EX-1.1 2 d775449dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

CONTANGO ORE, INC.

731,750 Shares of Common Stock

Warrants to Purchase 365,875 Shares of Common Stock

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

June 11, 2024

Canaccord Genuity LLC

Cormark Securities Inc.

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

listed in Schedule 1 hereto

c/o Canaccord Genuity LLC

1 Post Office Square, 30th Floor

Suite 3000

Boston, Massachusetts 02109

c/o Cormark Securities Inc.

Royal Bank Plaza

North Tower, Suite 1800

Toronto, ON, M5J 2J2

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Contango ORE, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule 1 (the “Underwriters”), (i) an aggregate of 731,750 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value (the “Common Stock”) and (ii) Warrants, substantially in the form of Annex A hereto, to purchase an aggregate of 365,875 shares of Common Stock (the “Warrants,” and such Warrants and Shares being hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Securities”). As used herein, “Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants. Canaccord Genuity LLC and Cormark Securities Inc. have agreed to act as the representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representatives”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities. The Shares and the Warrants shall be sold together as a fixed combination, each consisting of one share of the Common Stock and half of one Warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (a “Unit”). The Shares and the Warrants shall be immediately separable and transferable upon issuance.

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-260511), covering the public offering and sale of certain securities of the Company, including the Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which shelf registration statement was declared effective by the Commission on November 17, 2021. The “Registration Statement”, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto at such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”); provided, however, that the “Registration Statement,” without reference to a time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of the Registration Statement with respect to the Securities within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B(f)(2)”), including the exhibits and schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the 1933 Act (the

 

1


Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. The base prospectus filed as part of such shelf registration statement, as amended in the form in which it has been filed most recently with the Commission, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, is referred to herein as the “Base Prospectus”. Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). Such final prospectus supplement, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, is referred to herein as the “Prospectus Supplement”. The Base Prospectus, as amended by the Prospectus Supplement, in the forms of the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus supplement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to be the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system) (“EDGAR”).

As used in this Agreement:

Applicable Time” means 8:00am New York City time, on June 11, 2024.

General Disclosure Package” means (i) each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus, if any, issued prior to the Applicable Time and listed on Schedule 2 attached hereto, (ii) the preliminary prospectus supplement dated June 10, 2024, and (iii) the pricing information listed on Schedule 2 attached hereto, all considered together.

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including, without limitation, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering thereof that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus approved by the Underwriters that is furnished to the Underwriters for general distribution to investors, as evidenced by communications between the Company and the Underwriters.

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

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “made,” “stated” or “referred to” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such General Disclosure Package or Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any document filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”).

 

2


Section 1. Representations and Warranties.

(a) The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date:

(i) Compliance of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and Incorporated Documents. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. The Registration Statement is a shelf registration statement and the Securities have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on such shelf registration statement. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(1) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 401(g)(1)”) has been received by the Company, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus supplement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued, and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness and as of each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2), complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each of any preliminary prospectus supplement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time it was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and is identical to the electronically transmitted copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus supplement, and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its applicable effective time, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the Closing Date, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such documents incorporated by reference were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not, do not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus supplement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, including any document incorporated by reference therein, that has not been superseded or modified. Any offer that is a written communication relating to the Securities made prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this paragraph only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) has been filed with the Commission in accordance with the exemption provided by Rule 163 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 163”) and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including, without limitation, the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the 1933 Act provided by Rule 163.

 

3


(iv) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, (B) at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities, (C) at the date of this Agreement and (D) at the Applicable Time, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

(v) Independent Accountants. To the knowledge of the Company, Moss Adams LLP are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

(vi) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and the Subsidiaries (as defined below) at the dates indicated and the statements of operations, statements of cash flows, statements of stockholders’ equity (deficit) of the Company for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, if any, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G under the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly, presents in all material respects, the required information and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(vii) No Material Adverse Change. Except as stated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in (1) the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (2) the ability of the Company or any Subsidiary to enter into and perform any of its obligations under, or to consummate any of the transactions contemplated in, this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Change”), (B) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (C) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, and (D) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or any Subsidiary on any class or series of its capital stock.

(viii) Good Standing of the Company. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has been duly organized, incorporated or formed, as applicable, and is validly existing as a corporation or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization, incorporation or formation, as applicable, and has all requisite 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 and to enter into and perform its obligations under, and to consummate the transactions contemplated in, this Agreement. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse effect in (A) the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (B) the ability of the Company or any Subsidiary to enter into and perform any of its obligations under, or to consummate any of the transactions contemplated in, this Agreement (collectively, a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

4


(ix) No Subsidiaries. The subsidiaries set forth on Schedule 3 (collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) include all of the Company’s significant subsidiaries (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission). Except as stated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company owns, directly or indirectly: (i) all of the equity interests of CORE Alaska, LLC, Contango Minerals Alaska, LLC, Contango Lucky Shot Alaska, LLC (formerly Alaska Gold Torrent, LLC) and Contango Mining Canada, Inc.; and (ii) indirectly through CORE Alaska, LLC, a 30.0% equity interest in Peak Gold, LLC, free and clear of any lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal or other restriction, and all the equity interests of the Subsidiaries are validly issued and are fully paid, nonassessable and free of preemptive and similar rights. Except as stated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.

(x) Capitalization; Listing of Common Stock. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or any other person or entity. The Company’s Common Stock has been registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the 1934 Act, and the Shares and Warrant Shares have been authorized for listing on NYSE American, LLC (“NYSE”), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the 1934 Act or the listing of the Common Stock (including the Shares and Warrant Shares) on NYSE, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or NYSE is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

(xi) Authorization of this Agreement. The Company has requisite power and authority to enter into this Agreement and perform the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles.

(xii) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities have been duly authorized for issuance and sale by the Company pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth in this Agreement, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable. The issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or any other person or entity. The Common Stock conforms in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such statements conform in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Securities will be subject to personal liability solely by reason of being such a holder. The Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and the Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrants.

(xiii) Registration Rights. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement, other than those rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and have been waived.

 

5


(xiv) Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. The Company is not (A) in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of the properties, assets or operations of the Company is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale thereof as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all requisite action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties, assets or operations of the Company pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, by-laws or similar organizational document of the Company or any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other financing instrument (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of the related financing by the Company.

(xv) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xvi) Absence of Proceedings. Except as stated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or a Subsidiary which could, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or a Subsidiary is a party or of which any of its properties, assets or operations are the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xvii) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus supplement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

(xviii) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the Company’s due authorization, execution and delivery of, or performance of its obligations under, this Agreement or for the offering, issuance, sale or delivery of Securities or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of NYSE, the securities laws of any state or non-U.S. jurisdiction or the rules of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

6


(xix) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and each Subsidiary possesses such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by it (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”), except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and each Subsidiary is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xx) Title to Property. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, any joint venture or partnership in which any such party is a participant, have good and marketable title in fee simple to all items of real property owned by them, good and valid title to all personal property described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as being owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and claims, except those matters that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Any real or personal property described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as being leased by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries is held by them under valid, existing and enforceable leases, except those that (A) do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (B) would not be reasonably expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the properties of the Company and any of its Subsidiaries complies with all applicable codes, laws and regulations (including, without limitation, building and zoning codes, laws and regulations and laws relating to access to such properties), except if and to the extent disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or except for such failures to comply that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to interfere in any material respect with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries or otherwise have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company or its Subsidiaries has received from any Governmental Authorities any notice of any condemnation of, or zoning change affecting, the properties of the Company and any of its Subsidiaries, and the Company knows of no such condemnation or zoning change which is threatened, except for such that would not reasonably be expected to interfere in any material respect with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries or otherwise have a Material Adverse Effect, individually or in the aggregate.

