2,250,000 Units VERENIUM CORPORATION UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

EX-1.1 2 dex11.htm UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT Underwriting Agreement

Exhibit 1.1

2,250,000 Units

VERENIUM CORPORATION

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

October 6, 2009

LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, New York 10020

Dear Sirs:

1. INTRODUCTION. Verenium Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the Underwriter, pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Underwriter Agreement (this “Agreement”), up to an aggregate of 2,250,000 units (the “Units”) with each Unit consisting of (i) one share (a “Share”) of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) of the Company and (ii) one warrant to purchase 0.40 of a share of Common Stock (the “Warrants”). Units will not be issued or certified. The shares of Common Stock and Warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately. The terms and conditions of the Warrants are set forth in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. The Company hereby confirms that Lazard Capital Markets LLC (“LCM,” or the “Underwriter”) acted as the Underwriter in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof.

2. DELIVERY AND PAYMENT. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement:

2.1 The Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company an aggregate of 2,250,000 Units at a purchase price of $6.00 per share of Common Stock (the “Purchase Price”).

2.2 Payment of the Purchase Price for, and delivery of, the Shares and Warrants contained in the Units shall be made at the Closing (as set forth in Section 4 hereof) or at such other time and date as the Underwriter and the Company determine pursuant to Rule 15c6-1(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Company shall deliver the Shares and Warrants, which shall be registered in the name or names and shall be in such denominations as the Underwriter may request at least one (1) business day before the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), to the Underwriter, which delivery, (a) with respect to the Shares shall be made through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC system, and (b) with respect to the Warrants, shall be made by physical delivery to be received by the Underwriter no later than one (1) business day following the Closing Date.


2.3 Prior to the earlier of (i) the date on which this Agreement is terminated and (ii) the Closing Date, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, solicit or accept offers to purchase shares of the Common Stock or securities convertible into Common Stock (other than pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock that are outstanding at the date hereof) otherwise than through the Underwriter in accordance herewith.

2.4 No Units which the Company has agreed to sell pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to have been purchased and paid for, or sold by the Company, until such Shares and Warrants contained in the Units shall have been delivered to the Underwriter thereof against payment by the Underwriter. If the Company shall default in its obligations to deliver the Shares or Warrants contained in the Units to the Underwriter, the Company shall indemnify and hold the Underwriter harmless against any loss, claim, damage or expense arising from or as a result of such default by the Company in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 8(c) herein.

3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Underwriter that:

(a) The Company has prepared and filed in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and published rules and regulations thereunder (the “Rules and Regulations”) adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a “shelf” Registration Statement (as hereinafter defined) on Form S-3 (File No. 333-147403), which became effective as of January 14, 2008 (the “Effective Date”), including a base prospectus relating to the Units (the “Base Prospectus”), and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. The term “Registration Statement” as used in this Agreement means the registration statement (including all exhibits, financial schedules and all documents and information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations), as amended and/or supplemented to the date of this Agreement, including the Base Prospectus. The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required by the Rules and Regulations of the Commission, will file the Prospectus (as defined below), with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations. The term “Prospectus” as used in this Agreement means the Prospectus, in the form in which it is to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations, or, if the Prospectus is not to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), the Prospectus in the form included as part of the Registration Statement as of the Effective Date, except that if any revised prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be provided to the Underwriter by the Company for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Units which differs from the Prospectus (whether or not such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement is required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations), the term “Prospectus” shall refer to such revised prospectus or prospectus

 

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supplement, as the case may be, from and after the time it is first provided to the Underwriter for such use (or in the form first made available to the Underwriter by the Company to meet requests of prospective purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act). Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus subject to completion included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 of the Rules and Regulations is hereafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on or before the last to occur of the Effective Date, the date of the Preliminary Prospectus, or the date of the Prospectus, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment,” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include (i) the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date, the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, which is incorporated by reference and (ii) any such document so filed. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional securities pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Rules and Regulations (the “462(b) Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the Registration Statement shall also be deemed to include such 462(b) Registration Statement.

(b) As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date, neither (i) any General Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, and the Pricing Prospectus (as defined below) and the information included on Schedule A hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), (ii) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), nor (iii) the bona fide electronic road show (as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) of the Rules and Regulations), if any, that has been made available without restriction to any person, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or as of the Closing Date will omit, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 17). As used in this paragraph (b) and elsewhere in this Agreement:

Applicable Time” means 5:00 P.M., New York time, on the date of this Agreement.

General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is identified on Schedule A to this Agreement.

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations relating to the Units in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) of the Rules and Regulations.

 

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Limited Use Free Writing Prospectuses” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

Pricing Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus, if any, and the Base Prospectus, each as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof.

(c) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the Offering has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act has been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus (if any), at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Preliminary Prospectus, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 17).

(d) At the time the Registration Statement became effective, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; the Prospectus, at the time the Prospectus was issued and at the Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the foregoing representations and warranties in this paragraph (d) shall not apply to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 17).

(e) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Units or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Underwriter as described in Section 5(e), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted,

 

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conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified, or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit 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 foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 17).

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

(g) The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) as of the eligibility determination date for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act with respect to the Offering. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the Offering other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Securities Act and consistent with Section 5(b) below. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (other than a “road show,” as described in Rule 433(d)(8) of the Rules and Regulations), if any, in the time and manner required under Rules 163(b)(2) and 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations.

(h) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (as defined in Section 15) have been duly organized and are validly existing as corporations or other legal entities in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing as foreign corporations or other legal entities 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 (corporate or other) necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to so qualify or have such power or

 

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authority would not (i) have, singularly or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, assets, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (ii) impair in any material respect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate any transactions contemplated by the Agreement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (any such effect as described in clauses (i) or (ii), a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company owns or controls, directly or indirectly, only the following corporations, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or other entities: (i) Verenium Biofuels Corporation, a Delaware corporation; (ii) Verenium Biofuels Louisiana LLC, a Louisiana limited liability company (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verenium Biofuels Corporation); (iii) Verenium Biofuels Texas LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verenium Biofuels Corporation); (iv) Galaxy Biofuels LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (a jointly-owned subsidiary of Verenium Biofuels Corporation and BP Biofuels North America LLC); and (v) Highlands Ethanol, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (a jointly-owned subsidiary of Verenium Biofuels Corporation and BP Biofuels North America LLC).

(i) The Company has the full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, and to perform and to discharge its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms.

(j) The shares of Common Stock to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriter hereunder and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”) have been duly and validly authorized and the Common Stock, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein and the Warrant Shares, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided in the Warrants, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of any preemptive or similar rights and will conform to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(k) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws, and conform to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. As of June 30, 2009, there were 99,277,612 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding and no shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 of the Company issued and outstanding and 57,048,165 shares of Common Stock were issuable upon the exercise of all options, warrants and convertible securities outstanding as of such date. Since such date, the Company has not issued any securities, other than Common Stock of the Company issued pursuant to the exercise of stock options previously outstanding under the Company’s stock plan or the issuance of restricted Common Stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plans, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package. All of the stock options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares

 

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of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued by all corporate action of the Company, and were issued in compliance with US federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding shares of capital stock, options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described above or accurately described in the General Disclosure Package. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the stock options or other rights granted thereunder, as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fairly present the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, stock options and rights.

(l) All the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and, except to the extent set forth in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, are owned by the Company directly or indirectly through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries, free and clear of any claim, lien, encumbrance, security interest, restriction upon voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party, other than in connection with the Pledge and Security Agreement dated September 1, 2009 by and between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as collateral agent for the secured parties identified therein.

(m) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the issue and sale of the Units by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, constitute a default or Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, give rise to any right of termination or other right or the cancellation or acceleration of any right or obligation or loss of a benefit under, or give rise to the creation or imposition of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, claim or charge upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, which is material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or analogous governing instruments, as applicable) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in any violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets. A “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

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(n) Except for the registration of the Common Stock and Warrants under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Exchange Act and applicable state or foreign securities laws, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and the NASDAQ Global Market (the “NASDAQ GM”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Units by the Company, and the listing of the Common Stock and the Warrant Shares on the NASDAQ GM, no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, qualification or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic, which has not been made, obtained or taken and is not in full force and effect, is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the offer or sale of the Units or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

(o) Ernst & Young, LLP, who have certified certain financial statements and related schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and management’s assessment thereof, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”). Except as pre-approved in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 10A of the Exchange Act, Ernst & Young, LLP has not been engaged by the Company to perform any “prohibited activities” (as defined in Section 10A of the Exchange Act).

(p) The financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and in the Registration Statement fairly present the financial position and the results of operations and changes in financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and other consolidated entities at the respective dates or for the respective periods therein specified. Such statements and related notes and schedules have been prepared in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved except as may be set forth in the related notes included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package. The financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and the Rules and Regulations and the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act. No other financial statements or supporting schedules or exhibits are required by the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations to be described, or included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. There is no pro forma or as adjusted financial information which is required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations which has not been included or incorporated as so required.

 

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(q) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package; and, since such date, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material adverse changes, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, assets, general affairs, management, financial position, prospects, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.

(r) Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, there is no legal or governmental action, suit, claim or proceeding pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and is not described therein, or which, singularly or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.

(s) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in (i) violation of its charter or by-laws (or analogous governing instrument, as applicable), (ii) default in any respect, and no event has occurred which, 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, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject or (iii) violation in any respect of any law, ordinance, governmental rule, regulation or court order, decree or judgment to which it or its property or assets may be subject except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (s), for any violations or defaults which, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(t) The Company and each of its subsidiaries possesses all licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate local, state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies which are necessary or desirable for the ownership of the properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as currently conducted and described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or which would otherwise be material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (collectively, the “Governmental Permits”), except where any failures to possess or make the same would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries

 

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are in material compliance with all such Governmental Permits; all such Governmental Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the validity or failure to be in full force and effect would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. All such Governmental Permits are free and clear of any restriction or condition that is in addition to, or materially different from those normally applicable to similar licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received notification of any revocation or modification (or proceedings related thereto) of any such Governmental Permit and the Company has no reason to believe that any such Governmental Permit will not be renewed.

(u) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is or, after giving effect to the offering of the Units and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will become an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(v) Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ officers, directors or affiliates has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed or intended to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which caused or resulted in, or which could in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company.

(w) The Company and each of its subsidiaries owns or possesses the right to use all patents, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, software, databases, know-how, Internet domain names, trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures, and other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on their respective businesses as currently conducted, and as proposed to be conducted and described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and the Company is not aware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to the foregoing except for those that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Intellectual Property licenses described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are valid, binding upon, and enforceable by or against the parties thereto in accordance with their terms. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has complied in all material respects with, and is not in breach nor has received any asserted or threatened claim of breach of, any Intellectual Property license, and the Company has no knowledge of any breach or anticipated breach by any other person to any Intellectual Property license. The Company’s and each of its subsidiaries’ businesses as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted do not and will not infringe or conflict with any patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, licenses or other Intellectual Property or franchise right of any person. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, no claim has been made against the Company or any of its subsidiaries alleging the infringement by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any patent, trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, trade secret, license in or other intellectual property right or

 

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franchise right of any person. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has taken all reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard its rights in all Intellectual Property, including the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in the loss or impairment of or payment of any additional amounts with respect to, nor require the consent of any other person in respect of, the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ right to own, use, or hold for use any of the Intellectual Property as owned, used or held for use in the conduct of the businesses as currently conducted. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has at all times complied in all material respects with all applicable laws relating to privacy, data protection, and the collection and use of personal information collected, used, or held for use by the Company and any of its subsidiaries in the conduct of the Company’s and its subsidiaries businesses. No claims have been asserted or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries alleging a violation of any person’s privacy or personal information or data rights and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not breach or otherwise cause any violation of any law related to privacy, data protection, or the collection and use of personal information collected, used, or held for use by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the conduct of the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ businesses. The Company and each of its subsidiaries takes reasonable measures to ensure that such information is protected against unauthorized access, use, modification, or other misuse.

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

(y) No labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, that would reasonably be expected, singularly or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware that any key employee or significant group of employees of the Company or any subsidiary plans to terminate employment with the Company or any such subsidiary.

 

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(z) No “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”), or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”)) or “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA) or any of the events set forth in Section 4043(b) of ERISA (other than events with respect to which the thirty (30)-day notice requirement under Section 4043 of ERISA has been waived) has occurred or could reasonably be expected to occur with respect to any employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which could, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Each employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with applicable law, including ERISA and the Code. The Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred and could not reasonably be expected to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of, or withdrawal from, any pension plan (as defined in ERISA). Each pension plan for which the Company or any of its subsidiaries would have any liability 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 could, singularly or in the aggregate, cause the loss of such qualification.

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

 

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reviews, the Company and its subsidiaries have reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not have, singularly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

(bb) The Company and its subsidiaries, each (i) has timely filed all necessary federal, state, local and foreign tax returns, and all such returns were true, complete and correct, (ii) has paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes, assessments, governmental or other charges that are due and payable for which it is liable, including, without limitation, all sales and use taxes and all taxes which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is obligated to withhold from amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties, and (iii) does not have any tax deficiency or claims outstanding or assessed or, to the best of its knowledge, proposed against any of them, except those, in each of the cases described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (bb), that would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries, each has not engaged in any transaction which is a corporate tax shelter or which would reasonably be expected to be characterized as such by the Internal Revenue Service or any other taxing authority. The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable period not yet finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments and related liabilities for any such period, and since December 31, 2008 the Company and its subsidiaries each has not incurred any liability for taxes other than in the ordinary course.

(cc) The Company and each of its subsidiaries carries, or is covered by, insurance provided by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage that they have sought or for which they have applied.

(dd) The Company and its subsidiaries each maintains a system of accounting and other controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (A) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

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(ee) The minute books of the Company and each of its subsidiaries that would be a “significant subsidiary” within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act (such a significant subsidiary of the Company, a “Significant Subsidiary”) have been made available to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter, and such books (i) contain a complete summary of all meetings and actions of the board of directors (including each board committee) and stockholders of the Company (or analogous governing bodies and interest holders, as applicable), and each of its Significant Subsidiaries since the time of its respective incorporation or organization through the date of the latest meeting and action, and (ii) accurately in all material respects reflect all transactions referred to in such minutes.

(ff) There is no franchise, lease, contract, agreement or document required by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations to be described in the General Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or a document incorporated by reference therein which is not described or filed therein as required; and all descriptions of any such franchises, leases, contracts, agreements or documents contained in the Registration Statement or in a document incorporated by reference therein are accurate and complete descriptions of such documents in all material respects. Other than as described in the General Disclosure Package, no such franchise, lease, contract or agreement has been suspended or terminated for convenience or default by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of the other parties thereto, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice nor does the Company have any other knowledge of any such pending or threatened suspension or termination, except for such pending or threatened suspensions or terminations that would not reasonably be expected to, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(gg) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company and any of its subsidiaries on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders (or analogous interest holders), customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their affiliates on the other hand, which is required to be described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and which is not so described.

(hh) No person or entity has the right to require registration of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries because of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or otherwise, except for persons and entities who have expressly waived such right in writing or who have been given timely and proper written notice and have failed to exercise such right within the time or times required under the terms and conditions of such right. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, there are no persons with registration rights or similar rights to have any securities registered or to include such securities with the shares of Common Stock registered by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under the Securities Act.

 

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(ii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries owns any “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of the sale of the Units will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Units to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

(jj) Neither the Company nor any of its 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 the Company or the Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Units or any transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

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

(ll) The Company is subject to and in compliance in all material respects with the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the NASDAQ GM and the Company has taken no action designed to, or reasonably likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from the NASDAQ GM, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission, FINRA or the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC is currently contemplating terminating such registration or listing. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, notification or registration with, the NASDAQ GM is required for the listing and trading of the shares of Common Stock on the NASDAQ GM, except for (i) a Notification: Listing of Additional Shares; and (ii) a Notification: Change in the Number of Shares Outstanding.

(mm) The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”).

(nn) The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules that are then in effect.

(oo) The statistical and market related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.

 

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(pp) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary nor any of their affiliates (within the meaning of FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rule 2720(f)(1)) directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, or is an associated person (within the meaning of Article I, Section 1(ee) of the By-laws of FINRA) of, any member firm of FINRA.

(qq) No approval of the stockholders of the Company under the rules and regulations of NASDAQ (including Rule 5635 of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules) is required for the Company to issue and deliver to the Underwriter the Units.

(rr) Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Company and delivered to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

4. THE CLOSING. The time and date of closing and delivery of the documents required to be delivered to the Underwriter pursuant to Sections 5 and 7 hereof shall be at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on October 9, 2009 (the “Closing Date”) at the office of Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, The Prudential Building, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199.

5. FURTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company agrees with the Underwriter:

(a) Subject to the Rules and Regulations, to prepare the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if necessary, in a form approved by the Underwriter and file such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission on the date hereof; to prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Underwriter containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rules 430A, 430B and 430C of the Rules and Regulations and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations not later than the second (2nd) business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations; to notify the Underwriter promptly of the Company’s intention to file or prepare any supplement or amendment to any Registration Statement or to the Prospectus in connection with this Offering and to provide a draft of any such amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or to the Prospectus to which the Underwriter shall reasonably object by notice to the Company after a reasonable period to review; to advise the Underwriter, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to any Registration Statement has been filed in connection with the Offering or becomes effective or any supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Underwriter copies thereof; to file within the time periods prescribed by the Exchanged Act, including any extension thereof, all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) or Rule 163(b)(2) of the Rules and Regulations, as the case may be; to file within the time periods prescribed by the Exchange Act, including any extension thereof 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 subsequent to the date of the

 

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Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules and Regulations) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Units; to advise the Underwriter, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Units for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, and promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order.

(b) The Company represents and agrees that, it has not made, and unless it obtains the prior consent of the Underwriter, it will not, make any offer relating to the Units that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Underwriter hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included in Schedule A hereto. The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Rules and Regulations applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and will not take any action that would result in the Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

(c) If at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Units is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, any event occurs or condition exists as a result of which the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or the Registration Statement, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or if for any other reason it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement any Registration Statement or the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriter, and upon the Underwriter’s request, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, at the Company’s expense, an amendment to the Registration Statement or an amendment or supplement to the Prospectus that corrects such statement or omission or effects such compliance and will deliver to the Underwriter, without charge, such number of copies thereof as the Underwriter may reasonably request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by the Underwriter.

 

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(d) If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Units at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriter, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement then on file and not superseded or modified, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriter and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.

(e) If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in connection with the Offering there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus or Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof and not superseded or modified or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit 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 Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Underwriter (and the Underwriter agrees to cease any such use promptly after such notification) so that any use of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus may cease until it is amended or supplemented and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 17).

(f) To the extent not available on the Commission’s EDGAR system or any successor system, to furnish promptly to the Underwriter and to counsel for the Underwriter a signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission, and of each amendment thereto filed with the Commission, including all consents and exhibits filed therewith.

(g) To the extent not available on the Commission’s EDGAR system or any successor system, to deliver promptly to the Underwriter in New York City such number of the following documents as the Underwriter shall reasonably request: (i) conformed

 

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copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission (in each case excluding exhibits), (ii) each Preliminary Prospectus (if any), (iii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iv) the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (v) conformed copies of any amendment to the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits), (vi) any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (v) and (vi) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such amendment or supplement) and (vii) any document incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (excluding exhibits thereto) (the delivery of the documents referred to in clause (vi) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such document).

(h) To make generally available to its stockholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen (18) months after the effective date of each Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) of the Rules and Regulations), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158); and to furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and after each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the first fiscal quarter after the effective date of such Registration Statement), consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail.

(i) To take promptly from time to time such actions as the Underwriter may reasonably request to qualify the Units for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Underwriter may designate and to continue such qualifications in effect, and to comply with such laws, for so long as required to permit the offer and sale of Units in such jurisdictions; provided that the Company and its subsidiaries shall not be obligated to qualify as foreign corporations in any jurisdiction in which they are not so qualified or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.

(j) During the period of five (5) years from the date hereof, to the extent not available on the Commission’s EDGAR system or any successor system, to deliver to the Underwriter, (i) upon request, copies of all reports or other communications furnished generally to stockholders, and (ii) upon request, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted.

(k) That the Company will not, for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of the Prospectus, (the “Lock-Up Period”) without the prior written consent of LCM, directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise

 

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dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, other than (i) the Company’s sale of the Units (including Common Stock and Warrants included therein) hereunder, (ii) the issuance of restricted Common Stock or options to acquire Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans as such plans are in existence on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus, (iii) the issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the valid exercises of options, warrants or rights outstanding on the date hereof, (iv) the issuance of options in connection with the option exchange program approved by the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders held on September 1, 2009, and (v) the issuance of additional 9% Convertible Senior Secured Notes due 2027 in exchange for the Company’s outstanding 5.5% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027. The Company will cause each executive officer and director listed in Schedule B to furnish to the Underwriter, prior to the Closing Date, a letter, substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, pursuant to which each such person shall agree, among other things, not to directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, not to engage in any swap or other agreement or arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic risk of ownership of Common Stock or any such securities and not to engage in any short selling of any Common Stock or any such securities, during the Lock-Up Period, without the prior written consent of LCM. The Company also agrees that during such period, the Company will not file any registration statement, preliminary prospectus or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, under the Securities Act for any such transaction or which registers, or offers for sale, Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, except for a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to employee benefit plans. The Company hereby agrees that (i) if it issues an earnings release or material news, or if a material event relating to the Company occurs, during the last seventeen (17) days of the Lock-Up Period, or (ii) if prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16)-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by this paragraph (k) or the letter shall continue to apply until the expiration of the eighteen (18)-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

(l) To supply the Underwriter with copies of all correspondence to and from, and all documents issued to and by, the Commission in connection with the registration of the Units under the Securities Act or the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein.

(m) Prior to the Closing Date, not to issue any press release or other communication directly or indirectly or hold any press conference with respect to the Company, its condition, financial or otherwise, or earnings, business affairs or business prospects (except for routine oral marketing communications in the ordinary course of business and consistent with the past practices of the Company and of which the

 

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Underwriter is notified), without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, unless in the judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification to the Underwriter, such press release or communication is required by law or applicable stock exchange rules.

(n) Until the Underwriter shall have notified the Company of the completion of the offering of the Units, that the Company will not, and will cause its affiliated purchasers (as defined in Regulation M under the Exchange Act) not to, either alone or with one or more other persons, bid for or purchase, for any account in which it or any of its affiliated purchasers has a beneficial interest, any Units, or attempt to induce any person to purchase any Units; and not to, and to cause its affiliated purchasers not to, make bids or purchase for the purpose of creating actual, or apparent, active trading in or of raising the price of the Units.

(o) Not to take any action prior to the Closing Date which would require the Prospectus to be amended or supplemented pursuant to Section 5.

(p) To at all times comply with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in effect from time to time.

(q) To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Units as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”

(r) To use its reasonable best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, effect and maintain the quotation and listing of the Common Stock on the NASDAQ GM.

(s) To use its commercially reasonable efforts to assist the Underwriter with any filings with FINRA and obtaining clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriter.

(t) To use its commercially reasonable efforts to do and perform all things required to be done or performed under this Agreement by the Company prior to the Closing Date and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Units.

6. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company agrees to pay, or reimburse if paid by the Underwriter, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated: (a) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Units to the Underwriter and any taxes payable in that connection; (b) the costs incident to the Registration of the Units under the Securities Act; (c) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and distribution of the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto or any document incorporated by reference therein and the costs of printing, reproducing and distributing any transaction document by mail, telex or other means of communications; (d) the reasonable and documented fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriter) incurred in connection with securing any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Units and any filings made with FINRA; (e) any applicable listing, quotation or other fees; (f) the fees

 

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and expenses (including related fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriter) of qualifying the Units under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 5(i) and of preparing, printing and distributing wrappers, “Blue Sky Memoranda” and “Legal Investment Surveys”; (g) the cost of preparing and printing stock certificates; (h) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Units; (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel to the Underwriter, not to exceed one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000); and (j) all other costs and expenses incident to the offering of the Units or the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s independent accountants and the travel and other reasonable and documented expenses incurred by Company’s and Underwriter’s personnel in connection with any “road show” including, without limitation, any expenses advanced by the Underwriter on the Company’s behalf (which will be promptly reimbursed)). Notwithstanding the forgoing, in no event will the payment of expenses under this Section 6 and the Underwriter’s discount or commission result in underwriter’s compensation (as defined in FINRA Rule 5110) in excess of 8%.

7. CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITER, AND THE SALE OF THE UNITS. The obligations of the Underwriter hereunder, and the Closing of the sale of the Units, are subject to the accuracy, when made and as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

(a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof, preventing or suspending the use of any Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Underwriter; the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, and the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations and in accordance with Section 5(a), and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, shall have become effective immediately upon its filing with the Commission; and FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

(b) The Underwriter shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to the Closing Date that the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto

 

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contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.

(c) All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of each of this Agreement, the Units, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, and the Prospectus and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Underwriter, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(d) Cooley Godward Kronish LLP shall have furnished to the Underwriter such counsel’s written opinion and negative assurances statement, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriter and dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter.

(e) The Company’s general counsel shall have furnished to the Underwriter, such counsel’s written opinion, with respect to intellectual property matters, addressed to the Underwriter dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter.

(f) The Underwriter shall have received from Proskauer Rose LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, such opinion or opinions and negative assurances statement, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Underwriter may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(g) At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Underwriter shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, addressed to the Underwriter, executed and dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter (i) confirming that they are an independent registered accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and PCAOB and (ii) stating the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(h) On the effective date of any post-effective amendment to any Registration Statement and on the Closing Date, the Underwriter shall have received a letter (the “Bring-Down Letter”) from Ernst & Young LLP addressed to the Underwriter and dated the Closing Date confirming, as of the date of the Bring-Down Letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of a date not more than three (3) business days prior to

 

23


the date of the Bring-Down Letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by its letter delivered to the Underwriter concurrently with the execution of this Agreement pursuant to paragraph (g) of this Section 7.

(i) The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter a certificate, dated the Closing Date, of its Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer or its President and its Chief Financial Officer or a Vice President of Finance, each in his capacity as an officer of the Company, stating that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, at the Applicable Time and as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as of its date and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that has not been so set forth therein, (ii) to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, as of the Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects, except that any such representation or warranty shall be true and correct in all respects where such representation and warranty is qualified with respect to materiality, and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date, and (iii) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would involve a material adverse change or a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, assets or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, except as set forth in the Prospectus.

(j) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package as of the date hereof, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, and (ii) there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any change, or any

 

24


development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii) of this paragraph (j), is, in the judgment of the Underwriter, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Units on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.

(k) No action shall have been taken and no law, statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Units or result in a Material Adverse Effect on the business or operations of the Company or its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Units or result in a Material Adverse Affect on the business or operations of the Company or its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(l) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ GM or the American Stock Exchange or in the over-the-counter market, or trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices or maximum range for prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or market or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Federal or state authorities or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, (iii) the United States shall have become engaged in hostilities, or the subject of an act of terrorism, or there shall have been an outbreak of or escalation in hostilities involving the United States, or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or (iv) there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such) as to make it, in the judgment of the Underwriter, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Units on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(m) The Company shall have filed a Notification: Listing of Additional Shares with the NASDAQ GM and shall have received no objection thereto from the NASDAQ GM.

(n) The Underwriter shall have received the written agreements, substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, of the executive officers and directors of the Company listed in Schedule B to this Agreement.

 

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(o) The Underwriter shall have received clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriter as described in the Pricing Prospectus.

(p) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter such further information, opinions, certificates (including a Secretary’s Certificate), letters or documents as the Underwriter shall have reasonably requested.

All opinions, letters, evidence and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter.

8. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION.

(a) The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its affiliates and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees, representatives and agents (including, without limitation Lazard Frères & Co. LLC, (which will provide services to the Underwriter) and its affiliates, and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees, representatives and agents and each person, if any, who controls Lazard Frères & Co. LLC within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively, the “Underwriter Indemnified Parties,” and each a “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (A) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein, or (B) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (C) any breach of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or the failure of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or pursuant to any law, and shall reimburse the Underwriter Indemnified Party promptly upon demand for any legal fees or other expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating, or preparing to defend, or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability arises out of

 

26


or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in, or omission or alleged omission from any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 17). This indemnity agreement is not exclusive and will be in addition to any liability which the Company might otherwise have and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available at law or in equity to each Underwriter Indemnified Party.

(b) The Underwriter shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively, the “Company Indemnified Parties,” and each a “Company Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Company Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information as defined in Section 17, and shall reimburse the Company Indemnified Party promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as third party witness in connection with any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred. This indemnity agreement is not exclusive and will be in addition to any liability which the Underwriter might otherwise have and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available at law or in equity to any Company Indemnified Party. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(b), in no event shall any indemnity by the Underwriter under this Section 8(b) exceed the total discount and commission received by the Underwriter in connection with the Offering.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of that action; provided,

 

27


however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 8 except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced by such failure; and, provided, further, that the failure to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 8. If any such action shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense of such action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party (which counsel shall not, except with the written consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party). After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such action, except as provided herein, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that any indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and to participate in the defense of such action but the fees and expenses of such counsel (other than reasonable costs of investigation) shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized in writing by the Company in the case of a claim for indemnification under Section 8(a) or Section 2.4 or LCM in the case of a claim for indemnification under Section 8(b), (ii) such indemnified party shall have been advised by its counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, or (iii) the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense of such action and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of the commencement of the action or the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, in which case, if such indemnified party notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of (or, in the case of a failure to diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, to continue to defend) such action on behalf of such indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall be responsible for legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action; provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties (in addition to any local counsel), which firm shall be designated in writing by LCM if the indemnified parties under this Section 8 consist of any Underwriter Indemnified Party or by the Company if the indemnified parties under this Section 8 consist of any Company Indemnified Parties. Subject to this Section 8(c), the amount payable by an indemnifying party under Section 8 shall include, but not be limited to, (x) reasonable legal fees and expenses of counsel to the indemnified party and any other expenses in investigating, or preparing to defend or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with,

 

28


any action, investigation, proceeding or claim, and (y) all amounts paid in settlement of any of the foregoing. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of judgment with respect to any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever, in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 8 (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. Subject to the provisions of the following sentence, no indemnifying party shall be liable for settlement of any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever that is effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), but if settled with its written consent, if its consent has been unreasonably withheld or delayed or if there be a judgment for the plaintiff in any such matter, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested that an indemnifying party reimburse the indemnified party for reasonable fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated herein effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than forty-five (45) days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the request for reimbursement, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least thirty (30) days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 8(a) or Section 8(b), then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid, payable or otherwise incurred by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), as incurred, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other hand from the offering of the Units, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) of this Section 8(d) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) of this Section 8(d) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other with respect to the statements, omissions, acts or failures to act which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof) as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other with respect to such offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Units purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriter in connection with the Offering, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault

 

29


of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriter on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of the Underwriter’s Information as defined in Section 17. The Company and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 8(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding referred to above in this Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 8(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(d), the Underwriter shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the total discount and commission received by the Underwriter in connection with the Offering, less the amount of any damages which the Underwriter has otherwise paid or become liable to pay by reason of any untrue or alleged untrue statement, omission or alleged omission, act or alleged act or failure to act or alleged failure to act. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

9. TERMINATION. The obligations of the Underwriter hereunder may be terminated by the Underwriter, in its absolute discretion by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Units if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 7(j), 7(k) or 7(l) have occurred or if the Underwriter shall decline to purchase the Units for any reason permitted under this Agreement.

10. REIMBURSEMENT OF UNDERWRITERS EXPENSES. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if (a) this Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to Section 9, (b) the Company shall fail to tender the Units for delivery to the Underwriter for any reason not permitted under this Agreement, (c) the Underwriter shall decline to purchase the Units for any reason permitted under this Agreement or (d) the sale of the Units is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriter set forth herein is not satisfied or because of the refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to satisfy any condition or to comply with the provisions hereof, then, in addition to the payment of any amounts in accordance with Section 6, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriter for the reasonable fees and expenses of the Underwriter’s counsel and for such other accountable out-of-pocket expenses as shall have been reasonably incurred by them in connection with this Agreement and the proposed purchase of the Units, and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the Underwriter.

 

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11. ABSENCE OF FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

(a) the Underwriter’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature, the Underwriter has been retained solely to act as Underwriter in connection with the Offering and no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Underwriter has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether the Underwriter or Lazard Frères & Co. LLC has advised or is advising the Company on other matters;

(b) the price of the Units set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Underwriter, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(c) it has been advised that the Underwriter and Lazard Frères & Co. LLC and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Underwriter has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and

(d) it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Underwriter for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Underwriter shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

12. SUCCESSORS; PERSONS ENTITLED TO BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriter, the Company, and their respective successors and assigns. This Agreement shall also inure to the benefit of Lazard Frères & Co. LLC, and each of its successors and assigns, which shall be third party beneficiaries hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the determination as to whether any condition in Section 7 hereof shall have been satisfied, and the waiver of any condition in Section 7 hereof, may be made by the Underwriter in its sole discretion. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons mentioned in the preceding sentences, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement, or any provisions herein contained, this Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof being intended to be and being for the sole and exclusive benefit of such persons and for the benefit of no other person; except that the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements and indemnities of the Company contained in this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and the indemnities of the Underwriter shall be for the benefit of the Company Indemnified Parties. It is understood that the Underwriter’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and the Underwriter does not owe the Company, or any other party, any fiduciary duty as a result of this Agreement.

 

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13. SURVIVAL OF INDEMNITIES, REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, ETC. The respective indemnities, covenants, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Underwriter, as set forth in this Agreement or made by them respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter, the Company or any person controlling any of them and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Units. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, including without limitation any termination pursuant to Section 9, the indemnity and contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in Sections 8 and 10 and the covenants, representations, warranties set forth in this Agreement shall not terminate and shall remain in full force and effect at all times.

14. NOTICES. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:

(a) if to the Underwriter, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to Lazard Capital Markets LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10020, Attention: General Counsel, Fax: 212 ###-###-####; and

(b) if to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to: Verenium Corporation, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02142, Attention: Gerald M. Haines, Chief Legal Officer, Fax: (617)  ###-###-####.

provided, however, that any notice to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 8 shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the Underwriter at its address set forth in its acceptance telex to the Underwriter, which address will be supplied to any other party hereto by the Underwriter upon request. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof, except that any such statement, request, notice or agreement delivered or sent by email shall take effect at the time of confirmation of receipt thereof by the recipient thereof.

15. DEFINITION OF CERTAIN TERMS. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “business day” means any day on which the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. is open for trading, (b) “knowledge” means the knowledge of the directors and officers of the Company after reasonable inquiry and (c) “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.

16. GOVERNING LAW, AGENT FOR SERVICE AND JURISDICTION. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law. No legal proceeding may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company and the Underwriter each hereby consent to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. The Company and the Underwriter each hereby waive all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding (whether based

 

32


upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company agrees that a final judgment in any such legal proceeding brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and the Underwriter and may be enforced in any other courts in the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.

17. UNDERWRITERS INFORMATION. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, for all purposes of this Agreement, the “Underwriter’s Information” consists solely of the following information in the Prospectus: (i) the last paragraph on the front cover page concerning the terms of the offering; and (ii) the statements concerning the Underwriter contained in the first paragraph and concerning the Underwriter and Lazard Frères & Co. LLC in the sixth paragraph, in each case under the heading “Plan of Distribution.”

18. PARTIAL UNENFORCEABILITY. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph, clause or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

19. GENERAL. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. In this Agreement, the masculine, feminine and neuter genders and the singular and the plural include one another. The section headings in this Agreement are for the convenience of the parties only and will not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended or modified, and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived, only by a writing signed by the Company and the Underwriter.

20. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument and such signatures may be delivered by facsimile.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of the agreement between the Company and the Underwriter, kindly indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.

 

Very truly yours,
VERENIUM CORPORATION
By:  

/s/    James E. Levine

  Name: James E. Levine
 

Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief

            Financial Officer

 

Accepted as of the date
first above written:
LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
By:  

/s/    David G. McMillan, Jr.

  Name: David G. McMillan, Jr.
  Title:   Managing Director

 

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SCHEDULE A

General Use Free Writing Prospectuses

None


SCHEDULE B

List of officers and directors subject to Section 5

John F. Dee

Carlos A. Riva

James H. Cavanaugh

Peter Johnson

Fernand Kaufmann

Joshua Ruch

Cheryl A. Wenzinger

Michael Zak

Simon Rich

Gerald M. Haines II

James E. Levine


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF WARRANT

VERENIUM CORPORATION

WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

Warrant No.:                          

Number of Shares of Common Stock:                    

Date of Issuance: October 9, 2009 (“Issuance Date”)

Verenium Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, [INVESTOR NAME], the registered holder hereof or its permitted assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company, at the Exercise Price (as defined below) then in effect, upon surrender of this Warrant to Purchase Common Stock (including any Warrants to Purchase Common Stock issued in exchange, transfer or replacement hereof, the “Warrant”), at any time or times on or after the date hereof (the “Exercisability Date”), but not after 11:59 p.m., New York time, on the Expiration Date (as defined below), [            (            )]1 fully paid nonassessable shares of Common Stock (as defined below) (the “Warrant Shares”). Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms in this Warrant shall have the meanings set forth in Section 15. This Warrant is the Warrant to purchase Common Stock (this “Warrant”) issued pursuant to (i) the Company’s Prospectus Supplement, dated October 6, 2009 (the “Prospectus”) and (ii) the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File number 333-147403) (the “Registration Statement”).

1. EXERCISE OF WARRANT.

(a) Mechanics of Exercise. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, this Warrant may be exercised by the Holder on any day on or after the Exercisability Date, in whole or in part, by (i) delivery of a written notice, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Exercise Notice”), of the Holder’s election to exercise this Warrant and (ii) (A) payment to the Company of an amount equal to the applicable Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Warrant Shares as to which this Warrant is being exercised (the “Aggregate Exercise Price”) in cash or by wire transfer of immediately available funds or (B) provided the conditions for cashless exercise set forth in Section 1(d) are satisfied, by notifying the Company that this Warrant is being exercised pursuant to a Cashless Exercise (as defined in Section 1(d)). The Holder shall not be required to deliver the original Warrant in order to effect an exercise hereunder. Execution and delivery of the Exercise Notice with respect to less than all of the Warrant Shares shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original Warrant and issuance of a new Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Warrant Shares. On or before the first (1st) Business Day following the date on which the Company has received each of the Exercise Notice and the Aggregate Exercise Price (or notice of a Cashless Exercise) (the “Exercise Delivery Documents”), the Company shall transmit by facsimile an acknowledgment of confirmation of receipt of the Exercise Delivery Documents to the Holder and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the Company’s “Transfer Agent”). On or before the third (3rd) Business Day following the date on which the Company has received all of the Exercise Delivery Documents (the “Share Delivery Date”), the Company shall (X) provided that the Transfer Agent is participating in The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) Fast Automated Securities Transfer Program, upon the request of the Holder, credit such aggregate number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with DTC through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission system, or (Y) if the Transfer Agent is not participating in the DTC Fast Automated Securities Transfer Program, issue and dispatch by overnight courier to the address as specified in the Exercise Notice, a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise. Upon delivery of the Exercise

 

 

1 Insert a number of shares equal to 40% of the number of Common Shares purchased.


Delivery Documents, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date such Warrant Shares are credited to the Holder’s DTC account or the date of delivery of the certificates evidencing such Warrant Shares, as the case may be. If this Warrant is submitted in connection with any exercise pursuant to this Section 1(a) and the number of Warrant Shares represented by this Warrant submitted for exercise is greater than the number of Warrant Shares being acquired upon an exercise, then the Company shall as soon as practicable and in no event later than three Business Days after any exercise and at its own expense, issue a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares purchasable immediately prior to such exercise under this Warrant, less the number of Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant is exercised. No fractional shares of Common Stock are to be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant, but rather the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued shall be rounded to the nearest whole number. The Company shall pay any and all taxes which may be payable with respect to the issuance and delivery of Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant.

(b) Exercise Price. For purposes of this Warrant, “Exercise Price” means $7.59, subject to adjustment as provided herein.

(c) Company’s Failure to Timely Deliver Securities. If the Company shall fail for any reason or for no reason to issue to the Holder within three (3) Business Days of receipt of the Exercise Delivery Documents in compliance with the terms of this Section 1, a certificate for the number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled and register such shares of Common Stock on the Company’s share register or to credit the Holder’s balance account with DTC for such number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled upon the Holder’s exercise of this Warrant, and if on or after such Trading Day the Holder purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of shares of Common Stock issuable upon such exercise that the Holder anticipated receiving from the Company (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall, within three (3) Business Days after the Holder’s request and in the Holder’s discretion, either (i) pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased (the “Buy-In Price”), at which point the Company’s obligation to deliver such certificate (and to issue such Warrant Shares) shall terminate, or (ii) promptly honor its obligation to deliver to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing such Warrant Shares and pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Buy-In Price over the product of (A) such number of shares of Common Stock, times (B) the Closing Bid Price on the date of exercise.

(d) Cashless Exercise. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, if a registration statement covering the Warrant Shares that are the subject of the Exercise Notice (the “Unavailable Warrant Shares”), or an exemption from registration, is not available for the resale of such Unavailable Warrant Shares, the Holder may, with the consent of the Company (in the Company’s sole discretion), exercise this Warrant in whole or in part and, in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to the Company upon such exercise in payment of the Aggregate Exercise Price, receive upon such exercise the “Net Number” of shares of Common Stock determined according to the following formula (a “Cashless Exercise”):

Net Number = (A x B)  –  (A x C)

                                      B

For purposes of the foregoing formula:

 

  A  = the total number of shares with respect to which this Warrant is then being exercised.

 

  B  = the arithmetic average of the Closing Sale Prices of the shares of Common Stock for the five (5) consecutive Trading Days ending on the date immediately preceding the date of the Exercise Notice.

 

  C  = the Exercise Price then in effect for the applicable Warrant Shares at the time of such exercise.


(e) Rule 144. For purposes of Rule 144(d) promulgated under the Securities Act, as in effect on the date hereof, it is intended that the Warrant Shares issued in a Cashless Exercise shall be deemed to have been acquired by the Holder, and the holding period for the Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have commenced, on the date this Warrant was originally issued pursuant to the Prospectus.

(f) Disputes. In the case of a dispute as to the determination of the Exercise Price or the arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares, the Company shall promptly issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares that are not disputed.

(g) Beneficial Ownership. The Company shall not effect the exercise of this Warrant, and the Holder shall not have the right to exercise this Warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its affiliates shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, unexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder and its affiliates and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company beneficially owned by the Holder and its affiliates (including, without limitation, any convertible notes or convertible preferred stock or warrants) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this paragraph, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. For purposes of this Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon the written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall within two (2) Business Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder and its affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. By written notice to the Company, the Holder may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99% specified in such notice; provided that (i) any such increase will not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company, and (ii) any such increase or decrease will apply only to the Holder. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 1(g) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended beneficial ownership limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation.

2. ADJUSTMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE AND NUMBER OF WARRANT SHARES. The Exercise Price and the number of Warrant Shares shall be adjusted from time to time as follows:

(a) Adjustment upon Subdivision or Combination of Common Stock. If the Company at any time on or after the Issuance Date subdivides (by any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, scheme, arrangement or otherwise) one or more classes of its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a greater number of shares, the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such subdivision will be proportionately reduced and the number of Warrant Shares will be proportionately increased. If the Company at any time on or after the Issuance Date combines (by any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, scheme, arrangement or otherwise) one or more classes of its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such combination will be proportionately increased and the number of Warrant Shares will be proportionately decreased. Any adjustment under this Section 2(a) shall become effective at the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective.


(b) Other Events. If any event occurs of the type contemplated by the provisions of this Section 2 but not expressly provided for by such provisions (including, without limitation, the granting of stock appreciation rights, phantom stock rights or other rights with equity features), then the Company’s Board of Directors will make an appropriate adjustment in the Exercise Price and the number of Warrant Shares so as to protect the rights of the Holder; provided that no such adjustment pursuant to this Section 2(b) will increase the Exercise Price or decrease the number of Warrant Shares as otherwise determined pursuant to this Section 2; provided further, however, that this subsection (b) shall not obligate the Company to provide for price-based or any other anti-dilution protection for the Holder as a result of the sale or other issuances of the Company’s securities at a price below the Exercise Price.

3. RIGHTS UPON DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS. If the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case:

(a) any Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the record date fixed for the determination of holders of shares of Common Stock entitled to receive the Distribution shall be reduced, effective as of the close of business on such record date, to a price determined by multiplying such Exercise Price by a fraction of which (i) the numerator shall be the Closing Bid Price of the shares of Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding such record date minus the value of the Distribution (as determined in good faith by the Company’s Board of Directors) applicable to one share of Common Stock, and (ii) the denominator shall be the Closing Bid Price of the shares of Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding such record date; and

(b) the number of Warrant Shares shall be increased to a number of shares equal to the number of shares of Common Stock obtainable immediately prior to the close of business on the record date fixed for the determination of holders of shares of Common Stock entitled to receive the Distribution multiplied by the reciprocal of the fraction set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph (a); provided that in the event that the Distribution is of shares of Common Stock (or common stock) (“Other Shares of Common Stock”) of a company whose common shares are traded on a national securities exchange or a national automated quotation system, then the Holder may elect to receive a warrant to purchase Other Shares of Common Stock in lieu of an increase in the number of Warrant Shares, the terms of which shall be identical to those of this Warrant, except that such warrant shall be exercisable into the number of shares of Other Shares of Common Stock that would have been payable to the Holder pursuant to the Distribution had the Holder exercised this Warrant immediately prior to such record date and with an aggregate exercise price equal to the product of the amount by which the exercise price of this Warrant was decreased with respect to the Distribution pursuant to the terms of the immediately preceding paragraph (a) and the number of Warrant Shares calculated in accordance with the first part of this paragraph (b).

4. PURCHASE RIGHTS; FUNDAMENTAL TRANSACTIONS.

(a) Purchase Rights. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 2 above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights.


(b) Fundamental Transactions. The Company shall not enter into or be party to a Fundamental Transaction unless the Successor Entity assumes this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section (4)(b), including agreements to deliver to each holder of Warrants in exchange for such Warrants a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant, including, without limitation, an adjusted exercise price equal to the value for the shares of Common Stock reflected by the terms of such Fundamental Transaction, and exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and satisfactory to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein. In addition to and not in substitution for any other rights hereunder, prior to the consummation of any Fundamental Transaction pursuant to which holders of shares of Common Stock are entitled to receive securities or other assets with respect to or in exchange for shares of Common Stock (a “Corporate Event”), the Company shall make appropriate provision to insure that the Holder will thereafter have the right to receive upon an exercise of this Warrant at any time after the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction but prior to the Expiration Date, in lieu of the shares of the Common Stock (or other securities, cash, assets or other property) purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrant prior to such Fundamental Transaction, such shares of stock, securities, cash, assets or any other property whatsoever (including warrants or other purchase or subscription rights) which the Holder would have been entitled to receive upon the happening of such Fundamental Transaction had the Warrant been exercised immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. The provisions of this Section 4 shall apply similarly and equally to successive Fundamental Transactions and Corporate Events and shall be applied without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant.

5. NONCIRCUMVENTION. The Company hereby covenants and agrees that the Company will not, by amendment of its Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, scheme of arrangement, dissolution, issue or sale of securities, or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, and will at all times in good faith carry out all the provisions of this Warrant and take all action as may be required to protect the rights of the Holder. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company (i) shall not increase the par value of any shares of Common Stock receivable upon the exercise of this Warrant above the Exercise Price then in effect, (ii) shall take all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of this Warrant, and (iii) shall, so long as this Warrant is outstanding, take all action necessary to reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock, solely for the purpose of effecting the exercise of this Warrant, 100% of the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant then outstanding (without regard to any limitations on exercise).

6. WARRANT HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, conveyance or otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Warrant Shares which such Person is then entitled to receive upon the due exercise of this Warrant. In addition, nothing contained in this Warrant shall be construed as


imposing any liabilities on the Holder to purchase any securities (upon exercise of this Warrant or otherwise) or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liabilities are asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

7. REISSUANCE OF WARRANTS.

(a) Transfer of Warrant. If this Warrant is to be transferred, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company, whereupon the Company will forthwith issue and deliver upon the order of the Holder a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)), registered as the Holder may request, representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares being transferred by the Holder and, if less then the total number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant is being transferred, a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) to the Holder representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares not being transferred.

(b) Lost, Stolen or Mutilated Warrant. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant, and, in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of any indemnification undertaking by the Holder to the Company in customary form and, in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation of this Warrant, the Company shall execute and deliver to the Holder a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing the right to purchase the Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant.

(c) Exchangeable for Multiple Warrants. This Warrant is exchangeable, upon the surrender hereof by the Holder at the principal office of the Company, for a new Warrant or Warrants (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing in the aggregate the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant, and each such new Warrant will represent the right to purchase such portion of such Warrant Shares as is designated by the Holder at the time of such surrender; provided, however, that no Warrants for fractional shares of Common Stock shall be given.

(d) Issuance of New Warrants. Whenever the Company is required to issue a new Warrant pursuant to the terms of this Warrant, such new Warrant (i) shall be of like tenor with this Warrant, (ii) shall represent, as indicated on the face of such new Warrant, the right to purchase the Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant (or in the case of a new Warrant being issued pursuant to Section 7(a) or Section 7(c), the Warrant Shares designated by the Holder which, when added to the number of shares of Common Stock underlying the other new Warrants issued in connection with such issuance, does not exceed the number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant), (iii) shall have an issuance date, as indicated on the face of such new Warrant which is the same as the Issuance Date, and (iv) shall have the same rights and conditions as this Warrant.

8. NOTICES. Whenever notice is required to be given under this Warrant, unless otherwise provided herein, such notice shall be given in accordance with the following instructions: (a) if within the domestic United States by first-class registered or certified airmail, or nationally recognized overnight express courier, postage prepaid, or by facsimile or (b) if delivered from outside the United States, by International Federal Express or facsimile, and (c) will be deemed given (i) if delivered by first-class registered or certified mail domestic, three business days after so mailed, (ii) if delivered by nationally recognized overnight carrier, one business day after so mailed, (iii) if delivered by International Federal Express, two business days after so mailed and (iv) if delivered by facsimile, upon electronic confirmation of receipt and will be delivered and addressed as follows:

(a) if to the Company, to:

Verenium Corporation

55 Cambridge Parkway

Cambridge, MA 02142

Attention: Gerald M. Haines, Esq.

Facsimile: (617) 674-5353


with copies to:

Cooley Godward Kronish LLP

The Prudential Building

800 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02199

Attention: Marc Recht, Esq.

Facsimile: (617) 937-2400

(b) if to the Investor, at its address on the Exercise Notice, annexed as Exhibit A hereto, or at such other address or addresses as may have been furnished to the Company in writing. The Company shall provide the Holder with prompt written notice of all actions taken pursuant to this Warrant, including in reasonable detail a description of such action and the reason therefore.

9. AMENDMENT AND WAIVER. Except as otherwise provided herein, the provisions of this Warrant may be amended and the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Holder.

10. GOVERNING LAW. This Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with, and all questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and performance of this Warrant shall be governed by, the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of New York.

11. CONSTRUCTION; HEADINGS. This Warrant shall be deemed to be jointly drafted by the Company and the Holder and shall not be construed against any person as the drafter hereof. The headings of this Warrant are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Warrant.

12. DISPUTE RESOLUTION. In the case of a dispute as to the determination of the Exercise Price or the arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares, the Company shall submit the disputed determinations or arithmetic calculations via facsimile within two (2) Business Days of receipt of the Exercise Notice giving rise to such dispute, as the case may be, to the Holder. If the Holder and the Company are unable to agree upon such determination or calculation of the Exercise Price or the Warrant Shares within three (3) Business Days of such disputed determination or arithmetic calculation being submitted to the Holder, then the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days submit via facsimile (a) the disputed determination of the Exercise Price to an independent, reputable investment bank selected by the Company and approved by the Holder or (b) the disputed arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares to the Company’s independent, outside accountant. The Company shall cause at its expense the investment bank or the accountant, as the case may be, to perform the determinations or calculations and notify the Company and the Holder of the results no later than ten (10) Business Days from the time it receives the disputed determinations or calculations. Such investment bank’s or accountant’s determination or calculation, as the case may be, shall be binding upon all parties absent demonstrable error.

13. REMEDIES, OTHER OBLIGATIONS, BREACHES AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. The remedies provided in this Warrant shall be cumulative and in addition to all other remedies available under this Warrant, at law or in equity (including a decree of specific performance and/or other injunctive relief), and nothing herein shall limit the right of the Holder to pursue actual damages for any failure by the Company to comply with the terms of this Warrant.

14. TRANSFER. This Warrant may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without the consent of the Company.


15. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Warrant, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) “Bloomberg” means Bloomberg Financial Markets.

(b) “Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed.

(c) “Change of Control” means any Fundamental Transaction other than (A) any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of the Common Stock, in which holders of the Company’s voting power immediately prior to such reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification continue after such reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification to hold publicly traded securities and, directly or indirectly, the voting power of the surviving entity or entities necessary to elect a majority of the members of the board of directors (or their equivalent if other than a corporation) of such entity or entities, or (B) pursuant to a migratory merger effected solely for the purpose of changing the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company.

(d) “Closing Bid Price” and “Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last closing bid price and last closing trade price, respectively, for such security on the Principal Market, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Principal Market begins to operate on an extended hours basis and does not designate the closing bid price or the closing trade price, as the case may be, then the last bid price or the last trade price, respectively, of such security prior to 4:00:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Principal Market is not the principal securities exchange or trading market for such security, the last closing bid price or last trade price, respectively, of such security on the principal securities exchange or trading market where such security is listed or traded as reported by Bloomberg, or if the foregoing do not apply, the last closing bid price or last trade price, respectively, of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no closing bid price or last trade price, respectively, is reported for such security by Bloomberg, the average of the bid prices, or the ask prices, respectively, of any market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by Pink Sheets LLC (formerly the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.). If the Closing Bid Price or the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Bid Price or the Closing Sale Price, as the case may be, of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. All such determinations to be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during the applicable calculation period.

(e) “Common Stock” means (i) the Company’s shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, and (ii) any share capital into which such Common Stock shall have been changed or any share capital resulting from a reclassification of such Common Stock.

(f) “Convertible Securities” means any stock or securities (other than Options) directly or indirectly convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock.

(g) “Eligible Market” means the Principal Market, The New York Stock Exchange, Inc., The American Stock Exchange, The NASDAQ Global Select Market or The NASDAQ Capital Market.

(h) “Expiration Date” means the date that is sixty (60) months following the Date of Issuance or, if such date falls on a day other than a Business Day or on which trading does not take place on the Principal Market (a “Holiday”), the next date that is not a Holiday.

(i) “Fundamental Transaction” means that the Company shall, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions, (i) consolidate or merge with or into (whether or not the Company is the surviving corporation) another Person, or (ii) sell, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company to another Person, or (iii) allow another Person to make a purchase, tender or exchange offer that is accepted by the holders of more than the 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the Person or Persons making or party to, or


associated or affiliated with the Persons making or party to, such purchase, tender or exchange offer), or (iv) consummate a stock purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than the 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock purchase agreement or other business combination), (v) reorganize, recapitalize or reclassify its Common Stock, or (vi) any “person” or “group” (as these terms are used for purposes of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) is or shall become the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of 50% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by issued and outstanding Common Stock.

(j) “Options” means any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities.

(k) “Parent Entity” of a Person means an entity that, directly or indirectly, controls the applicable Person and whose common stock or equivalent equity security is quoted or listed on an Eligible Market, or, if there is more than one such Person or Parent Entity, the Person or Parent Entity with the largest public market capitalization as of the date of consummation of the Fundamental Transaction.

(l) “Person” means an individual, a limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture, a corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization, any other entity and a government or any department or agency thereof.

(m) “Principal Market” means The NASDAQ Global Market.

(n) “Successor Entity” means the Person (or, if so elected by the Holder, the Parent Entity) formed by, resulting from or surviving any Fundamental Transaction or the Person (or, if so elected by the Holder, the Parent Entity) with which such Fundamental Transaction shall have been entered into.

(o) “Trading Day” means any day on which the Common Stock are traded on the Principal Market, or, if the Principal Market is not the principal trading market for the Common Stock, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which the Common Stock are then traded; provided that “Trading Day” shall not include any day on which the Common Stock are scheduled to trade on such exchange or market for less than 4.5 hours or any day that the Common Stock are suspended from trading during the final hour of trading on such exchange or market (or if such exchange or market does not designate in advance the closing time of trading on such exchange or market, then during the hour ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York time).

(p) “Weighted Average Price” means, for any security as of any date, the dollar volume-weighted average price for such security on the Principal Market during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York City time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg through its “Volume at Price” function or, if the foregoing does not apply, the dollar volume-weighted average price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York City time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no dollar volume-weighted average price is reported for such security by Bloomberg for such hours, the average of the highest closing bid price and the lowest closing ask price of any of the market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by Pink Sheets LLC (formerly the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.). If the Weighted Average Price cannot be calculated for such security on such date on any of the foregoing bases, the Weighted Average Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then such dispute shall be resolved pursuant to Section 12 with the term “Weighted Average Price” being substituted for the term “Exercise Price.” All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any share dividend, share split or other similar transaction during such period.

[Signature Page Follows]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to Purchase Common Stock to be duly executed as of the Issuance Date set out above.

VERENIUM CORPORATION

By:                                                                   

        Name:

        Title:

 


EXHIBIT A

EXERCISE NOTICE

TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER TO EXERCISE THIS

WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

VERENIUM CORPORATION

The undersigned holder hereby exercises the right to purchase                                  of the shares of Common Stock (“Warrant Shares”) of Verenium Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), evidenced by the attached Warrant to Purchase Common Stock (the “Warrant”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Warrant.

1. Form of Exercise Price. The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as:

 

                           a “Cash Exercise” with respect to                          Warrant Shares; and/or

 

                           a “Cashless Exercise” with respect to                          Warrant Shares.

2. Payment of Exercise Price. In the event that the holder has elected a Cash Exercise with respect to some or all of the Warrant Shares to be issued pursuant hereto, the holder shall pay the Aggregate Exercise Price in the sum of $                             to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Warrant.

3. Delivery of Warrant Shares. The Company shall deliver to the holder             Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms of the Warrant.

Date:                                         ,                     

 

_____________________________________

Name of Registered Holder

 

By:                                                                               

        Name:

        Title:

 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The Company hereby acknowledges this Exercise Notice and hereby directs American Stock Transfer & Trust Company to issue the above indicated number of shares of Common Stock in accordance with the Transfer Agent Instructions dated [            ], 200_ from the Company and acknowledged and agreed to by American Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

VERENIUM CORPORATION

By:                                                                       

        Name:

        Title:


EXHIBIT B

Form of Lock Up Agreement

October 6, 2009

LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, New York 10020

 

  Re: Verenium Corporation Offering of Units

Dear Sirs:

In order to induce Lazard Capital Markets LLC (“Lazard”), to enter in to a certain Underwriting Agreement with Verenium Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with respect to the public offering (the “Offering”) of Units consisting of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”) and warrants to purchase the Common Stock, the undersigned hereby agrees that for a period (the “Lock-up Period”) of ninety (90) days following the date of the final prospectus filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Offering, the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of Lazard, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock or any such securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time (such shares or securities, the “Beneficially Owned Shares”)), (ii) enter into any swap, hedge or other agreement or arrangement that transfers in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of any Beneficially Owned Shares or (iii) engage in any short selling of any Beneficially Owned Shares. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) transfers of any Beneficially Owned Shares as a bona fide gift or pledge, (b) in the case of a natural person, transfers of any Beneficially Owned Shares by will or intestate succession or to any trust or partnership for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or any member of the immediate family of the undersigned, (c) in the case of a non-natural person, distributions of any Beneficially Owned Shares to general or limited partners or stockholders or members of the undersigned, (d) in the case of a non-natural person, transfers of any Beneficially Owned Shares (A) in connection with the sale or other bona fide transfer in a single transaction of all or substantially all of the undersigned’s capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests or other similar equity interests, as the case may be, or all or substantially all of the undersigned’s assets, in any such case not undertaken for the purpose of avoiding the restrictions imposed by this Agreement or (B) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity so long as the transferee is an affiliate of the undersigned and such transfer is not for value, (e) the “net” exercise of outstanding options to purchase Common Stock in accordance with their terms, or (f) transfers pursuant to a sale or an offer to purchase 100% of the outstanding Common Stock, whether pursuant to a merger, tender offer or otherwise, to a third party or group of third parties; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to


clauses (a), (b), (c) or (d), each donee, pledgee, distributee or transferee shall sign and deliver a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of this Agreement; and provided, further, that any Common Stock acquired upon the net exercise of options described in clause (e) above shall be subject to the restrictions imposed by this Agreement, and no such net exercise of options shall involve any disposition of Common Stock into the public market. For the purposes of this paragraph, “immediate family” shall mean spouse, domestic partner, lineal descendant (including adopted children), father, mother, brother, or sister of the transferor.

If (i) the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs during the last seventeen (17) days of the Lock-up Period, or (ii) prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16)-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-up Period, the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the eighteen (18)-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

Anything contained herein to the contrary notwithstanding, any person to whom shares of Common Stock, securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or Beneficially Owned Shares are transferred from the undersigned shall be bound by the terms of this Agreement.

In addition, the undersigned hereby waives, from the date hereof until the expiration of the ninetieth (90th) day following the date of the Company’s final prospectus, any and all rights, if any, to request or demand registration pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock that are registered in the name of the undersigned or that are Beneficially Owned Shares. In order to enable the aforesaid covenants to be enforced, the undersigned hereby consents to the placing of legends and/or stop transfer orders with the transfer agent of the Common Stock with respect to any shares of Common Stock, securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or Beneficially Owned Shares.

If (i) the Company notifies Lazard in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, (ii) for any reason the Offering is terminated prior to the payment for and delivery of the Units or (iii) the Offering shall not have been completed by October 31, 2009, then upon the occurrence of any such event, this Agreement shall immediately be terminated and the undersigned shall be released from its obligations hereunder.

 

[Signatory]
By:  

 

Name:  
Title: