peix_8k-ex0101.htm
28,000,000 Shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001
Series I Warrants to Purchase 28,000,000 Shares of Common Stock
Series II Warrants to Purchase 14,000,000 Shares of Common Stock
and
4,200,000 Additional Shares
Additional Series I Warrants to Purchase 4,200,000 Shares of Common Stock
Additional Series II Warrants to Purchase 2,100,000 Shares of Common Stock
PACIFIC ETHANOL, INC.
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
June 28, 2012
LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York 10020
Dear Sirs:
1. Introduction. Pacific Ethanol, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to Lazard Capital Markets LLC (“LCM” or the “Underwriter”), pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Underwriting Agreement (this “Agreement”), an aggregate of 28,000,000 units (the “Firm Units”). The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the Underwriter not more than 4,200,000 additional units (the “Additional Units” and, together with the Firm Units, the “Units”) if and to the extent that you, as Underwriter, shall have determined to exercise your right to purchase such Additional Units granted to the Underwriter below and in Section 2 hereof.
Each Unit will consist of (i) one share of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) of the Company (collectively, the “Shares”), (ii) one warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (collectively, the “Series I Warrants”) in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and (iii) one warrant to purchase one-half of one share of Common Stock (collectively, the “Series II Warrants”) in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the Series I Warrants and Series II Warrants, together, the “Warrants”). The Company hereby confirms that LCM is acting as the Underwriter in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof. The Units will not be issued or certificated. The Shares and Warrants contained in the Units are immediately separable and will be issued separately. The shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants are hereinafter referred to as the “Warrant Shares.”
Each Firm Unit will consist of (i) one share of Common Stock (collectively, the “Firm Shares”), (ii) one Series I Warrant (collectively, the “Firm Warrants”) and (iii) one Series II Warrant (collectively, the “Firm Series II Warrants” and together with the Firm Series I Warrants, the “Firm Warrants” and together with the Firm Shares, the “Firm Securities”). Each Additional Unit will consist of (i) one share of Common Stock (collectively, the “Additional Shares”), (ii) one Series I Warrant (collectively, the “Additional Series I Warrants”) and (iii) one Series II Warrant (collectively, the “Additional Series II Warrants” and together with the Additional Series I Warrants, the “Additional Warrants” and together with the Additional Shares, the “Additional Securities”).
The Underwriter may exercise its over-allotment purchase right in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than thirty (30) days after the date of this Agreement. Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Units to be purchased by the Underwriter and the date on which such securities are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one (1) business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Securities or later than ten business days after the date of such notice. The Additional Units may be purchased hereby solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Units. Each day, if any, that any Additional Units are to be purchased is hereinafter referred to as an “Option Closing Date.”
2. Delivery and Payment.
On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement:
2.1 The Company agrees to issue and sell, and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company, an aggregate of 28,000,000 Firm Units. The purchase price per Unit to be paid by the Underwriter to the Company for the Firm Securities will be $0.4024 per Unit (the “Purchase Price”). The Company has been advised by you that you propose to make a public offering of the Firm Units (together with any Additional Units, the “Offering”) as soon after this Agreement has become effective as in your judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by you that the Firm Units are to be offered to the public initially at $0.4300 per Unit.
2.2 Payment of the Purchase Price for, and delivery of, the Firm Shares and Firm Warrants contained in the Firm Units shall be made at the time and date of closing and delivery of the documents required to be delivered to the Underwriter pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof, which delivery shall take place at 11:00 A.M., New York time, on July 3, 2012 (the “Closing Date”) at the office of Troutman Sanders LLP, 5 Park Plaza, Suite 1400, Irvine, CA 92614 or at such other time and date as the Underwriter and the Company determine pursuant to Rule 15c6-1(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). On the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver the Firm Shares and Firm Warrants, which shall be registered in the name or names and shall be in such denominations as the Underwriter may request at least one (1) business day before the Closing Date, to the Underwriter, which delivery shall (a) with respect to the Firm Shares, be made through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company’s DWAC system on the Closing Date, and (b) with respect to the Firm Warrants, be made by physical delivery to be received by the Underwriter no later than one (1) business day following the Closing Date (provided, however, that such physical delivery date for Warrants for retail investors, if any, shall be within two (2) business days following receipt by the Company, or its counsel, of a completed allocation and address list).
2.3 Payment of the Purchase Price for, and delivery of, any Additional Units shall be made at the Option Closing Date or at such other time and date as the Underwriter and the Company determine pursuant to Rule 15c6-1(a) under the Exchange Act. On the Option Closing Date, the Company shall deliver the Additional Shares and Additional Warrants, which shall be registered in the name or names and shall be in such denominations as the Underwriter may request at least one (1) business day before the Option Closing Date, to the Underwriter, which delivery shall (a) with respect to the Additional Shares, be made through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company's DWAC system on the Option Closing Date, and (b) with respect to the Additional Warrants, shall be made by physical delivery to be received by the Underwriter no later than one (1) business day following the Option Closing Date (provided however that such physical delivery date for Warrants for retail investors, if any, shall be within two (2) business days following receipt by the Company, or its counsel, of a completed allocation and address list). The Option Closing Date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the Closing Date, the term “Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of the Firm Securities and Additional Securities.
3. Representations And Warranties Of The Company.
The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriter, and agrees with the Underwriter, that:
(a) The Company has prepared and filed in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and published rules and regulations thereunder (the “Rules and Regulations”) adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a “shelf” Registration Statement (as hereinafter defined) on Form S-3 (File No. 333-180731), which became effective as of May 17, 2012 (the “Effective Date”), including a base prospectus relating to the Shares and Warrants (the “Base Prospectus”), and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. The term “Registration Statement” as used in this Agreement means the registration statement (including all exhibits, financial schedules and all documents and information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A and 430B of the Rules and Regulations), as amended and/or supplemented to the date of this Agreement, including the Base Prospectus. The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required by the Rules and Regulations of the Commission, will file the Prospectus (as defined below), with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations. The term “Prospectus” as used in this Agreement means the Prospectus, in the form in which it is to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations, or, if the Prospectus is not to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), the Prospectus in the form included as part of the Registration Statement as of the Effective Date, except that if any revised prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be provided to the Underwriter by the Company for use in connection with the Offering which differs from the Prospectus (whether or not such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement is required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations), the term “Prospectus” shall refer to such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, as the case may be, from and after the time it is first provided to the Underwriter for such use (or in the form first made available to the Underwriter by the Company to meet requests of prospective purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 of the Rules and Regulations). Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus subject to completion included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 of the Rules and Regulations is hereafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act, on or before the last to occur of the Effective Date, the date of the Preliminary Prospectus, or the date of the Prospectus, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment,” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include (i) the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date, the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, which is incorporated by reference and (ii) any such document so filed. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional securities pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations (the “462(b) Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the Registration Statement shall also be deemed to include such 462(b) Registration Statement.
(b) As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, neither (i) any General Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, and the Pricing Prospectus (as defined below) and the information included on Schedule A hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), (ii) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), nor (iii) the bona fide electronic road show (as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) of the Rules and Regulations), if any, that has been made available without restriction to any person, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or as of the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date will omit, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 16). As used in this paragraph (b) and elsewhere in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means 8:00 A.M., New York time, on the date of this Agreement.
“General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is identified on Schedule A to this Agreement.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations relating to the Shares and Warrants in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) of the Rules and Regulations.
“Limited Use Free Writing Prospectuses” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
“Pricing Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus, if any, and the Base Prospectus, each as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof.
(c) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the Offering has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 7A of the Securities Act has been instituted or to the knowledge of the Company threatened by the Commission.
(d) At the time the Registration Statement most recently became effective, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, the Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; each Preliminary Prospectus (if any), at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; the Prospectus, at the time the Prospectus was issued and at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the foregoing representations and warranties in this paragraph (d) shall not apply to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 16).
(e) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the Offering or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Underwriter as described in Section 4(e), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified, or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any of the foregoing in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 16).
(f) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(g) The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the Offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the Offering other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Securities Act and consistent with Section 4(b) below. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (other than a “road show,” as described in Rule 433(d)(8) of the Rules and Regulations), if any, in the time and manner required under Rules 163(b)(2) and 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations.
(h) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (as defined in Section 144) have been duly organized and are validly existing as corporations or other legal entities in good standing (or the foreign equivalent thereof) under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of incorporation or organization, as applicable. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing or validly existing, as the case may be, as foreign corporations or other legal entities in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification and have all power and authority (corporate or other) necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to so qualify or have such power or authority would not (i) have, singly or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, assets, properties, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (ii) impair in any material respect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate any transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (any such effect as described in clauses (i) or (ii), a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company owns or controls, directly or indirectly, only the following corporations, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or other entities: Pacific Ethanol California, Inc., a California corporation, Kinergy Marketing, LLC, an Oregon limited liability company, Pacific Ag. Products, LLC, a California limited liability company, Pacific Ethanol Management Services Cor., a Delaware corporation, and Pacific Ethanol Development, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
(i) The Company has the full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the Warrants, and to perform and to discharge its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and each of this Agreement and the Warrants have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms.
(j) The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriter hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal, registration rights or similar rights and will conform to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Warrant Shares have been duly and validly authorized and reserved for issuance pursuant to the terms of the Warrants, and when issued by the Company upon valid exercise of the Warrants and payment of the exercise price, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal, registration rights or similar rights and will conform to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(k) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with United States federal and state securities laws, and conform to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. As of June 18, 2012, there were 86,801,993 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, issued and outstanding, no shares of Series A preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company issued and outstanding and 926,942 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company issued and outstanding, and 9,267,365 shares of Common Stock were issuable upon the exercise of all options, warrants and convertible securities outstanding as of such date. Since such date, the Company has not issued any securities, other than Common Stock of the Company issued pursuant to the exercise of stock options previously outstanding under the Company’s stock option plans or the issuance of restricted Common Stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plans. All of the Company’s options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and were issued in compliance with United States federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fairly present the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.
(l) All the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and, except to the extent set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are owned by the Company directly or indirectly through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries, free and clear of any claim, lien, encumbrance, security interest, restriction upon voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
(m) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Warrants by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Shares and Warrants by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, constitute a default or Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, give rise to any right of termination or other right or the cancellation or acceleration of any right or obligation or loss of a benefit under, or give rise to the creation or imposition of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, claim or charge upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such actions result in any violation of the provisions of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws (or analogous governing instruments, as applicable) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets. A “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(n) Except for the registration of the Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares under the Securities Act, and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Exchange Act and applicable state or foreign securities laws, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and the NASDAQ Capital Market (“NASDAQ CM”) in connection with the Offering and the listing of the Common Stock on the NASDAQ CM, no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, qualification or registration (each an “Authorization”) with, any court, governmental or non-governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic, which has not been made, obtained or taken and is not in full force and effect, is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Warrants by the Company, the offer or sale of the Shares and Warrants or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby; and no event has occurred that allows or results in, or after notice or lapse of time or both would allow or result in, revocation, suspension, termination or invalidation of any such Authorization or any other impairment of the rights of the holder or maker of any such Authorization. All corporate approvals (including those of stockholders) necessary for the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been obtained and are in effect.
(o) Hein & Associates LLP, who have certified certain financial statements and related schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”). Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and as pre-approved in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 10A of the Exchange Act, Hein & Associates LLP has not been engaged by the Company to perform any “prohibited activities” (as defined in Section 10A of the Exchange Act).
(p) The Company’s financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and in the Registration Statement fairly present the financial position and the results of operations and changes in financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and other consolidated entities at the respective dates or for the respective periods therein specified. Such statements and related notes and schedules have been prepared in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved except as may be set forth in the related notes included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package. The Company’s financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and the Rules and Regulations and the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act. No other financial statements or supporting schedules or exhibits are required by the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations to be described, or included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. There is no pro forma or as adjusted financial information which is required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, which has not been included or incorporated as so required. The summary and selected financial data included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and each Registration Statement fairly present the information shown therein as at their respective dates and for the respective periods specified and are derived from the consolidated financial statements set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus and other financial information. All information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as defined in Regulation G) complies with Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K, to the extent applicable.
(q) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package; and, since such date, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, assets, general affairs, management, financial position, prospects, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.
(r) There is no legal or governmental action, suit, claim or proceeding pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject, which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and is not described therein, or which, singly or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could have a Material Adverse Effect or prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.
(s) Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) is in violation of its certificate of incorporation or by-laws (or analogous governing instrument, as applicable), (ii) is in default in any respect, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject or (iii) is in violation in any respect of any law, ordinance, governmental rule, regulation or court order, decree or judgment to which it or its property or assets may be subject except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (s), for any violations or defaults which, singly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) The Company and each of its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate local, state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies which are necessary or desirable for the ownership of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Governmental Permits”) except where any failures to possess or make the same, singly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with all such Governmental Permits; all such Governmental Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the validity or failure to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. All such Governmental Permits are free and clear of any restriction or condition that are in addition to, or materially different from those normally applicable to similar licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received notification of any revocation, modification, suspension, termination or invalidation (or proceedings related thereto) of any such Governmental Permit and to the knowledge of the Company, no event has occurred that allows or results in, or after notice or lapse of time or both would allow or result in, revocation, modification, suspension, termination or invalidation (or proceedings related thereto) of any such Governmental Permit and the Company has no reason to believe that any such Governmental Permit will not be renewed; and the Company and its subsidiaries are members in good standing of each federal, state or foreign exchange, board of trade, clearing house or association and self-regulatory or similar organization, in each case as necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(u) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is or, after giving effect to the Offering and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will become an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(v) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors or affiliates has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed or intended to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which caused or resulted in, or which might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company.
(w) The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess legally enforceable rights from all necessary third parties (the “Licensors”) to use all patents, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, know-how and other intellectual property rights necessary for the conduct of its business described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and the Company is not aware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of the Company or its subsidiaries with respect to the foregoing. Except where such failure to make the same would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company or its subsidiaries is listed in the records of the appropriate United States, state, or foreign registry as the sole current owner of record for each intellectual property registration and application for registration owned by the Company or its subsidiaries, respectively, except for such intellectual property applications as have been filed in the name of employees who are contractually obligated to assign all of their rights in and to such intellectual property applications to the Company, and all such applications and registrations have been duly maintained, are subsisting, in full force and effect, have not been cancelled, expired, or abandoned. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has received written notification of any revocation or modification of any registered intellectual property right, or has any reason to believe that any renewable registered intellectual property right will not be renewed, other than any revocation, modification or failure to renew that would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The business of the Company and its subsidiaries as now conducted, and as proposed to be conducted as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, does not and will not infringe or conflict with any patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, licenses, know-how or other intellectual property right or franchise right of any person, except where such infringement would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no oppositions, cancellations, invalidity proceedings, re-examination proceedings, suits, arbitrations, or threatened claims pending or for which notice has been provided or, to the knowledge of Company, threatened, challenging the Company's or its subsidiaries’ ownership of, right to use, or the validity or enforceability of any patent, trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, trade secret, license, know-how or other intellectual property right or franchise right of any person which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) Patent applications for all inventions owned by or licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries that are material to the conduct of the business of the Company or its subsidiaries in the manner in which it has been or is contemplated to be conducted have been duly and properly filed or caused to be filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) and, in some cases, applicable foreign and international patent authorities. Assignments for all patents and patent applications, including, without limitation any continuations, divisionals, continuations-in-part, renewals, reissues and applications for registration of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Patents”) owned by or licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries that are material to the conduct of the business of the Company or its subsidiaries in the manner in which it has been or is contemplated to be conducted have been properly executed and recorded for each named inventor. To the knowledge of the Company, all printed publications and patent references material to the patentability of the inventions claimed in the Patents have been disclosed to those patent offices so requiring. To the knowledge of the Company, each of the Company, its subsidiaries and their respective assignors or the Licensors, as applicable, has met its duty of candor and good faith to the PTO for the Patents. To the knowledge of the Company, no material misrepresentation has been made to any patent office in connection with the Patents. The Company is not aware of any facts material to a determination of patentability regarding the Patents not disclosed to the PTO or other applicable patent office. The Company is not aware of any facts not disclosed to the PTO or other applicable patent office that would preclude the patentability, validity or enforceability of any patent or patent application in the Patents. The Company has no knowledge of any facts that would preclude the Company, its subsidiaries or the Licensors, as applicable, from having clear title to the patents and patent applications in the Patents.
(y) To the knowledge of the Company, no third party is engaging in any activity that infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, trade secret, license, know-how or any other intellectual property right or franchise right owned by or licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries, except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except for such activities that, singly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) With respect to each material agreement governing all rights in and to any patent, trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, trade secret, license, know-how or any other intellectual property right or franchise right licensed by or licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries: (i) neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has received any notice of indemnification, termination or cancellation under such agreement, received any notice of breach or default under such agreement, which breach has not been cured, or granted to any third party any rights, adverse or otherwise, under such agreement that would constitute a material breach of such agreement; and (ii) none of the Company, its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party to such agreement, is in breach or default thereof in any material respect, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time, would constitute such a material breach or default or permit termination, modification or acceleration under such agreement.
(aa) Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and each of its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real or personal property which are material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests, claims and defects that do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.
(bb) There is (A) no significant unfair labor practice complaint pending against the Company, or any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against it or any of its subsidiaries, before the National Labor Relations Board, any state or local labor relation board or any foreign labor relations board, and no significant grievance or significant arbitration proceeding arising out of or under any collective bargaining agreement is so pending against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against it and (B) no labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, that could reasonably be expected, singly or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware that any key employee or significant group of employees of the Company or any subsidiary plans to terminate employment with the Company or any such subsidiary.
(cc) No “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”), or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”)) or “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA) or any of the events set forth in Section 4043(b) of ERISA (other than events with respect to which the thirty (30)-day notice requirement under Section 4043 of ERISA has been waived) has occurred or could reasonably be expected to occur with respect to any employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which could, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Each employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with applicable law, including ERISA and the Code. The Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred and could not reasonably be expected to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of, or withdrawal from, any pension plan (as defined in ERISA). Each pension plan for which the Company or any of its subsidiaries would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which could, singly or in the aggregate, cause the loss of such qualification.
(dd) The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable foreign, federal, state and local statutes, laws, including the common law rules, and regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, judgments or decrees relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes and the protection of health and safety or the environment, including without limitation, natural resources, which are applicable to their business (“Environmental Laws”), except where the failure to comply could not, singularly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no use, storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes by, due to, or caused by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may otherwise be liable) upon under, at or from any of the property now or previously owned, leased or operated by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or upon any other property, in violation of any Environmental Law, or Governmental Permit issued thereunder or which would, give rise to any liability, except for any violation or liability which could not reasonably be expected to have, singularly or in the aggregate with all such violations and liabilities, a Material Adverse Effect; and there has been no disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind onto under, at or from such property or into the environment of any toxic hazardous substances or wastes with respect to which the Company has knowledge, except for any such disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind which could not reasonably be expected to have, singularly or in the aggregate with all such discharges and other releases, a Material Adverse Effect.
(ee) The Company and its subsidiaries each (i) have timely filed all necessary federal, state, local and foreign tax returns, and all such returns were true, complete and correct, (ii) have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes, assessments, governmental or other charges due and payable for which it is liable, including, without limitation, all sales and use taxes and all taxes which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is obligated to withhold from amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties, and (iii) do not have any tax deficiency or claims outstanding or assessed or, to its knowledge, proposed against any of them, except those, in each of the cases described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (ee), that would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries have not engaged in any transaction which is a corporate tax shelter or which could be characterized as such by the Internal Revenue Service or any other taxing authority. The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable period not yet finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments and related liabilities for any such period, and since December 31, 2011, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any liability for taxes other than in the ordinary course.
(ff) The Company and each of its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance provided by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have been denied any insurance coverage that they have sought or for which they have applied. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received written notice from any insurer, agent of such insurer or the broker of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that any material capital improvements or any other material expenditures (other than premium payments) are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries insure risk of loss through any captive insurance, risk retention group, reciprocal group or by means of any fund or pool of assets specifically set aside for contingent liabilities other than as described in the General Disclosure Package.
(gg) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act (the “Exchange Act Rules”)) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (A) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is overseen by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Audit Committee”) in accordance with the Exchange Act Rules. The Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Audit Committee or to the Board, and within the next 90 days the Company does not reasonably expect to publicly disclose or report to the Audit Committee or the Board, a significant deficiency, material weakness, change in internal control over financial reporting or fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in the internal control over financial reporting (each an “Internal Control Event”), any violation of, or failure to comply with, the U.S. Securities Laws, or any matter which, if determined adversely, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(hh) A member of the Audit Committee has confirmed to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or General Counsel of the Company that, except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Audit Committee is not reviewing or investigating, and neither the Company’s independent auditors nor its internal auditors have recommended that the Audit Committee review or investigate, (i) adding to, deleting, changing the application of or changing the Company’s disclosure with respect to, any of the Company’s material accounting policies, (ii) any matter which could result in a restatement of the Company’s financial statements for any annual or interim period during the current or prior three fiscal years, or (iii) any Internal Control Event.
(ii) The minute books of the Company and each of its subsidiaries that would be a “significant subsidiary” within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X (such a significant subsidiary of the Company, a “Significant Subsidiary”) have been made available to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter, and such books (i) contain a complete summary of all meetings and actions of the board of directors (including each board committee) and shareholders of the Company (or analogous governing bodies and interest holders, as applicable), and each of its Significant Subsidiaries since the time of their respective incorporation or organization through the date of the latest meeting and action, and (ii) accurately in all material respects reflect all transactions referred to in such minutes.
(jj) There is no franchise agreement, lease, contract, or other agreement or document required by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations to be described in the General Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or a document incorporated by reference therein which is not so described or filed therein as required; and all descriptions of any such franchise agreement, leases, contracts, or other agreements or documents contained the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in a document incorporated by reference therein are accurate and complete descriptions of such documents in all material respects. Other than as described in the General Disclosure Package, no such franchise agreement, lease, contract or other agreement has been suspended or terminated for convenience or default by the Company or any of the other parties thereto, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice nor does the Company have knowledge of any such pending or threatened suspension or termination.
(kk) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders (or analogous interest holders), customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its affiliates on the other hand, which is required to be described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and which is not so described.
(ll) No person or entity has the right to exercise any preemptive rights to purchase the Company’s securities, or to require registration of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries because of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or otherwise, except for persons and entities who have expressly waived such rights in writing or who have been given timely and proper written notice and have failed to exercise such rights within the time or times required under the terms and conditions of such right. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, there are no persons with preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for securities of the Company, or registration rights or similar rights to have any securities registered by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under the Securities Act.
(mm) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries owns any “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of the sale of any of the Shares and Warrants will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Shares or Warrants to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulations T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.
