such Submissions were complete and correct on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission), and (c) the SDC Parties are not aware of any reasonable basis for any material liability with respect to such Submissions; (v) has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted, or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any material recall, market withdrawal or replacement, safety alert, post-sale warning, dear doctor letter, or other notice of action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any product or any alleged product defect or violation; and (vi) has not, and to the knowledge of the each SDC Party, each of its respective officers and employees and authorized agents have not, made any untrue statement of a material fact or fraudulent statement to any Governmental Authority or knowingly failed to disclose a material fact required to be disclosed to any Governmental Authority except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iv), where such violation or failure to file would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(x) Compliance with Healthcare Laws.
(i) | Each SDC Party, its subsidiaries and, to the Companys knowledge, each Managed Entity is currently in compliance with all Healthcare Laws, except where the failure to comply would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the SDC Parties nor their subsidiaries, or to the Companys knowledge any Managed Entity, have received any written, or, to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, oral notice from a Governmental Authority of any ongoing non-compliance or liability under any Healthcare Law. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, threatened Action by any Governmental Authority alleging that the corporate structure or contractual arrangements among the SDC Parties, their subsidiaries or to the Companys knowledge, Managed Entities, as applicable, are not in compliance in all material respects with applicable Healthcare Laws, including without limitation: (i) the organization or ownership of dental practices, the employment of, or contracting with, dentists and other dental professionals, and the provision of management or administrative services to the dental practices, (ii) the manner in which dentists may split or share fees generated from the provision of professional services, (iii) the unauthorized or unlicensed practice of dentistry and (iv) the enforcement of noncompetition covenants entered into by dentists and other healthcare professionals. Healthcare Laws means any foreign, federal, state or local law relating to the provision, administration, marketing or advertising of, and/or billing, coding, reimbursement or payment for, healthcare or healthcare-related products or services, including, but not limited to (A) any laws related to the development, clearance, approval, distribution, provision of tele-dentistry services; (B) any laws concerning the corporate practice of dentistry, the employment of, or contracting with, dentists and other dental professionals, and the ownership of dental practices or the provision of management or administrative services in connection with practice of dentistry and other dental professions; (C) fee-splitting laws; (D) licensure laws, including all licensure, scope of practice and supervision laws relating to the practice of dentistry or licensure, certification or registration of healthcare facilities, providers, personnel, services or equipment; (E) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.); and (vi) healthcare related fraud and abuse, false claims, self-referral and anti-kickback laws, including the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)), the Stark Law (42 U.S.C. § 1395nn), the civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq.), the criminal False Claims Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(a)), all criminal laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including but not limited to 18 U.S.C. Sections 286 and 287, and the health care fraud criminal provisions under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and its implementing regulations, as amended and supplemented by the Health Information Technology for Clinical Health Act of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and its implementing regulations (collectively, HIPAA) (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.), any applicable |
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state fraud and abuse prohibitions, including those that apply to all payors (governmental, commercial insurance and self-payors), exclusion laws (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7), the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act (Public Law 99-509), and Civil Monetary Penalties Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a), in each case, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder. |
(ii) | None of the SDC Parties, any of their subsidiaries or, to the Companys knowledge, any Managed Entity or any of their respective officers, directors, or employees or, to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, agents, is excluded, suspended or debarred from any federal health care program or Third-Party Payor. |
(iii) | None of the SDC Parties, any subsidiary or, to the Companys knowledge, any Managed Entity, is a party to or has any reporting obligations pursuant to any corporate integrity agreement, deferred prosecution agreement, monitoring agreement, settlement agreement, consent decree, order, or similar agreement with or imposed by any Governmental Authority. |
(iv) | Except as would not be material to the SDC Parties, their subsidiaries or Managed Entities, to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, each Provider employed by or contracted with the SDC Parties, any subsidiary or Managed Entity, is properly licensed for the professional services he or she provides on behalf of the applicable member of the SDC Parties, their subsidiaries or Managed Entities. Provider means any dentist or other licensed dental professional. |
(v) | Each of the SDC Parties, their subsidiaries and to the Companys knowledge, Managed Entities that participates in any third party payor program is qualified for participation in such third-party payor programs, whether private, commercial or governmental (Third-Party Payors) and is and has been, since January 1, 2017, as applicable, a party to valid participation agreements and holds all required provider numbers for payment by such Third-Party Payors. Since January 1, 2017, all reports, data, billings, and information required to be filed in connection with any Third-Party Payor program have been timely filed and were true and complete in all material respects at the time filed (or were corrected in or supplemented by a subsequent filing). Since January 1, 2017, each such entity has paid all known and undisputed refunds, overpayments, discounts and adjustments that are due with respect to any such report or billing, and there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, threatened, appeal, adjustment, challenge, recoupment, audit (including written notice of an intent to audit), inquiry or litigation by any Third-Party Payor with respect to any such report or billing, other than in the ordinary course of business or those matters alleging liabilities of less than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000). Since January 1, 2017, to the knowledge of the SDC parties, none of the SDC Parties nor any of their subsidiaries or Managed Entities has been audited or otherwise examined by any Third-Party Payor, other than in the ordinary course of business or audits or examinations that resulted in liabilities of less than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000). |
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(y) No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of any SDC Party or any of their subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, is contemplated or threatened in writing, and the SDC Parties are not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the SDC Parties nor any of their subsidiaries has received any notice of cancellation or termination with respect to any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party.
(z) (i) Each SDC Party and its subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with, and have not violated any, applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws (including common law), rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and other legally enforceable requirements relating to pollution or the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, Environmental Laws); (y) have received and are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under any Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (z) have not received written notice of any actual or potential liability or obligation under or relating to, or any actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to any SDC Party or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) except as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, (x) there is no proceeding that is pending, or that is threatened in writing, against any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceeding regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (y) none of the SDC Parties or any of their subsidiaries is aware of any facts or issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (z) the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries do not have notice of any outstanding issue or event that would require material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws.
