-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, IYsesNT3+nUFHA73aynbYFMByl8mLzqih4zLwAfl/dekerfYFrwnki23ByvvPgmh la2li6NN9j6egc1QX733gg== 0001193125-08-132549.txt : 20080612 0001193125-08-132549.hdr.sgml : 20080612 20080612121716 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001193125-08-132549 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 5 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20080610 ITEM INFORMATION: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement ITEM INFORMATION: Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20080612 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20080612 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ROYALE ENERGY INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000864839 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: CRUDE PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS [1311] IRS NUMBER: 330224120 STATE OF INCORPORATION: CA FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 000-22750 FILM NUMBER: 08894848 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 7676 HAZARD CENTER DR STREET 2: SUITE 1500 CITY: SAN DIEGO STATE: CA ZIP: 92108 BUSINESS PHONE: 6192978505 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ROYALE ENERGY INC STE 1500 STREET 2: 7676 HAZARD CENTER DR CITY: SAN DIEGO STATE: CA ZIP: 92108 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: ROYALE ENERGY FUNDS INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19940318 8-K 1 d8k.htm FORM 8-K Form 8-K

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 10, 2008

 

 

ROYALE ENERGY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA   000-22750   33-0224120

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

  (Commission File Number)  

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

7676 Hazard Center Drive, Suite 1500

San Diego, CA 92108

(Address of principal executive office)

Issuer’s telephone number: (619) 881-2800

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2. below):

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (18 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 


Section 1 Registrant’s Business and Operations

Section 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

On June 7, 2008, Royale Energy, Inc. entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”), a copy of which is attached to this report, by and among the Company and an institutional investor. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company agreed to issue and sell an aggregate of 547,945 shares of its common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), in a private placement to such investor for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $4,000,000 (i.e. $7.30 per share). As part of such private placement, the Company also agreed to issue to such investor a warrant (the “Warrant”), the form of which is attached to this report, to acquire additional shares of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”). The Warrant, which expires on June 10, 2013, is exercisable for an aggregate of 191,781 Warrant Shares at an exercise price of $7.30 per Warrant Share. The $7.30 per share purchase price was negotiated as a 15% discount from the 10 day dollar volume weighted average price of the Company’s shares of Common Stock on the NASDAQ Global Market.

Such private placement closed on June 10, 2008 (the “Closing Date”).

Section 3 Securities and Trading Markets

 

Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

The disclosure provided in Item 1.01 of this report is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 3.02.

On June 10, 2008, the Company sold 547,945 shares of its Common Stock to an institutional investor for $7.30 per share pursuant to the Agreement. As part of the transaction, the Company also issued to such investor the Warrant described above. The Agreement and the Warrant each also contain provisions for issuance of additional shares of Common Stock on the occurrence of certain dilutive issuances of the Company’s securities.


The total gross sales proceeds were approximately $4,000,000, and the Company received net proceeds of approximately $3.725 million after deduction of fees and expenses associated with the sale, including a cash placement fee. The placement agent also received warrants to purchase up to 32,877 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $7.30 per share.

The Agreement required the Company to enter into a Registration Rights Agreement, a copy of which is attached to this report, which requires the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 within 30 days after the Closing Date covering the resale of the Common Stock issued to such investor and the Warrant Shares. The Company will pay all expenses incurred in connection with filing such registration statement.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the sale for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of oil and gas properties for future development.

The Company sold the Common Stock and Warrant in reliance on the exemption from securities registration requirements contained in Regulation D and Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.

The description of the private placement herein and related documentation disclosed in this report does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement, the form of the Warrant and the Registration Rights Agreement, which are filed as Exhibits 10.1, 4.1 and 10.2, respectively, to this report and are incorporated herein by reference.

The Agreement has been included to provide information regarding its terms. It is not intended to provide any other factual information about the Company. The Agreement contains representations and warranties that the parties thereto made to, and solely for the benefit of, each other. The assertions embodied in those representations and warranties are qualified by information in confidential disclosure schedules that the parties have exchanged in connection with the execution of the Agreement. Accordingly, potential investors and shareholders should not rely on the representations and warranties as characterizations of the actual state of facts, since they were only made as of the date of the Agreement and are modified in important part by the underlying disclosure schedules. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties may change after the date of the Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in the Company’s public disclosures.

A copy of the press release announcing the signing of the Agreement is incorporated herein and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Section 9 Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

Exhibits

   
  4.1   Form of Warrant
10.1   Securities Purchase Agreement
10.2   Registration Rights Agreement
99.1   Press Release


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

    ROYALE ENERGY, INC.
Date:   June 11, 2008  

/s/ Stephen M. Hosmer

    Stephen M. Hosmer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial officer
EX-4.1 2 dex41.htm FORM OF WARRANT Form of Warrant

Exhibit 4.1

NEITHER THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES ARE EXERCISABLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED (I) IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR (B) AN OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE HOLDER (IF REQUESTED BY THE COMPANY), IN A FORM REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY, THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER SAID ACT OR (II) UNLESS SOLD OR ELIGIBLE TO BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OR RULE 144A UNDER SAID ACT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.

ROYALE ENERGY, INC.

WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

Warrant No.: 0001

Number of Shares of Common Stock: 191,781

Date of Issuance: June 10, 2008 (“Issuance Date”)

Royale Energy, Inc., a California corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, CRANSHIRE CAPITAL, L.P., the registered holder hereof or its permitted assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company, at the Exercise Price (as defined below) then in effect, upon exercise of this Warrant to Purchase Common Stock (including any Warrants to Purchase Common Stock issued in exchange, transfer or replacement hereof, the “Warrant”), at any time or times on or after the Issuance Date, but not after 11:59 p.m., New York time, on the Expiration Date (as defined below), One Hundred Ninety One Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty One (191,781) fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock (as defined below) (the “Warrant Shares”). Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms in this Warrant shall have the meanings set forth in Section 16. This Warrant is one of the Warrants to purchase Common Stock (the “SPA Warrants”) issued pursuant to Section 1 of that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 7, 2008, by and among the Company and the investors (the “Buyers”) referred to therein (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”).

1. EXERCISE OF WARRANT.

(a) Mechanics of Exercise. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof (including, without limitation, the limitations set forth in Section 1(f), this Warrant may be exercised by the

 


Holder on any day on or after the Issuance Date, in whole or in part, by (i) delivery of a written notice, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Exercise Notice”), of the Holder’s election to exercise this Warrant and (ii) (A) payment to the Company of an amount equal to the then-applicable Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Warrant Shares as to which this Warrant is being exercised (the “Aggregate Exercise Price”) in cash or wire transfer of immediately available funds or (B) by notifying the Company that this Warrant is being exercised pursuant to a Cashless Exercise (as defined in Section 1(d)). The Holder shall not be required to deliver the original of this Warrant in order to effect an exercise hereunder. Execution and delivery of the Exercise Notice with respect to less than all of the Warrant Shares shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original of this Warrant and issuance of a new Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Warrant Shares. Execution and delivery of the Exercise Notice for all of the Warrant Shares shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original of this Warrant after delivery of the Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms hereof. On or before the first (1st) Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received each of the Exercise Notice and the Aggregate Exercise Price (or notice of a Cashless Exercise) (the “Exercise Delivery Documents”), the Company shall transmit by facsimile an acknowledgment of confirmation of receipt of the Exercise Delivery Documents to the Holder and the Company’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”). On or before the third (3rd) Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received all of the Exercise Delivery Documents (the “Share Delivery Date”), the Company shall (X) provided that the Transfer Agent is participating in The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) Fast Automated Securities Transfer Program, upon the request of the Holder, credit such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with DTC through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission system, or (Y) if the Transfer Agent is not participating in the DTC Fast Automated Securities Transfer Program, issue and deliver to the Holder or, at Holder’s instruction pursuant to the Exercise Notice, Holder’s agent or designee, in each case, sent by reputable overnight courier to the address as specified in the Exercise Notice, a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee (as indicated in the Exercise Notice), for the number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise. Upon delivery of the Exercise Delivery Documents, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date such Warrant Shares are credited to the Holder’s DTC account or the date of delivery of the certificates evidencing such Warrant Shares (as the case may be). If this Warrant is submitted in connection with any exercise pursuant to this Section 1(a) and the number of Warrant Shares represented by this Warrant submitted for exercise is greater than the number of Warrant Shares being acquired upon an exercise, then the Company shall as soon as practicable and in no event later than three (3) Business Days after any exercise and at its own expense, issue and deliver to the Holder (or its designee) a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares purchasable immediately prior to such exercise under this Warrant, less the number of Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant is exercised. No fractional shares of Common Stock are to be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant, but rather the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number. The Company shall pay any and all taxes which may be payable with respect to the issuance and delivery of Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant.

 

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  (b) Exercise Price. For purposes of this Warrant, “Exercise Price” means $7.30, subject to adjustment as provided herein.

(c) Company’s Failure to Timely Deliver Securities. If the Company shall fail, for any reason or for no reason, to issue to the Holder within three (3) Trading Days of receipt of the Exercise Delivery Documents, a certificate for the number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled and register such shares of Common Stock on the Company’s share register or to credit the Holder’s balance account with DTC for such number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled upon the Holder’s exercise of this Warrant (as the case may be), then, in addition to all other remedies available to the Holder, the Company shall pay in cash to the Holder on each day after such third (3rd) Trading Day that the issuance of such shares of Common Stock is not timely effected an amount equal to 1% of the product of (A) the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock not issued to the Holder on a timely basis and to which the Holder is entitled and (B) the Closing Sale Price of the Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the last possible date which the Company could have issued such shares of Common Stock to the Holder without violating Section 1(a). In addition to the foregoing, if within three (3) Trading Days after the Company’s receipt of the facsimile copy of an Exercise Notice, the Company shall fail to issue and deliver a certificate to the Holder and register such shares of Common Stock on the Company’s share register or credit the Holder’s balance account with DTC for the number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled upon such Holder’s exercise hereunder (as the case may be), and if on or after such third (3rd) Trading Day the Holder purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of shares of Common Stock issuable upon such exercise that the Holder anticipated receiving from the Company (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall, within three (3) Business Days after the Holder’s request and in the Holder’s discretion, either (i) pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased (the “Buy-In Price”), at which point the Company’s obligation to deliver such certificate (and to issue such shares of Common Stock) shall terminate, or (ii) promptly honor its obligation to deliver to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing such shares of Common Stock or credit the Holder’s balance account with DTC for the number of shares of Common Stock to which the Holder is entitled upon such Holder’s exercise hereunder (as the case may be) and pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Buy-In Price over the product of (A) such number of shares of Common Stock times (B) the Closing Sale Price of the Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the Exercise Notice.

(d) Cashless Exercise. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary (other than Section 1(f) below), if at any time after the six (6) month anniversary of the Closing Date all of the Warrant Shares are not registered for resale on an effective Registration Statement (or the prospectus contained therein is not available for use), then the Holder may, in its sole discretion, exercise this Warrant in whole or in part and, in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to the Company upon such exercise in payment of the Aggregate Exercise Price, elect instead to receive upon such exercise the “Net Number” of shares of Common Stock determined according to the following formula (a “Cashless Exercise”):

 

Net Number = (A x B) - (A x C)
                        B

 

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For purposes of the foregoing formula:

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

B= the Closing Sale Price of the Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the Exercise Notice.

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

(e) Disputes. In the case of a dispute as to the determination of the Exercise Price or the arithmetic calculation of the number of Warrant Shares to be issued pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company shall promptly issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares that are not disputed and resolve such dispute in accordance with Section 13.

(f) Limitations on Exercises.

(i) Beneficial Ownership. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Warrant, this Warrant shall not be exercisable by the Holder hereof to the extent (but only to the extent) that, if exercisable by the Holder, the Holder or any of its affiliates would beneficially own in excess of 9.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. To the extent the above limitation applies, the determination of whether this Warrant shall be exercisable (vis-à-vis other convertible, exercisable or exchangeable securities owned by the Holder) and of which warrants shall be exercisable (as among all warrants owned by the Holder) shall, subject to such Maximum Percentage limitation, be determined on the basis of the first submission to the Company for conversion, exercise or exchange (as the case may be). No prior inability to exercise this Warrant pursuant to this paragraph shall have any effect on the applicability of the provisions of this paragraph with respect to any subsequent determination of exercisability. For the purposes of this paragraph, beneficial ownership and all determinations and calculations (including, without limitation, with respect to calculations of percentage ownership) shall be determined by the Holder in accordance with Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The provisions of this paragraph shall be implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this paragraph to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Maximum Percentage beneficial ownership limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such Maximum Percentage limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor Holder of this Warrant. The holders of Common Stock shall be third party beneficiaries of this paragraph and the Company may not waive this paragraph without the consent of holders of a majority of its Common Stock. For any reason at any time, upon the written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall within one (1) Business Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of

 

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shares of Common Stock then outstanding, including by virtue of any prior conversion or exercise of convertible or exercisable securities into Common Stock, including, without limitation, pursuant to this Warrant or securities issued pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement.

(ii) Principal Market Regulation. The Company shall not issue any shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant if the issuance of such shares of Common Stock would exceed the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock which the Company may issue upon exercise of the SPA Warrants without breaching the Company’s obligations under the rules or regulations of the Principal Market (the number of shares which may be issued without violating such rules and regulations, the “Exchange Cap”), except that such limitation shall not apply in the event that the Company (A) obtains the approval of its shareholders as required by the applicable rules of the Principal Market for issuances of shares of Common Stock in excess of such amount or (B) obtains a written opinion from outside counsel to the Company that such approval is not required, which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Holder. Until such shareholder approval or such written opinion is obtained, no Buyer shall be issued in the aggregate, upon exercise of any SPA Warrants, shares of Common Stock in an amount greater than the product of the Exchange Cap multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares issued to such Buyer pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement on the Closing Date and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Common Shares issued to the Buyers pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement on the Closing Date (with respect to each Buyer, the “Exchange Cap Allocation”). In the event that any Buyer shall sell or otherwise transfer any of such Buyer’s SPA Warrants, the transferee shall be allocated a pro rata portion of such Buyer’s Exchange Cap Allocation, and the restrictions of the prior sentence shall apply to such transferee with respect to the portion of the Exchange Cap Allocation allocated to such transferee. In the event that any holder of SPA Warrants shall exercise all of such holder’s SPA Warrants into a number of shares of Common Stock which, in the aggregate, is less than such holder’s Exchange Cap Allocation, then the difference between such holder’s Exchange Cap Allocation and the number of shares of Common Stock actually issued to such holder shall be allocated to the respective Exchange Cap Allocations of the remaining holders of SPA Warrants on a pro rata basis in proportion to the shares of Common Stock underlying the SPA Warrants then held by each such holder.