(xxi) Possession of Intellectual Property. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries own, possess, license or have other rights to use all foreign and domestic patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, Internet domain names, know-how and other intellectual property (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”), necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as now conducted except to the extent that the failure to own, possess, license or otherwise hold adequate rights to use such Intellectual Property would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (i) there are no rights of third parties to any such Intellectual Property owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries; (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no infringement by third parties of any such Intellectual Property; (iii) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ rights in or to any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property; (v) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company and its Subsidiaries infringe or otherwise violate any patent, trademark,

 

7


copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others; (vi) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no third-party U.S. patent or published U.S. patent application which contains claims for which an Interference Proceeding (as defined in 35 U.S.C. § 135) has been commenced against any patent or patent application described in the Prospectus as being owned by or licensed to the Company; and (vii) the Company and its Subsidiaries have complied with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company or such Subsidiary, and all such agreements are in full force and effect, except, in the case of any of clauses (i)-(vii) above, for any such infringement by third parties or any such pending or threatened suit, action, proceeding or claim as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxii) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus:

 

  (i)

each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal, state, municipal, local or foreign laws, statutes, ordinances, bylaws and regulations and orders, directives and decisions rendered by any ministry, department or administrative or regulatory agency, domestic or foreign (the “Environmental Laws”) relating to the protection of the environment, occupational health and safety or the processing, use, treatment, storage, disposal, discharge, transport or handling of any pollutants, contaminants, chemicals or industrial, toxic or hazardous wastes or substance, including any derivatives thereof (the “Hazardous Substances”), except where such non-compliance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, either individually or in the aggregate;

 

  (ii)

each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has obtained all licenses, permits, approvals, consents, certificates, registrations and other authorizations under all applicable Environmental Laws (the “Environmental Permits”) necessary as of the date hereof for the operation of the businesses carried on or proposed to be commenced by the Company and the Subsidiaries as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; each Environmental Permit is valid, subsisting and in good standing and to the knowledge of Company neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries is in default or breach of any Environmental Permit; and no proceeding is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Subsidiaries, threatened, to revoke or limit any Environmental Permit, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

  (iii)

neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries has used, except in compliance with all Environmental Laws and Environmental Permits, and other than as may be incidental to mineral resource exploration, development, mining, recovery, processing or milling, as applicable, any property or facility which it owns or leases or previously owned or leased, to generate, manufacture, process, distribute, use, treat, store, dispose of, transport or handle any Hazardous Substance; except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect,

 

  (iv)

neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries (including, if applicable, any predecessor companies) has received any notice of, or been prosecuted for an offence alleging, non-compliance with any Environmental Law; neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries (including, if applicable, any predecessor companies) has settled any allegation of non-compliance; and there are no orders or directions relating to environmental matters requiring any material work, repairs, construction or capital expenditures to be made with respect to any of the assets of the Company or the Subsidiaries, nor have the Company or the Subsidiaries received notice of any of the same, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

  (v)

neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries has received any notice wherein it is alleged or stated that the Company or the Subsidiaries is potentially responsible for a federal, state, municipal or local clean-up site or corrective action under any Environmental Laws; and neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries have received any request for information in connection with any federal, state, municipal or local inquiries as to disposal sites, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

8


(xxiii) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 of the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (E) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents in all material respects the required information and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) 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. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 of the 1934 Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

(xxiv) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Each of the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer of the Company (or each former principal executive officer of the Company and each former principal financial officer of the Company as applicable) has made all certifications required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it or furnished by it to the Commission. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “principal executive officer” and “principal financial officer” shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company (or each former principal executive officer of the Company and each former principal financial officer of the Company as applicable) has made all certifications required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it or furnished by it to the Commission. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “principal executive officer” and “principal financial officer” shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(xxv) Payment of Taxes. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed and paid all taxes shown thereon through the date hereof, to the extent that such taxes have become due and are not being contested in good faith, except where the failure to so file or pay would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which has had, or would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any federal, state or other governmental tax deficiency, penalty or assessment which has been or might be asserted or threatened against it which would have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

9


(xxvi) Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries carries or is entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has no reason to believe that it will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Within the last four (4) years, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries has not been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

(xxvii) Investment Company Act. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated herein and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

(xxviii) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company, any Subsidiary nor any affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary has taken, nor will the Company, any Subsidiary or any such affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any Securities or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act.

(xxix) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The Company and each Subsidiary is not and, to the knowledge of the Company and each Subsidiary, no director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of either (A) the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “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 and each Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company and each Subsidiary, its other 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.

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

(xxxi) OFAC. The Company and each Subsidiary is not and, to the knowledge of the Company and each Subsidiary, no director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary is (A) an individual or entity (“Person”) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions. The Company and each Subsidiary will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any of its joint venture partners or other Persons, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.

 

10


(xxxii) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and each Subsidiary (A) does not have any material lending or other relationship with the Underwriters or any bank, lending or other affiliate of an Underwriter and (B) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to an Underwriter or any affiliate of an Underwriter.

(xxxiii) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

(xxxiv) No Commissions. The Company and each Subsidiary is not a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than as contemplated by this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company, any Subsidiary or the Underwriters for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of any Securities.

(xxxv) Cybersecurity and Data Protection. (A) To the knowledge of the Company, there has been no security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise of or relating to the information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of its customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company or any Subsidiary, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary), equipment or technology of the Company or any Subsidiary (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”); (B) the Company and each Subsidiary has not been notified of, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that could result in, any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure of or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; and (C) the Company and each Subsidiary has implemented appropriate controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy, disaster recovery and security of its IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as required by applicable data protection laws, healthcare laws and regulatory standards. The IT Systems and Data are adequate and operational for, in accordance with their documentation and functional specifications, the business of the Company as now operated by it and as currently proposed to be operated as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company and each Subsidiary is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of the IT Systems and Data, including the collection, use, transfer, processing, disposal, disclosure, handling, storage and analysis of personally identifiable information, protected health information, consumer information and other confidential information of the Company and any third parties in their possession (“Sensitive Company Data”), and the protection of such IT Systems and Data and Sensitive Company Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification. The Company and each Subsidiary has taken reasonable steps necessary to maintain the confidentiality of the Sensitive Company Data. The Company and each Subsidiary has not received any written notice, claim, complaint, demand or letter from any Person or Governmental Entity in respect of its business under applicable data security and data protection laws and regulations and industry standards regarding misuse, loss, unauthorized destruction or unauthorized disclosure of any Sensitive Company Data. To the knowledge of the Company and each Subsidiary, there has been no unauthorized or illegal use of or access to any Sensitive Company Data by any third party. The Company and each Subsidiary has not been required to notify any individual, Governmental Entity or data protection authority of any information security breach, compromise or incident involving Sensitive Company Data and are not the subject of any inquiry or investigation by any Governmental Entity or data protection authority regarding any of the foregoing.

 

11


(xxxvi) ERISA Compliance. The Company and any “Employee Benefit Plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) for which the Company, its Subsidiaries or the “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) of the Company or its Subsidiaries would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) are in compliance with ERISA and each Plan has been established and maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”). No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any Plan. No Plan, if such Plan were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA). Neither the Company, its Subsidiaries nor any of the ERISA Affiliates of the Company or its Subsidiaries has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any obligation or liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any Plan, (ii) Sections 412 and 430, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code or (iii) Sections 302 and 303, 406, 4063 and 4064 of ERISA. Each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification. There is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in liability to the Company. The Company and each Subsidiary does not have any “accumulated postretirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 106). “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code of which the Company or any Subsidiary is a member.

(xxxvii) Valid Partnership. Each of the partnerships and joint venture agreements to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, including and without limitation the amended and restated limited liability company agreement of Peak Gold, LLC, has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such applicable party and constitutes the valid agreement thereof, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as limited by (a) the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to or affecting the rights or remedies of creditors or (b) the effect of general principles of equity, whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought, and the execution, delivery and performance of any of such agreements did not, at the time of execution and delivery, and does not constitute a breach of, or default under, the charter or bylaws of such party or any material contract, lease or other instrument to which such party is a party or by which its properties may be bound or any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court order or decree.

(xxxviii) Mining Rights. The Peak Gold JV Property, including the Mahn Choh Project and the Lucky Shot Property, as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Material Properties”), are the only resource properties currently material to the Company in which the Company or its Subsidiaries have an interest; the Company or through its Subsidiaries, hold either freehold title, mining leases, mining concessions, mining claims, exploration permits, prospecting permits or participant interests or other conventional property or proprietary interests or rights, recognized in the jurisdiction in which the Material Properties are located, in respect of the ore bodies and minerals located on the Material Properties (other than the Mahn Choh Project, in which property rights are held by Peak Gold, LLC) in which the Company (through the applicable Subsidiary) has an interest under valid, subsisting and enforceable title documents or other recognized and enforceable agreements or instruments, sufficient to permit the Company (through the applicable Subsidiary) to explore for and exploit, to the extent currently undertaken or disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, the minerals relating thereto; all leases or claims relating to the Material Properties in which the Company (through the applicable Subsidiary) has an interest or right have been validly located and recorded in accordance with all applicable laws and are valid and subsisting, in each case in all material respects; except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company (through the applicable Subsidiary) has or reasonably anticipates receiving in due course all necessary surface rights, access rights and other necessary rights and interests relating to the Material Property in which the Company (through the applicable Subsidiary) has an interest granting the Company (through the applicable Subsidiary) the right and ability to explore for and exploit minerals, ore and metals for development and production purposes as are appropriate in view of the rights and interest therein of the Company or the applicable Subsidiary, with only such exceptions as do not materially interfere with the current use made by the Company or the applicable Subsidiary of the rights or interest so held, and

 

12


each of the proprietary interests or rights and each of the documents, agreements and instruments and obligations relating thereto referred to above is currently in good standing in all respects in the name of the Company or the applicable Subsidiary; except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries do not have any responsibility or obligation to pay any commission, royalty, license, fee or similar payment to any person with respect to the property rights thereof; except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, either individually or in the aggregate;

 

  (i)

the Company or the applicable Subsidiary holds direct interests in the Material Properties (other than the Mahn Choh Project, in which property rights are held by Peak Gold, LLC), as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (the “Project Rights”), under valid, subsisting and enforceable agreements or instruments, to the knowledge of the Company and all such agreements and instruments in connection with the Project Rights are valid and subsisting and enforceable in accordance with their terms;

 

  (ii)

the Company and its Subsidiaries have obtained all the material permits, certificates, and approvals (collectively, the “Permits”) necessary as at the date hereof for the operation of the businesses carried on or proposed to be commenced by the Company, as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, which Permits include but are not limited to environmental assessment certificates, water licenses, land tenures, rezoning or zoning variances and other necessary local, provincial, state and federal approvals;

 

  (iii)

all assessments or other work required to be performed in relation to the material mining claims and the mining rights of the Company and the applicable Subsidiary in order to maintain their respective interests therein, if any, have been performed to date and, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, the Company and the applicable Subsidiary have complied in all material respects with all applicable governmental laws, regulations and policies in this regard as well as with regard to legal, contractual obligations to third parties in this regard except in respect of mining claims and mining rights that the Company and the applicable Subsidiary intend to abandon or relinquish and all such mining claims and mining rights are in good standing in all respects as of the date of this Agreement; and except for any non-compliance which would not either individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

  (iv)

except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, all mining operations on the properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, the Material Properties in which the Company or the applicable Subsidiary holds direct interests) have been conducted in all respects in accordance with good mining and engineering practices and all applicable workers’ compensation and health and safety and workplace laws, regulations and policies have been duly complied with, in each case, in all material respects;

 

  (v)

except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no environmental audits, evaluations, assessments, studies or tests relating to the Company or its Subsidiaries except for ongoing assessments conducted by or on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course;

 

  (vi)

the Company made available to the respective authors thereof prior to the issuance of all of the applicable technical reports which the Company has relating to the Material Properties (the “Reports”), for the purpose of preparing the Reports, as applicable, all information requested, and no such information contained any material misrepresentation as at the relevant time the relevant information was made available; and

 

  (vii)

the documents listed on Schedule 4 attached hereto are to the knowledge of the Company, correct and complete in all material respects on the date hereof, except as in respect of concessions which are (i) not material, or (ii) were permitted to expire or were sold in the ordinary course of business, as described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus.

 

13


(b) Any certificate signed by any officer or other authorized signatory of the Company and delivered to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

Section 2. Sale and Delivery of Securities.

(a) The Company agrees to issue and sell the Securities to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase at a price of $19.3725 per Unit (the “Purchase Price”) from the Company the respective number of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto.

(b) The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Securities, and initially to offer the Securities on the terms set forth in the General Disclosure Package. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Securities to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter.

(c) Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives, at the offices of Holland & Knight LLP, 787 7th Avenue, 31st Floor, New York, NY 10019 at 8:00 a.m. New York time on June 12, 2024, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. The time and date of such payment for the Securities is referred to herein as the “Closing Date”.

Payment for the Securities to be purchased on the Closing Date shall be made against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased on such date with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Securities duly paid by the Company. Delivery of the Shares shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct. The Warrants shall be delivered by the Company in physical certificated form at the direction of the Representatives, issued in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives may direct by notice in writing to the Company.

(d) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Representatives and the other Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Securities contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company, any Subsidiary or any other person. Additionally, neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company, any Subsidiary or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Representatives nor the other Underwriters shall have any responsibility or liability to the Company or any Subsidiary with respect thereto. Any review by the Representatives and the other Underwriters of the Company or any Subsidiary, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiaries.

Section 3. Covenants. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:

(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the 1933 Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the 1933 Act; will file timely 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 1934 Act during the Prospectus Delivery Period. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Securities is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the 1933 Act) in connection with sales of the Securities by any Underwriter or dealer.

 

14


(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, 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 Representatives may reasonably request, to the extent not available on EDGAR.

(c) 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 or the Prospectus, whether before or after the time that the Registration Statement becomes effective, from the date hereof through the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not prepare, use or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.

(d) Notice to the Representatives. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (ii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed or distributed; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus supplement, any of the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act; (v) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vi) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus supplement, any of the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Securities and, if any such order is issued, will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain as soon as practicable the withdrawal thereof.

(e) Ongoing Compliance. If (1) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event or development 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 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 promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and promptly prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives 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) at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event or development 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 existing when the General Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, 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, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives 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 amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the General Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.

 

15


(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of such United States jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Securities; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

(g) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement, provided that the Company will be deemed to have complied with such requirement by filing on EDGAR a report that satisfies such requirement.

(h) Clear Market. The Company, on behalf of itself and any successor entity, agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not, for a period of 90 days after the date of this Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (ii) file or cause to be filed any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; or (iii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of capital stock of the Company, whether any such transaction described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of capital stock of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.

The restrictions contained in this Section 3(h) shall not apply to (i) the Securities to be sold hereunder, including the Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, (ii) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of a stock option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof, which is disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided that such options, warrants and securities have not been amended since the date hereof to increase the number of such securities or decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities or to extend the term of such securities, (iii) the issuance by the Company of stock options or shares of capital stock of the Company or other awards under any equity compensation plan of the Company, (iv) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s outstanding unsecured convertible debentures, (v) the issuance of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of Common Stock in connection with any acquisition, joint venture, collaboration, licensing, commercial relationship or other strategic transaction or any debt financing transaction, and the issuance of any such securities pursuant to any such agreement, provided that the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, that the Company may issue or agree to issue pursuant to this clause (v) shall not exceed 5% of the total outstanding shares of Common Stock immediately following the issuance of the Securities, or (vi) the filing of a registration statement and/or the issuance of Common Stock in connection with the HighGold Acquisition (as defined in the General Disclosure Package); provided that, in each of (ii) and (iii) above, the underlying shares shall be restricted from sale during the entire Lock-Up Period.

(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds it receives from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”

(j) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock.

(k) Exchange Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to obtain an authorized Supplemental Listing Application from NYSE with respect to the issuance and NYSE listing of the Shares and Warrant Shares.

 

16


(l) Reports. During the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending three years thereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Securities, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Representatives to the extent they are filed on EDGAR.

(m) Record Retention. 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 1933 Act.

(n) Warrant Shares. (i) The Company will reserve and keep available at all times a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock out of the aggregate of its authorized but unissued or treasury shares available to the Company, and, in each case, otherwise unreserved Common Stock, for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue the Warrant Shares upon exercise of such Warrants. (ii) The Company will, at all times while any Warrants are outstanding and exercisable, use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain a registration statement covering the issue and sale of the Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrants such that the Warrant Shares, when issued, will not be subject to resale restrictions under the 1933 Act.

Section 4. Payment of Expenses; Warrant Solicitation Fees.

(a) The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any preliminary prospectus supplement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of sales of Securities, (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Shares and Warrant Shares on NYSE, (x) the reasonable documented out-of-pocket expenses of the Underwriters, including the reasonable fees, disbursements and expenses of outside counsel for the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the Registration Statement, which amount, together with (viii), shall not exceed $125,000 in the aggregate and (xi) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for the sale of Securities caused by a breach of the representation contained in the second sentence of Section 1(a)(ii) hereof.

(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 10, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Securities for delivery to the Underwriters (other than by reason of a default by any Underwriter) or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all reasonable documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their outside counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby. For the avoidance of doubt, it is understood that the Company shall not pay or reimburse any costs, fees or expenses incurred by an Underwriter pursuant to this paragraph (b) that defaults on its obligations to purchase the Securities.

Section 5. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:

(a) It has not used, authorized use of, referred to or participated in the planning for use of, and will not use, authorize use of, refer to or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the

 

17


Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the 1933 Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the preliminary prospectus supplement or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule 2 (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by any such Underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”).

(b) It has not and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Securities unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission.

(c) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).

Section 6. Conditions of the Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Securities on the Closing Date as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the 1933 Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the 1933 Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the 1933 Act); and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.

(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company and each Subsidiary, as applicable, contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date in all material respects; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Closing Date.

(c) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition that would constitute a Material Adverse Change shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the General Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the Closing Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(d) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date a certificate of the chief financial officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representatives on behalf of the Company and not in their individual capacities (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations set forth in Section 1(a)(ii) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a) and (c) above.

(e) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, Moss Adams LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, 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 in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off” date no more than two business days prior to such Closing Date.

 

18


(f) Opinions and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company. Holland & Knight LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, an opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(g) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date an opinion and 10b-5 statement, addressed to the Underwriters, of Dorsey & Whitney LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(h) No Legal Impediment to Issuance and Sale. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities.

(i) Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing in such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.

(j) Exchange Listing. The NYSE Supplemental Listing Application for the Shares and Warrant Shares shall have been authorized by NYSE.

(k) Lock-Up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between you and certain shareholders, officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be full force and effect on the Closing Date.

(l) Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date the chief financial officer of the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives, a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, 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.

(m) Secretary’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date a certificate of the Secretary of the Company.

(n) Warrants. The Underwriters shall have received copies, duly executed by the Company, of the Warrants. There shall exist no event or condition which would constitute a default or an event of default under the Warrants.

(o) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

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

Section 7. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters, their respective affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (each, an “Affiliate”)), officers and directors and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

 

19


(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of 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 430B, 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 or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any preliminary prospectus supplement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of any offering of Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus supplement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or in any Marketing Materials of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 7(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Underwriters), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters in writing expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of statements set forth in the paragraphs under the headings “—Discretionary Accounts,” “—Stabilization,” and “—Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Securities” in the Prospectus (the “Underwriter Information”).

(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its Affiliates, officers and directors, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 7(a) hereof, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(a) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(b) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the prior written consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own

 

20


counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 7 or Section 8 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 7(a)(ii) hereof effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

Section 8. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 7 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (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, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) 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 or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, 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 Securities shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from such offering (after deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, bear to the total commissions or underwriting discounts received by the Underwriters, on the other hand.

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 relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 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 above in this Section 8. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 8 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8 and subject to any limitations under applicable law, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the total commissions or underwriting discounts received by such Underwriter in connection with Securities underwritten by it for sale to the public.

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

21


For purposes of this Section 8, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and an Underwriter’s Affiliates, selling agents, officers and directors 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 Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

Section 9. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of an Underwriter or its Affiliates, selling agents, officers or directors or any person controlling such Underwriter, or the Company or its officers or directors, or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

Section 10. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date (i) a Material Adverse Change has occurred which, whether or not such event shall have been insured, will, in the sole judgment of the Representatives’, make it inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering of Securities contemplated by this Agreement, or (ii) there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis, or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Underwriters, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering of Securities contemplated by this Agreement or to enforce contracts for the sale of such Securities, or (iii) trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or NYSE, or (iv) trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE or Nasdaq has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other Governmental Entity, or (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (vi) a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

Section 11. Defaulting Underwriter.

(a) If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Securities that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Securities by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Securities on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 11, purchases Securities that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Securities that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Securities to be purchased on such date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.

 

22


(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Securities that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 4 hereof and except that the provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.

(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

Section 12. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives c/o Canaccord Genuity LLC, 1 Post Office Square, 30th Floor, Suite 3000, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, Attention: General Counsel (aviles@cgf.com) and c/o Cormark Securities Inc. Royal Bank Plaza, North Tower, Suite 1800, Toronto, ON, M5J 2J2, Attention: Darren Wallace (dwallace@cormark.com); with a copy to Dorsey & Whitney LLP, TD Canada Trust Tower, 161 Bay Street, Suite 4310, Toronto, Ontario, Attention: Richard Raymer (raymer.richard@dorsey.com); and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Contango ORE, Inc., 516 2nd Avenue, Suite 401, Fairbanks, AK, 99701 Attention: Michael Clark (mclark@contangoore.com); with a copy to Holland & Knight LLP, 811 Main Street, Suite 2500, Houston, TX, 77002, Attention: Tim Samson (tim.samson@hklaw.com) and Paul Monsour (paul.monsour@hklaw.com).

Section 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) each purchase and sale of Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities, and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, and does not constitute a recommendation, investment advice, or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters, (b) the Underwriters have not assumed and will not assume any advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or other affiliates with respect to any offering of Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Underwriters have advised or are currently advising the Company or other affiliates on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (c) 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, (d) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, financial, regulatory, investment or tax advice to the Company or any other person or entity with respect to any offering of Securities and the Company has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate, and (e) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person.

Section 14. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

For purposes of this Section 14, a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered

 

23


bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Section 15. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, their respective Affiliates and selling agents, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 7 and 8 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, their respective Affiliates and selling agents, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

Section 16. Trial by Jury. Each of the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), and the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

Section 17. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

Section 18. Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunity. Each of the Company and the Underwriters agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any Specified Court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of the Specified Courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to a party’s address set forth in Section 12 hereof shall be effective service of process upon such party for any suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court. Each of the Company and the Underwriters irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any Specified Court that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

Section 19. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

Section 20. Counterparts and Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement. Electronic signatures complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law will be deemed original signatures for purposes of this Agreement. Transmission by telecopy, electronic mail or other transmission method of an executed counterpart of this Agreement will constitute due and sufficient delivery of such counterpart.

Section 21. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

24


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
CONTANGO ORE, INC.
By:   /s/ Michael Clark
Name:   Michael Clark
Title:   Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

 

Accepted as of the date hereof:
CANACCORD GENUITY LLC
By:   /s/ Jennifer Pardi
Name:   Jennifer Pardi
Title:   Managing Director

 

CORMARK SECURITIES INC.
By:   /s/ Darren Wallace
Name:   Darren Wallace
Title:   Managing Director, Investment Banking
Each, for themselves and on behalf of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto.

 

 

[Signature Page to Contango ORE, Inc. Underwriting Agreement]


Schedule 1

UNDERWRITERS

 

Underwriter

  

Number of

Shares

    

Number of

Warrants

 

Canaccord Genuity LLC

     329,288        164,644  

Cormark Securities Inc.

     329,288        164,644  

Roth Capital Partners, LLC

     73,174        36,587  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     731,750        365,875  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 


Schedule 2

GENERAL DISCLOSURE PACKAGE

 

1.

Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated June 10, 2024.

 

2.

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus:

None.

 

3.

Pricing Information Provided Orally by Underwriters:

Shares: 731,750 shares

Warrants: Warrants to purchase 365,875 shares

Public Offering Price: $20.50 per Unit

Underwriting Discount: 5.5%


Schedule 3

SUBSIDIARIES

 

Name of Entity

  

State or Country of Organization

CORE Alaska, LLC    Delaware
Contango Minerals Alaska, LLC    Alaska
Contango Lucky Shot Alaska, LLC    Alaska
Contango Mining Canada, Inc.    Canada


Schedule 4

MINING CLAIM DOCUMENTS

 

  1.

Mineral Lease, dated as of July 15, 2008, between the Native Village of Tetlin also known as the Tetlin Village Council and Juneau Exploration Company, d/b/a Juneau Mining Company, relating to the Manh Choh Property (the “Manh Choh Mineral Lease”).

 

  2.

Memorandum of Manh Choh Mineral Lease, dated as of July 16, 2008, between the Native Village of Tetlin also known as the Tetlin Village Council and Juneau Exploration Company, d/b/a Juneau Mining Company, relating to the Manh Choh Property.

 

  3.

Amendment No. 1 to Manh Choh Mineral Lease, dated as of October 1, 2009 (“Manh Choh Amendment No. 1”), between Tetlin Village Council and Juneau Exploration, LP, relating to the Manh Choh Property.

 

  4.

Consent to Disclosure relating to and permitting disclosure of, the Manh Choh Mineral Lease and Manh Choh Amendment No. 1.

 

  5.

Amendment No. 4 to Manh Choh Mineral Lease, dated as of December 3, 2012, between the Tetlin Village Council, a/k/a Tetlin Tribal Council, and the Company, relating to the Manh Choh Property.

 

  6.

Amendment No. 6 to Manh Choh Mineral Lease, dated as of December 30, 2020, between the Native Village of Tetlin, a federally recognized Indian tribe organized pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act, 25 U.S.C. § 476, a/k/a Tribe of Tetlin, Tetlin Tribal Council and Tetlin Village Council, relating to the Manh Choh Property.

 

  7.

Lease Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2013, between Alaska Hardrock Inc. and Miranda U.S.A., Inc., relating to the Lucky Shot Property.

 

  8.

List of Mining Claims relating to the Lucky Shot Property as set forth as Exhibit A to the UCC Financing Statement of Contango Lucky Shot Alaska, LLC and Contango Minerals Alaska, LLC, as debtors and Macquarie Bank Limited, as Secured Party.


Annex A

FORM OF WARRANT

CONTANGO ORE, INC.

WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

 

Warrant No.: [__]    Number of Warrant Shares: [__]

Date of Issuance: June 12, 2024 (“Issuance Date”)

Contango ORE, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), certifies that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged, ___________, the registered holder hereof or its permitted assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company, at the Exercise Price (as defined below) then in effect, upon surrender of this Warrant to Purchase Common Stock (including any Warrants to Purchase Common Stock issued in exchange, transfer or replacement hereof, the “Warrant”), at any time or times on or after the Exercisability Date, but not after 5:30 p.m., New York Time, on the Expiration Date, up to [__] shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock (as defined below). Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms in this Warrant shall have the meanings as set forth in Section 16. This Warrant is one of the warrants to purchase Common Stock issued in connection with the transactions contemplated by (i) that certain Underwriting Agreement, dated as of June 11, 2024, by and between the Company, as the issuer, and Canaccord Genuity LLC and Cormark Securities Inc., as Representatives of the several underwriters listed in Schedule 1 thereto (ii) the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-260511) (the “Registration Statement”) and (iii) the Company’s prospectus supplement dated June 11, 2024 to the base prospectus dated November 17, 2021 (the “Prospectus Supplement”) contained in the Registration Statement.

1. EXERCISE OF WARRANT.

(a) Mechanics of Exercise. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, this Warrant may be exercised by the Holder on any day on or after the Exercisability Date but not after 5:30 p.m., New York Time, on the Expiration Date, in whole or in part (but not as to fractional shares), by delivery of a written notice (which may be by facsimile or email), in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Exercise Notice”), of the Holder’s election to exercise this Warrant and payment to the Company of an amount equal to the applicable Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Warrant Shares as to which this Warrant is being exercised (the “Aggregate Exercise Price”) in cash or wire transfer of immediately available funds (a “Cash Exercise”). The Holder shall not be required to surrender this Warrant in order to effect an exercise hereunder; provided, that in the event of an exercise of this Warrant for all Warrant Shares then issuable hereunder, this Warrant is surrendered to the Company by the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received the Exercise Notice. Within one (1) Trading Day following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the Aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Exercise Notice by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank. No ink-original Exercise Notice shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Exercise Notice form be required, except as may be required by the Company’s transfer agent for the Common Stock (“Transfer Agent”). On or before the first (1st) Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received the Exercise Notice, the Company shall transmit by email or facsimile an acknowledgment of confirmation of receipt of the Exercise Notice to the Holder. The Company shall deliver any objection to the Exercise Notice on or before the first (1st) Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received the Exercise Notice. In the event of any discrepancy or dispute, the records of the Company shall be controlling and determinative in the absence of manifest error. On or before the earlier of (i) the second (2nd) Trading Day and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined below) following the date on which the Holder has delivered to the Company a duly completed and executed Exercise Notice (the “Share Delivery Date”) and the Aggregate Exercise Price, the Company or its Transfer Agent shall, upon the request of the Holder, issue and register such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise in book-entry form in the name of such Holder thereof in accordance with the instructions delivered to the Transfer Agent by the Company. Upon delivery of the Exercise Notice and the Aggregate Exercise Price, the


Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the book-entry accounts evidencing such Warrant Shares. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Principal Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Exercise Notice and if the Common Stock is not traded on a securities exchange or securities market, the standard settlement period shall be the standard settlement period on NYSE American. If this Warrant is submitted in connection with any exercise pursuant to this Section 1(a) and the number of Warrant Shares represented by this Warrant submitted for exercise is greater than the number of Warrant Shares being acquired upon an exercise, then the Company shall as soon as practicable and in no event later than ten (10) Trading Days after any exercise and at its own expense, issue a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(e)) representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares purchasable immediately prior to such exercise under this Warrant, less the number of Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant is exercised. The Company shall pay any and all taxes that may be payable in the United States with respect to the issuance and delivery of Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax which may be payable based on the income of the Holder or in respect of any transfer involved in the registration of any book-entry accounts for Warrant Shares or Warrants in a name other than that of the Holder or an affiliate thereof. The Holder shall be responsible for all other tax liability that may arise as a result of holding or transferring this Warrant or receiving Warrant Shares upon exercise hereof.

If the Company shall fail for any reason or for no reason to register the Warrant Shares in the Holder’s account for such number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled upon the Holder’s exercise of this Warrant, then the Holder shall be entitled, but not required, to rescind the applicable previously submitted Exercise Notice and the Company or the Transfer Agent shall return all consideration paid by Holder for such shares upon such rescission. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to make any cash payments to the Holder in lieu of issuance of the Warrant Shares.

(b) Exercise Price. For purposes of this Warrant, “Exercise Price” means $26.00 per share of Common Stock, subject to adjustment as provided herein.

(c) Exercise Period. The Warrants may be exercised at any time after the Exercisability Date through and including 5:30 p.m., New York Time on June 12, 2027 (the “Expiration Date”). After the Expiration Date, any unexercised Warrants will be void and all rights of Warrant Holders shall cease.

(d) No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share that the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall round down to the next whole share.

(e) Holders Exercise Limitations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company shall not effect the exercise of any portion of this Warrant, and the Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Warrant and any such exercise shall be null and void and treated as if never made, to the extent that immediately prior to or after giving effect to such exercise, the Holder together with the other Attribution Parties collectively would beneficially own in excess of 9.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and the other Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock held by the Holder and all other Attribution Parties plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (A) exercise of the remaining, unexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of the other Attribution Parties and (B) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any convertible notes or convertible preferred stock or warrants, including the other Warrants) beneficially owned by the Holder or any other Attribution Party subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained in this Section 1(e). For purposes of this Section 1(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, it being acknowledged

 

2


by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 1(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock the Holder may acquire upon the exercise of this Warrant without exceeding the Maximum Percentage, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (x) the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (y) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (z) any other written notice by the Company setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding (the “Reported Outstanding Share Number”). If the Company receives an Exercise Notice from the Holder at a time when the actual number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is less than the Reported Outstanding Share Number, the Company shall (i) notify the Holder in writing of the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding and, to the extent that such Exercise Notice would otherwise cause the Holder’s beneficial ownership, as determined pursuant to this Section 1(e), to exceed the Maximum Percentage, the Holder must notify the Company of a reduced number of Warrant Shares to be purchased pursuant to such Exercise Notice (the number of shares by which such purchase is reduced, the “Reduction Shares”) and (ii) as soon as reasonably practicable, the Company shall return to the Holder any exercise price paid by the Holder for the Reduction Shares. For any reason at any time, upon the written request of the Holder, the Company shall within five (5) Trading Days confirm orally and in writing or by electronic mail to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder and any other Attribution Party since the date as of which the Reported Outstanding Share Number was reported. In the event that the issuance of Common Stock to the Holder upon exercise of this Warrant results in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties being deemed to beneficially own, in the aggregate, more than the Maximum Percentage of the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock (as determined under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), the number of shares so issued by which the Holder’s and the other Attribution Parties’ aggregate beneficial ownership exceeds the Maximum Percentage (the “Excess Shares”) shall be deemed null and void and shall be cancelled ab initio, and the Holder shall not have the power to vote or to transfer the Excess Shares. As soon as reasonably practicable after the issuance of the Excess Shares has been deemed null and void, the Company shall return to the Holder the exercise price paid by the Holder for the Excess Shares. Upon delivery of a written notice to the Company, the Holder may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage to any other percentage (not in excess of 19.99% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock immediately after giving effect to the issuance of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant if exceeding that limit would result in a change of control under NYSE Listed Company Manual Section 312.03(c) or any successor rule) as specified in such notice; provided that (i) any such increase in the Maximum Percentage will not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company and (ii) any such increase or decrease will apply only to the Holder and the other Attribution Parties and not to any other holder of Warrants that is not an Attribution Party of the Holder. For purposes of clarity, the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the terms of this Warrant in excess of the Maximum Percentage shall not be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Holder for any purpose including for purposes of Section 13(d) or Rule 16a-1(a)(1) of the Exchange Act. No prior inability to exercise this Warrant pursuant to this paragraph shall have any effect on the applicability of the provisions of this paragraph with respect to any subsequent determination of exercisability. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 1(e) to the extent necessary to correct this paragraph or any portion of this paragraph which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended beneficial ownership limitation contained in this Section 1(e) or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitation contained in this paragraph may not be waived and shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.

 

3


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

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

(b) Par Value. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Warrant, in no event shall the Exercise Price be reduced below the par value of the Common Stock.

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

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

(b) the number of Warrant Shares shall be increased to a number of shares equal to the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Warrant Shares immediately prior to the close of business on the record date fixed for the determination of holders of shares of Common Stock entitled to receive the Distribution multiplied by the reciprocal of the fraction set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph (a).

4. PURCHASE RIGHTS; FUNDAMENTAL TRANSACTIONS.

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

(b) Fundamental Transactions. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, the Company shall enter into or be party to a Fundamental Transaction, then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 1(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation,

 

4


and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 1(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of shares of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4(b) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of share capital of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the Warrant Shares acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such share capital (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such share capital, such number of share capital and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction). Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for the Company (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.

5. RESERVATION OF WARRANT SHARES. The Company covenants that it will at all times after the Exercisability Date reserve and keep available out of the aggregate of its authorized but unissued and otherwise unreserved Common Stock, solely for the purpose of enabling it to issue Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant as herein provided, the number of shares of Common Stock which are then issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of this entire Warrant, free from preemptive or any other contingent purchase rights of Persons other than the Holder. The Company covenants that all shares of Common Stock so issuable and deliverable shall be, upon issuance and the payment of the applicable Exercise Price in accordance with the terms hereof, duly authorized, validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable. The Company will take all such actions as may be reasonably necessary to ensure that such shares of Common Stock may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of any securities exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Common Stock not less than such aggregate number of shares of the Common Stock as shall be issuable upon the conversion of all outstanding shares of Common Stock. The Company covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, non-assessable and free and clear of all liens and other encumbrances.

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

 

5


7. REGISTRATION AND REISSUANCE OF WARRANTS.

(a) Registration of Warrant. The Company or its Transfer Agent shall register this Warrant, upon the records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company and its Transfer Agent may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary. The Company and its Transfer Agent shall also register any transfer, exchange, reissuance or cancellation of any portion of this Warrant in the Warrant Register.

(b) Transfer of Warrant. This Warrant may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without the consent of the Company, except as may otherwise be required by applicable securities laws. Subject to applicable securities laws, if this Warrant is to be transferred, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company or its Transfer Agent, as directed by the Company, together with all applicable transfer taxes, whereupon the Company will, or will cause its Transfer Agent to, forthwith issue and deliver upon the order of the Holder a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(e)), registered as the Holder may request, representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares being transferred by the Holder and, if less than the total number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant is being transferred, a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(e)) to the Holder representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares not being transferred. The acceptance of the new Warrant by the transferee thereof shall be deemed the acceptance by such transferee of all of the rights and obligations in respect of the new Warrant that the Holder has in respect of this Warrant.

(c) Lost, Stolen or Mutilated Warrant. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant, and, in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of any indemnification undertaking by the Holder to the Company in customary form (which may include the posting of a bond if reasonably required by the Company or its Transfer Agent) and, in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation of this Warrant, the Company or its Transfer Agent, as directed by the Company, shall execute and deliver to the Holder a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(e)) representing the right to purchase the Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant.

(d) Exchangeable for Multiple Warrants. This Warrant is exchangeable, upon the surrender hereof by the Holder at the principal office of the Company or its Transfer Agent, as directed by the Company, together with all applicable transfer taxes, for a new Warrant or Warrants (in accordance with Section 7(e)) representing in the aggregate the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant, and each such new Warrant will represent the right to purchase such portion of such Warrant Shares as is designated by the Holder at the time of such surrender; provided, however, that the Company or its Transfer Agent, as directed by the Company, shall not be required to issue Warrants for fractional shares of Common Stock hereunder.

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

(f) Representation by the Holder. The Holder, by the acceptance hereof, represents and warrants that it is acquiring this Warrant and, upon any exercise hereof, will acquire the Warrant Shares issuable upon such exercise, for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Warrant Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, except pursuant to sales registered or exempted under the Securities Act.

 

6


8. [Reserved.]

9. NOTICES. Whenever notice is required to be given under this Warrant, unless otherwise provided herein, such notice shall be given in accordance with the information set forth in the Warrant Register. The Company shall give written notice to the Holder (i) reasonably promptly following any adjustment of the Exercise Price, setting forth in reasonable detail the calculation of such adjustment and (ii) at least ten (10) days prior to the date on which the Company closes its books or takes a record (A) with respect to any dividend or distribution upon the shares of Common Stock, (B) with respect to any grants, issuances or sales of any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock or (C) for determining rights to vote with respect to any Fundamental Transaction, dissolution or liquidation; provided, that in each case, the Company will only be required to provide such information to the Holder if such information shall have been made known to the public prior to or in conjunction with such notice being provided to the Holder.

10. AMENDMENT AND WAIVER. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.

11. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of Holder, shall give rise to any liability of Holder for the purchase price of any Warrant Shares or as a shareholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

12. GOVERNING LAW. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or their respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this exclusive forum provision shall not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act, any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction or any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act against us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or agents. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Warrant and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

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

14. DISPUTE RESOLUTION. In the case of a dispute as to the determination of the Exercise Price or the arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares, the Company shall submit the disputed determinations or arithmetic calculations via email or facsimile within five (5) Trading Days of receipt of the Exercise Notice giving rise to such

 

7


dispute, as the case may be, to the Holder. If the Holder and the Company are unable to agree upon such determination or calculation of the Exercise Price or the Warrant Shares within five (5) Trading Days of such disputed determination or arithmetic calculation being submitted to the Holder, then the Company shall, within two (2) Trading Days thereafter submit via email or facsimile (a) the disputed determination of the Exercise Price to an independent, reputable investment bank selected by the Company and approved by the Holder, which approval shall not be unreasonably delayed, conditioned or withheld, or (b) the disputed arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares to the Company’s independent, outside accountant. The Company shall cause the investment bank or the accountant, as the case may be, to perform the determinations or calculations and notify the Company and the Holder of the results no later than twenty (20) Trading Days from the time it receives the disputed determinations or calculations. Such investment bank’s or accountant’s determination or calculation, as the case may be, shall be binding upon all parties absent demonstrable error. The expenses of the investment bank and accountant will be borne by the Company unless the investment bank or accountant determines that the determination of the Exercise Price or the arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares by the Holder was incorrect by more than 5%, in which case the expenses of the investment bank and accountant will be borne by the Holder.

15. REMEDIES, OTHER OBLIGATIONS, BREACHES AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. The remedies provided in this Warrant shall be cumulative and in addition to all other remedies available under this Warrant, at law or in equity (including a decree of specific performance and/or other injunctive relief), and nothing herein shall limit the right of the Holder to pursue actual damages for any failure by the Company to comply with the terms of this Warrant. The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder may cause irreparable harm to the Holder and that the remedy at law for any such breach may be inadequate. The Company therefore agrees that, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach, the holder of this Warrant shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to seek an injunction restraining any breach. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else herein to the contrary, if the Company is for any reason unable to issue and deliver Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company shall have no obligation to pay to the Holder any cash or other consideration or otherwise “net cash settle” this Warrant.

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

(a) “Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

(b) “Attribution Parties” means, collectively, the following Persons and entities: (i) any investment vehicle, including, any funds, feeder funds or managed accounts, currently, or from time to time after the Issuance Date, directly or indirectly managed or advised by the Holder’s investment manager or any of its Affiliates or principals, (ii) any direct or indirect Affiliates of the Holder or any of the foregoing, (iii) any Person acting or who could be deemed to be acting as a Group together with the Holder or any of the foregoing and (iv) any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of Common Stock would or could be aggregated with the Holder’s and the other Attribution Parties for purposes of Section 13(d) or Section 16 of the Exchange Act. For clarity, the purpose of the foregoing is to subject collectively the Holder and all other Attribution Parties to the Maximum Percentage (as defined in Section 1(e)).

(c) “Bloomberg” means Bloomberg Financial Markets.

(d) “Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.

(e) “Common Stock” means (i) the Company’s shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, and (ii) any share capital into which such Common Stock shall have been changed or any share capital resulting from a reclassification of such Common Stock.

 

8


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

(g) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(h) “Exercisability Date” means the Issuance Date; provided, further, that treatment of this Warrant in the event of a Fundamental Transaction is addressed in Section 4(b) above.

(i) “Fundamental Transaction” means that (A) the Company shall, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions, (i) consolidate or merge with or into another Person, in which the Company is not the surviving corporation and in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger or consolidation do not own, directly or indirectly, at least 50% of the voting power of the surviving Person immediately after such merger or consolidation, (ii) sell, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company to another Person, (iii) allow another Person to make a purchase, tender or exchange offer that is accepted by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the Person or Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the Persons making or party to, such purchase, tender or exchange offer), or (iv) consummate a stock purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock purchase agreement or other business combination) or (B) any “person” or “group” (as these terms are used for purposes of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) is or shall become the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by issued and outstanding Common Stock.

(j) “Group” means a “group” as that term is used in Section 13(d) of the Securities Act and as defined in Rule 13d-5 thereunder.

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

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

(m) “Principal Market” means (i) the NYSE American, or (ii) if the NYSE American is not the principal trading market for the Common Stock, then the principal securities exchange or securities market on which the Common Stock is then traded.

(n) “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(o) “Trading Day” means any day on which the Common Stock is traded on the Principal Market and if the Common Stock is not traded on a securities exchange or securities market, any day on which NYSE American is open for business.

(p) “Weighted Average Price” means, for any security as of any date, the dollar volume-weighted average price for such security on the Principal Market during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York City time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg through its “Volume at Price” function or, if the foregoing does not apply, the dollar volume-weighted average price of such security in the over-the-counter market for such security during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York City time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no dollar volume-weighted average price is reported for such security by Bloomberg for such hours, the average of the highest closing bid price and the lowest closing ask price of any of the market makers for such security as reported by OTC Markets Group Inc. (formerly OTC Markets Inc.). If the Weighted Average Price cannot be calculated for such security on such date on any of the foregoing bases, the Weighted Average Price of

 

9


such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then such dispute shall be resolved pursuant to Section 14 with the term “Weighted Average Price” being substituted for the term “Exercise Price.” All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any share dividend, share split or other similar transaction during such period.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

10


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

 

CONTANGO ORE, INC.
By:    
Name:  
Title:  

 

 

[Signature Page of Contango ORE, Inc. Warrant]


EXHIBIT A

EXERCISE NOTICE

TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER TO EXERCISE THIS WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

CONTANGO ORE, INC.

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

1. Exercise Price. The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as a cash exercise under Section 1(a).

2. Cash Exercise. The Holder shall pay the sum of $____ to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Warrant.

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

 

DATED:   
        (Signature must conform in all respects to name of the Holder as specified on the face of the Warrant)
  

 

   Registered Holder
   Address:


Exhibit A

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

June ___, 2024

Canaccord Genuity LLC

Cormark Securities Inc.

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o Canaccord Genuity LLC

1 Post Office Square, 30th Floor

Suite 3000

Boston, Massachusetts 02109

c/o Cormark Securities Inc.

Royal Bank Plaza

North Tower, Suite 1800

Toronto, ON, M5J 2J2

Re: Contango ORE, Inc. — Public Offering

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned understands that you, as representatives (the “Representatives”) of the several Underwriters (as defined below), propose to enter into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Contango ORE, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), and/or other securities of the Company. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

In recognition of the benefit that the Public Offering will confer upon the undersigned as a securityholder and/or officer and/or a director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period ending 90 days after the date of the prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Lock-Up Period”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including without limitation, Common Stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Representatives, in each case other than (A) transfers of shares of Common Stock as a bona fide gift or gifts, (B) transfers to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or a member of the immediate family (as defined below) of the undersigned in a transaction not involving the disposition for value, (C) transfers by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir, beneficiary, or a member of the immediate family of the undersigned, (D)


transfers of Common Stock to a charity or educational institution; (E) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, (i) any transfers of Common Stock to another corporation, partnership or other business entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the undersigned or (ii) distributions of Common Stock to members, partners, stockholders, subsidiaries or affiliates (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned; (F) if the undersigned is a trust, to a trustee or beneficiary of the trust; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) or (F) each donee or distributee shall execute and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up agreement in substantially the same form as this Letter Agreement; provided that in the case of any transfer pursuant to clause (A), (B) or (C), the recipient shall not be required to execute a lock-up agreement in substantially the same form as this Letter Agreement if the recipient receives 5,000 shares of Common Stock or less and the recipient is, or the transfer is for the benefit of, an immediate family member of the undersigned; provided, further, that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (A), (B), or (C), no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period); (G) the receipt by the undersigned from the Company of Common Shares upon the vesting of restricted stock awards or stock units or upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s Common Shares issued under an equity incentive plan of the Company or an employment arrangement described in the Prospectus (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) (the “Plan Shares”) or the transfer of Common Shares or any securities convertible into Common Shares to the Company upon a vesting event of the Company’s securities or upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s securities, in each case on a “cashless” or “net exercise” basis or to cover tax obligations of the undersigned in connection with such vesting or exercise, but only to the extent such right expires during the Lock-Up Period, provided that no filing under Section 13 or Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or other public announcement shall be required or shall be voluntarily made and, provided further, that the Plan Shares shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement; (H) the transfer of Common Stock pursuant to agreements described in the Prospectus under which the Company has the option to repurchase such securities or a right of first refusal with respect to the transfer of such securities, provided that if the undersigned is required to file a report under Section 13 or Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Common Shares during the Lock-Up Period, the undersigned shall include a statement in such schedule or report describing the purpose of the transaction; (I) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of Common Stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company regarding the establishment of such plan, such public announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Lock-Up Period; (J) the transfer of Common Stock that occurs by operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement, provided that the transferee agrees to sign and deliver a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of this Letter Agreement for the balance of the Lock-Up Period, and provided further, that any filing under Section 13 or Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act that is required to be made during the Lock-Up Period as a result of such transfer shall include a statement that such transfer has occurred by operation of law; and (K) the transfer of Common Stock pursuant to a bona fide third party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Common Shares involving a change of control (as defined below) of the Company after the closing of the Public Offering and approved by the Company’s board of directors; provided that in the event that the tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the Common Stock owned by the undersigned shall remain subject to the restrictions contained in this Letter Agreement. For purposes of clause (i) above, “change of control” shall mean the consummation of any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, amalgamation, consolidation or other similar transaction the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of a majority of total voting power of the voting stock of the Company.

For purposes of this Letter Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage, or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.

In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.

 

2


The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.

The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed on or before July 11, 2024, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the securities to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.

This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

3


Very truly yours,
Name:    
By:    

 

 

[Signature Page to Contango ORE, Inc. Lock-Up Agreement]