(aa) (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), for which any SDC Party, or solely with respect to each such employee benefit plan subject to Title IV of ERISA or Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), any SDC Party or any member of its Controlled Group (defined as any entity, whether or not formed or incorporated, that is under common control with any SDC Party within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA or any entity that would be regarded as a single employer with the SDC Party under Section 414(b),(c),(m) or (o) of the Code, would have any
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liability (each, a Plan) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no Plan has failed (whether or not waived), and, as of the date hereof, the SDC Parties have no knowledge that any such event is reasonably expected to fail, to satisfy the minimum funding standards (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code) applicable to such Plan; (iv) no Plan is, or is reasonably expected to be, in at risk status (within the meaning of Section 303(i) of ERISA) and no Plan that is a multiemployer plan within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA is in endangered status or critical status (within the meaning of Sections 304 and 305 of ERISA) (v) the fair market value of the assets of each Plan equals or exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan); (vi) no reportable event (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations promulgated thereunder) has occurred and, as of the date hereof, the SDC Parties have no knowledge that any such event is reasonably expected to occur; (vii) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; (viii) none of the SDC Parties nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, nor, as of the date hereof, do the SDC Parties reasonably expect any such party to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a multiemployer plan within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (ix) none of the following events has occurred and, as of the date hereof, the SC Parties have no knowledge that any of the following events is reasonably likely to occur: (A) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the SDC Parties or their Controlled Group affiliates in the current fiscal year of the SDC Parties and their Controlled Group affiliates compared to the amount of such contributions made in the SDC Parties and their Controlled Group affiliates most recently completed fiscal year; or (B) a material increase in the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations (within the meaning of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715-60) compared to the amount of such obligations in the SDC Parties and their subsidiaries most recently completed fiscal year, except in each case with respect to the events or conditions set forth in (i) through (ix) hereof, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(bb) Each SDC Party and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to the Company and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commissions rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to applicable SDC Partys management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
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(cc) Each SDC Party and its subsidiaries taken as a whole maintain systems of internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to the Company 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. Each SDC Party and its subsidiaries taken as a whole maintain internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements 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 managements general or specific authorization; (iv) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines applicable thereto; and (v) 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 Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the SDC Parties internal controls over financial reporting (it being understood that this subsection shall not require the Company to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act) as of an earlier date than it would otherwise be required to so comply under applicable law). The Companys auditors have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of the SDC Parties internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Companys ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the SDC Parties internal controls over financial reporting.
(dd) The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(ee) Each SDC Party and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are adequate to protect each SDC Party and its subsidiaries and their businesses; and none of the SDC Parties nor any of their subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(ff) (i) Each SDC Party and its subsidiaries information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, IT Systems) operate and perform their core functionality as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be material to each SDC Party and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (ii) to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, free and clear of all bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be material to each SDC Party and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (iii) the SDC Parties and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained controls, procedures, and safeguards that are commercially reasonable for their industry in an effort to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and all personal, personally identifiable, regulated (including Protected Health Information under HIPAA) or confidential data collected or processed by the Company or its subsidiaries in connection with their businesses (Personal Data) and (iv) except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, and except as otherwise would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, to the Companys knowledge, there have been no breaches or unauthorized uses of or accesses to such IT Systems or Personal Data. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes, payment card industry data security standards, judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, and all the Companys and its subsidiaries applicable internal and customer-facing policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification. No SDC Party or any of their subsidiaries is under investigation by any Governmental Authority or has received any oral, written or other claim, complaint, inquiry, or notice from any third party or any Governmental Authority related to whether the Companys collection, processing, use, storage, security and/or disclosure of Personal Data is in violation of any applicable laws or privacy policies, or otherwise constitutes an unfair, deceptive or misleading trade practice in each case, that would be expected to have a material impact on any SDC Party.
(gg) None of the SDC Parties nor any of their subsidiaries, any director, officer, nor, to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, any employee of the SDC Parties any of their subsidiaries or any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the SDC Parties or any of their subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in
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International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. Each SDC Party and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
(hh) The operations of each SDC Party and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the Anti-Money Laundering Laws), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, threatened.
(ii) None of the SDC Parties nor any of their subsidiaries, directors, officers nor to the knowledge of the SDC Parties, employees, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the SDC Parties or any of their subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (OFAC) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a specially designated national or blocked person), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the European Union, His Majestys Treasury (HMT) or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, Sanctions), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic, and the so-called Luhansk Peoples Republic (each, a Sanctioned Country); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as initial purchaser, underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the SDC Parties and their respective subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
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(jj) Other than SDC U.S. SmilePay SPV pursuant to the 2022 HPS Facility, no subsidiary of any SDC Party is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to any SDC Party, from making any other distribution on such subsidiarys capital stock or similar ownership interest, from repaying to any SDC Party or its subsidiaries any loans or advances to such subsidiary from such SDC Party or its subsidiaries or from transferring any of such subsidiarys properties or assets to the SDC Parties or its subsidiaries.
(kk) None of the SDC Parties nor any of their respective subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any SDC Party or any of its subsidiaries or any the Agent for a brokerage commission, finders fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(ll) No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the offering, issuance or sale of the Shares.
(mm) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(nn) Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
(oo) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Companys directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any applicable provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(pp) No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(qq) Nothing has come to the attention of any SDC Party that has caused such SDC Party to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(rr) All of the Shares that have been or may be sold under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement have been approved for listing, subject only to official notice of issuance, on the Exchange.
(ss) The Common Stock is an actively-traded security excepted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act by Rule 101(c)(1) thereunder.
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(tt) The statements in the Prospectus under the caption Description of Capital Stock insofar as such statements constitute summaries of (x) terms and provisions of the documents or (y) matters of law referred to therein, subject to the limitations and qualifications therein, are accurate in all material respects.