(g) Insufficient Authorized Shares. The Company shall at all times keep reserved for issuance under this Warrant a number of shares of Common Stock as shall be necessary to satisfy the Company’s obligation to issue shares of Common Stock hereunder (without regard to any limitation otherwise contained herein with respect to the number of shares of Common Stock that may be acquirable upon exercise of this Warrant). If, notwithstanding the foregoing, and not in limitation thereof, at any time while any of the SPA Warrants remain outstanding the Company does not have a sufficient number of authorized and unreserved shares of Common Stock to satisfy its obligation to reserve for issuance upon exercise of the SPA Warrants at least a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be necessary to effect the exercise of all of the SPA Warrants then outstanding (the “Required Reserve Amount”) (an “Authorized Share Failure”), then the Company shall immediately take all action necessary to increase the Company’s authorized shares of Common

 

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Stock to an amount sufficient to allow the Company to reserve the Required Reserve Amount for all the SPA Warrants then outstanding. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, as soon as practicable after the date of the occurrence of an Authorized Share Failure, but in no event later than sixty (60) days after the occurrence of such Authorized Share Failure, the Company shall hold a meeting of its stockholders for the approval of an increase in the number of authorized shares of Common Stock. In connection with such meeting, the Company shall provide each stockholder with a proxy statement and shall use its best efforts to solicit its stockholders’ approval of such increase in authorized shares of Common Stock and to cause its board of directors to recommend to the stockholders that they approve such proposal.

2. ADJUSTMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE AND NUMBER OF WARRANT SHARES. The Exercise Price and number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant are subject to adjustment from time to time as set forth in this Section 2.

(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time on or after the date of the Securities Purchase Agreement, (i) pays a stock dividend on one or more classes of its then outstanding shares of Common Stock or otherwise makes a distribution on any class of capital stock that is payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivides (by any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization or otherwise) one or more classes of its then outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares or (iii) combines (by combination, reverse stock split or otherwise) one or more classes of its then outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution, and any adjustment pursuant to clause (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the effective date of such subdivision or combination. If any event requiring an adjustment under this paragraph occurs during the period that an Exercise Price is calculated hereunder, then the calculation of such Exercise Price shall be adjusted appropriately to reflect such event.

(b) Adjustment Upon Issuance of Shares of Common Stock. If and whenever on or after the date of the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company issues or sells, or in accordance with this Section 2 is deemed to have issued or sold, any shares of Common Stock (including the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock owned or held by or for the account of the Company, but excluding any Excluded Securities (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) issued or sold or deemed to have been issued or sold) for a consideration per share (the “New Issuance Price”) less than a price equal to the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such issue or sale or deemed issuance or sale (such lesser price being referred to as the “Applicable Price”) (the foregoing a “Dilutive Issuance”), then immediately after such Dilutive Issuance, the Exercise Price then in effect shall be reduced to an amount equal to the New Issuance Price. For purposes of determining the adjusted Exercise Price under this Section 2(b), the following shall be applicable:

(i) Issuance of Options. If the Company in any manner grants or sells any Options and the lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is issuable

 

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upon the exercise of any such Option or upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Securities issuable upon exercise of any such Option is less than the Applicable Price, then such share of Common Stock shall be deemed to be outstanding and to have been issued and sold by the Company at the time of the granting or sale of such Option for such price per share. For purposes of this Section 2(b)(i), the “lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is issuable upon the exercise of any such Options or upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Securities issuable upon exercise of any such Option” shall be equal to the sum of the lowest amounts of consideration (if any) received or receivable by the Company with respect to any one share of Common Stock upon the granting or sale of the Option, upon exercise of the Option and upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Security issuable upon exercise of such Option. Except as contemplated below, no further adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be made upon the actual issuance of such shares of Common Stock or of such Convertible Securities upon the exercise of such Options or upon the actual issuance of such shares of Common Stock upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Convertible Securities.

(ii) Issuance of Convertible Securities. If the Company in any manner issues or sells any Convertible Securities and the lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is issuable upon the conversion, exercise or exchange thereof is less than the Applicable Price, then such share of Common Stock shall be deemed to be outstanding and to have been issued and sold by the Company at the time of the issuance or sale of such Convertible Securities for such price per share. For the purposes of this Section 2(b)(ii), the “lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is issuable upon the conversion, exercise or exchange thereof” shall be equal to the sum of the lowest amounts of consideration (if any) received or receivable by the Company with respect to one share of Common Stock upon the issuance or sale of the Convertible Security and upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Convertible Security. Except as contemplated below, no further adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be made upon the actual issuance of such shares of Common Stock upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Convertible Securities, and if any such issue or sale of such Convertible Securities is made upon exercise of any Options for which adjustment of this Warrant has been or is to be made pursuant to other provisions of this Section 2(b), except as contemplated below, no further adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be made by reason of such issue or sale.

(iii) Change in Option Price or Rate of Conversion. If the purchase or exercise price provided for in any Options, the additional consideration, if any, payable upon the issue, conversion, exercise or exchange of any Convertible Securities, or the rate at which any Convertible Securities are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock increases or decreases at any time, the Exercise Price in effect at the time of such increase or decrease shall be adjusted to the Exercise Price which would have been in effect at such time had such Options or Convertible Securities provided for such increased or decreased purchase price, additional consideration or increased or decreased conversion rate, as the case may be, at the time initially granted, issued or sold. For purposes of this Section 2(b)(iii), if the terms of any Option or Convertible Security that was outstanding as of the date of issuance of this Warrant are increased or decreased in the

 

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manner described in the immediately preceding sentence, then such Option or Convertible Security and the shares of Common Stock deemed issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange thereof shall be deemed to have been issued as of the date of such increase or decrease. No adjustment pursuant to this Section 2(b) shall be made if such adjustment would result in an increase of the Exercise Price then in effect.

(iv) Calculation of Consideration Received. In case any Option is issued in connection with the issue or sale of other securities of the Company, together comprising one integrated transaction in which no specific consideration is allocated to such Options by the parties thereto, the Options will be deemed to have been issued for a consideration of $0.01. If any shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities are issued or sold or deemed to have been issued or sold for cash, the consideration received therefor will be deemed to be the net amount received by the Company therefor. If any shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities are issued or sold for a consideration other than cash, the amount of such consideration received by the Company will be the fair value of such consideration, except where such consideration consists of publicly traded securities, in which case the amount of consideration received by the Company for such securities will be the average VWAP of such security for the five (5) Trading Day period immediately preceding the date of receipt. If any shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities are issued to the owners of the non-surviving entity in connection with any merger in which the Company is the surviving entity, the amount of consideration therefor will be deemed to be the fair value of such portion of the net assets and business of the non-surviving entity as is attributable to such shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities, as the case may be. The fair value of any consideration other than cash or publicly traded securities will be determined jointly by the Company and the Holder. If such parties are unable to reach agreement within ten (10) days after the occurrence of an event requiring valuation (the “Valuation Event”), the fair value of such consideration will be determined within five (5) Trading Days after the tenth (10th) day following such Valuation Event by an independent, reputable appraiser jointly selected by the Company and the Holder. The determination of such appraiser shall be final and binding upon all parties absent manifest error and the fees and expenses of such appraiser shall be borne by the Company.

(v) Record Date. If the Company takes a record of the holders of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of entitling them (A) to receive a dividend or other distribution payable in shares of Common Stock, Options or in Convertible Securities or (B) to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities, then such record date will be deemed to be the date of the issue or sale of the shares of Common Stock deemed to have been issued or sold upon the declaration of such dividend or the making of such other distribution or the date of the granting of such right of subscription or purchase (as the case may be).

(c) Number of Warrant Shares. Simultaneously with any adjustment to the Exercise Price pursuant to paragraphs (a) or (b) of this Section 2, the number of Warrant Shares that may be purchased upon exercise of this Warrant shall be increased or decreased proportionately, so that after such adjustment the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder for the adjusted number of Warrant Shares shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment (without regard to any limitations on exercise contained herein).

 

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(d) Other Events. In the event that the Company (or any direct or indirect subsidiary thereof) shall take any action to which the provisions hereof are not strictly applicable, or, if applicable, would not operate to protect the Holder from dilution or if any event occurs of the type contemplated by the provisions of this Section 2 but not expressly provided for by such provisions (including, without limitation, the granting of stock appreciation rights, phantom stock rights or other rights with equity features), then the Company’s Board of Directors shall in good faith determine and implement an appropriate adjustment in the Exercise Price and the number of Warrant Shares (if applicable) so as to protect the rights of the Holder; provided that no such adjustment pursuant to this Section 2(d) will increase the Exercise Price or decrease the number of Warrant Shares as otherwise determined pursuant to this Section 2, provided further that if the Holder does not accept such adjustments as appropriately protecting its interests hereunder against such dilution, then the Company’s Board of Directors and the Holder shall agree, in good faith, upon an independent investment bank of nationally recognized standing to make such appropriate adjustments, whose determination shall be final and binding and whose fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company.

(e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 2 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as applicable. The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any given time shall not include shares owned or held by or for the account of the Company, and the disposition of any such shares shall be considered an issue or sale of Common Stock.

3. RIGHTS UPON DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS. If the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Maximum Percentage) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distributions would result in the Holder exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or the beneficial ownership of any such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and such Distribution to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Maximum Percentage).

 

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4. PURCHASE RIGHTS; FUNDAMENTAL TRANSACTIONS.

(a) Purchase Rights. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 2 above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), the Company shall give the Holder notice thereof at least three (3) Business Days prior the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights.

(b) Fundamental Transactions. The Company shall not enter into or be party to a Fundamental Transaction unless (i) the Successor Entity assumes in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4(b) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder prior to such Fundamental Transaction, including agreements to deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant, including, without limitation, which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such adjustments to the number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder and (ii) the Successor Entity (including its Parent Entity) is a publicly traded corporation whose common stock is quoted on or listed for trading on an Eligible Market. Upon the occurrence of any Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein. Upon consummation of the Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall deliver to the Holder confirmation that there shall be issued upon exercise of this Warrant at any time after the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction, in lieu of the shares of the Common Stock (or other securities, cash, assets or other property (except such items still issuable under Section 3 above, which shall continue to be receivable thereafter)) issuable upon the exercise of this Warrant prior to such Fundamental Transaction, such shares of the publicly traded Common Stock (or its equivalent) of the Successor Entity (including its Parent Entity) which the Holder would have been entitled to receive upon the happening of such Fundamental Transaction had this Warrant been exercised immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant), as adjusted in accordance with the provisions of this Warrant. In addition to and not in substitution for any other rights hereunder, prior to the consummation of any Fundamental Transaction pursuant to which holders of shares of Common Stock are entitled to receive securities or other assets with respect to or in exchange for shares of Common Stock (a

 

10


Corporate Event”), the Company shall make appropriate provision to insure that the Holder will thereafter have the right to receive upon an exercise of this Warrant at any time after the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction but prior to the Expiration Date, in lieu of the shares of the Common Stock (or other securities, cash, assets or other property (except such items still issuable under Section 3 above, which shall continue to be receivable thereafter)) issuable upon the exercise of the Warrant prior to such Fundamental Transaction, such shares of stock, securities, cash, assets or any other property whatsoever (including warrants or other purchase or subscription rights) which the Holder would have been entitled to receive upon the happening of such Fundamental Transaction had the Warrant been exercised immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant). Provision made pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder. The provisions of this Section 4 shall apply similarly and equally to successive Fundamental Transactions and Corporate Events and shall be applied as if this Warrant (and any such subsequent warrants) were fully exercisable and without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant (provided that the Holder shall continue to be entitled to the benefit of the Maximum Percentage, applied however with respect to shares of capital stock registered under the 1934 Act and thereafter receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (or any such other warrant)).

(c) Black Scholes Value. Notwithstanding the foregoing and the provisions of Section 4(b) above, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction (other than a Fundamental Transaction resulting solely from a merger or consolidation in which the Company is the surviving entity, the Common Stock continues to be publicly traded following such merger or consolidation and an amount of shares of Common Stock which is less than 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation are issued in connection with such merger or consolidation), if the Holder has not exercised this Warrant in full prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, at the request of the Holder delivered before the ninetieth (90th) day after the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, the Company or the Successor Entity (as the case may be) shall purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder cash in an amount equal to the Black Scholes Value of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction.

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

 

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

7. REISSUANCE OF WARRANTS.

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

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

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

 

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

8. NOTICES. Whenever notice is required to be given under this Warrant, unless otherwise provided herein, such notice shall be given in accordance with Section 9(f) of the Securities Purchase Agreement. The Company shall provide the Holder with prompt written notice of all actions taken pursuant to this Warrant, including in reasonable detail a description of such action and the reason therefore. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will give written notice to the Holder (i) immediately upon each adjustment of the Exercise Price and the number of Warrant Shares, setting forth in reasonable detail, and certifying, the calculation of such adjustment(s) and (ii) at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date on which the Company closes its books or takes a record (A) with respect to any dividend or distribution upon the shares of Common Stock, (B) with respect to any grants, issuances or sales of any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property to holders of shares of Common Stock or (C) for determining rights to vote with respect to any Fundamental Transaction, dissolution or liquidation, provided in each case that such information shall be made known to the public prior to or in conjunction with such notice being provided to the Holder and (iii) at least ten (10) Trading Days prior to the consummation of any Fundamental Transaction. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the SEC (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.

