[] Shares Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. Common Stock (no par value) Underwriting Agreement dated [], 2013

EX-1.1 2 a13-11022_1ex1d1.htm EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

 

[·] Shares
Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.
Common Stock
(no par value)
Underwriting Agreement
dated [
·], 2013

 

[·], 2013

 

JMP SECURITIES LLC
600 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, California 94111

 

As Representative of the several Underwriters listed on Schedule A hereto

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., a Michigan corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A attached hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of [·] shares of its Common Stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), including rights to purchase shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock of the Company, which are attached to all shares of Common Stock (collectively, the “Firm Offered Shares”), in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Underwriting Agreement (the “Agreement”).  In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional [·] shares of Common Stock, including rights to purchase shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock of the Company, which are attached to all shares of Common Stock (collectively, the “Optional Offered Shares”), as provided in Section 2 hereof. The Firm Offered Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Offered Shares are collectively called the “Offered Shares.” JMP Securities LLC (“JMP”) has agreed to act as representative of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representative”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares.

 

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-188186), which contains a form of prospectus to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Offered Shares.  Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits, and schedules thereto, in the form in which it was declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A (“Rule 430A Information”) or Rule 430C under the Securities Act (“Rule 430C Information”), is called the “Registration Statement.”  Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and from and after the date and time of filing of any such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the term “Registration Statement” shall include such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.  As used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus relating to the Offered Shares included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, including any preliminary prospectus supplement thereto relating to the Offered Shares, and the term “Prospectus” means the final prospectus relating to the Offered Shares, including any prospectus supplement relating to the Offered Shares, as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act.  Any reference in this Agreement 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-1 under the Securities Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

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At or prior to [·] [am][/][pm] New York City time on [·], 2013 (the “Time of Sale”), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated [·], 2013, each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Schedule B hereto and the pricing information set forth on Schedule C.

 

Section 1.                                          Representations and Warranties of the Company.

 

The Company hereby represents and warrants to the Underwriters as follows:

 

(a)                                 Preliminary Prospectus. No stop order preventing the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission. Each Preliminary Prospectus included in the General Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriters furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriters expressly for use in such Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters consist of the information described as such in Section 8(c) hereof.

 

(b)                                 General Disclosure Package. The General Disclosure Package at the Time of Sale, and as of the First Closing Date (as hereafter defined) or the Second Closing Date (as hereafter defined), as the case may be, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriters furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriters expressly for use in such General Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters consist of the information described as such in Section 8(c) hereof.

 

(c)                                  Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied, to the Commission’s satisfaction, with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No other document with respect to the Registration Statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission. The Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, as of each effective date, complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements and provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and as of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriters furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriters expressly for use in such Registration Statement, Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, and Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters consist of the information described as such in Section 8(c) hereof.

 

(d)                                 Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not made, used, prepared, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Offered Shares (each such communication by the

 

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Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Schedule B hereto and other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representative.  Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the General Disclosure Package, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and at the First Closing Date and as of the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(c) hereof.  Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Shares or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative as described in Section 3(e) hereof, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any Preliminary Prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus satisfied, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the Prospectus Delivery Period, all other conditions to use thereof as set forth in Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act.

 

(e)                                  Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and 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 were filed on a timely basis with the Commission, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(f)                                   Organization and Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Michigan, with full corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as currently being conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, prospects, operations, assets, financial condition, members’ or stockholders’ equity (as applicable) or results of operations of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries (as defined herein) taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”). Complete and correct copies of the charter and bylaws of the Company and all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Underwriters, and no changes therein will be made on or after the date hereof through and including the the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(g)                                  Subsidiaries. The Company has no subsidiaries (as defined under the Securities Act) other than the subsidiaries set forth in Exhibit 21 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 (collectively, the “Subsidiaries”). The Company owns all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries. Other than the capital stock of the Subsidiaries, and other than with respect to its cash equivalents, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity. Complete and correct copies of the charters and bylaws of each Subsidiary and all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Underwriters, and no changes therein will be made on or after the date hereof through and including the First

 

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Closing Date and the Second Closing Date, as the case may be. Each Subsidiary has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where failure to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right and are owned by the Company subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims. No options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligation into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding. The Company has no “significant subsidiary,” as that term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Act.

 

(h)                                 Capitalization and other Capital Stock Matters. The Company has the authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or purchase securities and conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Except as have been waived with respect to the Offered Shares or are otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any restriction upon the voting or transfer of, any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s charter, bylaws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company that have not been fully complied with or previously waived. Except as described or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no options, warrants, agreements, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company any shares of the capital stock of the Company (other than as a result of the grant of stock options under the Company’s existing equity incentive plans). The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

 

(i)                                     Offered Shares. The Offered Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights and of any restriction upon the voting or transfer thereof pursuant to the Michigan General Corporation Act or the Company’s charter or bylaws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party. The Offered Shares will conform in all material respects to the description of the Offered Shares contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(j)                                    No Conflicts. The issuance and sale of the Offered Shares to be sold by the Company pursuant hereto, the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under), or result in the creation or imposition of a lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, lease, license, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the

 

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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, except for such breaches or violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, nor will such action result in any violation of (a) the provisions of the charter or bylaws of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (b) any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court, arbitrator, governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their properties or (c) any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ Capital Market), except in the case of (b) or (c) above, for such violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(k)                                 No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification, permit, license, exemption, filing or notice (each, an “Authorization”) of, from, with or to any court, government, governmental or regulatory authority, self-regulatory organization or body (each, a “Regulatory Body”) is required for the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares by the Company, except (i) the registration of the Offered Shares under the Securities Act; (ii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”); (iii) as may be required under the Exchange Act or state securities or Blue Sky laws or any securities laws of jurisdictions outside of the United States in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Offered Shares by the Underwriters; and (iv) such other Authorizations the absence of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and no event has occurred that allows or results in, or after notice or lapse of time or both would allow or result in, revocation, suspension, termination or invalidation of any such Authorization or any other impairment of the rights of the holder or maker of any such Authorization.