4. Certain Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby agrees with the Agent:
(a) For so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with the offering or sale of Shares, before using or filing any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and before using or filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (in each case, other than due to the filing of an Incorporated Document), to furnish to the Agent a copy of each such proposed Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement within a reasonable period of time before filing with the Commission or using any such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement and the Company will not use or file any such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Agent reasonably objects, unless the Companys legal counsel has advised the Company that use or filing of such document is required by law; and the Company will not use or file any such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or proposed, amendment or supplement to which the Agent reasonably objects unless the Companys legal counsel has advised the Company that use or filing of such document is required by law.
(b) To file the Prospectus, each Prospectus Supplement and any other amendments or supplements to the Prospectus pursuant to, and within the time period required by, Rule 424(b) under the Act (without reference to Rule 424(b)(8)) and to file any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Act and to provide copies of the Prospectus, each Prospectus Supplement, any other amendments or supplements to the Prospectus and each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered or filed on the Commissions Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor system thereto (collectively, EDGAR)) to the Agent via e-mail in .pdf format on such filing date to an e-mail account designated by the Agent and, at the Agents request, to also furnish copies of the Prospectus, each Prospectus Supplement, any other amendments or supplements to the Prospectus and each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus to each exchange or market on which sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of such exchange or market.
(c) To file timely all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares, and during such same period to advise the Agent, promptly after the Company receives notice thereof, (i) of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or has become effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed with the Commission; (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or any order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus relating to the Shares or the initiation or
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threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, pursuant to Section 8A of the Act; (iii) of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; (iv) of any request by the Commission for the amendment of the Registration Statement or the amendment or supplementation of the Prospectus (in each case including any documents incorporated by reference therein) or for additional information; (v) of the occurrence of any event as a result of which the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus or any such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vi) of the receipt by the Company of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto.
(d) In the event of the issuance of any such stop order or of any such order preventing or suspending the use of any such prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to use promptly its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain its withdrawal.
(e) To furnish such information as may be required and otherwise cooperate in qualifying the Shares for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such states or other jurisdictions as the Agent may reasonably designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation, become a dealer of securities, or become subject to taxation in, or to consent to the service of process under the laws of, any such state or other jurisdictions (except service of process with respect to the offering and sale of the Shares); and to promptly advise the Agent of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation of any proceeding for such purpose.
(f) To make available to the Agent at its offices in New York City, without charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective, and thereafter from time to time to furnish to the Agent, as many copies of the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement (or of the Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have made any amendments or supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein after the effective date of the Registration Statement) and each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as the Agent may reasonably request for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule); and for so long as this Agreement is in effect, the Company will prepare and file promptly such amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as may be necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Act.
(g) To furnish or make available to the Agent during the Term (i) copies of any reports or other communications which the Company shall send to its shareholders or shall from time to time publish or publicly disseminate and (ii) copies of all annual, quarterly and current reports filed with the Commission on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, or such other similar form as may be designated by the Commission, and to furnish to the Agent from time to time during the
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Term such other information as the Agent may reasonably request regarding the Company or its subsidiaries, in each case as soon as such reports, communications, documents or information becomes available or promptly upon the request of the Agent, as applicable; provided, however, that the Company shall have no obligation to provide the Agent with any document filed on EDGAR or included on the Companys Internet website.
(h) If, at any time during the Term, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Agent or counsel for the Company, to further amend or supplement the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented in order that the Prospectus or any such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, in light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus or any such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of either such counsel, to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Act, in the case of such a determination by counsel to the Company, immediate notice shall be given, and confirmed in writing, to the Agent to cease the solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in the Agents capacity as agent, and, in either case, the Company will, subject to Section 4(a) above, promptly prepare and file with the Commission such amendment or supplement, whether by filing documents pursuant to the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, as may be necessary to correct such untrue statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus comply with such requirements.
(i) To generally make available to its security holders as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than 16 months after the first day of each fiscal quarter referred to below, an earnings statement (in form complying with the provisions of Section 11(a) under the Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder) covering each twelve-month period beginning, in each case, not later than the first day of the Companys fiscal quarter next following each effective date (as defined in such Rule 158) of the Registration Statement with respect to each sale of Shares.
(j) To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner described in the Prospectus Supplement under the caption Use of Proceeds.
(k) Not to, and to cause its subsidiaries not to, take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares; provided that nothing herein shall prevent the Company from filing or submitting reports under the Exchange Act or issuing press releases in the ordinary course of business.
(l) Except as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Agent, to pay all costs, expenses, fees and taxes in connection with (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, and the printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Agent and to
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dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the registration, issue and delivery of the Shares, (iii) the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such states or other jurisdictions as the Agent may reasonably designate as aforesaid (including filing fees and the reasonable legal fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agent in connection therewith) and the printing and furnishing of copies of any blue sky surveys to the Agent, (iv) the listing of the Shares on the Exchange and any registration thereof under the Exchange Act, (v) any filing for review, and any review, of the public offering of the Shares by FINRA (including filing fees and the reasonable legal fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agent in connection therewith), (vi) the fees and disbursements of counsel to the Company and of the Companys independent registered public accounting firm, (vii) the performance of the Companys other obligations hereunder and under any Terms Agreement and (viii) the documented out-of-pocket expenses of the Agent, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agent in connection with this Agreement up to $100,000 (which amount shall include all fees and disbursements of such counsel described in clauses (iii) and (v) above) and ongoing services in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder up to $15,000 per calendar quarter.
(m) With respect to the offering(s) contemplated by this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, the Company will not offer shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of the Common Stock in a manner in violation of the Act or the Exchange Act; and the Company will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, other than the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto.