9. AMENDMENT AND WAIVER. Except as otherwise provided herein, the provisions of this Warrant (other than Section 1(f)(f)(i)) may be amended and the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Holder. The Holder shall be entitled, at its option, to the benefit of any amendment of any other similar warrant issued either under the Securities Purchase Agreement or any other similar warrant. No waiver shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the waiving party.

10. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Warrant or the application thereof becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms of this Warrant will continue in full force and effect.

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

 

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12. CONSTRUCTION; HEADINGS. This Warrant shall be deemed to be jointly drafted by the Company and the Holder and shall not be construed against any Person as the drafter hereof. The headings of this Warrant are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Warrant. Terms used in this Warrant but defined in the other Transaction Documents shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms on the Closing Date in such other Transaction Documents unless otherwise consented to in writing by the Holder.

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

14. REMEDIES, CHARACTERIZATION, OTHER OBLIGATIONS, BREACHES AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. The remedies provided in this Warrant shall be cumulative and in addition to all other remedies available under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents, at law or in equity (including a decree of specific performance and/or other injunctive relief), and nothing herein shall limit the right of the Holder to pursue actual damages for any failure by the Company to comply with the terms of this Warrant. The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to the Holder and that the remedy at law for any such breach may be inadequate. The Company therefore agrees that, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach, the holder of this Warrant shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an injunction restraining any breach, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required. The issuance of shares and certificates for shares as contemplated hereby upon the exercise of this Warrant shall be made without charge to the Holder or such shares for any issuance tax or other costs in respect thereof, provided that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any certificate in a name other than the Holder or its agent on its behalf. The Company covenants to the Holder that there shall be no characterization concerning this instrument other than as expressly provided herein.

 

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15. TRANSFER. This Warrant may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without the consent of the Company, except as may otherwise be required by Section 2(g) of the Securities Purchase Agreement.

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

(a) “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black and Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg determined as of the day of closing of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (i) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the remaining term of this Warrant as of such date of request, (ii) an expected volatility equal to the greater of 75% and the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg as of the trading day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and (iii) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction.

(b) “Bloomberg” means Bloomberg Financial Markets.

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

(d) “Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last closing trade price for such security on the Principal Market, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Principal Market begins to operate on an extended hours basis and does not designate the closing trade price, then the last trade price of such security prior to 4:00:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Principal Market is not the principal securities exchange or trading market for such security, the last trade price of such security on the principal securities exchange or trading market where such security is listed or traded as reported by Bloomberg, or if the foregoing does not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no last trade price is reported for such security by Bloomberg, the average of the ask prices of any market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by Pink Sheets LLC (formerly the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.). If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then such dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures in Section 13. All such determinations shall appropriately adjusted for any share dividend, share split, share combination or other similar transaction during such period.

(e) “Common Stock” means (i) the Company’s shares of common stock, no par value per share, and (ii) any capital stock into which such common stock shall have been changed or any share capital resulting from a reclassification of such common stock.

 

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

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

(h) “Expiration Date” means the date that is the fifth (5th) anniversary of the Issuance Date or, if such date falls on a day other than a Business Day or on which trading does not take place on the Principal Market (a “Holiday”), the next date that is not a Holiday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

(p) “VWAP” means, for any security as of any date, the dollar volume-weighted average price for such security on the Principal Market (or, if the Principal Market is not the principal trading market for such security, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which such security is then traded) during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg through its “Volume at Price” function or, if the foregoing does not apply, the dollar volume-weighted average price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no dollar volume-weighted average price is reported for such security by Bloomberg for such hours, the average of the highest closing bid price and the lowest closing ask price of any of the market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by Pink Sheets LLC (formerly the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.). If VWAP cannot be calculated for such security on such date on any of the foregoing bases, the VWAP of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then such dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures in Section 13. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any share dividend, share split or other similar transaction during such period.

[signature page follows]

 

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

 

ROYALE ENERGY, INC.

By:  

/s/ Stephen M. Hosmer

Name:   Stephen M. Hosmer
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


EXHIBIT A

EXERCISE NOTICE

TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER TO EXERCISE THIS

WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

ROYALE ENERGY, INC.

The undersigned holder hereby exercises the right to purchase                      of the shares of Common Stock (“Warrant Shares”) of Royale Energy, Inc., a California corporation (the “Company”), evidenced by Warrant to Purchase Common Stock No.              (the “Warrant”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Warrant.

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

 

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

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

3. Delivery of Warrant Shares. The Company shall deliver to Holder, or its designee or agent as specified below,              Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms of the Warrant. Delivery shall be made to Holder, or for its benefit, to the following address:

 

 

                                          

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 

Date:                  ,         

 

 

Name of Registered Holder

By:

 

 

Name:  
Title:  


ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The Company hereby acknowledges this Exercise Notice and hereby directs                      to issue the above indicated number of shares of Common Stock in accordance with the Transfer Agent Instructions dated June     , 2008 from the Company and acknowledged and agreed to by                     .

 

ROYALE ENERGY, INC.

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 
EX-10.1 3 dex101.htm SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT Securities Purchase Agreement

Exhibit 10.1

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), dated as of June 7, 2008, is by and among Royale Energy, Inc., a California corporation with headquarters located at 7676 Hazard Center Drive, Suite 1500, San Diego, California 92108 (the “Company”), and the undersigned buyers (each, a “Buyer” and collectively, the “Buyers”).

RECITALS

A. The Company and each Buyer is executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and Rule 506 of Regulation D (“Regulation D”) as promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the 1933 Act.

B. Each Buyer wishes to purchase, and the Company wishes to sell, upon the terms and conditions stated in this Agreement, (i) that aggregate number of shares of the common stock, no par value, of the Company (the “Common Stock”), set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (3) on the Schedule of Buyers (which aggregate amount for all Buyers together shall be 547,945 shares of Common Stock and shall collectively be referred to herein as the “Common Shares”) and (ii) a warrant to acquire up to that number of additional shares of Common Stock set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (4) on the Schedule of Buyers (the “Warrants”), in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (as exercised, collectively, the “Warrant Shares”).

C. At the Closing, the parties hereto shall execute and deliver a Registration Rights Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights with respect to the Registrable Securities (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement), under the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and applicable state securities laws.

D. The Common Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.”

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Buyer hereby agree as follows:

 

1. PURCHASE AND SALE OF COMMON SHARES AND WARRANTS.

(a) Common Shares and Warrants. Subject to the satisfaction (or waiver) of the conditions set forth in Sections 6 and 7 below, the Company shall issue and sell to each Buyer,


and each Buyer severally, but not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company on the Closing Date (as defined below), the number of Common Shares, as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (3) on the Schedule of Buyers, along with the Warrants to acquire that number of Warrant Shares as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (4), on the Schedule of Buyers.

(b) Closing. The closing (the “Closing”) of the purchase of the Common Shares and the Warrants by the Buyers shall occur at the offices of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, 77 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 2400, Chicago, Illinois 60601. The date and time of the Closing (the “Closing Date”) shall be 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the first (1st) Business Day on which the conditions to the Closing set forth in Sections 6 and 7 below are satisfied or waived (or such later date as is mutually agreed to by the Company and each Buyer). As used herein “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed.

(c) Purchase Price. The aggregate purchase price for the Common Shares and the Warrants to be purchased by each Buyer (the “Purchase Price”) shall be the amount set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (5) on the Schedule of Buyers. Each Buyer shall pay its respective Purchase Price for its Common Shares and related Warrants to be purchased by such Buyer at the Closing.

(d) Form of Payment. On the Closing Date, (i) each Buyer shall pay its respective Purchase Price to the Company for the Common Shares and the Warrants to be issued and sold to such Buyer at the Closing, by wire transfer of immediately available funds in accordance with the Company’s written wire instructions and (ii) the Company shall deliver to each Buyer (A) one or more stock certificates, free and clear of all restrictive and other legends (except as expressly provided in Section 5(c) hereof), evidencing the number of Common Shares such Buyer is purchasing as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (3) of the Schedule of Buyers and (B) a Warrant pursuant to which such Buyer shall have the right to acquire such number of Warrant Shares as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (4) of the Schedule of Buyers, in all cases duly executed on behalf of the Company and registered in the name of such Buyer or its designee.

 

2. BUYER’S REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.

Each Buyer, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to the Company with respect to only itself that:

(a) Organization; Authority. Such Buyer is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization with the requisite power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (as defined below) to which it is a party and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder.

(b) No Public Sale or Distribution. Such Buyer is (i) acquiring the Common Shares and the Warrants and (iii) upon exercise of its Warrants will acquire the Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise thereof, in each case, for its own account and not with a view towards, or for

 

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resale in connection with, the public sale or distribution thereof, except pursuant to sales registered or exempted under the 1933 Act; provided, however, that by making the representations herein, such Buyer does not agree, or make any representation or warranty, to hold any of the Securities for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to dispose of the Securities at any time in accordance with or pursuant to a registration statement or an exemption under the 1933 Act. Such Buyer is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business. Such Buyer does not presently have any agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any Person to distribute any of the Securities.

(c) Accredited Investor Status. Such Buyer is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D.

(d) Reliance on Exemptions. Such Buyer understands that the Securities are being offered and sold to it in reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying in part upon the truth and accuracy of, and such Buyer’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of such Buyer set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of such Buyer to acquire the Securities.

(e) Information. Such Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company and materials relating to the offer and sale of the Securities which have been requested by such Buyer. Such Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigations conducted by such Buyer or its advisors, if any, or its representatives shall modify, amend or affect such Buyer’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained herein or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby. Such Buyer understands that its investment in the Securities involves a high degree of risk. Such Buyer has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to its acquisition of the Securities.

(f) No Governmental Review. Such Buyer understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed on or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Securities or the fairness or suitability of the investment in the Securities nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities.

(g) Transfer or Resale. Such Buyer understands that except as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement and Section 4(h) hereof: (i) the Securities have not been and are not being registered under the 1933 Act or any state securities laws, and may not be offered for sale, sold, assigned or transferred unless (A) subsequently registered thereunder, (B) such Buyer shall have delivered to the Company (if requested by the Company) an opinion of counsel to such Buyer, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company, to the effect that such Securities to be sold, assigned or transferred may be sold, assigned or transferred pursuant to an exemption

 

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from such registration, or (C) such Buyer provides the Company with reasonable assurance that such Securities can be sold, assigned or transferred pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule 144A promulgated under the 1933 Act (or a successor rule thereto) (collectively, “Rule 144”); (ii) any sale of the Securities made in reliance on Rule 144 may be made only in accordance with the terms of Rule 144 and further, if Rule 144 is not applicable, any resale of the Securities under circumstances in which the seller (or the Person (as defined in Section 3(s)) through whom the sale is made) may be deemed to be an underwriter (as that term is defined in the 1933 Act) may require compliance with some other exemption under the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder; and (iii) neither the Company nor any other Person is under any obligation to register the Securities under the 1933 Act or any state securities laws or to comply with the terms and conditions of any exemption thereunder.

(h) Validity; Enforcement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of such Buyer and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of such Buyer enforceable against such Buyer in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation and other similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of applicable creditors’ rights and remedies.

(i) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by such Buyer of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and the consummation by such Buyer of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (i) result in a violation of the organizational documents of such Buyer or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which such Buyer is a party, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws) applicable to such Buyer, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for such conflicts, defaults, rights or violations which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of such Buyer to perform its obligations hereunder.

(j) Residency. Such Buyer is a resident of that jurisdiction specified below its address on the Schedule of Buyers.

(k) Certain Trading Activities. Such Buyer has not directly or indirectly, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Buyer, engaged in any transactions in the securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any Short Sales involving the Company’s securities) since the time that such Buyer was first contacted by the Placement Agent (as defined below) regarding the investment in the Company contemplated by this Agreement through the date hereof. “Short Sales” include, without limitation, all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the 1934 Act (“Regulation SHO”) and all types of direct and indirect stock pledges, forward sale contracts, options, puts, calls, swaps and similar arrangements (including on a total return basis), and sales and other transactions through non-U.S. broker dealers or foreign regulated brokers (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of borrowable shares of Common Stock). Such Buyer does not as of the date hereof, and will not immediately following the Closing, own

 

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10% or more of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock (calculated based on the assumption that all Equivalents (as defined below) owned by such Buyer, whether or not presently exercisable or convertible, have been fully exercised or converted (as the case may be) but taking into account any limitations on exercise or conversion (including “blockers”) contained therein).

(l) General Solicitation. Such Buyer is not purchasing the Securities as a result of any advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or presented at any seminar.

 

3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.

The Company represents and warrants to each of the Buyers that:

(a) Organization and Qualification. Each of the Company and its “Subsidiaries” (which for purposes of this Agreement means any Person in which the Company, directly or indirectly, owns capital stock or holds an equity or similar interest) are entities duly organized and validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which they are formed, and have the requisite power and authorization to own their properties and to carry on their business as now being conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign entity to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in which its ownership of property or the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect. As used in this Agreement, “Material Adverse Effect” means any material adverse effect on (i) the business, properties, assets, liabilities, operations (including results thereof), condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, individually or taken as a whole, (ii) the transactions contemplated hereby or in the other Transaction Documents or (iii) the authority or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents (as defined below). The Company has no Subsidiaries. The Company owns various contractual economic interests in oil and gas well drilling programs and joint working interest contractual arrangements in oil and gas well drilling programs, and none of such interests could be considered a Subsidiary hereunder.