 

(l)                                     Due Authorization. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnity hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity.

 

(m)                             Corporate Power. The Company has full power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, the authorization, issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated by this Agreement. All corporate actions (including those of stockholders) necessary for the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated in this Agreement have been obtained and are in effect. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no approval of the Company (including the approval of its stockholders) is required under the rules and regulations of any trading market for the Company to issue and deliver to the Underwriters the Offered Shares.

 

(n)                                 Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in breach or violation of or in default under (nor has any event occurred which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (i) its charter, bylaws or certificate of designation or other organizational documents; (ii) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, lease, license, contract or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or affected; (iii) any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, including, without limitation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; (iv) any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ Capital Market); or (v) any decree, judgment or order applicable to it or any of its properties, except for such defaults specified under subparagraphs (ii) through (v) herein that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(o)                                 No Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus 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,

 

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except for such loss or interference as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than issuances of shares of capital stock pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants) or short-term or long-term debt, or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase capital stock (other than issuances of options under the Company’s existing stock option plans), of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, entered into any material transactions, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock.

 

(p)                                 Title to Properties. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property (other than Intellectual Property) that are material to their business described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except (i) such as are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or (ii) such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its Subsidiaries. Any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

(q)                                 Licenses and Permits. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries holds, and is operating in compliance with, all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certificates and orders (each, a “Permit”) of any Regulatory Body necessary for the conduct of its business, including, without limitation, all such certificates, authorizations and permits required by the FDA (as defined below) or any other state, federal or foreign agencies or bodies engaged in the regulation of pharmaceuticals or biohazardous materials; all such Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the failure to hold or comply with any such Permits would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation, suspension or modification of any such Permit or has reason to believe that any such Permit will not be renewed in the ordinary course of business.

 

(r)                                    Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns, possesses or can acquire on reasonable terms all Intellectual Property (as defined below) necessary for the conduct of its business as now conducted or as proposed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus to be conducted. Except as set forth in Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no material infringement, misappropriation or violation by third parties of any such Intellectual Property; (ii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ rights in or to any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iii) the Intellectual Property owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property licensed to the Company and its Subsidiaries has not been adjudged invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts that would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property or other proprietary rights of others, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notice of such claim and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (v) the Company and its Subsidiaries have not been advised of and have not received a written notice of breach of any of their agreements with the University of Michigan, or ATEK Medical, LLC or Vention Medical, (vi) all patent applications owned by or licensed to the Company and its Subsidiaries (including all applications pursuant to which patents have been issued) have, to the knowledge of the Company and its Subsidiaries, been duly and properly filed, and to the knowledge of the Company and its Subsidiaries, the parties prosecuting such applications have complied

 

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with their duty of candor and disclosure to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) in connection with such applications, and the Company and its Subsidiaries are not aware of any facts required to be disclosed to the USPTO that were not disclosed to the USPTO and which would preclude the grant of a patent in connection with any such application or could form the basis of a finding of invalidity with respect to any patents that have issued with respect to such applications; and (vii) to the Company’s knowledge, no employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company or one of its Subsidiaries or actions undertaken by the employee while employed with the Company or such Subsidiary, except as such violation would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. “Intellectual Property” shall mean all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property.

 

(s)                                   FDA Compliance. The Company has operated and currently is in compliance with the United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended, all applicable rules and regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and other federal, state, local and foreign governmental bodies exercising comparable authority, except where the failure to so operate or be in compliance would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The clinical studies conducted by or on behalf of the Company that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus were, and, if still pending, are being, conducted in accordance with the protocols submitted to the FDA and all applicable laws and regulations; preclinical studies conducted by or on behalf of the Company or its subsidiaries that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus were, and, if still pending, are being, conducted in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls; the descriptions of the tests and preclinical and clinical studies, and results thereof, conducted by or on behalf of the Company contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are accurate and complete in all material respects; and the Company is not aware of any other trials or studies, the results of which call into question the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and the Company has not received any notice or correspondence from the FDA or any foreign, state or local governmental body exercising comparable authority requiring the termination, suspension, or clinical hold of any preclinical or clinical studies with respect to product candidates currently under development, or such notice or correspondence from any Institutional Review Board or comparable authority requiring the termination or suspension of a clinical study, conducted by or on behalf of the Company, which termination, suspension, or clinical hold would have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company, its Subsidiaries, or their respective business operations, is in violation of any Health Care Laws, except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this Agreement, “Health Care Laws” means (i) the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Pub. L. No. 104-191) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, and the regulations promulgated thereunder and comparable state privacy and security laws, (ii) the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.) and the regulations promulgated pursuant thereto; (iii) the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (Pub. L. No. 100-578) and the regulations promulgated pursuant thereto; (iv) quality, safety and accreditation standards and requirements of all applicable state laws or regulatory bodies; and (v) any and all other applicable health care laws, regulations, manual provisions, policies and administrative guidance, each of (i) through (v) as may be amended from time to time. The Company has not received written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any governmental authority alleging that any product, operation or activity is in material violation of any applicable Health Care Law or Permit and has no knowledge that any such governmental authority is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; and the Company has not received notice, either verbally or in writing, that any governmental authority has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any material Permits and has no knowledge that any such governmental authority is considering such action.