(n) Unless the Company has given written notice to the Agent that the Company has suspended activity under this Agreement and there are no pending Agency Transactions or Principal Transactions, the Company will not, without (A) giving the Agent at least three Exchange Business Days prior written notice specifying the nature of the proposed sale and the date of such proposed sale and (B) the Agent suspending activity under this program for such period of time as requested by the Company or deemed appropriate by the Agent in light of the proposed sale, (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 Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable, redeemable or exchangeable for Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company, or submit to, or file with, the Commission any registration statement under the Act with respect to any of the foregoing (other than a registration statement on Form S-8 or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement), or publicly announce the intention to undertake any of the foregoing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) Shares offered and sold under this Agreement or any Terms Agreement or (B) securities issued pursuant to any of the Companys equity incentive plans described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or upon the exercise of options granted thereunder. Any lock-up provisions relating to a Principal Transaction shall be set forth in the applicable Terms Agreement.
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(o) The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Act.
(p) The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shares to be listed on the Exchange.
(q) The Company consents to the Agent trading in the Common Stock for the Agents own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement or any Terms Agreement.
5. Execution of Agreement. The Agents obligations under this Agreement shall be subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions in connection with and on the date of the execution of this Agreement:
(a) the Company shall have delivered to the Agent:
(i) | an officers certificate signed by two officers of the Company (one of whom shall be the Chief Financial Officer or other senior financial officer) certifying as to the matters set forth in Exhibit B hereto; |
(ii) | an opinion and, if not covered in such opinion, a negative assurance letter of Foley & Lardner LLP, counsel for the Company, addressed to the Agent and dated the date of this Agreement, addressing such matters as the Agent may reasonably request; |
(iii) | a comfort letter from Ernst & Young LLP, addressed to the Agent and dated the date of this Agreement, addressing such matters as the Agent may reasonably request; |
(iv) | a certificate signed by the Companys Chief Financial Officer, in the form of Exhibit C hereto, certifying as to certain financial, numerical and statistical data not covered by the comfort letter referred to in Section 5(a)(iii) hereof; |
(v) | evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel that the Shares have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to notice of issuance on or before the date hereof; |
(vi) | resolutions duly adopted by the Companys board of directors, and certified by an officer of the Company, authorizing the Companys execution of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the issuance and sale of the Shares; and |
(vii) | such other documents as the Agent shall reasonably request; and |
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(b) The Agent shall have received a letter or letters, which shall include legal opinions and negative assurance statements, of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel to the Agent, addressed to the Agent and dated the date of this Agreement, addressing such matters as the Agent may reasonably request.
6. Additional Covenants of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the Agent as follows:
(a) Each Transaction Proposal made by the Company that is accepted by the Agent by means of a Transaction Acceptance and each execution and delivery by the Company of a Terms Agreement shall be deemed to be (i) an affirmation that the representations, warranties and agreements of the SDC Parties herein contained and contained in any certificate delivered to the Agent pursuant hereto are true and correct at such Time of Acceptance or the date of such Terms Agreement, as the case may be, and (ii) an undertaking that such representations, warranties and agreements will be true and correct on any applicable Time of Sale and Settlement Date, as though made at and as of each such time (it being understood that such representations, warranties and agreements shall relate to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of such Transaction Acceptance or Terms Agreement, as the case may be).
(b) Each time that (i) the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (including, except as noted in the proviso at the end of this Section 6(b), by the filing of any Incorporated Document), (ii) there is a Principal Settlement Date pursuant to a Terms Agreement, or (iii) the Agent shall reasonably request (each date referred to clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) above, a Bring-Down Delivery Date), the Company shall, unless the Agent agrees otherwise, furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agent certificates, dated as of such Bring-Down Delivery Date and delivered within one Exchange Business Day after the applicable Bring-Down Delivery Date or, in the case of a Bring-Down Delivery Date resulting from a Principal Settlement Date, delivered on such Principal Settlement Date, of the same tenor as the certificates referred to in Sections 5(a)(i) and 5(a)(iv) hereof, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such certificates and, in the case of the Chief Financial Officers certificate, covering such other financial, numerical and statistical data that is not covered by the accountants comfort letter dated as of such Bring-Down Delivery Date as the Agent may reasonably request, or, in lieu of such certificates, certificates to the effect that the statements contained in the certificates referred to in Sections 5(a)(i) and, unless the Agent shall have requested that the Chief Financial Officers certificate cover different or additional data as aforesaid, 5(a)(iv) hereof furnished to Agent are true and correct as of such Bring-Down Delivery Date as though made at and as of such date (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such certificate); provided, however, that the filing of a Current Report on Form 8-K will not constitute a Bring-Down Delivery Date under clause (i) above unless either (A) (x) such Current Report on Form 8-K is filed at any time during which either a Transaction Acceptance is binding and the Company has not suspended the use thereof (and prior to the
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settlement of the Shares specified therein) or a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered under the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) or such Current Report on Form 8-K is filed at any time from and including the date of a Terms Agreement through and including the related Settlement Date and (y) the Agent has reasonably requested that such date be deemed to be a Bring-Down Delivery Date based upon the event or events reported in such Current Report on Form 8-K or (B) such Current Report on Form 8-K contains capsule financial information, historical or pro forma financial statements, supporting schedules or other financial data, including any Current Report on Form 8-K or part thereof under Item 2.02 of Regulation S-K of the Commission that is considered filed under the Exchange Act; and provided, further, that an amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the offering of other securities pursuant to the Registration Statement will not constitute a Bring-Down Delivery Date.
(c) Each Bring-Down Delivery Date, the Agent, unless it agrees otherwise, shall have received (A) the written opinion and, if not included in such opinion, negative assurance letter of Foley & Lardner LLP, counsel to the Company and (B) the written opinion and, if not included in such opinion, negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel to the Agents, each dated as of the applicable Bring-Down Delivery Date and delivered within one Exchange Business Day after the applicable Bring-Down Delivery Date or, in the case of a Bring-Down Delivery Date resulting from a Principal Settlement Date, dated and delivered on such Principal Settlement Date, of the same tenor as the opinions and letters referred to in Section 5(a)(ii) or Section 5(b) hereof, as applicable, but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinions and letters, or, in lieu of such opinions and letters, each such counsel shall furnish the Agent with a letter substantially to the effect that the Agent may rely on the opinion and letter of such counsel referred to in Section 5(a)(ii) or Section 5(b), as applicable, furnished to the Agent, to the same extent as though they were dated the date of such letter authorizing reliance (except that statements in such last opinion and letter of such counsel shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such letters authorizing reliance).
