EXCHANGE AGREEMENT

EX-10.1 3 solarwind_ex1001.htm EXCHANGE AGREEMENT

Exhibit 10.1

 

EXCHANGE AGREEMENT

 

THIS EXCHANGE AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is dated this [_] day of June, 2015, by and among Solar Wind Energy Tower, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and ________________ (the “Holder”).

 

WHEREAS, the Holder beneficially owns and holds certain [ ]% Convertible Promissory Notes in the principal amount of $[_______], dated [_______] (the “Notes”), plus the accrued but unpaid interest thereon and certain Warrants to purchase [____] shares of common stock of the Company (the “Warrants”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Holder desires to exchange the Notes and Warrants for newly issued shares of the class of the Company’s Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, designated as Series A Preferred Stock of the Company as set forth and memorialized on Exhibit A hereto (the “Exchange Securities”), and the Company desires to issue the Exchange Securities in exchange for the Notes and Warrants, all on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the terms and conditions contained herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Holder hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 1. Exchange. Subject to and upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Holder agrees to surrender to the Company the Notes and Warrants and, in exchange therefore, the Company shall issue to the Holder the Exchange Securities (the “Exchange”). The Holder acknowledges and agrees that, the number of shares of Exchange Securities to be issued to the Holder will be determined by dividing (i) $[___________], plus all accrued but unpaid interest on the Notes to the date hereof in the amount of $[_________], by (ii) $1.00. No fractional shares of the Exchange Securities shall be issued and shall be round up to the next share. Therefore, a total of [____________] Exchange Securities shall be issued to the Holder under this Agreement. The Warrants shall be cancelled and deemed void.

 

1.1 Closing. On the Closing Date (as defined below), the Company will issue and deliver (or cause to be issued and delivered) the Exchange Securities to the Holder, or in the name of a custodian or nominee of the Holder, or as otherwise requested by the Holder in writing, and the Holder will surrender to the Company the Notes and Warrants. The closing of the Exchange shall occur by June 30, 2015, or as soon thereafter as the parties may mutually agree in writing (the “Closing Date”), subject to the provisions of Section 4 and Section 5 herein.

 

Section 2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Holder that:

 

 

 

1
 

 

2.1 Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the subsidiaries of the Company (the “Subsidiaries”) is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company, nor any Subsidiary is in violation or default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any documents executed in connection herewith (the “Transaction Documents”), (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.

 

2.2 Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.

 

2.3 Issuance of Exchange Securities. The issuance of the Exchange Securities is duly authorized and, upon issuance in accordance with the terms hereof, the Exchange Securities shall be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of the common stock of the Company. Assuming the truth and accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Holder contained in Section 3 of this Agreement, the issuance by the Company of the Exchange Securities is exempt from registration under the Securities Act.

 

 

 

2
 

 

2.4 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance of the Exchange Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not: (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any options, contracts, agreements, liens, security interests, or other encumbrances (“Liens”) upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

2.5 Acknowledgment Regarding the Exchange. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Holder is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length third party with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company further acknowledges the Holder is not acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, and any advice given by the Holder or any of their representatives or agents in connection with this Agreement is merely incidental to the Exchange.

 

2.6 No Commission; No Other Consideration. The Company has not paid or given, and has not agreed to pay or give, directly or indirectly, any commission or other remuneration for soliciting the Exchange. The Exchange Securities are being issued exclusively for the exchange of the Promissory Notes and no other consideration has or will be paid for the Exchange Securities.

 

 

 

3
 

 

2.7 SEC Reports; Financial Statements.  The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension.  As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing.  Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.

 

2.8 Subsidiaries.  All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth in the SEC Reports.  The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.  If the Company has no subsidiaries, all other references to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be disregarded.

 

2.9 Filings, Consents and Approvals.  Other than as set forth on Schedule 3.1(e), the Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the notice and/or application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the issuance and the listing of the Exchange Securities for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (ii) the filing of Form D with the Commission and such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).

 

 

4
 

 

 

2.10 Capitalization.  The capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the SEC Reports.  No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. There are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire any shares of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. The issuance of the Exchange Securities will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.  No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance of the Exchange Securities.  There are no stockholder agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.

 

2.11 Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 3. Representations and Warranties of the Holder. The Holder represents and warrants to the Company that:

 

3.1 Ownership of the Promissory Notes. The Holder is the legal and beneficial owner of the Notes and Warrants. The Holder paid for the Notes and Warrants, and has continuously held the Notes and Warrants since its issuance or purchase. The Holder, individually or through an affiliate, owns the Notes and Warrants outright and free and clear of any options, contracts, agreements, liens, security interests, or other encumbrances.

 

 

 

5
 

 

3.2 No Public Sale or Distribution. The Holder is acquiring the Exchange Securities in the ordinary course of business for its own account and not with a view toward, or for resale in connection with, the public sale or distribution thereof; provided, however, that by making the representations herein, the Holder does not agree to hold any of the Exchange Securities for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to dispose of the Exchange Securities at any time in accordance with an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The Holder does not presently have any agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute, or transfer any interest or grant participation rights in, the Promissory Notes or the Exchange Securities.

 

3.3 Accredited Investor and Affiliate Status. The Holder is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act.

 

3.4 Reliance on Exemptions. The Holder understands that the Exchange is being made in reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying in part upon the truth and accuracy of, and the Holder’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of the Holder set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of the Holder to complete the Exchange and to acquire the Exchange Securities.

 

3.5 Information. The Holder has been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company and materials relating to the Exchange which have been requested by the Holder. The Holder has been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigations conducted by the Holder or its representatives shall modify, amend or affect the Holder’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained herein. The Holder acknowledges that all of the documents filed by the Company with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 14(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that have been posted on the SEC’s EDGAR site are available to the Holder, and the Holder has not relied on any statement of the Company not contained in such documents in connection with the Holder’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the Exchange.