(nn) Other than any contracts or agreements between the Company and the Underwriter, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or the Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the Offering or any transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(oo) Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(pp) Since the date as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus through the date hereof, and except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) issued or granted any securities other than options to purchase Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s stock option plan or shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon exercise thereof, (ii) incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, other than liabilities and obligations which were incurred in the ordinary course of business, (iii) entered into any material transaction other than in the ordinary course of business or (iv) declared or paid any dividend on its capital stock; provided, however, that the Company declared approximately $0.3 million in dividends on its Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock on June 21, 2012.
(qq) No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in either the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(rr) The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable effective provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”).
(ss) The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the NASDAQ CM, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or reasonably likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from the NASDAQ CM. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company has not received any notification that the Commission, FINRA or the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC is currently contemplating terminating such registration or listing. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, notification or registration with, the NASDAQ CM is required for the listing and trading of the shares of Common Stock on the NASDAQ CM, except for (i) a Notification Form: Listing of Additional Shares; and (ii) a Notification Form: Change in the Number of Shares Outstanding.
(tt) Except as described in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company is, and after giving effect to the Offering will be, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules.
(uu) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state, local or foreign office in violation of any law (including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended) or of the character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein.
(vv) There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company, any of its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations) and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ liquidity or the availability of or requirements for their capital resources required to be described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein which have not been described as required.
(ww) The statistical, industry and 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 believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(xx) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the USA PATRIOT Act, applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions and the applicable rules, related rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending, or to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(yy) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(zz) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary nor any of their affiliates (within the meaning of FINRA’s Rule 5121(f)(1)) directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, or is an associated person of, any member firm of FINRA (within the meaning of Article I, Section 1(ee) of the By-laws of FINRA). At the time the Registration Statement was originally declared effective, the Company met, and as of the date hereof meets, the then applicable requirements for the use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act.
(aaa) No approval of the shareholders of the Company under the rules and regulations of NASDAQ (including Rule 5635 of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules) is required to issue and deliver the Shares and Warrants to the Underwriter.
(bbb) The Company has no reason to believe that the Amendment to the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement by and among Pacific Ethanol Holding Co. LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Pacific Ethanol Madera LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Pacific Ethanol Columbia, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Pacific Ethanol Stockton, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and Pacific Ethanol Magic Valley, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Pacific Holding, as Borrowers’ Agent, each of the Lenders (as defined therein) from time to time signatories hereto, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the Lenders, and as collateral agent for the Lenders, West LB AG, New York Branch, as Issuing Bank and Amarillo National Bank, as accounts bank (the “Amendment to the Credit Agreement”), will not be approved by the Required Lenders (as defined in the Amendment to the Credit Agreement) and executed in the form attached to the Purchase Agreements (as defined below) at the closing of the Purchase Agreements.
(ccc) Separate Agreements for Purchase and Sale of Units in New PE Holdco LLC, each dated as of June 21, 2012, by and between the Company and persons agreeing to sell to the Company an aggregate of 330 membership units of New PE Holdco (the “Purchase Agreements”) have been fully-executed in substantially the form of the drafts previously provided to the Underwriter and copies thereof delivered to the Underwriter prior to or as of the date of this Agreement.
Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Company and delivered to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
4. Further Agreements Of The Company.
The Company agrees with the Underwriter:
(a) To prepare the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if necessary, in a form approved by the Underwriter and file such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission on the date hereof, and the Company shall at the time of such filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Rules and Regulations; to prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Underwriter containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rules 430A, 430B and 430C of the Rules and Regulations and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations not later than the second (2nd) business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations; to promptly notify the Underwriter of the Company’s intention to file or prepare any supplement or amendment to any Registration Statement or to the Prospectus and to make no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or to the Prospectus; to advise the Underwriter, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Underwriter copies thereof; to file promptly all materials required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) or 163(b)(2), as the case may be, of the Rules and Regulations; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules and Regulations) is required in connection with the Offering or sale of the Shares and Warrants; to advise the Underwriter, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares and Warrants for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, and promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order.
(b) The Company represents and agrees that, it has not made, and unless it obtains the prior consent of the Underwriter, it will not, make any offer relating to the Shares and/or Warrants that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Underwriter hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included in Schedule A hereto. The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Rules and Regulations applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and will not take any action that would result in the Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(c) If at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Shares and Warrants is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, any event occurs or condition exists as a result of which the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or the Registration Statement, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or if for any other reason it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement any Registration Statement or the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriter, and upon the Underwriter’ request, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, at the Company’s expense, an amendment to the Registration Statement or an amendment or supplement to the Prospectus that corrects such statement or omission or effects such compliance and will deliver to the Underwriter, without charge, such number of copies thereof as the Underwriter may reasonably request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by the Underwriter.
(d) If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares and Warrants at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriter, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement then on file and not superseded or modified, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriter and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.
(e) If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus or Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof and not superseded or modified or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Underwriter so that any use of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus may cease until it is amended or supplemented and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 16).
(f) To furnish promptly to the Underwriter and to counsel for the Underwriter a signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission, and of each amendment thereto filed with the Commission, including all consents and exhibits filed therewith.
(g) To the extent not available on the Commission’s EDGAR system, to deliver promptly to the Underwriter in New York City such number of the following documents as the Underwriter shall reasonably request: (i) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission (in each case excluding exhibits), (ii) each Preliminary Prospectus (if any), (iii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iv) the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (v) conformed copies of any amendment to the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits), (vi) any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (v) and (vi) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such amendment or supplement) and (vii) any document incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (excluding exhibits thereto) (the delivery of the documents referred to in clause (vi) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such document).
(h) To make generally available to its shareholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen (16) months after the effective date of each Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) of the Rules and Regulations), an earning statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158).
(i) To take promptly from time to time such actions as the Underwriter may reasonably request to qualify the Shares and Warrants for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Underwriter may designate and to continue such qualifications in effect, and to comply with such laws, for so long as required to permit the offer and sale of Shares and Warrants in such jurisdictions; provided that the Company and its subsidiaries shall not be obligated to qualify as foreign corporations in any jurisdiction in which they are not so qualified or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.
(j) Upon request, during the period of five (5) years from the date hereof, to deliver to the Underwriter, as soon as they are available (i) copies of all reports or other communications furnished to shareholders, and (ii) copies of any reports and financial statements furnished or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted.
(k) That the Company will not, for a period of forty-five (45) days from the date of this Agreement, (the “Lock-Up Period”) without the prior written consent of LCM, directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, other than the Company’s sale of the Shares an Warrants hereunder and the issuance of restricted Common Stock or options to acquire Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans as such plans are in existence on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus and the issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the valid exercises of options, warrants or rights outstanding on the date hereof. The Company will cause each executive officer and director, and each shareholder listed in SCHEDULE B to furnish to the Underwriter, prior to the date of this Agreement, a letter, substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto. The Company also agrees that during such period, other than for the sale of the Shares and Warrants hereunder, the Company will not file any registration statement, preliminary prospectus or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, under the Securities Act for any such transaction or which registers, or offers for sale, Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, except for a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to employee benefit plans. The Company hereby agrees that (i) if it issues an earnings release or material news, or if a material event relating to the Company occurs, during the last seventeen (17) days of the Lock-Up Period, or (ii) if prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16)-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by this paragraph (k) or the letter shall continue to apply until the expiration of the eighteen (18)-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event. The Company will provide the Underwriter subject to the Lock-Up Period with prior notice (in accordance with Section 14 hereof) of any such announcement that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period.
(l) To supply the Underwriter with copies of all correspondence to and from, and all documents issued to and by, the Commission in connection with the registration of the Shares and Warrants under the Securities Act or the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein.
(m) Prior to the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, to furnish to the Underwriter, promptly after they have been prepared, copies of any unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company for any periods subsequent to the periods covered by the financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(n) Prior to the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, not to issue any press release or other communication directly or indirectly or hold any press conference with respect to the Company, its condition, financial or otherwise, or earnings, business affairs or business prospects (except for routine oral marketing communications in the ordinary course of business and consistent with the past practices of the Company and of which the Underwriter is notified), without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, unless in the judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification to the Underwriter, such press release or communication is required by law or applicable stock exchange rules.
(o) Until the Underwriter shall have notified the Company of the completion of the Offering, that the Company will not, and will cause its affiliated purchasers (as defined in Regulation M under the Exchange Act) not to, either alone or with one or more other persons, bid for or purchase, for any account in which it or any of its affiliated purchasers has a beneficial interest, any Shares or Warrants, or attempt to induce any person to purchase any Shares or Warrants; and not to, and to cause its affiliated purchasers not to, make bids or purchases for the purpose of creating actual, or apparent, active trading in or of raising the price of the Shares and/or Warrants.
(p) Not to take any action prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date which would require the Prospectus to be amended or supplemented, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter.
(q) To at all times comply with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in effect from time to time.
(r) To maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock.
(s) To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares and Warrants as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.” The Company shall manage its affairs and investments in such a manner as not to be or become an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
(t) To use its reasonable best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, and to maintain the listing of the Common Stock on the NASDAQ CM.
(u) To use its reasonable best efforts to assist the Underwriter with any filings with FINRA and obtaining clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriter.
(v) To use its reasonable best efforts to do and perform all things required to be done or performed under this Agreement by the Company prior to the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Shares and Warrants.
5. Payment Of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay, or reimburse if paid by the Underwriter, upon consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby: (a) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and Warrants to the Underwriter and any taxes payable in that connection; (b) the costs incident to the registration of the Shares and Warrants under the Securities Act; (c) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and distribution of the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto or any document incorporated by reference therein and the costs of printing, reproducing and distributing this Agreement and the Warrants and any closing document by mail, telex or other means of communications; (d) the fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriter) incurred in connection with securing any required review by FINRA of the terms of the Offering and any filings made with FINRA; (e) any applicable listing, quotation or other fees; (f) the fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriter) of qualifying the Shares and Warrants under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 4(i) and of preparing, printing and distributing wrappers, Blue Sky Memoranda and Legal Investment Surveys; (g) the cost of preparing and printing warrant certificates; (h) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares and Warrants; (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel to the Underwriter; (j) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares and Warrants, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the officers of the Company and such consultants, including the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, and (k) all other costs and expenses incident to the offering of the Shares and Warrants or the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s independent accountants.
6. Conditions To The Obligations Of The Underwriter, And The Sale Of The Shares and Warrants. The respective obligations of the Underwriter hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or any part thereof, preventing or suspending the use of any Base Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 7A under the Securities Act shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Underwriter; and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (except for a road show), if any, and the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations and in accordance with Section 4(a) and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, shall have become effective immediately upon its filing with the Commission; and, if applicable, FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
(b) The Underwriter shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date that any Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
(c) All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of each of this Agreement, Shares and Warrants, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and the Prospectus and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Underwriter, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(d) Troutman Sanders LLP shall have furnished to the Underwriter such counsel’s written opinion and negative assurance statement, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriter dated the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, covering the opinions substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit D attached hereto.
(e) The Underwriter shall have received from Proskauer Rose LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Underwriter may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as it requests to enable it to pass upon such matters.
(f) At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Underwriter shall have received from Hein & Associates LLP a letter, addressed to the Underwriter, executed and dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter (i) confirming that they are an independent registered accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and PCAOB and (ii) stating the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(g) On the effective date of any post-effective amendment to any Registration Statement and on the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, the Underwriter shall have received a letter (the “Bring-Down Letter”) from Hein & Associates LLP addressed to the Underwriter and dated the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date confirming, as of the date of the Bring-Down Letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of a date not more than three (3) business days prior to the date of the Bring-Down Letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to Underwriter, with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by its letter delivered to the Underwriter concurrently with the execution of this Agreement pursuant to paragraph (f) of this Section 6.
(h) The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter a certificate, dated the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, of its Chairman of the Board, its President or a Vice President and its chief financial officer stating that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, at the Applicable Time, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as of its date and as of the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Initial Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) to their knowledge, as of the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, or any change or development that, singly or in the aggregate, would involve a material adverse change or a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, assets or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, except as set forth in the Prospectus.
(i) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package as of the date hereof, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, and (ii) there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii) of this paragraph (IX), is, in the judgment of the Underwriter, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Shares and Warrants on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.
(j) No action shall have been taken and no law, statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares and Warrants or materially and adversely affect or potentially materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares and Warrants or materially and adversely affect or potentially materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.
(k) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the Company’s corporate credit rating or the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) of the Rules and Regulations and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading), the Company’s corporate credit rating or the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities.
(l) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ CM or the NYSE Amex or in the over-the-counter market, or trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices or maximum range for prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or market or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Federal or state authorities or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, (iii) the United States shall have become engaged in hostilities, or the subject of an act of terrorism, or there shall have been an outbreak of or escalation in hostilities involving the United States, or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or (iv) there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such) as to make it, in the judgment of the Underwriter, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Shares and Warrants on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(m) The NASDAQ CM shall have approved the Common Stock, and underlying Warrant Shares (including any shares of Common Stock underlying the Additional Warrants) for listing therein, subject only to official notice of issuance.
(n) The Underwriter shall have received the written agreements, substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, of the executive officers and directors, and the shareholders of the Company listed in SCHEDULE B to this Agreement.
(o) The Company shall have executed and delivered the Series I Warrants and the Series II Warrants.
(p) The separate Purchase Agreements shall be in full force and effect as of the date of this agreement and as of the Closing Date.
(q) The holders of warrants issued under the Securities Purchase Agreement dated December 8, 2011 by and among the Company and the investors listed on the Schedule of Investors attached thereto (the “December SPA”) shall have provided a written waiver (which may be in electronic form, including via email) in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter acknowledging the waiver of their notice rights under Section 4.9 of the December SPA.
(r) The Company shall have prepared and filed with the Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K including as an exhibit thereto this Agreement and a form of the Warrants.
(s) Prior to the Closing Date, and any Option Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter such further information, opinions, certificates (including a Secretary’s Certificate), good standing certificates, letters or documents as the Underwriter shall have reasonably requested.
All opinions, letters, evidence and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its affiliates and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees, representatives and agents (including, without limitation Lazard Frères & Co. LLC, (which will provide services to the Underwriter) and its affiliates, and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees, representatives and agents and each person, if any, who controls Lazard Frères & Co. LLC within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Underwriter Indemnified Parties,” and each a “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (A) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein, or (B) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (C) any breach of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or the failure of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or pursuant to any law, any act or failure to act, or any alleged act or failure to act, by the Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to the Shares and Warrants or the Offering, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arising out of or based upon matters covered by subclause (A), (B) or (C) above of this Section 7(a) (provided that the Company shall not be liable in the case of any matter covered by this subclause (C) to the extent that it is determined in a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability resulted primarily from any such act or failure to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by the Underwriter through its gross negligence or willful misconduct), and shall reimburse the Underwriter Indemnified Party promptly upon demand for any legal fees or other expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating, or preparing to defend, or defending against, settling, compromising, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in, or omission or alleged omission from any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 16). This indemnity agreement is not exclusive and will be in addition to any liability which the Company might otherwise have and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available at law or in equity to each Underwriter Indemnified Party.
(b) The Underwriter shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Company Indemnified Parties” and each a “Company Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Company Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information as defined in Section 16, and shall reimburse the Company Indemnified Parties for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as third party witness in connection with any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(b), in no event shall any indemnity by the Underwriter under this Section 7(b) exceed the total discount and commission received by such Underwriter in accordance with Section 2.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of that action; provided, however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 7 except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced by such failure; and, provided, further, that the failure to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 7. If any such action shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense of such action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party (which counsel shall not, except with the written consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party). After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such action, except as provided herein, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under Section 7 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that any indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and to participate in the defense of such action but the fees and expenses of such counsel (other than reasonable costs of investigation) shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the engagement thereof has been specifically authorized in writing by the Company in the case of a claim for indemnification under Section7(a), or LCM in the case of a claim for indemnification under Section 7(b), (ii) such indemnified party shall have been advised by its counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, or (iii) the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense of such action and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of the commencement of the action or the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, in which case, if such indemnified party notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of (or, in the case of a failure to diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, to continue to defend) such action on behalf of such indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall be responsible for legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action; provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties (in addition to any local counsel), which firm shall be designated in writing by LCM if the indemnified parties under this Section 7 consist of any Underwriter Indemnified Party or by the Company if the indemnified parties under this Section 7 consist of any Company Indemnified Parties. Subject to this Section 7(c), the amount payable by an indemnifying party under Section 7 shall include, but not be limited to, (x) reasonable legal fees and expenses of counsel to the indemnified party and any other expenses in investigating, or preparing to defend or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any action, investigation, proceeding or claim, and (y) all amounts paid in settlement of any of the foregoing. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of judgment with respect to any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever, in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 7 (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. Subject to the provisions of the following sentence, no indemnifying party shall be liable for settlement of any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever that is effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), but if settled with its written consent, if its consent has been unreasonably withheld or delayed or if there be a judgment for the plaintiff in any such matter, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested that an indemnifying party reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated herein effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than forty-five (45) days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the request for reimbursement, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least thirty (30) days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 7(a) or Section 7(b), then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid, payable or otherwise incurred by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), as incurred, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other hand from the Offering, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) of this Section 7(d) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) of this Section 7(d) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other with respect to the statements, omissions, acts or failures to act which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof) as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other with respect to the Offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the Offering under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discount and commission received by the Underwriter in connection with the Offering, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriter on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter for use in any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of the Underwriter’s Information as defined in Section 16. The Company and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding referred to above in this Section 7(d) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 7(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(d)(d), the Underwriter shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the total underwriting discount and commission received by the Underwriter in connection with the Offering, less the amount of any damages which the Underwriter has otherwise paid or become liable to pay by reason of any untrue or alleged untrue statement, omission or alleged omission, act or alleged act or failure to act or alleged failure to act. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
8. Termination. The obligations of the Underwriter hereunder may be terminated by the Underwriter, in its absolute discretion by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Shares and Warrants if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 6(i), 6(j), 6(k) or 6(l) have occurred or if the Underwriter shall decline to purchase the Shares and Warrants for any reason permitted under this Agreement.
9. Reimbursement Of Underwriter’s Expenses. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if (a) this Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to Section 7, (b) the Company shall fail to tender the Shares or Warrants to the Underwriter for any reason not permitted under this Agreement, (c) the Underwriter shall decline to purchase the Shares and Warrants for any reason permitted under this Agreement or (d) the sale of the Shares and Warrants is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriter set forth herein is not satisfied or because of the refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to satisfy any condition or to comply with the provisions hereof, then, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriter’s out-of-pocket expenses in accordance with Section 5 and, in addition, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriter for the reasonable fees and expenses of the Underwriter’s counsel and for all other accountable out-of-pocket expenses as shall have been reasonably incurred by them in connection with this Agreement and the proposed Offering, and promptly upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the Underwriter.
10. Absence Of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) the Underwriter’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature, the Underwriter has been retained solely to act as Underwriter in connection with the Offering and no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Underwriter has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether the Underwriter or Lazard Frères & Co. LLC has advised or is advising the Company on other matters;
(b) the price of the Shares and Warrants set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Underwriter, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) it has been advised that the Underwriter and Lazard Frères & Co. LLC and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Underwriter has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and
(d) it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Underwriter for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Underwriter shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.
11. Successors; Persons Entitled To Benefit Of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriter, the Company, and their respective successors and assigns. This Agreement shall also inure to the benefit of Lazard Frères & Co. LLC and each of its successors and assigns, which shall be third party beneficiaries hereof. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons mentioned in the preceding sentences, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement, or any provisions herein contained, this Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof being intended to be and being for the sole and exclusive benefit of such persons and for the benefit of no other person; except that the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements and indemnities of the Company contained in this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties, and the indemnities of the Underwriter shall be for the benefit of the Company Indemnified Parties. It is understood that Underwriter’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and the Underwriter does not owe the Company, or any other party, any fiduciary duty as a result of this Agreement.
12. SURVIVAL OF INDEMNITIES, REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, ETC. The respective indemnities, covenants, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Underwriter, as set forth in this Agreement or made by them respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter, the Company or any person controlling any of them and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares and Warrants. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, including without limitation any termination pursuant to Section 8, the indemnity and contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in Sections 7 and 9 and the covenants, representations, warranties set forth in this Agreement shall not terminate and shall remain in full force and effect at all times.
13. Notices. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:
(a) if to the Underwriter, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to Lazard Capital Markets LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, Attention: General Counsel, Fax: 212-830-3615; and
(b) if to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to Pacific Ethanol, Inc., 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 2060, Sacramento, CA 95814, Attention: General Counsel, Facsimile: (916) 446-3937.
provided, however, that any notice to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 7 shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the Underwriter at its address set forth in its acceptance telex to the Underwriter, which address will be supplied to any other party hereto by the Underwriter upon request. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof, except that any such statement, request, notice or agreement delivered or sent by email shall take effect at the time of confirmation of receipt thereof by the recipient thereof.
14. Definition Of Certain Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “business day” means any day on which the NASDAQ CM is open for trading, (b) “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations, and (c) ‘to the Company’s knowledge” or “to the knowledge of the Company” or words of similar import shall mean to the knowledge of any officer or director of the Company after a reasonable investigation of such facts by such officer or director.
15. Governing Law, Agent For Service And Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law. No legal proceeding may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company and the Underwriter each hereby consent to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. The Company and the Underwriter each hereby waive all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company agrees that a final judgment in any such legal proceeding brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and the Underwriter and may be enforced in any other courts in the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.
16. Underwriter’s Information. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, for all purposes of this Agreement, the “Underwriter’s Information” consists solely of the following information in the Prospectus: the statements concerning the Underwriters contained in the first paragraph, in the fourth paragraph concerning the terms of the Offering, concerning the Underwriters and Lazard Frères & Co. LLC in the eighth paragraph, concerning stabilization by the Underwriters in the eleventh paragraph and in the twelfth paragraph concerning the Offering, in each case under the heading “Underwriting.”
17. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph, clause or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
18. General. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. In this Agreement, the masculine, feminine and neuter genders and the singular and the plural include one another. The section headings in this Agreement are for the convenience of the parties only and will not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended or modified, and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived, only by a writing signed by the Company and the Underwriter.
19. Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that each Underwriter’s research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from its investment banking division and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriter’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 investment banking division. The Company acknowledges that each Underwriter is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, 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 Company; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 19 shall relieve either Underwriter of any responsibility or liability it may otherwise bear in connection with activities in violation of applicable securities laws, rules or regulations.
20. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument and such signatures may be delivered by facsimile.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of the agreement between the Company and the Underwriter, kindly indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.
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Very truly yours, |
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PACIFIC ETHANOL, INC. |
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By:
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/s/ Bryon T. McGregor |
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Name: Bryon T. McGregor |
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Title: Chief Financial Officer |
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Accepted as of the date
first above written:
LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
By: /s/ Andy Laszlo
Name: Andy Laszlo
Title: Managing Director