(d) Each Bring-Down Delivery Date, the Agent shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a comfort letter, dated as of the applicable Bring-Down Delivery Date and delivered within one Exchange Business Day after the applicable Bring-Down Delivery Date or, in the case of a Bring-Down Delivery Date resulting from a Principal Settlement Date, delivered on such Principal Settlement Date, of the same tenor as the letter referred to in Section 5(a)(iii) hereof, but modified to relate to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter, and, if the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall include or incorporate by reference the financial statements of any entity or business (other than the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries), the Company shall, if requested by the Agent, cause a firm of independent public accountants to furnish to the Agent a comfort letter, dated as of the applicable Bring-Down Delivery Date and delivered within one Exchange Business Day after the applicable Bring-Down Delivery Date or, in the case of a Bring-Down Delivery Date resulting from a Principal Settlement Date, delivered on such Principal Settlement Date, addressing such matters as the Agent may reasonably request.
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(e) The requirement to provide the certificates, legal opinions and comfort letter under Sections 6(b) through (d) shall be waived for any Bring-Down Delivery Date occurring at a time when no Transaction Acceptance or Terms Agreement is pending or a suspension is in effect, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers instructions for the sale of Shares hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Bring-Down Delivery Date) and the next occurring Bring-Down Delivery Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Bring-Down Delivery Date when a suspension was in effect and did not provide the Agent with the certificates, legal opinions and comfort letter under Sections 6(b) through (d) then before the Company delivers the instructions for the sale of Shares or the Agent sells any Shares pursuant to such instructions, the Company shall provide the Agent with such certificates, legal opinions and comfort letter in conformity with Sections 6(b) through (d), dated as of the date that the instructions for the sale of Shares are issued.
(f) (i) No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Act (in the case of a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Act); and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the Agent and no suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, shall have occurred and be in effect at the time the Company delivers a Transaction Proposal to the Agent or the time the Agent delivers a Transaction Acceptance to the Company; and (ii) the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall not contain an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading at the time the Company delivers a Transaction Proposal to the Agent or the time the Agent delivers a Transaction Acceptance to the Company.
(g) The Company shall reasonably cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review requested by the Agent or its counsel from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or any Terms Agreement, including, without limitation, (i) at the commencement of each intended Purchase Date and any Time of Sale or Settlement Date, providing information and making available appropriate documents and appropriate corporate officers of the Company and, upon reasonable request, representatives of Ernst & Young LLP (and, if the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free-Writing Prospectus shall include or incorporate by reference the financial statements of any entity or business (other than the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries), representatives of the independent public accountants that audited or reviewed such financial statements) for an update on diligence matters with representatives of the Agent and (ii) at each Bring-Down Delivery Date and otherwise as the Agent may reasonably request, providing information and making available documents and appropriate corporate officers of the Company and
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representatives of Ernst & Young LLP (and, if the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free-Writing Prospectus shall include or incorporate by reference the financial statements of any entity or business (other than the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries), representatives of the independent public accountants that audited or reviewed such financial statements) for one or more due diligence sessions with representatives of the Agent and its counsel.
(h) The Company shall disclose, in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in its annual report on Form 10-K and, if requested by the Agent, in supplements to the Prospectus to be filed by the Company with the Commission from time to time, the number of the Shares sold through the Agent under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement, and the gross and net proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Shares and the compensation paid by the Company with respect to sales of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement during the relevant quarter or, in the case of any such prospectus supplement, such shorter period as the Agent may reasonably request or, in the case of an Annual Report on Form 10-K, during the fiscal year covered by such Annual Report and the fourth quarter of such fiscal year.
All opinions, letters and other documents referred to in Sections 6(b) through (d) above shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Agent. The Agent will provide the Company with such notice (which may be oral, and in such case, will be confirmed via e-mail as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter) as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances when requesting an opinion, letter or other document referred to in Sections 6(b) through (d) above.