 

3.6 Risk. The Holder understands that its investment in the Exchange Securities involves a high degree of risk. The Holder is able to bear the risk of an investment in the Exchange Securities including, without limitation, the risk of total loss of its investment. The Holder has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the Exchange. There is no assurance that the Exchange Securities or any securities into which the Exchange Securities may convert will continue to be quoted, traded or listed for trading or quotation on the OTCBB or on any other organized market or quotation system.

 

 

6
 

 

 

3.7 No Governmental Review. The Holder understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed on or made any recommendation or endorsement in connection with the Exchange or the fairness or suitability of the investment in the Exchange Securities nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Exchange Notes.

 

3.8 Organization; Authorization. The Holder is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its state of formation and has the requisite organizational power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement.

 

3.9 Validity; Enforcement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of the Holder and shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Holder enforceable against the Holder in accordance with its terms. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Holder and the consummation by the Holder of the transactions contemplated hereby (including, without limitation, the irrevocable surrender of the Notes and Warrants) will not result in a violation of the organizational documents of the Holder.

 

3.10 Prior Investment Experience. The Holder acknowledges that it has prior investment experience, including investment in securities of the type being exchange, including the Promissory Notes or the Exchange Securities, and has read all of the documents furnished or made available by the Company to it and is able to evaluate the merits and risks of such an investment on its behalf, and that it recognizes the highly speculative nature of this investment.

 

3.11 Tax Consequences. The Holder acknowledges that the Company has made no representation regarding the potential or actual tax consequences for the Holder which will result from entering into the Agreement and from consummation of the Exchange. The Holder acknowledges that it bears complete responsibility for obtaining adequate tax advice regarding the Agreement and the Exchange.

 

Section 4. Conditions Precedent to Obligations of the Company. The obligation of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is subject to the satisfaction of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for the Company’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Company at any time in its sole discretion by providing the Holder with prior written notice thereof:

 

4.1 the Holder shall have delivered to the Company the Notes and the Warrants;

 

4.2 no order of any court, arbitrator, or governmental or regulatory authority shall be in effect which purports to enjoin or restrain any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and

 

 

 

7
 

 

4.3 the accuracy in all material respects when made and on the applicable Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Holder contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein).

 

Section 5. Conditions Precedent to Obligations of the Holder. The obligation of the Holder to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is subject to the satisfaction of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for the Holder’s sole benefit and may be waived by the applicable Holder at any time in its sole discretion by providing the Company with prior written notice thereof:

 

5.1 no order of any court, arbitrator, or governmental or regulatory authority shall be in effect which purports to enjoin or restrain any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

5.2 the accuracy in all material respects when made and on the applicable Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein); and

 

5.3 all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the applicable Closing Date shall have been performed.

 

Section 6. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement shall be construed under the laws of the state of New York, without regard to principles of conflicts of law or choice of law that would permit or require the application of the laws of another jurisdiction. The Company and the Holder each hereby agrees that all actions or proceedings arising directly or indirectly from or in connection with this Agreement shall be litigated only in the Supreme Court of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York located in New York County, New York. The Company and the Holder each consents to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the foregoing courts and consents that any process or notice of motion or other application to either of said courts or a judge thereof may be served inside or outside the State of New York or the Southern District of New York by generally recognized overnight courier or certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, directed to such party at its or his address set forth below (and service so made shall be deemed “personal service”) or by personal service or in such other manner as may be permissible under the rules of said courts. THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER EACH HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL IN CONNECTION WITH ANY LITIGATION PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT.

 

Section 7. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party; provided that a facsimile signature shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original, not a facsimile signature.

 

 

8
 

 

Section 8. Headings. The headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.

 

Section 9. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or the validity or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.

 

Section 10. Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement supersedes all other prior oral or written agreements between the Holder, the Company, their affiliates and persons acting on their behalf with respect to the matters discussed herein, and this Agreement and the instruments referenced herein contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the matters covered herein and therein and, except as specifically set forth herein or therein, neither the Company nor either Holder makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to such matters. No provision of this Agreement may be amended other than by an instrument in writing signed by the Company and the Holder. No provision hereof may be waived other than by an instrument in writing signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought.

 

Section 11. Notices. Any notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered: (a) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (b) upon receipt, when sent by facsimile (provided confirmation of transmission is mechanically or electronically generated and kept on file by the sending party); or (c) one calendar day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and national banking holidays) after deposit with an overnight courier service, in each case properly addressed to the party to receive the same.

 

The addresses and facsimile numbers for such communications shall be:

 

If to the Company:

 

Solar Wind Energy Tower, Inc.

1997 Annapolis Exchange Parkway

Annapolis, MD 21401

Attn: Ronald W. Pickett, CEO

 

If to the Holders:

 

[Name]

[Address]

 

or to such other address and/or facsimile number and/or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party has specified by written notice given to each other party five (5) days prior to the effectiveness of such change.

 

 

9
 

 

Section 12. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any purchasers of the Exchange Securities. The Holder may assign some or all of its rights hereunder without the consent of the Company, in which event such assignee shall be deemed to be the Holder hereunder with respect to such assigned rights.

 

Section 13. No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other person.

 

Section 14. Survival of Representations. The representations and warranties of the Company and the Holder contained in Sections 2 and 3, respectively, will survive the closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Section 15. Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as any other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

 

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

 

 

 

10
 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Exchange Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

Solar Wind Energy Tower, Inc.

 

 

By: _____________________________

Name:

Title:

 

 

 

Holder:

 

By: ___________________________

Name:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11
 

 

Exhibit A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12