(b) Authorization; Enforcement; Validity. The Company has the requisite power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Common Shares, the issuance of the Warrants and the reservation for issuance and issuance of the Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants) have been duly authorized by the Company’s board of directors and (other than the filing with the SEC of one or more Registration Statements in accordance with the requirements of the Registration Rights Agreement, a Form D with the SEC and any other filings as may be required by any state securities agencies) no further filing, consent or authorization is required by the Company, its board of directors or its stockholders or other

 

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governing body. This Agreement and the other Transaction Documents have been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of applicable creditors’ rights and remedies and except as rights to indemnification and to contribution may be limited by federal or state securities law. “Transaction Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement, the Warrants, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions (as defined in Section 5(b)) and each of the other agreements and instruments entered into by the parties hereto in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

(c) Issuance of Securities. The issuance of the Common Shares and the Warrants are duly authorized and upon issuance in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents shall be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free from all taxes, liens, charges and other encumbrances with respect to the issue thereof. As of the Closing, the Company shall have reserved from its duly authorized capital stock not less than 120% of the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of the Warrants set forth therein). Upon exercise in accordance with the Warrants the Warrant Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all preemptive or similar rights, taxes, liens, charges and other encumbrances with respect to the issue thereof, with the holders being entitled to all rights accorded to a holder of Common Stock. Subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Buyers in this Agreement, the offer and issuance by the Company of the Securities is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act.

(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Common Shares, the Warrants and Warrant Shares and the reservation for issuance of the Warrant Shares) will not (i) result in a violation of the Articles of Incorporation (as defined in Section 3(r)) (including, without limitation, any certificates of designation contained therein) or other organizational documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Bylaws (as defined in Section 3(r)), (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including foreign, federal and state securities laws and regulations and the rules and regulations of The Nasdaq Global Market (the “Principal Market”) applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which any property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or affected except, in the case of clause (ii) or (iii) above, to the extent such violations that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(e) Consents. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration (other than the filing with the SEC of one or more Registration Statements in accordance with the requirements of the Registration Rights

 

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Agreement, a Form D with the SEC and any other filings as may be required by any state securities agencies) with, any court, governmental agency or any regulatory or self-regulatory agency or any other Person in order for it to execute, deliver or perform any of its obligations under the Transaction Documents, in each case, in accordance with the terms thereof. All consents, authorizations, orders, filings and registrations which the Company is required to obtain pursuant to the Transaction Documents at or prior to the Closing have been obtained or effected on or prior to the Closing Date, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries are aware of any facts or circumstances which might prevent the Company from obtaining or effecting any of the registration, application or filings contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Company is not in violation of the requirements of the Principal Market and has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which could reasonably lead to delisting or suspension of the Common Stock in the foreseeable future.

(f) Acknowledgment Regarding Buyer’s Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Buyer is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and that no Buyer is (i) an officer or director of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (iii) to its knowledge, a “beneficial owner” of more than 10% of the shares of Common Stock (as defined for purposes of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”)). The Company further acknowledges that no Buyer is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and any advice given by a Buyer or any of its representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby is merely incidental to such Buyer’s purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Buyer that the Company’s decision to enter into the Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation by the Company and its representatives.

(g) No General Solicitation; Placement Agent’s Fees. Neither the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf, has engaged in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities. The Company shall be responsible for the payment of any placement agent’s fees, financial advisory fees, or brokers’ commissions (other than for persons engaged by any Buyer or its investment advisor) relating to or arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby. Other than JP Turner & Company, L.L.C. (the “Placement Agent”), neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has engaged any placement agent or other agent in connection with the sale of the Securities.

(h) No Integrated Offering. None of the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their affiliates, nor any Person acting on their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would require registration of the issuance of any of the Securities under the 1933 Act, whether through integration with prior offerings or otherwise, or cause this offering of the Securities to require approval of stockholders of the Company under any applicable stockholder approval provisions, including, without limitation, under the rules and regulations of any exchange or automated quotation system on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated. None

 

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of the Company, its Subsidiaries, their affiliates nor any Person acting on their behalf will take any action or steps referred to in the preceding sentence that would require registration of the issuance of any of the Securities under the 1933 Act or cause the offering of any of the Securities to be integrated with other offerings.

(i) Dilutive Effect. The Company understands and acknowledges that the number of Warrant Shares will increase in certain circumstances. The Company further acknowledges that its obligation to issue the Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrants in accordance with this Agreement and the Warrants is, absolute and unconditional regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance may have on the ownership interests of other stockholders of the Company.

(j) Application of Takeover Protections; Rights Agreement. The Company and its board of directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Articles of Incorporation or other organizational documents or the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or otherwise which is or could become applicable to any Buyer as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, the Company’s issuance of the Securities and any Buyer’s ownership of the Securities. The Company and its board of directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any stockholder rights plan or similar arrangement relating to accumulations of beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock or a change in control of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

(k) SEC Documents; Financial Statements. During the two (2) years prior to the date hereof, the Company has timely filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it with the SEC pursuant to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act (all of the foregoing filed prior to the date hereof and all exhibits included therein and financial statements, notes and schedules thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein being hereinafter referred to as the “SEC Documents”). The Company has delivered to the Buyers or their respective representatives true, correct and complete copies of each of the SEC Documents not available on the EDGAR system. As of their respective dates, the SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder applicable to the SEC Documents, and none of the SEC Documents, at the time they were filed with the SEC, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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. As of their respective dates, the financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Documents complied as to form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect as of the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, during the periods involved (except (i) as may be otherwise indicated in such financial statements or the notes thereto, or (ii) in the case of unaudited interim statements, to the extent they may exclude footnotes or may be condensed or summary statements) and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company as of the dates thereof and the results of its operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments which will not be material, either individually or in the aggregate). No other

 

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information provided by or on behalf of the Company to the Buyers which is not included in the SEC Documents, including, without limitation, information referred to in Section 2(e) of this Agreement, contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, in the light of the circumstance under which they are or were made.

(l) Absence of Certain Changes. Since the date of the Company’s most recent audited or reviewed financial statements contained in a Form 10-K, there has been no material adverse change and no material adverse development in the business, assets, liabilities, properties, operations (including results thereof), condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Since the date of the Company’s most recent audited financial statements contained in a Form 10-K, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) declared or paid any dividends, (ii) sold any assets, individually or in the aggregate, outside of the ordinary course of business or (iii) made any material capital expenditures, individually or in the aggregate, outside of the ordinary course of business. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken any steps to seek protection pursuant to any law or statute relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, liquidation or winding up, nor does the Company or any Subsidiary have any knowledge or reason to believe that any of their respective creditors intend to initiate involuntary bankruptcy proceedings or any actual knowledge of any fact which would reasonably lead a creditor to do so. The Company and its Subsidiaries, individually and on a consolidated basis, are not as of the date hereof, and after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby to occur at the Closing, will not be Insolvent (as defined below). For purposes of this Section 3(l), “Insolvent” means, (I) with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, (i) the present fair saleable value of the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ assets is less than the amount required to pay the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ total Indebtedness (as defined in Section 3(s)), (ii) the Company and its Subsidiaries are unable to pay their debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured or (iii) the Company and its Subsidiaries intend to incur or believe that they will incur debts that would be beyond their ability to pay as such debts mature; and (II) with respect to the Company and each Subsidiary, individually, (i) the present fair saleable value of the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ assets is less than the amount required to pay each of their respective total Indebtedness, (ii) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are unable to pay their respective debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured or (iii) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries intend to incur or believe that they will incur debts that would be beyond their respective ability to pay as such debts mature. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has engaged in business or in any transaction, and is not about to engage in business or in any transaction, for which the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s remaining assets constitute unreasonably small capital.

(m) No Undisclosed Events, Liabilities, Developments or Circumstances. No event, liability, development or circumstance has occurred or exists, or is reasonably expected to exist or occur with respect to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or their respective business, properties, liabilities, prospects, operations (including results thereof) or condition (financial or otherwise), that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws on a registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC relating to an issuance and sale by the Company of its Common Stock and which has not been publicly announced or which could have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(n) Conduct of Business; Regulatory Permits. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any term of or in default under its Articles of Incorporation, any certificate of designation, preferences or rights of any other outstanding series of preferred stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Bylaws or their organizational charter, certificate of formation or certificate of incorporation or bylaws, respectively. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any judgment, decree or order or any statute, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will conduct its business in violation of any of the foregoing, except in all cases for possible violations which could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company is not in violation of any of the rules, regulations or requirements of the Principal Market and has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances that could reasonably lead to delisting or suspension of the Common Stock by the Principal Market in the foreseeable future. Since January 1, 2006, (i) the Common Stock has been designated for quotation on the Principal Market, (ii) trading in the Common Stock has not been suspended by the SEC or the Principal Market and (iii) the Company has received no communication, written or oral, from the SEC or the Principal Market regarding the suspension or delisting of the Common Stock from the Principal Market. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except where the failure to possess such certificates, authorizations or permits would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit.

(o) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any director, officer, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, employee or other Person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or (iv) made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee.

(p) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company and each Subsidiary is in material compliance with all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof.

(q) Transactions With Affiliates. Other than the grant of stock options disclosed on Schedule 3(q) and other than as disclosed in the SEC Documents, none of the officers, directors or employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than for ordinary course services as

 

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employees, officers or directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any such officer, director or employee or, to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any corporation, partnership, trust or other entity in which any such officer, director, or employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner.

(r) Equity Capitalization. As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of (i) 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock, of which 7,965,854 are issued and outstanding and 388,708 shares are reserved for issuance pursuant to securities (other than the Common Shares and the Warrants) exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, shares of Common Stock and (ii) 147,500 shares of Series AA preferred stock, 57,411 of which are issued and outstanding. 33,087 shares of Common Stock are held in treasury. All of such outstanding shares are duly authorized and have been, or upon issuance will be, validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. 2,798,927 shares of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock on the date hereof are as of the date hereof owned by Persons who are “affiliates” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act and calculated based on the assumption that only officers, directors and holders of at least 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock are “affiliates” without conceding that any such Persons are “affiliates” for purposes of federal securities laws) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. To the Company’s knowledge, except as disclosed in the SEC Documents, no Person owns 10% or more of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock (calculated based on the assumption that all Equivalents, whether or not presently exercisable or convertible, have been fully exercised or converted (as the case may be) taking account of any limitations on exercise or conversion (including “blockers”) contained therein without conceding that such identified Person is a 10% stockholder for purposes of federal securities laws). Except as disclosed in Schedule 3(r): (i) none of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s capital stock is subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights or any liens or encumbrances suffered or permitted by the Company or any Subsidiary; (ii) there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to issue additional capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (iii) there are no outstanding debt securities, notes, credit agreements, credit facilities or other agreements, documents or instruments evidencing Indebtedness (as defined in Section 3(s)) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound; (iv) there are no financing statements securing obligations in any material amounts, either individually or in the aggregate, filed in connection with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (v) there are no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is obligated to register the sale of any of their securities under the 1933 Act (except pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement); (vi) there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or any of

 

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its Subsidiaries; (vii) there are no securities or instruments containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance of the Securities; (viii) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement; and (ix) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have any liabilities or obligations required to be disclosed in the SEC Documents which are not so disclosed in the SEC Documents, other than those incurred in the ordinary course of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ respective businesses and which, individually or in the aggregate, do not or could not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has furnished to the Buyers true, correct and complete copies of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the “Articles of Incorporation”), and the Company’s bylaws, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the “Bylaws”), and the terms of all securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, shares of Common Stock and the material rights of the holders thereof in respect thereto that have not been disclosed in the SEC Documents.

(s) Indebtedness and Other Contracts. Except as disclosed on Schedule 3(s) or in the SEC Documents, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has any outstanding Indebtedness (as defined below), (ii) is a party to any contract, agreement or instrument, the violation of which, or default under which, by the other party(ies) to such contract, agreement or instrument could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (iii) is in violation of any term of or in default under any contract, agreement or instrument relating to any Indebtedness, except where such violations and defaults would not result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect, or (iv) is a party to any contract, agreement or instrument relating to any Indebtedness, the performance of which, in the judgment of the Company’s officers, has or is expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this Agreement: (x) “Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication (A) all indebtedness for borrowed money, (B) all obligations issued, undertaken or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services (including, without limitation, “capital leases” in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) (other than trade payables entered into in the ordinary course of business), (C) all reimbursement or payment obligations with respect to letters of credit, surety bonds and other similar instruments, (D) all obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar instruments, including obligations so evidenced incurred in connection with the acquisition of property, assets or businesses, (E) all indebtedness created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, or incurred as financing, in either case with respect to any property or assets acquired with the proceeds of such indebtedness (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or bank under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such property), (F) all monetary obligations under any leasing or similar arrangement which, in connection with generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied for the periods covered thereby, is classified as a capital lease, (G) all indebtedness referred to in clauses (A) through (F) above secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or other encumbrance upon or in any property or assets (including accounts and contract rights) owned by any Person, even though the Person which owns such assets or property has not assumed or become liable for the payment of such indebtedness, and (H) all Contingent Obligations in respect of indebtedness or obligations of others of the kinds referred to in clauses (A) through (G) above; (y) “Contingent Obligation” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect liability, contingent or otherwise, of that Person

 

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with respect to any indebtedness, lease, dividend or other obligation of another Person if the primary purpose or intent of the Person incurring such liability, or the primary effect thereof, is to provide assurance to the obligee of such liability that such liability will be paid or discharged, or that any agreements relating thereto will be complied with, or that the holders of such liability will be protected (in whole or in part) against loss with respect thereto; and (z) “Person” means an individual, a limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture, a corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization, any other entity and a government or any department or agency thereof.

(t) Absence of Litigation. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by the Principal Market, any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the Common Stock or any of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ officers or directors which is outside of the ordinary course of business or individually or in the aggregate material to the Company.

(u) Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as management of the Company believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and its Subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will be unable to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(v) Employee Relations. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any collective bargaining agreement or employs any member of a union. The Company believes that its and its Subsidiaries’ relations with their respective employees are good. No executive officer (as defined in Rule 501(f) promulgated under the 1933 Act) or other key employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has notified the Company or any such Subsidiary that such officer intends to leave the Company or any such Subsidiary or otherwise terminate such officer’s employment with the Company or any such Subsidiary. No executive officer or other key employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement, non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant, and the continued employment of each such executive officer or other key employee (as the case may be) does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations respecting labor, employment and employment practices and benefits, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where failure to be in compliance would not, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(w) Title. Except with respect to oil, gas and mineral leases, working interests, royalties, production payments and similar oil, gas and mineral interests (“Oil & Gas

 

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Interests”), the Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as do not 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 and any of its Subsidiaries. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The Company and its Subsidiaries have legal, valid and binding and enforceable rights with respect to all their Oil & Gas Interests, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as (i) are normal and customary in the oil and gas drilling and development business and (ii) do not materially affect the value of such Oil & Gas Interests and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such Oil & Gas Interests by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries

(x) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights or licenses to use all trademarks, trade names, service marks, service mark registrations, service names, patents, patent rights, copyrights, original works, inventions, licenses, approvals, governmental authorizations, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights and all applications and registrations therefor (“Intellectual Property Rights”) necessary to conduct their respective businesses as now conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ Intellectual Property Rights have expired, terminated or been abandoned, or are expected to expire, terminate or be abandoned, within three years from the date of this Agreement. The Company has no knowledge of any infringement by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Intellectual Property Rights of others. There is no claim, action or proceeding being made or brought, or to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, being threatened, against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries regarding their Intellectual Property Rights. The Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any of the foregoing infringements or claims, actions or proceedings. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their Intellectual Property Rights.

(y) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) to the best of the Company’s knowledge, are in compliance with all Environmental Laws (as defined herein), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where, in each of the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The term “Environmental Laws” means all federal, state, local or foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including, without limitation, laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal,

 

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transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder.

(z) Subsidiary Rights. The Company or one of its Subsidiaries has the unrestricted right to vote, and (subject to limitations imposed by applicable law) to receive dividends and distributions on, all capital securities of its Subsidiaries as owned by the Company or such Subsidiary.

(aa) Tax Status. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i) has timely made or filed all foreign, federal and state income and all other tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has timely paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply, except in each case where the failure to file, pay or set aside would not have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company and its Subsidiaries know of no basis for any such claim. The Company is not operated in such a manner as to qualify as a passive foreign investment company, as defined in Section 1297 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(bb) Internal Accounting and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset and liability accountability, (iii) access to assets or incurrence of liabilities is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets and liabilities is compared with the existing assets and liabilities at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any difference. The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-14 under the 1934 Act) that are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, including, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and its principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice or correspondence from any accountant relating to any potential material weakness in any part of the system of internal accounting controls of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

(cc) Off Balance Sheet Arrangements. There is no transaction, arrangement, or other relationship between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and an unconsolidated or other off balance sheet entity that is required to be disclosed by the Company in its 1934 Act filings and is not so disclosed or that otherwise could be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(dd) Investment Company Status. The Company is not, and upon consummation of the sale of the Securities will not be, an “investment company,” an affiliate of an “investment company,” a company controlled by an “investment company” or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(ee) Acknowledgement Regarding Buyers’ Trading Activity. It is understood and acknowledged by the Company (i) that, other than as contemplated by Section 2(k), following the public disclosure of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, in accordance with the terms thereof, none of the Buyers have been asked by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to agree, nor has any Buyer agreed with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii) that any Buyer, and counter parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Buyer is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Stock which were established prior to such Buyer’s knowledge of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, and (iii) that each Buyer shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that following the public disclosure of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents pursuant to the Press Release one or more Buyers may engage in hedging and/or trading activities at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, including, without limitation, during the periods that the value of the Warrant Shares deliverable with respect to the Securities are being determined and (b) such hedging and/or trading activities, if any, can reduce the value of the existing stockholders’ equity interest in the Company both at and after the time the hedging and/or trading activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging and/or trading activities do not constitute a breach of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document or any of the documents executed in connection herewith or therewith.

(ff) Manipulation of Price. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has, and, to the knowledge of the Company, no Person acting on their behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities (other than the Placement Agent), or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

(gg) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is, or has ever been, and so long as any of the Securities are held by any of the Buyers, shall become a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company and each Subsidiary shall so certify upon Buyer’s request.

 

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(hh) Registration Eligibility. The Company is eligible to register the Registrable Securities for resale by the Buyers using Form S-3 promulgated under the 1933 Act.

(ii) Transfer Taxes. On the Closing Date, all stock transfer or other taxes (other than income or similar taxes) which are required to be paid in connection with the sale and transfer of the Securities to be sold to each Buyer hereunder will be, or will have been, fully paid or provided for by the Company, and all laws imposing such taxes will be or will have been complied with.

(jj) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any equity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.

(kk) Shell Company Status. The Company is not, and has never been, an issuer identified in Rule 144(i)(1).

(ll) Disclosure. The Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Buyers or their agents or counsel with any information that constitutes or could reasonably be expected to constitute material, nonpublic information concerning the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than the existence of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents. The Company understands and confirms that each of the Buyers will rely on the foregoing representations in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All disclosure provided to the Buyers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Schedules to this Agreement, furnished by or on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Each press release issued by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries during the twelve (12) months preceding the date of this Agreement did not at the time of release contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 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 are made, not misleading. No event or circumstance has occurred or information exists with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or its or their business, properties, liabilities, prospects, operations (including results thereof) or conditions (financial or otherwise), which, under applicable law, rule or regulation, requires public disclosure at or before the date hereof or announcement by the Company but which has not been so publicly announced or disclosed. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Buyer makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 2.

 

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4. COVENANTS.

(a) Best Efforts. Each party shall use its best efforts timely to satisfy each of the conditions to be satisfied by it as provided in Sections 6 and 7 of this Agreement.

(b) Form D and Blue Sky. The Company agrees to file a Form D with respect to the Securities as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof to each Buyer promptly after such filing. The Company shall, on or before the Closing Date, take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to, qualify the Securities for sale to the Buyers at the Closing pursuant to this Agreement under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States (or to obtain an exemption from such qualification), and shall provide evidence of any such action so taken to the Buyers on or prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall make all filings and reports relating to the offer and sale of the Securities required under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States following the Closing Date.

(c) Reporting Status. Until the date on which the Buyers shall have sold all of the Registrable Securities (as defined below) (the “Reporting Period”), the Company shall timely file all reports required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to the 1934 Act, and the Company shall not terminate its status as an issuer required to file reports under the 1934 Act even if the 1934 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder would no longer require or otherwise permit such termination.

(d) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the proceeds from the sale of the Securities solely for general working capital purposes.

(e) Financial Information. The Company agrees to send the following to each Investor (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) during the Reporting Period (i) unless the following are filed with the SEC through EDGAR and are available to the public through the EDGAR system, within one (1) Business Day after the filing thereof with the SEC, a copy of its Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, any interim reports or any consolidated balance sheets, income statements, stockholders’ equity statements and/or cash flow statements for any period other than annual, any Current Reports on Form 8-K and any registration statements (other than on Form S-8) or amendments filed pursuant to the 1933 Act, (ii) on the same day as the release thereof, facsimile copies of all press releases issued by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and (iii) copies of any notices and other information made available or given to the stockholders of the Company generally, contemporaneously with the making available or giving thereof to the stockholders.

(f) Listing. The Company shall promptly secure the listing of all of the Registrable Securities (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) upon each national securities exchange and automated quotation system, if any, upon which the Common Stock is then listed (subject to official notice of issuance) and shall maintain such listing of all Registrable Securities from time to time issuable under the terms of the Transaction Documents on such national securities exchange or automated quotation system. The Company shall maintain the Common Stock’s authorization for quotation on the Principal Market, the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Global Select Market (each, an “Eligible Market”). Neither the Company nor any

 

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of its Subsidiaries shall take any action which could be reasonably expected to result in the delisting or suspension of the Common Stock on an Eligible Market. The Company shall pay all fees and expenses in connection with satisfying its obligations under this Section 4(f).

(g) Fees. The Company shall reimburse Cranshire Capital, L.P. (“Cranshire”) or its designee(s) (in addition to any other expense amounts paid to any Buyer prior to the date of this Agreement) for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by it or its affiliates in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in an amount not to exceed $35,000 (including, without limitation, all reasonable legal fees and disbursements in connection therewith, documentation and implementation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and due diligence in connection therewith), which amount shall be non-accountable and withheld by Cranshire from its Purchase Price at the Closing or paid by the Company upon termination of this Agreement so long as such termination did not occur as a result of a material breach by Cranshire of any of its obligations hereunder (as the case may be). The Company shall be responsible for the payment of any placement agent’s fees, financial advisory fees, or broker’s commissions (other than for Persons engaged by any Buyer) relating to or arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby (including, without limitation, any fees payable to the Placement Agent, who is the Company’s sole placement agent in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement). The Company shall pay, and hold each Buyer harmless against, any liability, loss or expense (including, without limitation, reasonable attorney’s fees and out-of-pocket expenses) arising in connection with any claim relating to any such payment. Except as otherwise set forth in the Transaction Documents, each party to this Agreement shall bear its own expenses in connection with the sale of the Securities to the Buyers.

(h) Pledge of Securities. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 2(g), the Company acknowledges and agrees that the Securities may be pledged by a Buyer in connection with a bona fide margin agreement or other loan or financing arrangement that is secured by the Securities. The pledge of Securities shall not be deemed to be a transfer, sale or assignment of the Securities hereunder, and no Buyer effecting a pledge of Securities shall be required to provide the Company with any notice thereof or otherwise make any delivery to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or any other Transaction Document. The Company hereby agrees to execute and deliver such documentation as a pledgee of the Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge of the Securities to such pledgee by a Buyer.

(i) Disclosure of Transactions and Other Material Information. The Company shall, on or before 8:30 a.m., New York time, on the first (1st) Business Day after the date of this Agreement, issue a press release (the “Press Release”) reasonably acceptable to the Buyers disclosing all the material terms of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. On or before 8:30 a.m., New York time, on the second (2nd) Business Day following the date of this Agreement, the Company shall file a Current Report on Form 8-K describing all the material terms of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in the form required by the 1934 Act and attaching all the material Transaction Documents (including, without limitation, this Agreement (and all schedules to this Agreement), and the form of Warrants and the Registration Rights Agreement) (including all attachments, the “8-K Filing”). From and after the issuance of the Press Release, the Company shall have disclosed all material, nonpublic information delivered to any of the Buyers by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of

 

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their respective officers, directors, employees or agents (if any) in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Company shall not, and the Company shall cause each of its Subsidiaries and each of its and their respective officers, directors, employees and agents, not to, provide any Buyer with any material, nonpublic information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries from and after the issuance of the Press Release without the express prior written consent of such Buyer, except as expressly contemplated by Section 4(o)(viii). In the event of a breach of the foregoing covenant by the Company, or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees and agents (as determined in the reasonable good faith judgment of such Buyer), in addition to any other remedy provided herein or in the Transaction Documents, such Buyer shall have the right to make a public disclosure, in the form of a press release, public advertisement or otherwise, of such material, nonpublic information without the prior approval by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees or agents. No Buyer shall have any liability to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees, stockholders or agents, for any such disclosure. Subject to the foregoing, neither the Company, its Subsidiaries nor any Buyer shall issue any press releases or any other public statements with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the Company shall be entitled, without the prior approval of any Buyer, to make any press release or other public disclosure with respect to such transactions (i) in substantial conformity with the 8-K Filing and contemporaneously therewith and (ii) as is required by applicable law and regulations (provided that in the case of clause (i) each Buyer shall be consulted by the Company in connection with any such press release or other public disclosure prior to its release). Without the prior written consent of the applicable Buyer, the Company shall not (and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries and affiliates to not) disclose the name of such Buyer in any filing (other than the 8-K Filing), announcement, release or otherwise.

(j) Additional Registration Statements. Until the Effective Date (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) of the initial Registration Statement required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Registration Rights Agreement which covers all of the securities required to be covered thereunder and at any time while such Registration Statement is not effective, the Company shall not file a registration statement under the 1933 Act relating to securities that are not the Registrable Securities.

(k) Additional Issuance of Securities. The Company agrees that for the period commencing on the date hereof and ending one hundred twenty (120) days after the Effective Date of the initial Registration Statement required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Registration Rights Agreement which covers all of the securities required to be covered thereunder (the “Restricted Period”), neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall directly or indirectly issue, offer, sell, grant any option to purchase, or otherwise dispose of (or announce any issuance, offer, sale, grant or any option to purchase or other disposition of) any of their respective equity or equity equivalent securities, including, without limitation, any debt,

 

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preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time and under any circumstances convertible into or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, capital stock and other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary which entitle the holder thereof to acquire Common Stock at any time, including without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock or other securities that entitle the holder to receive, directly or indirectly, Common Stock) (collectively with such capital stock or other securities of the Company, “Equivalents”) (any such issuance, offer, sale, grant, disposition or announcement being referred to as a “Subsequent Placement”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4(k) shall not apply in respect of the issuance of (A) shares of Common Stock or standard options to purchase Common Stock issued to directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Company in connection with their service as directors or officers of the Company, their employment by the Company or their retention as consultants by the Company pursuant to an equity compensation program or other contract or arrangement approved by the board of directors of the Company (or the compensation committee of the board of directors of the Company), provided that all such issuances after the date hereof pursuant to this clause (A) do not, in the aggregate, exceed more than 5% of the Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the date hereof, (B) shares of Common Stock issued upon the conversion or exercise of Equivalents issued prior to the date hereof, provided that such Equivalents have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of shares issuable thereunder or to lower the exercise or conversion price thereof or otherwise materially change the terms or conditions thereof in any manner that adversely affects any of the Buyers, (C) shares of Common Stock and standard warrants to purchase Common Stock as equity kickers in connection with bona fide lending transactions involving only non-convertible debt, the primary purpose of which is not to raise capital, and which are approved in good faith by the Company’s Board of Directors, provided that all such issuances after the date hereof pursuant to this clause (C) do not, in the aggregate, exceed 739,726 shares of Common Stock (including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of such standard warrants) (adjusted for stock splits, combinations and the like), (D) the Warrant Shares, (E) the Placement Agent Warrant (as defined below), provided that such Placement Agent Warrant has not been amended since the Closing Date to increase the number of shares issuable thereunder or to lower the exercise price thereof or otherwise materially change the terms or conditions thereof in any manner that adversely affects any of the Buyers, and (F) the Placement Agent Warrant Shares (as defined below) (each of the foregoing in clauses (A) through (F), collectively the “Excluded Securities”). “Placement Agent Warrant” means the warrant to be issued by the Company to the Placement Agent on the Closing Date to purchase up to 32,877 shares of Common Stock at an initial exercise price of $7.30 per share, in the form provided to the Buyers on the date hereof; and “Placement Agent Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable to the Placement Agent upon exercise of the Placement Agent Warrant.