7. Conditions of the Agents Obligation. The Agents obligation to solicit purchases on an agency basis for the Shares or otherwise take any action pursuant to a Transaction Acceptance and to purchase the Shares pursuant to any Terms Agreement shall be subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:
(a) At the Time of Acceptance, at the time of the commencement of trading on the Exchange on the Purchase Date(s) and at the relevant Time of Sale and Agency Settlement Date, or with respect to a Principal Transaction pursuant to a Terms Agreement, at the time of execution and delivery of the Terms Agreement by the Company and at the relevant Time of Sale and Principal Settlement Date:
(i) | The representations, warranties and agreements on the part of the SDC Parties herein contained or contained in any certificate of an officer or officers, general partner, managing member or other authorized representative of the SDC Parties or any of their subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof shall be true and correct in all respects. |
(ii) | The Company shall have performed and observed its covenants and other obligations hereunder and/or under any Terms Agreement, as the case may be, in all material respects. |
(iii) | In the case of an Agency Transaction, from the Time of Acceptance until the Agency Settlement Date, or, in the case of a Principal Transaction pursuant to a Terms Agreement, from the time of execution and delivery of the Terms Agreement by the Company until the Principal Settlement Date, trading in the Common Stock on the Exchange shall not have been suspended. |
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(iv) | From the date of this Agreement, no event or condition of a type described in Section 3(e) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) or the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Agent makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the applicable Settlement Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, any Terms Agreement, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus. |
(v) | Subsequent to the relevant Time of Acceptance or, in the case of a Principal Transaction, subsequent to execution of the applicable Terms Agreement, (A) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any debt securities or preferred equity securities of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act and (B) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any debt securities or preferred equity securities of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading) in each case that has not been described in any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus issued prior to any related Time of Sale. |
(vi) | The Shares to be issued pursuant to the Transaction Acceptance or pursuant to a Terms Agreement, as applicable, shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to notice of issuance. |
(vii) | (A) No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the relevant Settlement Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares and (B) no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the relevant Settlement Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares. |
(viii) | (A) No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; (B) the Prospectus and each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall have |
32
been timely filed with the Commission under the Act (in the case of any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Act); (C) all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the Agent; and (D) no suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, and no initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, shall have occurred and be in effect. The Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall not contain an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading at the time the Agent delivers a Transaction Acceptance to the Company or the Company and the Agent execute a Terms Agreement, as the case may be. |
(ix) | No amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall have been filed to which the Agent shall have reasonably objected in writing. |
(b) Within one Exchange Business Day after the applicable Bring-Down Delivery Date or, in the case of a Bring-Down Delivery Date resulting from a Principal Settlement Date, on such Principal Settlement Date, the Agent shall have received the officers certificates, opinions and negative assurance letters of counsel and comfort letters and other documents provided for under Sections 6(b) through (d), inclusive. For purposes of clarity and without limitation to any other provision of this Section 7 or elsewhere in this Agreement, the parties hereto agree that the Agents obligations, if any, to solicit purchases of Shares on an agency basis or otherwise take any action pursuant to a Transaction Acceptance shall, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Agent, be suspended during the period from and including a Bring-Down Delivery Date through and including the time that the Agent shall have received the documents described in the preceding sentence.
8. Termination.
(a) | (i) The Company may terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time upon prior written notice to the Agent. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party, except that (A) with respect to any pending sale, the obligations of the Company, including in respect of compensation of the Agent, shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination; and (B) the provisions of Sections 3, 4 (except that if no Shares have been previously sold hereunder or under any Terms Agreement, only Section 4(l)), 9, 13, 14 and 16 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. In the event of termination, expenses payable under Section 4(l) shall be limited to accountable expenses actually incurred by the Agent. |
(ii) In the case of any sale by the Company pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the obligations of the Company pursuant to such Terms Agreement and this Agreement may not be terminated by the Company without the prior written consent of the Agent. |
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(b) | (i) The Agent may terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time upon giving prior written notice to the Company. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party, except that the provisions of Sections 3, 4 (except that if no Shares have been previously sold hereunder or under any Terms Agreement, only Section 4(l)), 9, 13, 14 and 16 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. In the event of termination, expenses payable under Section 4(l) shall be limited to accountable expenses actually incurred by the Agent. |
(ii) In the case of any purchase by the Agent pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the obligations of the Agent pursuant to such Terms Agreement shall be subject to termination by the Agent at any time prior to or at the Principal Settlement Date if (A) since the time of execution of the Terms Agreement or the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Stock Market, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the counter market, (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York state authorities, (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, solely in the case of events and conditions described in this clause (iv), in the Agents judgment, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus or such Terms Agreement. If the Agent elects to terminate its obligations pursuant to this Section 8(b)(ii), the Company shall be notified promptly in writing. |
(c) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until the earliest of (A) termination of the Agreement pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b) above or otherwise by mutual written agreement of the parties, (B) such date that the Maximum Amount of Shares has been sold in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and any Terms Agreements and (C) the third anniversary of the date of this Agreement, in each case except that the provisions of Section 3, 4 (except that if no Shares have been previously sold hereunder or under any Terms Agreement, only Section 4(l)), 9, 13, 14 and 16 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(d) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Agent or the Company, as the case may be, or such later date as may be required pursuant to Section 8(a) or (b). If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Shares, such sale shall settle in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 hereof.
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9. Indemnity and Contribution.
(a) Each SDC Party agrees, jointly and severally to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Agent, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, the Agent or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any Prospectus (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 12 being deemed to include any Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to the foregoing), in any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, in any issuer information (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act) of the Company, which issuer information is filed or required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Act (a road show), or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission 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, except, with respect to such Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning the Agent furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Agent through you to the Company expressly for use in, such Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in such Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in connection with such information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in such information, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and will reimburse each indemnified party (defined below) for any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, damage, expense, liability, claim, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such indemnified party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to the above as such fees and expenses are incurred.
(b) The Agent agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each SDC Party, the directors of the Company, the, officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, any SDC Party or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning the Agent furnished in
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writing by or on behalf of the Agent through you to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company), or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in such Registration Statement in connection with such information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which material fact was required to be stated in such Registration Statement or was necessary to make such information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning the Agent furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Agent through you to the Company expressly for use in, a Prospectus or a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in such Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in connection with such information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in such information, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) If any action, suit or proceeding (each, a Proceeding) is brought against a person (an indemnified party) in respect of which indemnity may be sought against an SDC Party or the Agent (as applicable, the indemnifying party) pursuant to subsection ((a) or (b), respectively, of this Section 9, such indemnified party shall promptly notify such indemnifying party in writing of the institution of such Proceeding and such indemnifying party shall assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the retention of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, and pay all legal or other fees and expenses related to such Proceeding or incurred in connection with such indemnified partys enforcement of subsection (a) or (b), respectively, of this Section 9; provided, however, that the omission to so notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability that such indemnifying party may have to any indemnified party or otherwise. The indemnified party or parties shall have the right to retain its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party or parties unless (i) the retention of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party in connection with the defense of such Proceeding, (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, retained counsel to defend such Proceeding or (iii) such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them that are different from, additional to or in conflict with those available to such indemnifying party (in which case such indemnifying party shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by such indemnifying party and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that such indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees or expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent but, if settled with its written consent, such indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified party or parties from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of this Section 9(c), then the indemnifying party agrees that
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it shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 business days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have fully reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at least 30 days prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to an indemnified party under subsections (a) or (b) of this Section 9 or insufficient to hold an indemnified party harmless in respect of any losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the SDC Parties on the one hand and the Agent on the other hand from the offering of the Shares 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 SDC Parties on the one hand and of the Agent on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the SDC Parties on the one hand and the Agent on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and any Terms Agreements and the total discounts and commissions received by the Agent in connection therewith bear to the aggregate Gross Sales Price of such Shares. The relative fault of the SDC Parties on the one hand and of the Agent on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by an SDC Party or by the Agent and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, damages, expenses, liabilities and claims referred to in this subsection shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any Proceeding.
(e) Each SDC Party and the Agent agrees that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in subsection (d) above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, the Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total discounts and commissions received by the Agent with respect to the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and any Terms Agreements exceeds the amount of any damages that the Agent has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
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(f) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 9 and the covenants, warranties and representations of the SDC Parties contained in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agent, its partners, agents, directors, officers or members or any person (including each partner, officer, director or member of such person) who controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or by or on behalf of each SDC Party, the directors of the Company, the, officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and shall survive any termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Shares to be sold by the Company pursuant to this Agreement and any Terms Agreements. Each SDC Party and the Agent agree promptly to notify each other of the commencement of any Proceeding against it and, in the case of any SDC Party, against any of the Companys officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares, or in connection with the Registration Statement, any Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.
10. Notices. All notices and other communications under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of communication, and, if to the Agent, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to: UBS Securities LLC, 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Equity Syndicate, and, if to the Company, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to it at: SmileDirectClub, Inc., 414 Union St, 8th Floor, Nashville, TN 37219, ( ***@***); Attention: Susan Greenspon Rammelt, Chief Legal Officer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Transaction Proposals shall be delivered by the Company to the Agent by telephone or email to Jesse ONeill (telephone: (203) 719-8931; email: ***@***) or Charles Heaney (telephone: (201) 352-6964; email: ***@***); and Transaction Acceptances shall be delivered by the Agent to the Company by email to ***@*** and ***@***.
11. No Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Agent is acting solely in the capacity of an arms length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby and any Terms Agreements (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person. Additionally, the Agent is not advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Agent shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by the Agent of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Agent and shall not be on behalf of the Company.
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12. Adjustments for Stock Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all share related numbers contained in this Agreement, any Transaction Proposal and any Transaction Acceptance shall be adjusted to take into account any stock split effected with respect to the Shares.
13. Miscellaneous.
(a) Governing Law. This Agreement, any Terms Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or relating to this Agreement or any Terms Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
(b) Submission to Jurisdiction. Each of the SDC Parties hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. federal and New York state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Each of the SDC Parties waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit or proceeding in such courts. Each of the SDC Parties agrees that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the SDC Parties, as applicable, and may be enforced in any court to the jurisdiction of which each of the SDC Parties, as applicable, is subject by a suit upon such judgment.
(c) Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement and any Terms Agreement.
14. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and thereto, respectively, and their respective successors and the officers, directors, affiliates and controlling persons referred to in Section 9 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement or any Terms Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any such Terms Agreement or any provision contained herein or therein. No purchaser of Shares from or through the Agent shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of purchase.
15. Counterparts. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
16. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Agent contained in this Agreement or any Terms Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Agent pursuant to this Agreement or any Terms Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto or thereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any Terms Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Agent.
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17. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, except where otherwise expressly provided, the term affiliate has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under Act; the term business day means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; and the term subsidiary has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Act.
18. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a) In the event that the Agent is a Covered Entity and becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from the Agent of this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that the Agent that is a Covered Entity and becomes, or a BHC Act Affiliate of the Agent becomes, subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement or any Terms Agreement that may be exercised against the Agent are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement or any Terms Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
As used in this Section 18:
BHC Act Affiliate has the meaning assigned to the term affiliate in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).
Covered Entity means any of the following:
(i) a covered entity as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii) a covered bank as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii) a covered FSI as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
Default Right has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
U.S. Special Resolution Regime means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
19. Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Agent is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies its clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of its clients, as well as other information that will allow the Agent to properly identify its clients.
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20. Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto or thereto as the case may be.
21. Headings. The headings herein and in any Terms Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement or any Terms Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and the Agent, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement among the Company and the Agent.
Very truly yours, | ||
SmileDirectClub, Inc. | ||
By: | /s/ David Katzman | |
Name: | David Katzman | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
SDC Financial LLC | ||
By: | /s/ David Katzman | |
Name: | David Katzman | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
Accepted and agreed to as of the
date first above written:
UBS Securities LLC
By: | /s/ Jesse ONeill | |
Name: | Jesse ONeill | |
Title: | Executive Director | |
By: | /s/ Robin Tang | |
Name: | Robin Tang | |
Title: | Executive Director |
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Schedule A
Authorized Company Representatives
1. Troy Crawford
2. Jesse Weaver
Exhibit A
SmileDirectClub, Inc. Common Stock
TERMS AGREEMENT
_____________, 20__
UBS Securities LLC
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10019
Ladies and Gentlemen:
SmileDirectClub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the Distribution Agreement, dated November 7, 2022 (the Distribution Agreement), among the Company, SDC Financial LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and UBS Securities LLC (the Agent), to issue and sell to the Agent the securities specified in the Schedule hereto (the Purchased Securities). Unless otherwise defined below, terms defined in the Distribution Agreement shall have the same meanings when used herein.
Each of the provisions of the Distribution Agreement not specifically related to the solicitation by the Agent, as agent of the Company, of offers to purchase securities is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be part of this Terms Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Each of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth therein shall be deemed to have been made as of the date of this Terms Agreement and the Settlement Date set forth in the Schedule hereto.
An amendment to the Registration Statement or a supplement to the Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Purchased Securities, in the form heretofore delivered to the Agent, is now proposed to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Distribution Agreement which are incorporated herein by reference, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Agent, and the latter agrees to purchase from the Company, the Purchased Securities at the time and place and at the purchase price set forth in the Schedule hereto.
Notwithstanding any provision of the Distribution Agreement or this Terms Agreement to the contrary, the Company consents to the Agent trading in the Common Stock for Agents own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of the Purchased Securities occur pursuant to this Terms Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us a counterpart hereof, whereupon this Terms Agreement, including those provisions of the Distribution Agreement incorporated herein by reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between the Agent and the Company.
SmileDirectClub, Inc. | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
SDC Financial LLC | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
Accepted and agreed as of the date first above written: | ||
UBS Securities LLC | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
A-2
Schedule to Terms Agreement
Title of Purchased Securities:
Common Stock, par value $ per share
Number of Shares of Purchased Securities:
[ ⚫ ] shares
Initial Price to Public:
$[ ⚫ ] per share
Purchase Price Payable by the Agent:
$[ ⚫ ] per share
Method of and Specified Funds for Payment of Purchase Price:
[By wire transfer to a bank account specified by the Company in same day funds.]
Method of Delivery:
[To the Agents account, or the account of the Agents designee, at The Depository Trust Company via DWAC in return for payment of the purchase price.]
Settlement Date:
[ ⚫ ], 20__
Closing Location:
[ ⚫ ]
Documents to be Delivered:
The following documents referred to in the Distribution Agreement shall be delivered on the Settlement Date as a condition to the closing for the Purchased Securities (which documents shall be dated on or as of the Settlement Date and shall be appropriately updated to cover any Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses and any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses and any documents incorporated by reference therein):
(1) the officers certificate referred to in Section 5(a)(i);
(2) the opinions and negative assurance letters of the Companys outside counsel referred to in Section 5(a)(ii);
(3) the comfort letter referred to in Section 5(a)(iii);
(4) the Chief Financial Officers certificate referred to in Section 5(a)(iv);
(5) the opinion and negative assurance letter referred to in Section 5(b); and
(6) such other documents as the Agent shall reasonably request.
[Lockup:]
[ ⚫ ]
A-3
Time of sale: [ ⚫ ] [a.m./p.m.] (New York City time) on [ ⚫ ], [ ⚫ ]
Time of sale information:
| The number of shares of Purchased Securities set forth above |
| The initial price to public set forth above |
| [Other] |
A-4
Exhibit B
OFFICERS CERTIFICATE
November 7, 2022
Reference is made to the Distribution Agreement, dated November 7, 2022 (the Distribution Agreement), among SmileDirectClub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), SDC Financial LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and UBS Securities LLC, as sales agent. Pursuant to Section 5(a)(i) thereto, the undersigned in their respective capacities as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, do each hereby certify, in their capacity as officers of the Company (and not in their respective personal capacities), that they have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, and to their knowledge:
1. The representations and warranties of the Company in the Agreement are true and correct on and as of the date hereof as though made on and as of this date;
2. The Company has performed all obligations and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied pursuant to the Agreement on or prior to the date hereof;
3. The Companys Registration Statement (File No. 333-267370) and any post-effective amendments thereto have become effective under the Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the undersigned, threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission have been complied with; and
4. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of stock options issued under, and the grant of options and awards under, equity incentive plans described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the issuance of Shares pursuant to the Agreement) or short-term debt or long-term debt (except for borrowings and the repayment of borrowings in the ordinary course of business) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock (other than regularly scheduled cash dividends in amounts that are consistent with past practice), or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority.
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Each of Foley & Lardner LLP and Latham & Watkins LLP is entitled to rely on this certificate in connection with the respective opinions to be rendered by such firms pursuant to Sections 5(a)(ii) and 5(b), respectively, of the Distribution Agreement.
All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Distribution Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this certificate as of the date first above written.
/s/ David Katzman | ||
Name: | David Katzman | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
/s/ Troy Crawford | ||
Name: | Troy Crawford | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
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Exhibit C
CERTIFICATE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
November 7, 2022
The undersigned, Troy Crawford, Chief Financial Officer of SmileDirectClub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), does hereby certify, pursuant to the Distribution Agreement dated November 7, 2022 (the Distribution Agreement) between the Company and UBS Securities LLC, that:
1. | I am the duly elected, qualified and acting Chief Financial Officer of the Company. |
2. | I am familiar with the accounting, operations and records systems of the Company and its subsidiaries. I have read and am familiar with the disclosures contained in the Documents (as defined below). |
3. | I have reviewed and am familiar with the data included as Exhibit A hereto (the Covered Information), which was included in the Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents (collectively, the Documents). |
4. | This will confirm that: (a) the Covered Information has been derived from the accounting and other records of the Company and its subsidiaries and has been prepared, to the extent applicable, in compliance with the requirements of Act and the Exchange Act and in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved, and that all such data is accurate and fairly presented in all material respects; (b) any statistical or market-related data that is included in the Covered Information is based on or has been derived from information set forth in or provided by from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects and accurately reflects all such information; and (c) nothing has come to my attention that has caused me to believe that any of the Covered Information is not correct, complete and accurate in all material respects. |
This certificate is being furnished to UBS Securities LLC solely to assist in conducting and documenting their investigation of the affairs of the Company in connection with the At the Market Offerings. This certificate may be relied upon by UBS Securities LLC for this purpose. This certificate shall not be used, quoted or otherwise referred to, relied upon by UBS Securities LLC for any other purpose, or relied upon by any other person, without the prior written consent of the Company. Capitalized terms used herein and not defined have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Distribution Agreement.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand as of the date first written above.
SMILEDIRECTCLUB, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Troy Crawford | |
Name: Troy Crawford | ||
Title: Chief Financial Officer |
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Exhibit D
Significant Subsidiaries
1. | SmileDirectClub, LLC |
2. | SDC US SmilePay SPV |
3. | SDC Financial, LLC |
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