 

(t)                                    Compliance with Environmental Laws. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i) is in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (ii) has received and is in material compliance with all Permits required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business; and (iii) has not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of

 

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hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except in any such case for any such failure to comply, failure to receive required Permits or liability as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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

 

(v)                                 ERISA Compliance. Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). No prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any such plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; and for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions.

 

(w)                               Labor Matters. Except for matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) there is (A) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under collective bargaining agreements is pending, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, (B) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage, pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and (C) no union representation dispute currently existing concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries.

 

(x)                                 Restrictions Upon Business. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has granted rights to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products or any product candidates to any other person, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is bound by any agreement that affects the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ exclusive right to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products or any product candidates.

 

(y)                                 Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.

 

(z)                                  Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries carries, or is covered by, insurance issued by insurers of nationally recognized financial responsibility in such amounts and covering such risks as is reasonably adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance; or (ii) received notice from any insurer or agent that it will not be

 

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able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business. All such insurance is outstanding and duly in force on the date hereof.

 

(aa)                          Tax Law Compliance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has timely filed all federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise tax returns required to be filed and are not in default in the payment of any taxes which were payable pursuant to said returns or any assessments with respect thereto, other than any that the Company or such Subsidiary is contesting in good faith, except for such taxes and assessments which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending dispute with any taxing authority relating to any of such returns, and the Company has no knowledge of any proposed liability for any tax to be imposed upon the properties or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for which there is not an adequate reserve reflected in the Company’s financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(bb)                          No Proceedings. Other than as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others. There are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that have not been so described.

 

(cc)                            Descriptions of Documents. The descriptions in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of legal or governmental proceedings, statutes, regulations, contracts, leases and other legal documents are accurate and present fairly the information required to be shown, and there are no legal or governmental proceedings, statutes, regulations, contracts, leases, or other documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required; all agreements between the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and third parties expressly referenced in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company or one or more of the Subsidiaries, enforceable against the Company or such Subsidiary in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general principles of equity.

 

(dd)                          Company Not an “Investment Company”. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

 

(ee)                            Status under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Offered Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

(ff)                              Distribution of Offering Materials. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or other materials permitted by the Securities Act to be distributed by the Company; provided, however, that, except as set forth on Schedule B, the Company has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Offered Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, except in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(g) of this Agreement.

 

(gg)                            Stock Exchange Listing. The Common Stock of the Company is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker symbol “ASTM.” The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common

 

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Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from the NASDAQ Capital Market nor, except as disclosed in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 13, 2013, has the Company received any notice that it is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of the NASDAQ Capital Market. The Company has taken all reasonable actions necessary to address any notice received from the NASDAQ Capital Market in a timely manner and in compliance with such notice of the NASDAQ Capital Market, and believes that it is, and except as disclosed in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 13, 2013, has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in material compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no affiliations among the Company’s directors and officers and members of FINRA. A registration statement relating to the Common Stock on Form 8-A or other applicable form under the Exchange Act has become effective.

 

(hh)                          Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries filed as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is (i) an independent public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act; (ii) a registered public accounting firm (as defined in Section 2(a)(12) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act); and (iii) in the performance of its work for the Company, not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(ii)                                  Financial Statements. The financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries (including all notes and schedules thereto) set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries for the periods specified in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, and in accordance with Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission; and the summary and selected financial data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein as at the respective dates and for the respective periods specified and have been compiled on a basis consistent with and are derived from the consolidated financial statements set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and other accounting records of the Company. There are no other schedules or financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and the Company does not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. All non-GAAP financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus complies with the requirements of Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

 

(jj)                                Accounting Controls. The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective. The Company’s board of directors has, subject to the exceptions, cure periods and the phase in periods specified in the applicable stock exchange rules (“Exchange Rules”), validly appointed an audit committee to oversee internal accounting controls whose composition satisfies the applicable requirements of the Exchange Rules and the Company’s board of directors and/or the audit committee has adopted a charter that satisfies the requirements of the Exchange Rules.

 

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(kk)                          No Significant Deficiencies or Material Weaknesses. Neither the Company’s board of directors nor the audit committee has been informed, nor is any director of the Company or the Company aware, of (i) any “significant deficiencies” or “material weaknesses” (each as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board) in the design or operation of the Company’s internal controls that could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data; or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees of the Company who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls.

 

(ll)                                  No Change in Accounting Controls. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (other than as set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).

 

(mm)                  Disclosure Controls. The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act, such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its Subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective. The Company has utilized such controls and procedures in preparing and evaluating the disclosures in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(nn)                          Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors or officers or, to the knowledge of the Company, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company, on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and which is not so described. There are no outstanding loans, advances or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the executive officers or directors of the Company in violation of applicable laws, including Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

(oo)                          No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any officer, director, manager or trustee purporting to act on behalf of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries has at any time (i) made any contributions to any candidate for political office, or failed to disclose fully any such contributions, in violation of law, (ii) made any payment to any state, federal or foreign governmental officer or official, or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duties, other than payments required or allowed by applicable law, (iii) made any payment outside the ordinary course of business to any investment officer or loan broker or person charged with similar duties of any entity to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries sells or from which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries buys loans or servicing arrangements for the purpose of influencing such agent, officer, broker or person to buy loans or servicing arrangements from or sell loans to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries in violation of law, or (iv) engaged in any transactions, maintained any bank account or used any corporate funds except for transactions, bank accounts and funds that have been and are reflected in the normally maintained books and records of the Company and the Subsidiaries.

 

(pp)                          Compliance with FCPA. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (“FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company, its Subsidiaries, and to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

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(qq)                          No Broker’s Fees. Except as contemplated by this Agreement and as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no person is entitled to receive from the Company a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the transactions contemplated herein.

 

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

 

(ss)                              FINRA. All of the information provided to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters by the Company, its officers and directors and, to the Company’s knowledge, the holders of any securities (debt or equity) or options to acquire any securities of the Company in connection with letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 or 5121, is true, complete and correct. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its affiliates (within the meaning of the FINRA Rule 5121(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(ff) of the By-laws of FINRA) of, any member of FINRA. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no affiliations with FINRA among the Company’s officers or directors.

 

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

 

(uu)                          Compliance with OFAC. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or controlled affiliates nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

 

(vv)                          Business with Cuba. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or controlled affiliates does business with the government of Cuba or with any person located in Cuba within the meaning of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes.

 

(ww)                      No Unlawful Payment or Receipt of Funds. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any employee or agent of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, has made any payment of funds of the Company or of any Subsidiary or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation or of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(xx)                          Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.

 

(yy)                          No Transfer Taxes or Other Fees. There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under Federal law or the applicable laws of any state, or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance and sale by the Company of the Offered Shares.

 

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

 

(aaa)                   Anti-Takeover Provisions. The Company and its board of directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s charter documents or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could reasonably be expected to become applicable to the Underwriters as a result of the Underwriters and the Company fulfilling their respective obligations or exercising their respective rights under this Agreement, including, without limitation, the Company’s issuance of the Offered Shares and the Underwriters’ ownership of the Offered Shares.

 

Section 2.                                          Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Offered Shares.

 

(a)                                 The Offered Shares.  On the basis of the representations, warranties, and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters the Firm Offered Shares, and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Firm Offered Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A attached hereto.  The purchase price per Firm Offered Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company shall be $[·] (the “Purchase Price”).

 

(b)                                 The First Closing Date.  Delivery of certificates for the Firm Offered Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Morrison & Foerster LLP, located at 425 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94105 (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representative) at [·] [am][/][pm] New York City time, on [·], 2013, or such other time and date (not to exceed seven days from [·], 2013) as the Representative shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “First Closing Date”); provided, however, that if the Company has not made available to the Representative copies of the Prospectus within the time provided in Section 2(g) hereof, the Representative may, in its sole discretion, postpone the First Closing Date until no later than two (2) full business days following delivery of copies of the Prospectus to the Representative. The Company hereby acknowledges that circumstances under which the Representative may provide notice to postpone the First Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are in no way limited to, any determination by the Company or the Representative to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Section 10 hereof.

 

(c)                                  The Optional Offered Shares; the Second Closing Date.  In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties, and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of [·] Optional Offered Shares from the Company at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Offered Shares.  The option granted hereunder is for use by the Underwriters solely in covering any over-allotments in connection with the sale and distribution of the Firm Offered Shares.  The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time (but not more than once) upon notice by the Representative to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within thirty (30) days from the date of this Agreement.  Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Optional Offered Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option, (ii) the names and denominations in which the certificates for the Optional Offered Shares are to be registered, and (iii) the time, date, and place at which such certificates will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date, and in such case the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of certificates for the Firm Offered Shares and the Optional Offered Shares).  Such time and date of delivery of the Optional Offered Shares, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called the “Second Closing Date” and shall be determined by the Representative and shall not be earlier than three (3) nor later than five (5) full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise.  If any Optional Offered Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Optional Offered Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representative may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Offered Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Offered Shares set forth on Schedule A attached hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of

 

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Firm Offered Shares.  The Representative may cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company.

 

(d)                                 Public Offering of the Offered Shares.  The Representative hereby advises the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as described in the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Offered Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed as the Representative, in its sole judgment, has determined is advisable and practicable.

 

(e)                                  Payment for the Offered Shares.  Payment for the Offered Shares shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at the Second Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company. It is understood that the Representative has been authorized, for its own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Offered Shares and any Optional Offered Shares that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase.  JMP, individually and not as the Representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Offered Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representative by the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(f)                                   Delivery of the Offered Shares.  On the First Closing Date the Company shall deliver the Firm Offered Shares, which shall be registered in the name or names and shall be in such denominations as the Representative may request at least one (1) business day before the First Closing Date, to the Underwriters, which delivery shall be made through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC system. On the Second Closing Date, if applicable, the Company shall deliver the Optional Offered Shares being issued, if any, which shall be registered in the name or names and shall be in such denominations as the Representative may request at least one (1) business day before the Second Closing Date, to the Underwriters, which delivery shall be made through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC system.

 

(g)                                  Delivery of Prospectus to the Underwriters.  Not later than 12:00 p.m. on the second business day following the date that the Offered Shares are first released by the Underwriters for sale to the public, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered, copies of the Prospectus in such quantities and at such places as the Representative shall request.

 

Section 3.                                          Covenants of the Company.

 

The Company hereby covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)                                 Blue Sky Compliance.  The Company shall cooperate with the Representative and legal counsel for the Underwriters and furnish such information as may be required to qualify or register the Offered Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws or other foreign laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Representative, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Shares, provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation; and that the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction and will advise the Representative promptly of such suspension or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose; and that, in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(b)                                 Post-Effective Amendments.  If, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary for a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement to be declared effective before the offering of the Offered Shares may commence, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to cause such post-effective amendment to become effective as soon as possible.

 

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(c)                                  Required Filings.  The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A or 430C under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Offered Shares; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities and at such locations as the Representative may reasonably request, which Prospectus and Issuer Free Writing Prospectus furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the version transmitted to the Commission for filing via EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(d)                                 Delivery of Copies.  At the Representative’s request, the Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representative, two signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith and documents incorporated by reference therein; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representative may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Offered Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Offered Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.

 

(e)                                  Notice to the Representative.  After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Representative in writing of (i) the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission, in each case with respect to the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, (ii) the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, (iii) the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective, and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend, or terminate from listing the Common Stock from the NASDAQ, or the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes.  During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order or suspension, removal or termination from listing, and, if the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment.

 

(f)                                   Ongoing Compliance.  (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist 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 any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law and (2) if at any time prior to the First Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the General Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative(s) may designate, such amendments or supplements to the General Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the General Disclosure Package as so

 

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amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented, will comply with the law.

 

(g)                                  Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.  Before preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representative reasonably objects.  The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.

 

(h)                                 Use of Proceeds.  The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(i)                                     Earnings Statement.  The Company will make generally available to its security holders and deliver to the Representative as soon as practicable an earnings statement complying with the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least 12 months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.

 

(j)                                    Exchange Listing.  The Company will use its reasonable efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Offered Shares on, and comply during the Prospectus Delivery Period with the published rules and regulations of, the NASDAQ and file with the NASDAQ, all documents and notices required by the NASDAQ of companies that have securities for which quotations are reported by the NASDAQ.

 

(k)                                 Transfer Agent.  The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Offered Shares.

 

(l)                                     Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities.  For a period of 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not (i) offer for sale, sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device which is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or any other Company securities, or sell or grant options, rights or warrants with respect to any such shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or other securities (other than the grant of options pursuant to option plans existing on the date hereof), (ii) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of the Common Stock or other securities, whether any such transaction described in in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, in each case without the prior written consent of the Representative.  The foregoing restriction shall not apply to (a) the Offered Shares to be sold hereunder; (b) shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or other securities required to be issued pursuant to contractual obligations of the Company in effect as of the date of this Agreement; or (c) shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock issued pursuant to employee benefit or purchase plans in effect as of the date of this Agreement or pursuant to bona fide employee benefit or purchase plans established during this period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 90-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day period, the restrictions imposed by this clause shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

 

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(m)                             No Stabilization.  The Company will not, and will use its reasonable best efforts to cause its officers, directors, partners and affiliates, as applicable, not to (i) take, directly or indirectly prior to termination of the underwriting syndicate contemplated by this Agreement, any action designed to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which may cause or result in, or which might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company, to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Offered Shares, (ii) sell, bid for, purchase or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Offered Shares or (iii) during the Prospectus Delivery Period, pay or agree to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting any order to purchase any other securities of the Company.

 

(n)                                 Periodic Reporting Obligations.  During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the NASDAQ all reports and documents in the manner required by the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

(o)                                 Notice of Subsequent Events Affecting the Market Price of the Common Stock or Offered Shares. If at any time during the period prior to the Second Closing Date, any rumor, publication, notice or event relating to or affecting the Company shall occur as a result of which, in the reasonable opinion of the Representative, the market price of the Offered Shares has been or is likely to be materially affected (regardless of whether such rumor, publication, notice or event necessitates a supplement to or amendment of the Prospectus) and after written notice from the Representative advising the Company to the effect set forth above, to forthwith prepare, consult with the Representative concerning the substance of, and disseminate a press release or other public statement, reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, responding to or commenting on such rumor, publication, notice or event.

 

(p)                                 Investment Company Act.  Within one year of the date of this Agreement, the Company shall not invest or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

 

(q)                                 Taxes.  The Company and its Subsidiaries will pay during the Prospectus Delivery Period all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and will file all tax returns required to be paid or filed for the current and subsequent taxable years; and there will be no material tax deficiency asserted against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets during the Prospectus Delivery Period.

 

Section 4.                                          Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters.  The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares as provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Offered Shares, the Second Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Optional Offered Shares, as of the Second Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                 Accountants’ Original Comfort Letter.  On the date hereof, the Representative shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (the “Auditors”), independent registered public accounting firm for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative (the “Original Comfort Letter”), containing statements and information of the type customarily 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.

 

(b)                                 Accountants’ Bring-down Comfort Letter.  The Representative shall have received on the First Closing Date and on the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, a letter (the “Bring-down Comfort Letter”) from the Auditors addressed to the Underwriters, dated the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, confirming that they are independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act, and based upon the procedures described in the Original Comfort Letter, but carried out to a date not more than three (3) business days prior to the First Closing

 

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Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, (i) confirming, to the extent true, that the statements and conclusions set forth in the Original Comfort Letter are accurate as of the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, and (ii) setting forth any revisions and additions to the statements and conclusions set forth in the Original Comfort Letter which are necessary to reflect any changes in the facts described in the Original Comfort Letter since the date of such letter, or to reflect the availability of more recent financial statements, data, or information. The Representative shall have received an additional number of conformed copies of such accountants’ letter as the Representative may request for each of the several Underwriters.

 

If the Bring-down Comfort Letter shall disclose any change in the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business, or business prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one entity, from that set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, which, in the sole judgment of the Representative, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the sole judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering of the Offered Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, then this condition in this Section 4(b) shall be deemed not satisfied, and the Representative may terminate this Agreement in accordance with the last paragraph of this Section 4.

 

(c)                                  Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from FINRA.  For the period from and after effectiveness of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Offered shares, prior to the Second Closing Date:

 

(i)                                     The Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective;

 

(ii)                                  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or are pending, contemplated, or threatened by the Commission, and no suspension of the qualification of the Offered Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any such purposes, shall have occurred;

 

(iii)                               Any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any incorporated document or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the Representative and Underwriters’ counsel;

 

(iv)                              the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus shall 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, in each case, that has not been corrected by an amendment or supplement thereto; and

 

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

 

(d)                                 No Material Adverse Change.  For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Offered Shares, prior to the Second Closing Date, in the judgment of the Representative there shall not have occurred any material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the business, prospects, operations, financial condition, or results of operations, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one entity, from that set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, which, in the sole judgment of the Representative, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the sole judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with

 

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the public offering of the Offered Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(e)                                  Opinion of Counsel to the Company.  On each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion of (i) Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Company and the Subsidiaries, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the form of which shall have been agreed to between the Underwriters and Goodwin Procter LLP, (ii) Dykema Gossett PLLC, Michigan counsel for the Company and the Subsidiaries, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the form of which shall have been agreed to between the Underwriters and Dykema Gossett PLLC and (iii) Mintz Levin LLP, intellectual property counsel for the Company and the Subsidiaries, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the form of which shall have been agreed to between the Underwriters and Mintz Levin LLP.

 

(f)                                   Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters.  On each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, addressed to the Underwriters and dated as of the First Closing Date or Second Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative.  The Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as such may have requested for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

(g)                                  Officers’ Certificate.  On each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of the First Closing Date or Second Closing Date, as the case may be, to the effect set forth in subsection (c)(ii) and subsection (d) of this Section 4, and further to the effect that:

 

(i)                                     Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there has not been (a) any Material Adverse Change, (b) any transaction that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one entity, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business, (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one entity, incurred by the Company or its Subsidiaries, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business, (d) any change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one entity, (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid, or made on the capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which has been sustained or will have been sustained which has a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business, or business prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one entity;

 

(ii)                                  When the Registration Statement became effective, at the Time of Sale and as of the delivery of such certificate, (a) the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto and the incorporated documents, when such incorporated documents became effective or were filed with the Commission, contained all material information required to be included therein by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may be; (b) the Registration Statement and any amendments or supplements thereto, did not and do not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (c) the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, did not and do not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and (d) there has occurred no event required to be set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or an amended or supplemented Prospectus which has not been so set forth;

 

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(iii)                               The representations, warranties, and covenants of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such Closing Date; and

 

(iv)                              The Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.

 

(h)                                 Secretary’s Certificate. The Representative shall receive, on each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date, a certificate of the Secretary of the Company certifying as to (i) the Articles of Incorporation and any amendments thereto, (ii) the Bylaws and any amendments thereto and (iii) resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other offering documents.

 

(i)                                     Lock-Up Agreements.  On the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative an agreement in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto from each officer and director of the Company.  Such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date.

 

(j)                                    Exchange Listing.  The Offered Shares to be delivered on the First Closing Date or Second Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ, subject to official notice of issuance.

 

(k)                                 FINRA.  Prior to the date of this Agreement, FINRA shall have confirmed in writing that it has no objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

 

(l)                                     Additional Documents.  On or before each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date, the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received from the Company, as applicable, such other information, documents, certificates and opinions as they may require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

 

If any condition specified in this Section 4 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Offered Shares, at any time prior to the Second Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 5, Section 6, Section 8, Section 9, and Section 12 hereof shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 5.                                          Payment of Expenses.  The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is prevented from becoming effective under the provisions of Section 11 hereof or is otherwise terminated, agrees to pay all costs, fees, and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Offered Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Stock, (iii) all necessary issue, transfer, and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) all reasonable fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants, and other advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping, and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents, and certificates of experts), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees, and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of Canada, and, if requested by the Representative, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey,” an “International Blue Sky Survey,”

 

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or other memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, FINRA’s review and approval of the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Shares, (viii) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Offered Shares on the NASDAQ, (ix) all costs and expenses incident to the travel and accommodation of the Company’s employees on the “roadshow,” and (x) all other fees, costs, and expenses referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the Registration Statement.

 

Section 6.                                          Reimbursement of the Underwriters’ Expenses.

 

(a)                                 Reimbursement.    Subject to Section 10, Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters (including reasonable and documented fees related to clauses (vi) and (vii) of Section 5 above) and all other reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the performance of their obligations hereunder not otherwise specifically provided for in Section 5; provided, however, that such fees, costs and expenses shall not exceed $150,000 in the aggregate.

 

(b)                                 Termination of Agreement. If the sale to the Underwriters of the Offered Shares on the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any willful refusal or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters upon demand for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel and accommodation expenses, postage, facsimile, and telephone charges.

 

Section 7.                                          Effectiveness of this Agreement.

 

This Agreement shall become effective upon execution by the parties hereto.

 

Section 8.                                          Indemnification.

 

(a)                                 Indemnification of the Underwriters.  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any Loss (as hereinafter defined) to which such Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), insofar as such Loss (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (A) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (B) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the omission or alleged omission therefrom necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (C) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (D) in whole or in part upon any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, (E) in whole or in part upon any failure of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or under law applicable to the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, or (F) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any audio or visual materials provided by the Company or based upon written information furnished by or on behalf of the Company including, without limitation, slides, videos, films or tape recordings, used in connection with the marketing of the Offered Shares, and including, without limitation, statements communicated to securities analysts employed by the Underwriter; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such officer, employee or controlling person for any and all expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel

 

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chosen by the Representative) as such expenses are incurred by such Underwriter or such officer, employee or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising, or paying any such Loss; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any Loss to the extent, but only to the extent, such Loss arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus; provided, further, that with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any Loss purchased Offered Shares, or any person controlling such Underwriter, if copies of the Prospectus were timely delivered to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 2 hereof and a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to the person asserting such Loss, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of the Offered Shares to such person, and if the Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such Loss.  “Loss” shall be defined as any loss, claim, damage, liability, expense, or action, as incurred, suffered by the specified person (collectively, the “Losses”).  The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

 

(b)                                 Indemnification of the Company, Its Directors and Officers.  Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any Loss to which the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), insofar as such Loss (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (A) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or arises out of or is based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (B) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arises out of or is based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only information furnished by the Underwriters consist of the information described as such in Section 8(c) hereof; and to reimburse the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising, or paying any such Loss.  The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

 

(c)                                  Information Provided by the Underwriters.  The Company and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the statements set forth in the (A) list of Underwriters and their respective participation in the sale of the Offered Shares and (B) the following paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus: (i) the first paragraph under the heading “Commission and Expenses”, (ii) the paragraph under the heading “Electronic Distribution” and (iii) the paragraph(s) under the heading “Price Stabilization, Short Positions and  Penalty Bids”, and the Underwriter confirms that such statements are correct.

 

22



 

(d)                                 Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures.  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement.  In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties.  Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), approved by the indemnifying party (JMP in the case of Section 8(b) and Section 9), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party, or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.

 

(e)                                  Settlements.  The indemnifying party under this Section 8 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any Loss by reason of such settlement or judgment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 8(d) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than thirty (30) days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise, or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit, or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise, or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit, or proceeding, 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.

 

Section 9.                                          Contribution.

 

If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 hereof is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any Loss referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any Loss referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the

 

23



 

Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements, omissions, or inaccuracies in the representations and warranties herein which resulted in such Loss, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Offered Shares as set forth on such cover.  The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact or any such inaccurate or alleged inaccurate representation or warranty relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the Losses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 8(d) hereof, any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim.  The provisions set forth in Section 8(d) hereof with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 9; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 8(d) for purposes of indemnification.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 9.

 

The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their names in Schedule A attached hereto.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offered Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public.  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.  For purposes of this Section 9, each officer and employee of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

 

Any Loss for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 9 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such Loss is incurred, but in all cases, no later than forty-five (45) days of invoice to the indemnifying party.

 

Section 10.                                   Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters.  If, on the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in the proportions that the number of Firm Offered Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A attached hereto bears to the aggregate number of Firm Offered Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representative with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date.  If, on the First

 

24



 

Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares and the aggregate number of Offered Shares with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representative and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Shares are not made within forty-eight (48) hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party and the Company shall have no liability to reimburse the Underwriters for the fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters (including reasonable fees related to clauses (vi) and (vii) of Section 5) or any other out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been incurred by the Underwriters, except that (i) the provisions of Section 5, Section 8 and Section 9 hereof shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination, and (ii) any action taken under this Section 10 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.  In any such case, either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

 

As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

Section 11.                                   Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the First Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice given to the Company if at any time (i) the Company is unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under this Agreement; (ii) any of the conditions specified in Section 4 hereof shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled; (iii) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Nasdaq Stock Market, or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq Stock Market or the NYSE shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or FINRA; (iv) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any federal, New York or California authorities; (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity (including without limitation any terrorist or similar attack), or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change in the United States’ or international political, financial, or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representative is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (vi) in the judgment of the Representative there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (vii) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident, terrorist attack, act of war or other calamity of such character as in the reasonable judgment of the Representative may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured.  Any termination pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representative and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 5 and 6(a) hereof, (b) any Underwriter to the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 12.                                   Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery.  The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers, and the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers, or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

Section 13.                                   Notices.

 

All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

 

If to the Representative:

 

JMP Securities LLC

600 Montgomery Street

 

25



 

Suite 1100

San Francisco, California  94111

Facsimile:   ###-###-####

Attention:  Mr. [Kent Ledbetter]

 

with a copy to:

 

Morrison & Foerster LLP
425 Market Street
San Francisco, California 94105
Facsimile:   ###-###-####
Attention:   Andrew D. Thorpe, Esq.

 

If to the Company:

 

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.

24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive, Lobby K

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106

Facsimile: 734 ###-###-####
Attention: Dominick C. Colangelo and Brian D. Gibson

 

with a copy to:

 

Goodwin Procter LLP
53 State Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Facsimile: (617) 523-1231
Attention: Mitchell S. Bloom, Esq. and Danielle Lauzon

 

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

 

Section 14.                                   Successors.  This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 10 hereof, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 and Section 9 hereof, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.  The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Shares as such from the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.

 

Section 15.                                   Partial Unenforceability.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph, or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof.  If any Section, paragraph, or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

Section 16.                                   Governing Law Provisions.

 

(a)                                 Choice of Law.  THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN SUCH STATE.

 

(b)                                 Consent to Jurisdiction.  Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City and County of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a

 

26



 

judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action, or proceeding.  Service of any process, summons, notice, or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action, or other proceeding brought in any such court.  The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action, or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action, or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

(c)                                  Waiver of Immunity.  With respect to any Related Proceeding, each party irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction, service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment), and execution to which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts.  With respect to any Related Judgment, each party waives any such immunity in the Specified Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended.

 

Section 17.                                   No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Offered Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or any of their respective stockholders, members, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

 

Section 18.                                   General Provisions.  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.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.  This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.  The Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 8 and the contribution provisions of Section 9 hereof, and is fully informed regarding said provisions.  Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 8 and Section 9 hereof fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs, and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto) and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

27



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

AASTROM BIOSCIENCES, INC.

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

[Signature page to Underwriting Agreement]

 



 

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representative in San Francisco, California as of the date first above written.

 

JMP SECURITIES LLC

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

For itself and as Representative of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule A attached hereto.

 

[Signature page to Underwriting Agreement]

 



 

SCHEDULE A

 

LIST OF THE UNDERWRITERS

 

Underwriters

 

Number of Firm
Offered Shares to be
 Purchased

JMP Securities LLC

 

[·]

[TBD]

 

[·]

Total

 

[·]

 



 

SCHEDULE B

 

ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES

 

[·]

 



 

SCHEDULE C

 

FINAL PRICING INFORMATION

 

Security:

 

[·] shares of common stock, no par value per share

Public offering price:

 

$[·] per share

Underwriting discounts and commissions:

 

$[·] per share

Net proceeds:

 

$[·] million (after deducting the underwriters’ discounts and commissions but before estimated offering expenses payable by the Company)

 



 

EXHIBIT A

 

LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

 

[·], 2013

 

JMP Securities LLC

600 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100

San Francisco, California 94111

 

Re:                          Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”)

 

Ladies & Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned is an owner of record or beneficially of certain shares of Common Stock of the Company (“Common Stock”) or securities convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock (such securities, together with the Common Stock, the “Securities”). The Company proposes to carry out a public offering of Common Stock (the “Offering”) for which you will act as the Underwriter. The undersigned recognizes that the Offering will be of benefit to the undersigned and will benefit the Company. The undersigned acknowledges that you are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this letter in carrying out the Offering and in entering into underwriting arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.

 

In consideration of the foregoing, the undersigned hereby agrees that the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of JMP Securities LLC (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract to sell, sell, any option to contract to purchase (including without limitation any short sale), purchase any option or contract to sell, pledge, transfer, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, establish or increase an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act or otherwise dispose of any shares (collectively, a “Disposition”) of Securities currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by the undersigned, or publicly announce the undersigned’s intention to do any of the foregoing, or file or cause to be filed or participate in the filing of, any registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the Securities for a period commencing on the date hereof and continuing through the close of trading on the date ninety (90) days after the date of the prospectus related to the Offering (the “Lock-up Period”). The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock held by the undersigned except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer his or her Securities (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that the donee or donees thereof agree in writing to be bound by the restrictions set forth herein, (ii) for grants of stock options pursuant to the terms of a plan in effect as of the date hereof, issuances of Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of such options or the exercise of any other stock options outstanding as of the date hereof and for delivery to the Company as payment of the exercise price or any required withholding in connection with any such exercise, provided that (a) any Securities received upon such grant or exercise will also be subject to the terms of this agreement, and (b) no filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Lock-up Period in connection with such exercise, (iii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the trust agrees in writing to be bound by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, or (iv) with the prior written consent of JMP Securities LLC. For purposes of this paragraph, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.

 

The foregoing restriction has been expressly agreed to preclude the holder of the Securities from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in a Disposition of

 



 

Securities during the Lock-up Period, even if such Securities would be disposed of by someone other than such holder. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include, without limitation, any short sale (whether or not against the box) or any purchase, sale, or grant of any right (including, without limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any Securities or with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market basket or index) that included, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from Securities. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of shares of Common Stock or Securities held by the undersigned except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, if (1) during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period, the Company issues an earnings release or other material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the Lock-Up Period shall be extended and the restrictions imposed by this letter shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event, unless JMP Securities LLC waives, in writing, such extension.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company has “actively traded securities” within the meaning of Rule 139 of the Securities Act of 1933, or otherwise satisfies the requirements set forth in Rule 139 that would permit JMP Securities LLC to publish issuer-specific research reports pursuant to Rule 139, the Lock-Up Period shall not be extended upon the occurrence of (1) or (2) above.

 

With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, of any Common Stock owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.

 

Anything to the contrary notwithstanding this Lock-Up Agreement shall lapse and become null and void and the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Lock-Up Agreement upon the earliest to occur, if any, of: (i) if, prior to the Underwriting Agreement becoming effective, the Company notifies JMP Securities LLC in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, and (ii) the termination of the Underwriting Agreement before the sale of any Securities to the Underwriter. .

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement. This agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the respective successors, heirs, personal representatives, and assigns of the undersigned.

 

 

 

 

Printed Name of Holder

 

By:

 

 

 

Signature

 

 

 

 

 

Printed Name of Person Signing