(l) Reservation of Shares. The Company shall take all action necessary to at all times have authorized, and reserved for the purpose of issuance, no less than 120% of the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of the Warrants set forth therein).

(m) Conduct of Business. The business of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not be conducted in violation of any law, ordinance or regulation of any governmental entity, except where such violations would not result, either individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(n) Variable Rate Transaction. From the date hereof until 18 months after the Effective Date of the initial Registration Statement required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Registration Rights Agreement which covers all of the securities required to be covered thereunder, the Company and each Subsidiary shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any Subsequent Placement involving a “Variable Rate Transaction.” The term “Variable Rate Transaction” shall mean a transaction in which the Company or any Subsidiary (i) issues or sells any Equivalents either (A) at a conversion, exercise or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such Equivalents, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such Equivalents or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock, other than pursuant to a customary “weighted average” anti-dilution provision or (ii) enters into any agreement (including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit) whereby the Company or any Subsidiary may sell securities at a future determined price (other than standard and customary “preemptive” or “participation” rights). Each Buyer shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company and its Subsidiaries to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.

(o) Participation Right. From the date hereof until eighteen (18) months after the Effective Date of the initial Registration Statement required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Registration Rights Agreement which covers all of the securities required to be covered thereunder, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall, directly or indirectly, effect any Subsequent Placement (other than a Direct Participation (as defined below)) unless the Company shall have first complied with this Section 4(o). The Company acknowledges and agrees that the right set forth in this Section 4(o) is a right granted by the Company, separately, to each Buyer.

(i) The Company shall deliver to each Buyer a written notice (the “Offer Notice”) of any proposed or intended issuance or sale or exchange (the “Offer”) of the securities being offered (the “Offered Securities”) in a Subsequent Placement, which Offer Notice shall (w) identify and describe the Offered Securities, (x) describe the price and other terms upon which they are to be issued, sold or exchanged, and the number or amount of the Offered Securities to be issued, sold or exchanged, (y) identify the Persons (if known) to which or with which the Offered Securities are to be offered, issued, sold or exchanged and (z) offer to issue and sell to or exchange with such Buyer in accordance with the terms of the Offer (I) 100% of the Offered Securities through the date that is one hundred twenty (120) days after the Effective Date of the initial Registration Statement required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Registration Rights Agreement which covers all of the securities required to be covered thereunder and (II) thereafter, at least 50% of the Offered Securities, provided that the number of Offered Securities which such Buyer shall have the right to subscribe for under this Section 4(o) shall be (a) based on such Buyer’s pro rata portion of the aggregate number of Common Shares purchased hereunder by all Buyers (the “Basic Amount”), and (b) with respect to each Buyer that elects to purchase its Basic Amount, any additional portion of the Offered Securities attributable to the Basic Amounts of other Buyers as such Buyer shall indicate it will purchase or acquire should the other Buyers subscribe for less than their Basic Amounts (the “Undersubscription Amount”).

 

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(ii) To accept an Offer, in whole or in part, such Buyer must deliver a written notice to the Company prior to the end of the fifth (5th) Business Day after such Buyer’s receipt of the Offer Notice (the “Offer Period”), setting forth the portion of such Buyer’s Basic Amount that such Buyer elects to purchase and, if such Buyer shall elect to purchase all of its Basic Amount, the Undersubscription Amount, if any, that such Buyer elects to purchase (in either case, the “Notice of Acceptance”). If the Basic Amounts subscribed for by all Buyers are less than the total of all of the Basic Amounts, then such Buyer who has set forth an Undersubscription Amount in its Notice of Acceptance shall be entitled to purchase, in addition to the Basic Amounts subscribed for, the Undersubscription Amount it has subscribed for; provided, however, that if the Undersubscription Amounts subscribed for exceed the difference between the total of all the Basic Amounts and the Basic Amounts subscribed for (the “Available Undersubscription Amount”), such Buyer who has subscribed for any Undersubscription Amount shall be entitled to purchase only that portion of the Available Undersubscription Amount as the Basic Amount of such Buyer bears to the total Basic Amounts of all Buyers that have subscribed for Undersubscription Amounts, subject to rounding by the Company to the extent it deems reasonably necessary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company desires to modify or amend the terms and conditions of the Offer prior to the expiration of the Offer Period, the Company may deliver to each Buyer a new Offer Notice and the Offer Period shall expire on the fifth (5th) Business Day after such Buyer’s receipt of such new Offer Notice.

(iii) The Company shall have ten (10) Business Days from the expiration of the Offer Period above (i) to offer, issue, sell or exchange all or any part of such Offered Securities as to which a Notice of Acceptance has not been given by a Buyer (the “Refused Securities”) pursuant to a definitive agreement(s) (the “Subsequent Placement Agreement”), but only to the offerees described in the Offer Notice (if so described therein) and only upon terms and conditions (including, without limitation, unit prices and interest rates) that are not more favorable to the acquiring Person or Persons or less favorable to the Company than those set forth in the Offer Notice and (ii) to publicly announce (a) the execution of such Subsequent Placement Agreement, and (b) either (x) the consummation of the transactions contemplated by such Subsequent Placement Agreement or (y) the termination of such Subsequent Placement Agreement, which shall be filed with the SEC on a Current Report on Form 8-K with such Subsequent Placement Agreement and any documents contemplated therein filed as exhibits thereto.

(iv) In the event the Company shall propose to sell less than all the Refused Securities (any such sale to be in the manner and on the terms specified in Section 4(o)(iii) above), then such Buyer may, at its sole option and in its sole discretion, reduce the number or amount of the Offered Securities specified in its Notice of Acceptance to an amount that shall be not less than the number or amount of the Offered Securities that such Buyer elected to purchase pursuant to Section 4(o)(ii) above multiplied by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which shall be the number or amount of Offered Securities

 

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the Company actually proposes to issue, sell or exchange (including Offered Securities to be issued or sold to Buyers pursuant to this Section 4(o) prior to such reduction) and (ii) the denominator of which shall be the original amount of the Offered Securities. In the event that any Buyer so elects to reduce the number or amount of Offered Securities specified in its Notice of Acceptance, the Company may not issue, sell or exchange more than the reduced number or amount of the Offered Securities unless and until such securities have again been offered to the Buyers in accordance with Section 4(o)(i) above.

(v) Upon the closing of the issuance, sale or exchange of all or less than all of the Refused Securities, such Buyer shall acquire from the Company, and the Company

shall issue to such Buyer, the number or amount of Offered Securities specified in its Notice of Acceptance. The purchase by such Buyer of any Offered Securities is subject in all cases to the preparation, execution and delivery by the Company and such Buyer of a separate purchase agreement relating to such Offered Securities reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to such Buyer and its counsel.

(vi) Any Offered Securities not acquired by a Buyer or other Persons in accordance with this Section 4(o) may not be issued, sold or exchanged until they are again offered to such Buyer under the procedures specified in this Agreement.

(vii) The Company and each Buyer agree that if any Buyer elects to participate in the Offer, neither the Subsequent Placement Agreement with respect to such Offer nor any other transaction documents related thereto (collectively, the “Subsequent Placement Documents”) shall include any term or provision whereby such Buyer shall be required to agree to any restrictions on trading as to any securities of the Company owned by such Buyer prior to such Subsequent Placement more restrictive in any material respect than the restrictions contained in the Transaction Documents.

(viii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4(o) and unless otherwise agreed to by such Buyer, the Company shall either confirm in writing to such Buyer that the transaction with respect to the Subsequent Placement has been abandoned or shall publicly disclose its intention to issue the Offered Securities, in either case in such a manner such that such Buyer will not be in possession of any material, non-public information, by the tenth (10th) day following delivery of the Offer Notice. If by such tenth (10th) day, no public disclosure regarding a transaction with respect to the Offered Securities has been made, and no notice regarding the abandonment of such transaction has been received by such Buyer, such transaction shall be deemed to have been abandoned and such Buyer shall not be deemed to be in possession of any material, non-public information with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Should the Company decide to pursue such transaction with respect to the Offered Securities, the Company shall provide such Buyer with another Offer Notice and such Buyer will again have the right of participation set forth in this Section 4(o). The Company shall not be permitted to deliver more than one such Offer Notice to such Buyer in any sixty (60) day period.

 

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(ix) The restrictions contained in this Section 4(o) shall not apply in connection with the issuance of any Excluded Securities. The Company shall not circumvent the provisions of this Section 4(o) by providing terms or conditions to one Buyer that are not provided to all.

Direct Participation” means any working interest, royalty interest or other contractual right with respect to oil and gas well leases in which the Company may from time to time sell undivided working interests and/or other economic contractual interests, provided that none of the foregoing shall include or involve the sale of any security (as defined under the 1933 Act) or other equity interest in the Company, any Subsidiary or any other Person.

(p) Passive Foreign Investment Company. The Company shall conduct its business in such a manner as will ensure that the Company will not be deemed to constitute a passive foreign investment company within the meaning of Section 1297 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

5. REGISTER; TRANSFER AGENT INSTRUCTIONS; LEGEND.

(a) Register. The Company shall maintain at its principal executive offices (or such other office or agency of the Company as it may designate by notice to each holder of Securities), a register for the Common Shares and the Warrants in which the Company shall record the name and address of the Person in whose name the Common Shares and the Warrants have been issued (including the name and address of each transferee), the number of Common Shares held by such Person and the number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants held by such Person. The Company shall keep the register open and available at all times during business hours for inspection of any Buyer or its legal representatives.

(b) Transfer Agent Instructions. The Company shall issue irrevocable instructions to its transfer agent and any subsequent transfer agent in the form acceptable to the Buyers (the “Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions”) to issue certificates or credit shares to the applicable balance accounts at The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registered in the name of each Buyer or its respective nominee(s), for the Common Shares and the Warrant Shares in such amounts as specified from time to time by each Buyer to the Company upon delivery of the Common Shares or the exercise of the Warrants (as the case may be). The Company represents and warrants that no instruction other than the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions referred to in this Section 5(b), and stop transfer instructions to give effect to Section 2(g) hereof, will be given by the Company to its transfer agent with respect to the Securities, and that the Securities shall otherwise be freely transferable on the books and records of the Company, as applicable, to the extent provided in this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents. If a Buyer effects a sale, assignment or transfer of the Securities in accordance with Section 2(g), the Company shall permit the transfer and shall promptly instruct its transfer agent to issue one or more certificates or credit shares to the applicable balance accounts at DTC in such name and in such denominations as specified by such Buyer to effect such sale, transfer or assignment. In the event that such sale, assignment or transfer involves Common Shares or Warrant Shares sold, assigned or transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement or in compliance with Rule 144, the transfer agent shall issue such shares to such Buyer, assignee or transferee (as the case may be) without any restrictive legend in accordance with Section 5(d) below. The Company

 

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acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to a Buyer. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that the remedy at law for a breach of its obligations under this Section 5(b) will be inadequate and agrees, in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Company of the provisions of this Section 5(b), that a Buyer shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an order and/or injunction restraining any breach and requiring immediate issuance and transfer, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required. The Company shall cause its counsel to issue the legal opinion referred to in the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions to the Company’s transfer agent on each Effective Date. Any fees (with respect to the transfer agent, counsel to the Company or otherwise) associated with the issuance of such opinion or the removal of any legends on any of the Securities shall be borne by the Company.

(c) Legends. Each Buyer understands that the certificates or other instruments representing the Common Shares and the Warrants and, until such time as the resale of the Common Shares and the Warrant Shares (as the case may be) have been registered under the 1933 Act as contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement or are eligible for sale pursuant to Rule 144, the stock certificates representing the Common Shares and the Warrant Shares (as the case may be), except as set forth below, shall bear any legend as required by the “blue sky” laws of any state and a restrictive legend in substantially the following form (and a stop-transfer order may be placed against transfer of such stock certificates):

[NEITHER THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES ARE [EXERCISABLE] HAVE BEEN] [THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN] REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED (I) IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR (B) AN OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE HOLDER (IF REQUESTED BY THE COMPANY), IN A FORM REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY, THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER SAID ACT OR (II) UNLESS SOLD OR ELIGIBLE TO BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OR RULE 144A UNDER SAID ACT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.

(d) Removal of Legends. Certificates evidencing Securities shall not be required to contain the legend set forth in Section 5(c) above or any other legend (i) while a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) covering the resale of such Securities is effective under the Securities Act, (ii) following any sale of such Securities pursuant to Rule 144 (assuming the transferor is not an affiliate of the Company), (iii) if such Securities are eligible to be sold, assigned or transferred under Rule 144 (provided that a Buyer provides the Company with reasonable assurances that such Securities are eligible for sale, assignment or transfer under

 

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Rule 144 which shall not include an opinion of counsel), (iv) in connection with a sale, assignment or other transfer (other than under Rule 144) provided such Buyer provides the Company with an opinion of counsel to such Buyer, in a generally acceptable form, to the effect that such sale, assignment or transfer of the Securities may be made without registration under the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act or (v) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the 1933 Act (including, without limitation, controlling judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the SEC). If a legend is not required pursuant to the foregoing, the Company shall no later than two (2) Trading Days (as defined below) following the delivery by a Buyer to the Company or the transfer agent (with notice to the Company) of a legended certificate representing such Securities (endorsed or with stock powers attached, signatures guaranteed, and otherwise in form necessary to affect the reissuance and/or transfer, if applicable), together with any other deliveries from such Buyer as may be required above in this Section 5(d), as directed by such Buyer, either: (A) deliver (or cause to be delivered to) such Buyer a certificate representing such Securities that is free from all restrictive and other legends or (B) credit the balance account of such Buyer’s or such Buyer’s nominee with DTC with a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Common Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) represented by the certificate or exercise notice (as the case may be) so delivered by such Buyer (the date by which such certificate is required to be delivered to such Buyer or such credit is so required to be made to the balance account of such Buyer’s or such Buyer’s nominee with DTC pursuant to the foregoing is referred to herein as the “Required Delivery Date”).

(e) Failure to Timely Deliver; Buy-In. If the Company fails to (i) issue and deliver (or cause to be delivered) to a Buyer by the Required Delivery Date a certificate representing the Securities so delivered to the Company by such Buyer that is free from all restrictive and other legends or (ii) credit the balance account of such Buyer’s or such Buyer’s nominee with DTC for such number of shares of Common Shares or Warrant Shares so delivered to the Company, then, in addition to all other remedies available to such Buyer, the Company shall pay in cash to such Buyer on each day after the Required Delivery Date that the issuance or credit of such shares is not timely effected an amount equal to 1% of the product of (A) the sum of the number of shares of Common Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) not issued to such Buyer on a timely basis and to which such Buyer is entitled and (B) the VWAP (as defined below) of the shares of Common Stock for the five (5) Trading Day period immediately preceding the Required Delivery Date. In addition to the foregoing, if the Company fails to so properly deliver such unlegended certificates or so properly credit the balance account of such Buyer’s or such Buyer’s nominee with DTC by the Required Delivery Date, and if on or after the Required Delivery Date such Buyer purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Buyer of shares of Common Stock that such Buyer anticipated receiving from the Company without any restrictive legend (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall, within three (3) Trading Days after such Buyer’s request and in such Buyer’s sole discretion, either (i) pay cash to such Buyer in an amount equal to such Buyer’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased (the “Buy-In Price”), at which point the Company’s obligation to deliver such certificate or credit such Buyer’s balance account shall terminate and such shares shall be cancelled, or (ii) promptly honor its obligation to deliver to such Buyer a certificate or certificates or credit such Buyer’s DTC account representing such number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Company timely complied with its obligations hereunder and pay cash to such

 

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Buyer in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Buy-In Price over the product of (A) such number of shares of Common Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) that the Company was required to deliver to such Buyer by the Required Delivery Date times (B) the average VWAP of the Common Stock for the five (5) Trading Day period immediately preceding the Required Delivery Date.

For purposes of this Section 5(e), “VWAP” means, for any security as of any date, the dollar volume-weighted average price for such security on the Principal Market (or, if the Principal Market is not the principal trading market for the Common Stock, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which the Common Stock is then traded) during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets (“Bloomberg”) through its “Volume at Price” function or, if the foregoing does not apply, the dollar volume-weighted average price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no dollar volume-weighted average price is reported for such security by Bloomberg for such hours, the average of the highest closing bid price and the lowest closing ask price of any of the market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by Pink Sheets LLC (formerly the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.). If VWAP cannot be calculated for such security on such date on any of the foregoing bases, the VWAP of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Buyer. If the Company and the Buyer are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then they shall agree in good faith on a reputable investment bank to make such determination of fair market value, whose determination shall be final and binding and whose fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any share dividend, share split or other similar transaction during such period. “Trading Day” means any day on which the Common Stock is traded on the Principal Market, or, if the Principal Market is not the principal trading market for the Common Stock, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which the Common Stock is then traded; provided that “Trading Day” shall not include any day on which the Common Stock is scheduled to trade on such exchange or market for less than 4.5 hours or any day that the Common Stock is suspended from trading during the final hour of trading on such exchange or market (or if such exchange or market does not designate in advance the closing time of trading on such exchange or market, then during the hour ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York time).

 

6. CONDITIONS TO THE COMPANY’S OBLIGATION TO SELL.

(a) The obligation of the Company hereunder to issue and sell the Common Shares and the related Warrants to each Buyer at the Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for the Company’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Company at any time in its sole discretion by providing each Buyer with prior written notice thereof:

(i) Such Buyer shall have executed each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and delivered the same to the Company.

 

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(ii) Such Buyer and each other Buyer shall have delivered to the Company the Purchase Price (less, in the case of Cranshire, the amount withheld pursuant to Section 4(g)) for the Common Shares and the related Warrants being purchased by such Buyer at the Closing by wire transfer of immediately available funds pursuant to the wire instructions provided by the Company.

(iii) The representations and warranties of such Buyer shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date when made and as of the Closing Date as though originally made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such date), and such Buyer shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by such Buyer at or prior to the Closing Date.

 

7. CONDITIONS TO EACH BUYER’S OBLIGATION TO PURCHASE.

(a) The obligation of each Buyer hereunder to purchase the Common Shares and the related Warrants at the Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for each Buyer’s sole benefit and may be waived by such Buyer at any time in its sole discretion by providing the Company with prior written notice thereof:

(i) The Company shall have duly executed and delivered to such Buyer (A) each of the Transaction Documents and (B) the Common Shares (in such numbers as is set forth across from such Buyer’s name in column (3) of the Schedule of Buyers and the related Warrants (in such numbers as is set forth across from such Buyer’s name in column (4) of the Schedule of Buyers) being purchased by such Buyer at the Closing pursuant to this Agreement.

(ii) Such Buyer shall have received the opinion of Strasburger & Price, LLP, the Company’s outside counsel, dated as of the Closing Date, in the form acceptable to such Buyer.

(iii) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a copy of the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions, in the form acceptable to such Buyer, which instructions shall have been delivered to and acknowledged in writing by the Company’s transfer agent.

(iv) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate evidencing the formation and good standing of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries in each such entity’s jurisdiction of formation issued by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of such jurisdiction of formation as of a date within ten (10) days of the Closing Date.

(v) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate evidencing the Company’s qualification as a foreign corporation and good standing issued by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of each jurisdiction in which the Company conducts business and is required to so qualify, as of a date within ten (10) days of the Closing Date.

 

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(vi) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certified copy of the Articles of Incorporation as certified by the California Secretary of State within ten (10) days of the Closing Date.

(vii) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate, executed by the Secretary of the Company and dated as of the Closing Date, as to (i) the resolutions consistent with Section 3(b) as adopted by the Company’s board of directors in a form reasonably acceptable to such Buyer, (ii) the Articles of Incorporation and (iii) the Bylaws, each as in effect at the Closing, in the form acceptable to such Buyer.

(viii) Each and every representation and warranty of the Company shall be true and correct as of the date when made and as of the Closing Date as though made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such date) and the Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Closing Date. Such Buyer shall have received a certificate, executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, to the foregoing effect and as to such other matters as may be reasonably requested by such Buyer in the form acceptable to such Buyer.

(ix) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a letter from the Company’s transfer agent certifying the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on the Closing Date immediately prior to the Closing.

(x) The Common Stock (I) shall be designated for quotation or listed on the Principal Market and (II) shall not have been suspended, as of the Closing Date, by the SEC or the Principal Market from trading on the Principal Market nor shall suspension by the SEC or the Principal Market have been threatened, as of the Closing Date, either (A) in writing by the SEC or the Principal Market or (B) by falling below the minimum maintenance requirements of the Principal Market.

(xi) The Company shall have obtained all governmental, regulatory or third party consents and approvals, if any, necessary for the sale of the Securities, including without limitation, those required by the Principal Market.

(xii) No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction that prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

(xiii) Since the date of execution of this Agreement, no event or series of events shall have occurred that reasonably would have or result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(xiv) The Company shall have obtained approval of the Principal Market to list the Common Shares and the Warrant Shares.

(xv) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer such other documents relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement as such Buyer or its counsel may reasonably request.

 

8. TERMINATION.

In the event that the Closing shall not have occurred with respect to a Buyer on or before ten (10) days from the date hereof due to the Company’s or such Buyer’s failure to satisfy the conditions set forth in Sections 6 and 7 above (and a non-breaching party’s failure to waive such unsatisfied condition(s)), any such non-breaching party at any time shall have the right to terminate its obligations under this Agreement with respect to such breaching party on or after the close of business on such date without liability of such non-breaching party to any other party; provided, however, that the abandonment of the sale and purchase of the Common Shares and the Warrants shall be applicable only to such non-breaching party providing such written notice; provided further, notwithstanding any such termination the Company shall remain obligated to reimburse the non-breaching Buyers for the expenses described in Section 4(g) above. Nothing contained in this Section 8 shall be deemed to release any party from any liability for any breach by such party of the terms and provisions of this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents or to impair the right of any party to compel specific performance by any other party of its obligations under this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents.

 

9. MISCELLANEOUS.

(a) Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Jury Trial. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

(b) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by an e-mail which contains a portable document format (.pdf) file of an executed signature page, such signature page shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.

 

31


(c) Headings; Gender. The headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, each pronoun herein shall be deemed to include the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular and plural forms thereof. The terms “including,” “includes,” “include” and words of like import shall be construed broadly as if followed by the words “without limitation.” The terms “herein,” “hereunder,” “hereof” and words of like import refer to this entire Agreement instead of just the provision in which they are found.

(d) Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or the validity or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.

(e) Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement, the other Transaction Documents and the schedules and exhibits attached hereto and thereto and the instruments referenced herein and therein supersede all other prior oral or written agreements between the Buyers, the Company, their affiliates and Persons acting on their behalf with respect to the matters contained herein and therein, and this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents, the schedules and exhibits attached hereto and thereto and the instruments referenced herein and therein contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the matters covered herein and therein and, except as specifically set forth herein or therein, neither the Company nor any Buyer makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to such matters. No provision of this Agreement may be amended or waived other than by an instrument in writing signed by the Company and the holders of at least a majority of the Common Shares issued and issuable hereunder, and any amendment or to, or waiver of any provision of, this Agreement made in conformity with the provisions of this Section 9(e) shall be binding on all Buyers and holders of Securities, as applicable, provided that any party may give a waiver in writing as to itself. No such amendment or waiver (unless given pursuant to the foregoing proviso) shall be effective to the extent that it applies to less than all of the holders of the Common Shares then outstanding. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of any of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration also is offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents, holders of Common Shares or holders of the Warrants (as the case may be). The Company has not, directly or indirectly, made any agreements with any Buyers relating to the terms or conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents except as set forth in the Transaction Documents. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company confirms that, except as set forth in this Agreement, no Buyer has made any commitment or promise or has any other obligation to provide any financing to the Company, any Subsidiary or otherwise.

(f) Notices. Any notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered: (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon receipt, when sent by facsimile (provided confirmation of transmission is mechanically or electronically generated and kept on file by the sending party); or (iii) one (1) Business Day after deposit with an

 

32


overnight courier service with next day delivery specified, in each case, properly addressed to the party to receive the same. The addresses and facsimile numbers for such communications shall be:

 

If to the Company:
   Royale Energy, Inc.
   7676 Hazard Center Drive, Suite 1500
   San Diego, California 92108
   Telephone:   (619) 881-2800
   Facsimile:   (619) 881-2899
   Attention:   Stephen M. Hosmer
With a copy (for informational purposes only) to:
   Strasburger & Price, LLP
   600 Congress Avenue, Suite 1600
   Austin, Texas 78701
   Telephone:   (512) 499-3600
   Facsimile:   (512) 499-3660
   Attention:   Lee Polson
If to the Transfer Agent:
   American Stock Transfer
   59 Maiden Lane
   New York, NY 10038
   Telephone:   (718) 921-8257
   Facsimile:   (718) 236-4588
   Attention:   Joe Alicia

If to a Buyer, to its address and facsimile number set forth on the Schedule of Buyers, with copies to such Buyer’s representatives as set forth on the Schedule of Buyers,

 

with a copy (for informational purposes only) to:
   Greenberg Traurig, LLP
   77 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 2400
   Chicago, Illinois 60602
   Telephone:   (312) 456-8400
   Facsimile:   (312) 456-8435
   Attention:   Peter H. Lieberman, Esq.
     Todd A. Mazur, Esq.

 

or to such other address and/or facsimile number and/or to the attention of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by written notice given to each other party five (5) days prior to the effectiveness of such change provided, that Greenberg Traurig, LLP shall only be provided

 

33


copies of notices sent to Cranshire. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given by the recipient of such notice, consent, waiver or other communication, (B) mechanically or electronically generated by the sender’s facsimile machine containing the time, date, recipient facsimile number and an image of the first page of such transmission or (C) provided by an overnight courier service shall be rebuttable evidence of personal service, receipt by facsimile or receipt from an overnight courier service in accordance with clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, respectively.

(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any purchasers of any of the Securities. The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the holders of at least a majority of the aggregate number of Registrable Securities issued and issuable under the Transaction Documents, including, without limitation, by way of a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Warrants) (unless the Company is in compliance with the applicable provisions governing Fundamental Transactions set forth in the Warrants). A Buyer may assign some or all of its rights hereunder in connection with transfer of any of its Securities without the consent of the Company to no more than five (5) Persons (and, with the consent of the Company (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), to more than five (5) Persons), in which event such assignee shall be deemed to be a Buyer hereunder with respect to such assigned rights.

(h) No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, other than the Indemnitees referred to in Section 9(k).

(i) Survival. The representations, warranties, agreements and covenants shall survive the Closing. Each Buyer shall be responsible only for its own representations, warranties, agreements and covenants hereunder.

(j) Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as any other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

(k) Indemnification. In consideration of each Buyer’s execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and acquiring the Securities thereunder and in addition to all of the Company’s other obligations under the Transaction Documents, the Company shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless each Buyer and each holder of any Securities and all of their stockholders, partners, members, officers, directors, employees and direct or indirect investors and any of the foregoing Persons’ agents or other representatives (including, without limitation, those retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) (collectively, the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, and expenses in connection therewith (irrespective of whether any such Indemnitee is a party to the action for which indemnification hereunder is sought), and including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements (the “Indemnified Liabilities”), incurred by any Indemnitee as a result of, or

 

34


arising out of, or relating to (a) any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made by the Company in any of the Transaction Documents, (b) any breach of any covenant, agreement or obligation of the Company contained in any of the Transaction Documents or (c) any cause of action, suit or claim brought or made against such Indemnitee by a third party (including for these purposes a derivative action brought on behalf of the Company) and arising out of or resulting from (i) the execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents, (ii) any transaction financed or to be financed in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, with the proceeds of the issuance of the Securities, (iii) any disclosure properly made by such Buyer pursuant to Section 4(i), or (iv) the status of such Buyer or holder of the Securities as an investor in the Company pursuant to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, except, with respect to (1) clause (a), to the extent such Indemnified Liability arises solely from a Buyer’s material misrepresentation or material breach of any representation or warranty made by such Buyer in this Agreement and (2) clause (c), to the extent such Indemnified Liability arises from an Indemnitee’s gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by the Company may be unenforceable for any reason, the Company shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities which is permissible under applicable law. Except as otherwise set forth herein, the mechanics and procedures with respect to the rights and obligations under this Section 9(k) shall be the same as those set forth in Section 6 of the Registration Rights Agreement.

(l) No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, or any references to “Buyers” herein, Cranshire and the Company acknowledge and agree that Cranshire is the only Buyer party to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(m) Remedies. Each Buyer and each holder of any Securities shall have all rights and remedies set forth in the Transaction Documents and all rights and remedies which such holders have been granted at any time under any other agreement or contract and all of the rights which such holders have under any law. Any Person having any rights under any provision of this Agreement shall be entitled to enforce such rights specifically (without posting a bond or other security), to recover damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights granted by law. Furthermore, the Company recognizes that in the event that it fails to perform, observe, or discharge any or all of its obligations under the Transaction Documents, any remedy at law may prove to be inadequate relief to the Buyers. The Company therefore agrees that the Buyers shall be entitled to seek specific performance and/or temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctive or other equitable relief from any court of competent jurisdiction in any such case without the necessity of proving actual damages and without posting a bond or other security.

(n) Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) the Transaction Documents, whenever any Buyer exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Buyer may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights

 

35


(o) Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Buyer hereunder or pursuant to any of the other Transaction Documents or any of the Buyers enforce or exercise their rights hereunder or thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, foreign, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.

(p) Independent Nature of Buyers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Buyer under the Transaction Documents are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Buyer, and no Buyer shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Buyer under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Buyer pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Buyers as, and the Company acknowledges that the Buyers do not so constitute, a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of group or entity, or create a presumption that the Buyers are in any way acting in concert or as a group or entity with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or any matters, and the Company acknowledges that the Buyers are not acting in concert or as a group, and the Company shall not assert any such claim, with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The decision of each Buyer to purchase Securities pursuant to the Transaction Documents has been made by such Buyer independently of any other Buyer. Each Buyer acknowledges that no other Buyer has acted as agent for such Buyer in connection with such Buyer making its investment hereunder and that no other Buyer will be acting as agent of such Buyer in connection with monitoring such Buyer’s investment in the Securities or enforcing its rights under the Transaction Documents. The Company and each Buyer confirms that each Buyer has independently participated with the Company in the negotiation of the transaction contemplated hereby with the advice of its own counsel and advisors. Each Buyer shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of any other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Buyer to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. The use of a single agreement to effectuate the purchase and sale of the Securities contemplated hereby was solely in the control of the Company, not the action or decision of any Buyer, and was done solely for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Buyer. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Buyer, solely, and not between the Company and the Buyers collectively and not between and among the Buyers.

 

36


(q) Certain Adjustments.

(i) If and whenever on or after the date hereof until the earlier to occur of (i) the five (5) year anniversary of the Closing Date or (ii) the date on which the Buyers no longer hold any Registrable Securities, the Company issues or sells (or in accordance with the provisions set forth in Section 2 of the Warrants is deemed to have issued or sold) (whether through a Subsequent Placement or otherwise) any shares of Common Stock or Equivalents (including the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock or Equivalents owned or held by or for the account of the Company, but excluding any Excluded Securities issued or sold or deemed to have been issued or sold) for a consideration per share that has a discount greater than 15% from the highest of (i) the Closing Sale Price (as defined below) on the date the term sheet relating to such issuance or sale (or deemed issuance or sale) is executed, (ii) the Closing Sale Price on the date the purchase agreement relating to such issuance or sale (or deemed issuance or sale) is executed and (iii) the Closing Sale Price on the date such issuance or sale (or deemed issuance or sale) is consummated (such greatest discount being referred to as the “Applicable Discount”) (the foregoing a “Dilutive Issuance”), then immediately after such Dilutive Issuance, the Company shall issue without the payment of additional consideration, in connection with such Dilutive Issuance, a number of additional shares of Common Stock to each of the Buyers equal to difference between (1) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued to such Buyer at the Closing had such Applicable Discount applied to the Share Price (as defined below), based on such Buyer’s Purchase Price paid at the Closing minus (2) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock equal to the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock initially issued to such Buyer at the Closing (adjusted for stock splits, combinations, dividends and the like), plus, to the extent there has been a previous issuance of Adjustment Shares (as defined below) to such Buyer, the number of Adjustment Shares previously issued to such Buyer (adjusted for stock splits, combinations, dividends and the like). For purposes of this Section 9(q), (I) “Share Price” means $8.59 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, combinations, dividends and the like); (II) “Adjustment Shares” means shares of Common Stock issued to pursuant to this Section 9(q); and (III) “Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last closing trade price for such security on the Principal Market, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Principal Market begins to operate on an extended hours basis and does not designate the closing trade price, then the last trade price of such security prior to 4:00:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Principal Market is not the principal securities exchange or trading market for such security, the last trade price of such security on the principal securities exchange or trading market where such security is listed or traded as reported by Bloomberg, or if the foregoing does not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no last trade price is reported for such security by Bloomberg, the average of the ask prices of any market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by Pink Sheets LLC (formerly the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.). If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the applicable Buyer. If the Company and such Buyer are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then such dispute shall be resolved in

 

37


accordance with the procedures in Section 13 of such Buyer’s Warrants. All such determinations shall appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during such period. For purposes of the foregoing, the consideration per share at which the Company issues or sells (or is deemed to have issued or sold) shares of Common Stock or Equivalents shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(b) of the Warrants issued to the Buyers pursuant to this Agreement. Promptly following the occurrence of each Dilutive Issuance giving rise to the obligation to issue any Adjustment Shares (but in no event more than three (3) Trading Days thereafter), the Company shall issue irrevocable instructions authorizing and directing its transfer agent to issue (and the Company shall cause its transfer agent to promptly deliver (but in no event in more than three (3) Trading Days) such Adjustment Shares to each Buyer. The Company represents, warrants and covenants that the issuance of all Adjustment Shares will be duly authorized and upon issuance in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents shall be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free from all taxes, liens, charges and other encumbrances with respect to the issue thereof.

(ii) In implementation of the foregoing, to the extent that an issuance of Adjustment Shares would result in a Buyer or any of its affiliates beneficially owning in excess of 9.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the outstanding shares of Common Stock immediately following such issuance, then the Company shall initially only issue such number of Adjustment Shares that would result in such Buyer (together with such Buyer’s affiliates) beneficially owning the Maximum Percentage of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, and, except as otherwise provided below, no other Adjustment Shares shall be issuable under this Section 9(q). After such initial issuance, and until all Adjustment Shares which otherwise would have been issued under this Section 9(q) have been issued, from time to time the Company will issue such number of such unissued Adjustment Shares so that such Buyer (together such Buyer’s affiliates) will beneficially own only the Maximum Percentage of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. Such Buyer shall make representations and warranties to the Company regarding its (together with its affiliates’) beneficial ownership to effectuate the foregoing. The Maximum Percentage limitation contained in this paragraph and the limitation on exercise contained in Section 1(f)(i) of the Warrants issued to the such Buyer pursuant to this Agreement shall be coordinated so that the aggregate beneficial ownership of such Buyer (together with its affiliates) does not exceed the Maximum Percentage limitation. In connection therewith, issuances pursuant to this Section 9(q) shall take precedence over issuances of any Warrants Shares issuable to such Buyer. The provisions of this paragraph shall be implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms this paragraph to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Maximum Percentage beneficial ownership limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such Maximum Percentage limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to assignees of such Buyer hereunder. The holders of Common Stock of the Company shall be third party beneficiaries of this paragraph and the Company may not waive this paragraph without the consent of holders of a majority of its Common Stock. For the purposes of this paragraph, beneficial ownership and all determinations and calculations (including, without limitation, with respect to calculations of percentage ownership) shall be determined by such Buyer in accordance with Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

[signature pages follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

COMPANY:
ROYALE ENERGY, INC.
By:  

/s/ Stephen M. Hosmer

Name:   Stephen M. Hosmer
Title:   Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

BUYER:
CRANSHIRE CAPITAL, L.P.
By:   Downsview Capital, Inc.
Its:   General Partner

/s/ Mitch Kopin

By:   Mitch Kopin
Its:   President


SCHEDULE OF BUYERS

 

(1)    (2)    (3)    (4)    (5)    (6)

Buyer

  

Address and Facsimile Number

   Aggregate
Number of
Common
Shares
   Aggregate
Number of
Warrant
Shares
   Purchase Price   

Legal Representative’s

Address and Facsimile Number

Cranshire Capital, L.P.

  

3100 Dundee Road, Suite 703

Northbrook, Illinois 60062

Attn: Mitchell P. Kopin

   547,945    191,781    $3,999,998.50   

Greenberg Traurig, LLP

77 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 2400

Chicago, Illinois 60601

   Facsimile: (847) 562-9031             Attention:    Peter H. Lieberman
                  Todd A. Mazur
               Facsimile:    (312) 456-8435
               Telephone:    (312) 456-8400


EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A   Form of Warrant
Exhibit B   Form of Registration Rights Agreement

 

Schedule 3(q)   Transactions with Affiliates
Schedule 3(r)   Capitalization
Schedule 3(s)   Indebtedness and Other Contracts
EX-10.2 4 dex102.htm REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT Registration Rights Agreement

Exhibit 10.2

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of June     , 2008, is by and among Royale Energy, Inc., a California corporation with headquarters located at 7676 Hazard Center Drive, Suite 1500, San Diego, California 92108 (the “Company”), and the undersigned buyers (each, a “Buyer”, and collectively, the “Buyers”).

RECITALS

A. In connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement by and among the parties hereto, dated as of June     , 2008 (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”), the Company has agreed, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Securities Purchase Agreement, to issue and sell to each Buyer (i) shares (the “Common Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, no par value (the “Common Stock”), and (ii) the Warrants (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) which will be exercisable to purchase Warrant Shares (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) in accordance with the terms of the Warrants.

B. To induce the Buyers to execute and deliver the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the “1933 Act”), and applicable state securities laws.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each of the Buyers hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Definitions.

Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

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

(b) Closing Date shall have the meaning set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement.

(c) Effective Date means the date that the applicable Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC.


(d) “Effectiveness Deadline” means (i) with respect to the initial Registration Statement required to be filed to cover the resale by the Investors of the Registrable Securities the 90th calendar day after the Closing Date (or the 120th calendar day after the Closing Date in the event that such Registration Statement is subject to review by the SEC) and (b) with respect to any additional Registration Statements that may be required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the 90th calendar day following the date on which the Company was required to file such additional Registration Statement (or the 120th calendar day after such date in the event that such Registration Statement is subject to review by the SEC).

(e) “Filing Deadline” means (i) with respect to the initial Registration Statement required to be filed to cover the resale by the Investors of the Registrable Securities, the 30th calendar day after the Closing Date and (ii) with respect to any additional Registration Statements that may be required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the date on which the Company was required to file such additional Registration Statement pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

(f) “Investor” means a Buyer or any transferee or assignee of any Registrable Securities or Warrants, as applicable, to whom a Buyer assigns its rights under this Agreement and who agrees to become bound by the provisions of this Agreement in accordance with Section 9 and any transferee or assignee thereof to whom a transferee or assignee of any Registrable Securities or Warrants, as applicable, assigns its rights under this Agreement and who agrees to become bound by the provisions of this Agreement in accordance with Section 9.

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

(h) “register,” “registered,” and “registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing one or more Registration Statements in compliance with the 1933 Act and pursuant to Rule 415 and the declaration of effectiveness of such Registration Statement(s) by the SEC.

(i) “Registrable Securities” means (i) the Common Shares, (ii) the Warrant Shares issued or issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, (iii) the Adjustment Shares (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) and (iv) any capital stock of the Company issued or issuable with respect to the Common Shares, the Adjustment Shares, the Warrant Shares or the Warrants, including, without limitation, (1) as a result of any share split, share dividend, recapitalization, exchange or similar event or otherwise and (2) shares of capital stock of the Company into which the shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged and shares of capital stock of a Successor Entity (as defined in the Warrants) into which the shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged, in each case, without regard to any limitations on exercise of the Warrants.

(j) “Registration Statement” means a registration statement or registration statements of the Company filed under the 1933 Act covering the Registrable Securities.

(k) “Required Holders” means the holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities.

 

2


(l) Required Registration Amount means 120% of the sum of (i) the Common Shares issued, (ii) the Adjustment Shares issued and (iii) the maximum number of Warrant Shares issued and issuable pursuant to the Warrants as of the Trading Day (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) immediately preceding the applicable date of determination (without taking into account any limitations on the exercise of the Warrants set forth therein), all subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2(d).

(m) