phx-ex11_141.htm
Exhibit 1.1
PHX Minerals Inc.
Class A Common Stock
($0.01666 par value per share)
AT-THE-MARKET EQUITY OFFERING SALES AGREEMENT
August 25, 2021
STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED
One South Street, 15th Floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Ladies and Gentlemen:
PHX Minerals Inc. (formerly known as Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc.), an Oklahoma corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell from time to time to or through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (“Stifel Nicolaus”), as sales agent and/or principal (“Agent”), up to 3,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Class A common stock, $0.01666 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) on the terms set forth in Section 2 of this At-The-Market Equity Offering Sales Agreement (this “Agreement”). The Company agrees that whenever it determines to sell Shares directly to the Agent as principal, it will enter into a separate agreement (each, a “Terms Agreement”) in substantially the form of Annex 1 hereto, relating to such sale in accordance with Section 3 of this Agreement.
Section 1.Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to the Agent that as of the date of this Agreement, any applicable Registration Statement Amendment Date (as defined in Section 3 below), each Company Periodic Report Date (as defined in Section 3 below), each Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(c) below) and each Settlement Date (as defined in Section 2 below):
(a)
Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on Form S-3 (File No. 333-249538), in respect of the Common Stock (including the Shares) (collectively, the “Securities”) not declared effective by the Commission earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, has heretofore been declared effective by the Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission (the base prospectus filed as part of such registration statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Basic Prospectus”; the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto and any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such registration statement, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares prepared and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act is hereinafter called the “Prospectus Supplement”; the Basic Prospectus, as amended and supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; any reference herein to the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act; any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act and any documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), and incorporated therein, in each case after the date of the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and any “issuer free
writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the 1933 Act relating to the Shares is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”).
No order preventing or suspending the use of the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and the Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”) and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” means, with respect to any Shares, the time of sale of such Shares pursuant to this Agreement; the Prospectus and the applicable Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to such Applicable Time, taken together (collectively, and, with respect to any Shares, together with the public offering price of such Shares, the “General Disclosure Package”) as of each Applicable Time and each Settlement Date. The General Disclosure Package, as of each Applicable Time and each Settlement Date will not 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 under which they were made, not misleading; and each applicable Issuer Free Writing Prospectus will not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the General Disclosure Package as of such Applicable Time, will not 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 under which they were made, not misleading.
(b)Incorporation of Documents by Reference. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, (i) at the time the Registration Statement became effective, (ii) at the time the Prospectus was issued and (iii) on the date of this Agreement, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made with respect to clause (ii), not misleading.
(c)Formation, Good Standing of Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Oklahoma, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, if any, to execute and deliver this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver the Shares as contemplated herein.
(d)Foreign Qualifications. The Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, either (i) have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company, (ii) prevent or materially interfere with consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or (iii) result in the delisting of the Common Stock from the NYSE (the occurrence of any such effect or any such prevention or interference or any such result described in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as a “Material Adverse Effect”)
(e)Subsidiaries. The Company has no subsidiaries (as defined under the 1933 Act).
(f)Valid Issuance of Shares. The Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights; the Shares, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be free of any restriction upon the voting or transfer thereof pursuant to the Oklahoma General Corporation Act or the Company’s charter or bylaws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party.
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(g)Capital Stock. The capital stock of the Company, including the Shares, conforms in all material respects to each description thereof, if any, contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and the certificates for the Shares are in due and proper form.
(h)Accuracy of Disclosure. There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required (and the General Disclosure Package contains in all material respects the same description of the foregoing matters contained in the Prospectus).
(i)Authorization. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by an authorized representative of the Company.
(j)No Defaults. The Company has not received notice or been made aware that it is in breach or violation of or in default under (nor has any event occurred, to the Company’s knowledge, which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (A) its charter or bylaws, (B) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or affected, (C) any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule applicable to the Company, or any of its properties, (D) any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of the NYSE), or (E) any decree, judgment or order applicable to it or any of its properties, except, with respect to clauses (B) or (C), where such breach, violation, or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(k)No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (or result in the creation or imposition of a lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or assets of the Company pursuant to) (A) the charter or bylaws of the Company, (B) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or affected, (C) any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, (D) any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of the NYSE), or (E) any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or any of its properties, except, with respect to clauses (B) or (C), where such breach, violation, or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l)No Consents or Approvals. No approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or of or with any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the NYSE), or approval of the shareholders of the Company, is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, other than (i) the registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act and the registration of the Common Stock under the 1934 Act, each of which has been effected, (ii) any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by the Agent, (iii) under the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) (iv) any listing applications and related consents or any notices required by NYSE in the ordinary course of the offering of the Shares, (v) filings with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations, or (vi) filings with the Commission on Form 8-K with respect to this Agreement, (vii) such consents, approvals, authorizations or filings which have been, or prior to the time of purchase or additional time of purchase, if any, will be obtained or made or (viii) such consents, approvals, authorizations or filings that (A) are of a routine or administrative nature, (B) are not customarily obtained or made prior to the consummation of transactions such as those contemplated by this Agreement, and (C) are expected in the reasonable judgment of the Company to be obtained or made in the ordinary course of business after the Applicable Time.
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(m)Preferential Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits thereto), the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to issue or sell to it any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other equity interests of the Company, (ii) no person has any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company, (iii) no person has the right to act as an underwriter or as a financial advisor to the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares; and (iv) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to register under the 1933 Act any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company, or to include any such shares or interests in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby.
(n)Licenses. The Company has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any applicable law, regulation or rule, and has obtained all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, in order to conduct its businesses; the Company, to its knowledge, is not in violation of, or in default under, or has not received notice of any proceedings relating to revocation or modification of, any such license, authorization, consent or approval or any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, order or judgment applicable to the Company, except where such violation, default, revocation or modification would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(o)Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits thereto), the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, in each case, excluding any documents incorporated by reference therein, there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated to which the Company or any of its directors or officers is or would be a party or of which any of its properties is or would be subject at law or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or before or by any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the NYSE), except any such action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding which, if resolved adversely to the Company, would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p)Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young, LLP, whose report on the financial statements of the Company is included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent registered public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and by the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(q)Independent Engineer. DeGolyer and MacNaughton (“DeGolyer”), whose reports are included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Company. The information contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding estimated proved reserves of the Company is based upon the reserve reports prepared by DeGolyer; the information provided to DeGolyer by the Company in connection with the preparation of such reports was true and correct in all material respects on the dates the reports were made, and such information was provided to DeGolyer in accordance with all customary industry practices. The factual information underlying the estimates of reserves of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including, without limitation, production, costs of operation and development, current prices for production, agreements relating to current and future operations and sales of production, was true and correct in all material respects on the dates such estimates were made and such information was supplied and was prepared in accordance with customary industry practices; other than normal production of reserves, intervening market commodity price fluctuations, fluctuations in demand for such products, adverse weather conditions, unavailability or increased costs of rigs, equipment, supplies or personnel, the timing of third party operations and other factors, in each case in the ordinary course of business, and except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that would result in a material adverse change in the aggregate net reserves, or the aggregate present value of future net cash flows therefrom, as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(r)Financial Statements. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, and the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language (“XBRL”) included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company
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as of the dates indicated and the results of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity of the Company for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the 1933 Act and 1934 Act and in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved. All pro forma financial statements or data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, and the assumptions used in the preparation of such pro forma financial statements and data are reasonable, the pro forma adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions or circumstances described therein and the pro forma adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements and data. The other financial and statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are accurately and fairly presented and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not included or incorporated by reference as required. The Company does not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. All disclosures contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act Regulations and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act Regulations, to the extent applicable.
(s)Equity Incentive Plan Compliance. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, each stock option granted under any equity incentive plan of the Company (each, a “Stock Plan”), if any, was granted with a per share exercise price no less than the fair market value per share of Common Stock on the grant date of such option, which is determined under the Company’s equity incentive plans to be the closing sales price for the Company’s Common Stock on the last market trading day prior to the grant date, and no such grant involved any “back‑dating,” “forward-dating” or similar practice with respect to the effective date of such grant; except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, each such option (i) was granted in compliance with applicable law and with the applicable Stock Plan(s), (ii) was duly approved by the board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) of the Company (or a duly authorized committee thereof or an officer of the Company duly authorized by the Board of Directors or authorized committee thereof to make such grants) of the Company and (iii) has been properly accounted for in the Company’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP and disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Commission.
(t)No Material Adverse Change in Business. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, in each case excluding any amendments or supplements to the foregoing made after the execution of this Agreement, there has not been (i) any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operations of the Company, (ii) any transaction which is material to the Company, (iii) any obligation or liability, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company, which is material to the Company, (iv) any change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness of the Company, or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company.
(u)Investment Company. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be, an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(v)Title to Properties. The Company has good and marketable title to all property (real and personal, excluding for the purposes of this Section 1(v), Intellectual Property (as defined below)) described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned by any of them, free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances; all the property described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being held under lease by the Company is held thereby under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases.
(w)Intellectual Property. The Company owns or possesses all inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), tradenames, service names, copyrights, trade secrets and other
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proprietary information described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned or licensed by it or which is necessary for the conduct of, or material to, its businesses (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”), and the Company is unaware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of the Company with respect to the Intellectual Property; the Company has not infringed nor is infringing the Intellectual Property of a third party, and the Company has not received notice of a claim by a third party to the contrary.
(x)Environmental Laws. The Company (i) is in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) has received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business and (iii) is in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or other approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended. The Company does not own, lease or occupy any property that appears on any list of hazardous sites compiled by any state or local governmental agency. There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) that would, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(y)Tax Returns. All tax returns required to be filed by the Company have been timely filed (within any applicable time limit extensions permitted by the relevant tax authority), and all taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities have been timely paid, other than those being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided as required by GAAP; no tax deficiency has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z)Insurance. The Company maintains insurance covering its properties, operations, personnel and businesses as the Company reasonably deems adequate; such insurance insures against such losses and risks to an extent which is adequate in accordance with customary industry practice to protect the Company and its businesses; all such insurance is fully in force on the date hereof and will be fully in force at the time of purchase and each additional time of purchase, if any; the Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to (i) renew any such insurance as and when such insurance expires or (ii) obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted at a cost that would not result in any Material Adverse Effect.
(aa)Termination or Non-Renewal. Except as otherwise disclosed to the Agent in writing prior to the date of this Agreement, the Company has not sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement or any document incorporated by reference therein, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement.
(bb)Internal Accounting Controls. The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(cc)Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company has established and maintains and evaluates “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and “internal control over financial reporting” (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under
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the 1934 Act Regulations). Such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective to perform the functions for which they were established. The Company’s independent registered public accountants and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies, if any, in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data; and (ii) all fraud, if any, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal controls. All “significant deficiencies” and “material weaknesses” (as such terms are defined in Rule 1-02(a)(4) of Regulation S-X under the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Company, if any, have been identified to the Company’s independent registered public accountants and are disclosed in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Since the date of the most recent evaluation of such disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. The principal executive officers (or their equivalents) and principal financial officers (or their equivalents) of the Company have made all certifications required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, and the statements contained in each such certification are complete and correct. The Company and the Company’s directors and officers are each in compliance in all material respects with all applicable effective provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission and the NYSE promulgated thereunder.
(dd)Forward-Looking Statements. Each “forward-looking statement” (within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act or Section 21E of the 1934 Act) contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, has been made or reaffirmed with a reasonable basis and in good faith as of the date of such Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, respectively.
(ee)Statistical and Market-Related Data. All statistical or market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.
(ff)Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to unlawfully influence official action or secure an improper advantage, or any other action that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act”) or any other applicable anti-corruption laws; and the Company and its affiliates have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure continued compliance in all material respects with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and all other applicable anti-corruption laws.
(gg)Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the USA Patriot Act, the Bank Secrecy 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 agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator or non-governmental authority involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.
(hh)Sanctions. (i) neither the Company nor any director, officer or employee thereof, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is: (1) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the United Nations Security Council (UN),
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the European Union (EU), Her Majesty’s Treasury (UK HMT), the Swiss Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO), the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”); nor (2) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Venezuela); (ii) the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any Sanctions and (iii) for the past five years, the Company has not knowingly engaged in, is not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(ii)USA Patriot Act. The Company acknowledges that, in accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act, the Agent is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies its clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of its clients, as well as other information that will allow the Agent to properly identify its clients.
(jj)Purchase Rights. The issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby will not cause any holder of any shares of capital stock, securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital stock or options, warrants or other rights to purchase capital stock or any other securities of the Company to have any right to acquire any shares of preferred stock of the Company.
(kk)Delisting Notices. The Company has not received any notice from the NYSE regarding the delisting of the Common Stock from the NYSE.
(ll)Brokers. Except pursuant to this Agreement, the Company has not incurred any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or by the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package or Prospectus.
(mm)Manipulation. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its directors or officers, affiliates or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(nn)FINRA. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no affiliations or associations between (i) any member of FINRA and (ii) the Company or any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater security holders or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding the date the Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(oo)iXBRL. The interactive data in XBRL included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(pp)Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, that would be required to be described in a registration statement of the Company pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company, on the other hand, that has not been described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(qq)IT Systems and Data. (i)(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 any of the Company’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third-party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Company), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and (B) the Company has not been notified of, and
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has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company is presently 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 IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification; and (iii) the Company has implemented appropriate controls, policies, procedures and technological safeguards to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of its IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as required by applicable regulatory standards.
(rr)ERISA. Except, in each case, for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and as set forth in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) the “Controlled Group”) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance in all material respects with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA, (1) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, excluding any reportable event for which a waiver could apply, (2) no Plan is or is reasonably expected to be in “at-risk status” (within the meaning of Section 430 of the Code or Section 303(i) of ERISA), (3) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, there has been no filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan or the receipt by the Company or any member of the Controlled Group from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or the plan administrator of any notice relating to the intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan, (4) no conditions contained in Section 303(k)(1)(A) of ERISA for imposition of a lien shall have been met with respect to any Plan and (5) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(c)(3) of ERISA (a “Multiemployer Plan”)); (iv) no Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, “insolvent” (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA), or in “endangered” or “critical” status (within the meaning of Section 432 of the Code or Section 304 of ERISA); and (v) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, that could reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification.
(ss)S-3 Eligibility. (i)(A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), the Company met the then-applicable requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and (ii) at the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the 1933 Act) of the Shares, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.
(tt)Deemed Representation. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company delivered to the Agent or to counsel for the Agent pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any Terms Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Agent as to the matters covered thereby as of the date or dates indicated in such certificate.
Section 2.Sale and Delivery of Shares.
(a)Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to issue and sell exclusively through the Agent acting as sales agent or directly to the Agent acting as principal from time to time, and the Agent agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell as sales agent for the Company, the Shares. Sales of the
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Shares, if any, through the Agent acting as sales agent or directly to the Agent acting as principal may be made in negotiated transactions or transactions that are deemed to be “at-the-market offerings” as defined in Rule 415 under the 1933 Act, including sales made directly on the NYSE, or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange or through an electronic communications network.
(b)The Shares are to be sold on a daily basis or otherwise as shall be agreed to by the Company and the Agent on that trading day (other than a day on which the NYSE is scheduled to close prior to its regular weekday closing time, each, a “Trading Day”) that the Company has satisfied its obligations under Section 6 of this Agreement and that the Company has instructed the Agent to make such sales. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing limitation shall not apply to sales solely to employees or security holders of the Company, or to a trustee or other person acquiring such securities for the accounts of such persons in which Stifel Nicolaus is acting for the Company in a capacity other than as Agent under this Agreement. On any Trading Day, any representative of the Company listed on Annex 2 hereto may instruct the representatives of the Agent listed on Annex 2 attached hereto by telephone (such instruction will be confirmed promptly by the Agent via email) as to the maximum number of Shares to be sold by the Agent on such day (in any event not in excess of the number available for issuance under the Prospectus and the currently effective Registration Statement) and the minimum price per Share at which such Shares may be sold. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Agent shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell as sales agent all of the Shares so designated by the Company. The Company and the Agent each acknowledge and agree that (i) there can be no assurance that the Agent will be successful in selling all or a portion of the Shares, (ii) the Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if the Agent does not sell Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares as required by this Agreement, and (iii) the Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis except as otherwise specifically agreed by each of the Agent and the Company pursuant to a Terms Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Terms Agreement, the terms of such Terms Agreement will control.
(c)Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not authorize the issuance and sale of, and the Agent as sales agent shall not be obligated to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell, any Shares (i) at a price lower than the minimum price therefor authorized from time to time, or (ii) in a number in excess of the number of Shares authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement, in each case, by the Company’s Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Agent in writing. In addition, the Company may, upon notice to the Agent, suspend the offering of the Shares or the Agent may, upon notice to the Company, suspend the offering of the Shares with respect to which the Agent is acting as sales agent for any reason and at any time; provided, however, that such suspension or termination shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice. Any notice given pursuant to the preceding sentence may be given by telephone from any Company representative listed on Annex 2 hereto (such notice will be confirmed promptly by the Agent via email).
(d)The gross sales price of any Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement by the Agent acting as sales agent of the Company shall be the market price prevailing at the time of sale for shares of the Common Stock sold by the Agent on the NYSE or otherwise, at prices relating to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. The compensation payable to the Agent for sales of Shares with respect to which the Agent acts as sales agent shall be equal to 3.00% of the gross sales price of the Shares for amounts of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement. The Company may sell Shares to the Agent, acting as principal, at a price agreed upon with the Agent at the relevant Applicable Time and pursuant to a separate Terms Agreement. The remaining proceeds, after further deduction for any transaction fees imposed by any governmental, regulatory or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales, shall constitute the net proceeds to the Company for such Shares (the “Net Proceeds”). The Agent shall notify the Company as promptly as practicable if any deduction referenced in the preceding sentence will be required.
(e)If acting as a sales agent hereunder, the Agent shall provide written confirmation to the Company following the close of trading on the NYSE, each day in which Shares are sold under this Agreement setting forth the number of Shares sold on such day, the aggregate gross sales proceeds of the Shares, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation payable by the Company to such Agent with respect to such sales.
(f)Under no circumstances shall the aggregate offering price or number, as the case may be, of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement and any Terms Agreement exceed the aggregate offering price or number, as the case
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may be, of Shares of Common Stock (i) set forth in the preamble paragraph of this Agreement, (ii) available for issuance under the Prospectus and the then-effective Registration Statement, or (iii) authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement or any Terms Agreement by the Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Agent in writing. In addition, under no circumstances shall any Shares with respect to which the Agent acts as sales agent be sold at a price lower than the minimum price therefor authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Agent in writing.
(g)Settlement for sales of Shares pursuant to this Section 2 will occur on the second business day that is also a Trading Day following the trade date on which such sales are made, unless another date shall be agreed to by the Company and the Agent (each such day, a “Settlement Date”). On each Settlement Date, the Shares sold through the Agent for settlement on such date shall be delivered by the Company to the Agent against payment of the Net Proceeds from the sale of such Shares. Settlement for all Shares shall be effected by book-entry delivery of Shares to the Agent’s account at The Depository Trust Company against payments by the Agent of the Net Proceeds from the sale of such Shares in same day funds delivered to an account designated by the Company. If the Company shall default on its obligation to deliver Shares on any Settlement Date, the Company shall (i) indemnify and hold the Agent harmless against any loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such default by the Company and (ii) pay the Agent any commission to which it would otherwise be entitled absent such default.
(h)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company and the Agent agree that no sales of Shares shall take place, and the Company shall not request the sale of any Shares that would be sold, and the Agent shall not be obligated to sell, during any period in which the Company’s insider trading policy, as it exists on the date of the Agreement, would prohibit the purchases or sales of the Common Stock by its officers or directors, or during any other period in which the Company is, or could be deemed to be, in possession of material non-public information; provided that, unless otherwise agreed between the Company and the Agent, for purposes of this paragraph (h) such period shall be deemed to end on the date on which the Company’s next subsequent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as the case may be, is filed with the Commission.
(i)At each Applicable Time, Settlement Date, Registration Amendment Date and each Company Periodic Report Date, the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each representation and warranty contained in this Agreement. Any obligation of the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell the Shares on behalf of the Company as sales agent shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the continuing satisfaction of the additional conditions specified in Section 6 of this Agreement.
Section 3.Covenants. The Company agrees with the Agent:
(a)During any period when the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of Shares (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 153 or 172, or in lieu thereof, a notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act), (i) to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus prior to any Settlement Date which shall be disapproved by the Agent promptly after reasonable notice thereof and to advise the Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representatives with copies thereof, (ii) to file promptly all other material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act, (iii) to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act, (iv) to advise the Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Shares, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the form of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information, and (v) in the event of the issuance of any such stop order or of any such order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus in respect of the Shares or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order; and in the event of any such issuance of a notice of objection, promptly to take such reasonable steps as may be necessary to permit offers and sales of the Shares by the Agent, which may include, without limitation, amending the Registration Statement or filing a new registration
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statement, at the Company’s expense (references herein to the Registration Statement shall include any such amendment or new registration statement).
(b)Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Agent may reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Agent may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the sale of the Shares; provided, that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction; and to promptly advise the Agent of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.
(c)During any period when the delivery of a prospectus is required (whether physically or through compliance with Rules 153 or 172, or in lieu thereof, a notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act) in connection with the offering or sale of Shares, the Company will make available to the Agent, as soon as practicable after the execution of this Agreement, and thereafter from time to time furnish to the Agent, copies of the most recent Prospectus in such quantities and at such locations as the Agent may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the 1933 Act. During any period when the delivery of a prospectus is required (whether physically or through compliance with Rules 153 or 172, or in lieu thereof, a notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act) in connection with the offering or sale of Shares, and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an 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 under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the 1934 Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, to notify the Agent and to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to the Agent as many written and electronic copies as the Agent may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be obligated to furnish any document to the extent such document is available on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System.
(d)To make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 16 months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the 1933 Act), an earnings statement of the Company complying with Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158).
(e)To use the Net Proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and any Terms Agreement in the manner specified in the General Disclosure Package.
(f)In connection with the offering and sale of the Shares, the Company will file with the NYSE all documents and notices, and make all certifications, required by the NYSE of companies that have securities that are listed or quoted on the NYSE and will maintain such listings or quotations.
(g)To not take, directly or indirectly, and to cause its affiliates to refrain from taking, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, under the 1934 Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(h)At each Applicable Time, each Settlement Date, each Registration Statement Amendment Date (as defined below), each Company Periodic Report Date (as defined below), and each date on which Shares are delivered to the Agent pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each representation, warranty, covenant and other agreement contained in this Agreement or any Terms Agreement. In each Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q filed by the Company in respect of any quarter in which sales of Shares were made by or through the Agent under this Agreement or any Terms Agreement (each date on which any such document is filed, and any date on which an amendment to any such document is filed, a “Company Periodic Report Date”), the Company shall set forth with regard to such quarter the number of Shares sold through the Agent
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under this Agreement or any Terms Agreement and the Net Proceeds received by the Company with respect to sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement or any Terms Agreement.
(i)Upon commencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement and each time the Shares are delivered to the Agent as principal on a Settlement Date and promptly after each (i) date the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than (A) by an amendment or supplement providing solely for the determination of the terms of the Shares, (B) in connection with the filing of a prospectus supplement that contains solely the information set forth in Section 3(h), (C) in connection with the filing of any Current Reports on Form 8-K (other than any Current Reports on Form 8-K which contain financial statements, supporting schedules or other financial data, including any Current Report on Form 8-K under Item 2.02 of such form that is considered “filed” under the 1934 Act) or (D) by a prospectus supplement relating to the offering of other securities (including, without limitation, Securities other than the Shares)) (each such date, a “Registration Statement Amendment Date”), and (ii) Company Periodic Report Date, the Company will furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Agent a certificate dated the date of effectiveness of such amendment or the date of filing with the Commission of such supplement or other document, as the case may be, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Agent to the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section 6(h) of this Agreement that were last furnished to the Agent are true and correct at the time of such amendment, supplement or filing, as the case may be, as though made at and as of such time (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such time) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in said Section 6(h), but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented, or to the document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, to the time of delivery of such certificate. As used in this paragraph, to the extent there shall be an Applicable Time on or following the date referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) above, as applicable, promptly shall be deemed to be on or prior to the next succeeding Applicable Time.
(j)Upon commencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement and each time the Shares are delivered to the Agent as principal on a Settlement Date, and promptly after each (i) Registration Statement Amendment Date, and (ii) Company Periodic Report Date, the Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agent and to counsel to the Agent the written opinion and letter of each Company Counsel or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, dated the date of effectiveness of such amendment or the date of filing with the Commission of such supplement or other document, as the case may be, in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, of the same tenor as the opinions and letters referred to in Sections 6(c) and 6(d) of this Agreement, but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented, or to the document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, to the time of delivery of such opinion and letter or, in lieu of such opinion and letter, counsel last furnishing such letter to the Agent shall furnish such Agent with a letter substantially to the effect that the Agent may rely on such last opinion and letter to the same extent as though each were dated the date of such letter authorizing reliance (except that statements in such last letter shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such letter authorizing reliance). As used in this paragraph, to the extent there shall be an Applicable Time on or following the date referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) above, as applicable, promptly shall be deemed to be on or prior to the next succeeding Applicable Time.
(k)Upon commencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement and each time the Shares are delivered to the Agent as principal on a Settlement Date, and promptly after each (i) Registration Statement Amendment Date, and (ii) Company Periodic Report Date, the Company will cause Ernst & Young LLP, or other independent accountants reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, to furnish to the Agent a letter, dated the date of effectiveness of such amendment or the date of filing of such supplement or other document with the Commission, as the case may be, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, of the same tenor as the letter referred to in Section 6(e) hereof, but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented, or to the document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, to the date of such letter. As used in this paragraph, to the extent there shall be an Applicable Time on or following the date referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) above, as applicable, promptly shall be deemed to be on or prior to the next succeeding Applicable Time.
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(l)The Company consents to Stifel Nicolaus trading in the Common Stock for Stifel Nicolaus’ own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement or any Terms Agreement.
(m)If, to the knowledge of the Company, all filings required by Rule 424 in connection with this offering shall not have been made or the representations in Section 1(a) shall not be true and correct on the applicable Settlement Date, the Company will offer to any person who has agreed to purchase Shares from the Company as the result of an offer to purchase solicited by the Agent the right to refuse to purchase and pay for such Shares.
(n)The Company will cooperate timely with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agent or its counsel from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or in any Terms Agreement, including, without limitation, and upon reasonable notice providing information and making available documents and appropriate corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Agent may reasonably request.
(o)During any period when the Agent is making sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement through the applicable Settlement Date(s), the Company will not, without (i) giving the Agent at least three (3) business days’ prior written notice specifying the nature of the proposed sale and the date of such proposed sale, and (ii) the Agent suspending activity under this program for such period of time as requested by the Company or as deemed appropriate by the Agent in light of the proposed sale, (A) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock, or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing (other than a shelf registration statement under Rule 415 under the 1933 Act, a registration statement on Form S-8 or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement) or (B) enter into any swap or other agreement or any transaction that transfers in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, any of the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (A) or (B) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (x) the Shares to be offered and sold through the Agent pursuant to this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, (y) equity incentive awards approved by the Board of Directors or the compensation committee thereof or the issuance of Common Stock upon exercise thereof or conversion thereof, and (z) Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock as consideration for mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or strategic alliances occurring after the date of this Agreement which are not issued for capital raising purposes.
(p)If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Shares remain unsold, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) relating to the Shares, in a form satisfactory to the Agent. If the Company is not eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Shares, in a form satisfactory to the Agent, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within sixty (60) days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the issuance and sale of the Shares to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Shares. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.
Section 4.Free Writing Prospectus.
(a)(i)The Company represents and agrees that without the prior consent of the Agent, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act; and
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(ii) the Agent represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a free writing prospectus required to be filed with the Commission. |
(b)The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the 1933 Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including any free writing prospectus identified in Section 4(a) hereof), including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending.
Section 5.Payment of Expenses.
(a)The Company covenants and agrees with the Agent that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, Prospectus Supplement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Agent; (ii) the cost of printing or producing this Agreement or any Terms Agreement, any Blue Sky and Legal Investment Memoranda, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 3(b) hereof, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agent in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky and Legal Investment Surveys; (iv) any filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agent in connection with, any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares; (v) all fees and expenses in connection with listing or quoting the Shares on the NYSE; (vi) the cost of preparing the Shares; (vii) the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agent in an aggregate amount not to exceed $50,000 (which amount shall also include all fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agent described in clause (iv) above); (viii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent or registrar or any dividend distribution agent; and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section 5. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section 5, and Section 7 hereof, the Agent will pay all of its own costs and expenses, including the fees of its counsel in excess of clause (vii) above, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by it, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers it may make.
(b)If Shares having an aggregate offering price of at least $2,500,000 have not been offered and sold under this Agreement by September 1, 2022 (or such earlier date on which the Company terminates this Agreement), the Company shall reimburse the Agent for all of its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses subject to the $50,000 cap set forth in Section 7(a).
Section 6.Conditions of Agent’s Obligation. The obligations of the Agent hereunder shall be subject, in its discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof are true and correct as of the time of the execution of this Agreement, the date of any executed Terms Agreement and as of each Registration Statement Amendment Date, Company Periodic Report Date, Applicable Time and Settlement Date, to the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:
(a)The Prospectus Supplement shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act on or prior to the date hereof and in accordance with Section 3(a) hereof, any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Agent.
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(b)On every date specified in Section 3(j) hereof and on such other dates as reasonably requested by Agent, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, counsel for the Agent, shall have furnished to the Agent such written opinion or opinions, dated as of such date, with respect to such matters as the Agent may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(c)On every date specified in Section 3(j) hereof and on such other dates as reasonably requested by Agent, Jackson Walker LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Agent written opinion or opinions, dated as of such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.
(d)[Reserved].
(e)On every date specified in Section 3(j) hereof and on such other dates as reasonably requested by Agent, Ernst & Young LLP, or such other the independent accountants of the Company, in each case, who have certified the financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus shall have furnished to the Agent a letter dated as of the date of delivery thereof and addressed to the Agent in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(f)On every date specified in Section 3(j) hereof and on such other dates as reasonably requested by Agent, DeGolyer, or such other independent petroleum engineer of the Company, shall have furnished to the Agent letters which shall cover, without limitation, the oil and gas reserves information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(g)Prior to commencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement, the Agent shall have received a certificate, signed on behalf of the Company by its corporate Secretary, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel.
(h)(i) Upon commencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement and on such other dates as reasonably requested by Agent, the Company will furnish or cause to be furnished promptly to the Agent a certificate of an officer in a form satisfactory to the Agent stating the maximum number of Shares that may be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement or, alternatively, maximum gross proceeds from such sales, as authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof or, in connection with any amendment, revision or modification of such maximum Share number or amount, a new certificate with respect thereto and (ii) on each date specified in Section 3(j) and on such other dates as reasonably requested by Agent, the Agent shall have received a certificate of executive officers of the Company, one of whom shall be the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, Treasurer, or Executive Vice President in the area of capital markets and investments, dated as of the date thereof, to the effect that (A) there has been no Material Adverse Effect since the date as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented, (B) the representations and warranties in Section 1 hereof are true and correct as of such date, and (C) the Company has complied with all of the agreements entered into in connection with the transaction contemplated herein and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied.
(i)Since the date of the latest audited financial statements then included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred.
(j)The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 3(c) hereof with respect to the timely furnishing of prospectuses.
(k)On such dates as reasonably requested by the Agent, the Company shall have conducted due diligence sessions, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent.
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(l)All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the 1933 Act to have been filed by each Applicable Time or related Settlement Date shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424 (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)).
(m)The Shares shall have received approval for listing or quotation on the NYSE prior to the first Settlement Date.
(n)Prior to any Settlement Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Agent such further information, documents or certificates as the Agent may reasonably request.
Section 7.Indemnification.
(a)The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Agent, its partners, agents, directors, officers and members, any person who controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and any “affiliate” (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) of the Agent, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) that, jointly or severally, the Agent or any such person may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning the Agent furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Agent to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement (it being understood that the only such information is the Agent Information) or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any Prospectus (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 7 being deemed to include any Basic Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to the foregoing), in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433 under the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Company or in any Prospectus together with any combination of one or more of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except, with respect to such Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning the Agent furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Agent through the Company expressly for use in, such Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (it being understood that the only such information is the Agent Information), and will reimburse each “indemnified party” (defined below) for any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, damage, expense, liability, claim, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such indemnified party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to the above as such fees and expenses are incurred.
(b)The Agent agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers, and any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, the Company or any such person may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning the Agent furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Agent to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company), it being understood that the only such information is the Agent Information, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning the Agent furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Agent to the Company expressly for use in, a Prospectus or a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, it being understood that the only such information is the Agent Information, and will reimburse each “indemnified party” for any legal or
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other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, damage, expense, liability, claim, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such indemnified party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to the above as such fees and expenses are incurred.
(c)If any action, suit or proceeding (each, a “Proceeding”) is brought against a person (an “indemnified party”) in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company or the Agent (as applicable, the “indemnifying party”) pursuant to Section 7(a) or Section 7(b), respectively, such indemnified party shall promptly notify such indemnifying party in writing of the institution of such Proceeding and such indemnifying party shall assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the retention of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, and pay all reasonable and documented legal or other fees and expenses related to such Proceeding or incurred in connection with such indemnified party’s enforcement of Section 7(a) or Section 7(b), as applicable; provided, however, that the omission to so notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability that such indemnifying party may have to any indemnified party or otherwise. The indemnified party or parties shall have the right to retain its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party or parties unless (i) the retention of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party in connection with the defense of such Proceeding, (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, retained counsel to defend such Proceeding or (iii) such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them that are different from, additional to or in conflict with those available to such indemnifying party (in which case such indemnifying party shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by such indemnifying party and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that such indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees or expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent but, if settled with its written consent, such indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified party or parties from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of this Section 7(c), then the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than sixty (60) business days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have fully reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at least thirty (30) days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.
(d)If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to an indemnified party under Section 7(a) or Section 7(b) or insufficient to hold an indemnified party harmless in respect of any losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Agent on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Agent on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Agent on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total commissions received by the Agent, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Agent on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission
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relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Agent and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, damages, expenses, liabilities and claims referred to in this subsection shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any Proceeding.
(e)The Company and the Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 7(d) above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, the Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount of the total compensation actually received by the Agent. 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.
(f)The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 7 and the covenants, warranties and representations of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agent, its partners, agents, directors, officers or members or any person (including each partner, officer, director or member of such person) who controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, or by or on behalf of the Company, its directors or officers or any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and shall survive any termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Shares. The Company and the Agent agree to promptly notify each other of the commencement of any Proceeding against it and, in the case of the Company, against any of the Company’s officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares, or in connection with the Registration Statement, any Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.
(g)The full legal name of Stifel set forth on the front cover of the Prospectus (the “Agent Information”) in the Prospectus constitutes the only information furnished by or on behalf of the Agent, as such information is referred to in Sections 1 and 7 hereof.
Section 8.Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Agent, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of the Agent or any controlling person of the Agent, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.
Section 9.No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the Agent is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of such offering), (b) the Agent has not assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Agent has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, and (c) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Agent has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
Section 10.Termination.
(a)The Company shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party, except that (i) with respect to any pending sale through the Agent for the Company, the obligations of the Company, including in respect of compensation of the Agent, shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination; and (ii) the provisions of Section 1, Section 5(b), Section 7, Section 8, Section 14 and Section 15 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
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(b)The Agent shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 1, Section 5(b), Section 7, Section 8, Section 14 and Section 15 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(c)Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 10, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Shares by Stifel Nicolaus on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein except any termination pursuant to this clause (c) shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 1, Section 5(b), Section 7, Section 8, Section 14 and Section 15 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
(d)This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until and unless terminated pursuant to Section 10(a), (b) or (c) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided that any such termination by mutual agreement or pursuant to Section 10(c) shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 1, Section 5(b), Section 7, Section 8, Section 14 and Section 15 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
(e)Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Agent or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Shares, such sale shall settle in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(g) hereof.
(f)In the case of any purchase by the Agent pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the Agent may terminate this Agreement, at any time at or prior to the Settlement Date (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) if 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 Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of Shares, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NYSE, or if trading generally on the NYSE American, the 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 such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.
Section 11.Notices. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to Stifel Nicolaus shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to:
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
One South Street, 15th Floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Fax No. (443) 224-1273
Attention: Syndicate Department
Email: SyndProspectus@stifel.com
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
200 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10166
Attention: Richard H. Kronthal
Phil Haines
Email:richardkronthal@huntonak.com
phaines@huntonak.com
and if to the Company to:
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PHX Minerals Inc.
1601 NW Expressway, Suite 1100
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118
Attention: Ralph D’Amico
Email: rdamico@phxmin.com
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Jackson Walker LLP
1401 McKinney Street, Suite 1900
Houston, Texas 77010
Attention: Kirk Tucker
Email: ktucker@jw.com
Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
Section 12.Parties. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Agent and the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 7 and 8 hereof, the officers, directors, employees, attorneys and agents of the Company and the Agent and each person who controls the Company or the Agent, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of Shares through the Agent shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.
Section 13.Time of the Essence. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.
Section 14.Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company and the Agent hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to jury trial by jury in any legal proceeding or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 15.Governing Law; Construction. This Agreement and any claim, counterclaim or dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement (“Claim”), directly or indirectly, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to the conflicts of law principles thereof. The section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of convenience of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.
Section 16.Submission to Jurisdiction. Except as set forth below, no Claim may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. The Company hereby consents to personal jurisdiction, service and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against the Agent or any indemnified party. The Company agrees that a final judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.
Section 17.Facsimiles; Electronic Transmission; Counterparts. The words “execution,” “execute,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and the Terms Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the parties hereto and thereto, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any
21
other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. This Agreement and the Terms Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which, when executed, shall be deemed to be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same document.
Section 18.Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
Section 19.Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Agent and the Company and their successors and assigns and any successor or assign of any substantial portion of the Company’s and the Agent’s respective businesses and/or assets.
Section 20.Research Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Agent’s research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that the Agent’s research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Agent with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by the Agent’s investment banking division. The Company acknowledges that the Agent is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
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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 Agent and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
PHX Minerals Inc.
By: /s/ Chad L. Stephens____
Name: Chad L. Stephens
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Accepted as of the date hereof:
STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED
By: __/s/ Christian Gibson_______________________________
Name: Christian Gibson
Title: Managing Director – Investment Banking
Signature Page to At-The-Market Equity Offering Sales Agreement
Annex 1
PHX Minerals Inc.
Class A Common Stock
($0.01666 par value per share)
TERMS AGREEMENT
STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED
One South Street, 15th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
Attn: Syndicate Department
Ladies and Gentlemen:
PHX Minerals Inc. (formerly known as Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc.), an Oklahoma corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the At-the-Market Equity Offering Sales Agreement, dated August 25, 2021 (the “Sales Agreement”), between the Company and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (the “Agent”), to issue and sell to the Agent the securities specified in the Schedule hereto (the “Purchased Securities”) [, and solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, to grant to the Agent the option to purchase the additional securities specified in the Schedule hereto (the “Additional Securities”)]*.
[The Agent shall have the right to purchase from the Company all or a portion of the Additional Securities as may be necessary to cover over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Purchased Securities, at the same purchase price per share to be paid by the Agent to the Company for the Purchased Securities. This option may be exercised by the Agent at any time (but not more than once) on or before the thirtieth day following the date hereof, by written notice to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of shares of Additional Securities as to which the option is being exercised, and the date and time when the Additional Securities are to be delivered (such date and time being herein referred to as the “Option Closing Date”); provided, however, that the Option Closing Date shall not be earlier than the Time of Delivery (as set forth in the Schedule hereto) nor earlier than the second business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised nor later than the fifth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. Payment of the purchase price for the Additional Securities shall be made at the Option Closing Date in the same manner and at the same office as the payment for the Purchased Securities.]*
Each of the provisions of the Sales Agreement not specifically related to the solicitation by the Agent, as agent of the Company, of offers to purchase securities is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be part of this Terms Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Each of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Terms Agreement [and] [,] the Applicable Time [and any Option Closing Date]*, except that each representation and warranty in Section 1 of the Sales Agreement which makes reference to the Prospectus (as therein defined) shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty as of the date of the Sales Agreement in relation to the Prospectus, and also a representation and warranty as of the date of this Terms Agreement [and] [,] the Settlement Date [and any Option Closing Date]* in relation to the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to relate to the Purchased Securities.
An amendment to the Registration Statement (as defined in the Sales Agreement), or a supplement to the Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Purchased Securities [and the Additional Securities]*, in the form heretofore delivered to the Agent is now proposed to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Sales Agreement which are incorporated
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herein by reference, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Agent and the latter agrees to purchase from the Company the number of shares of the Purchased Securities at the time and place and at the purchase price set forth in the Schedule hereto.
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 Agent and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
PHX Minerals Inc.
By:
Name:
Title:
Accepted as of the date hereof:
STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED
By:
Name:
Title:
* Include only if the Agent has an over-allotment option.
2
Annex 2
Notice Parties
The Company
Chad Stephenschad@phxmin.com
Ralph D’Amicordamico@phxmin.com
Chad Truectrue@phxmin.com
Stifel Nicolaus
Dan Covattadcovatta@stifel.com
Mark Whitewhitem@stifel.com
Suzanne Hillsahill@stifel.com
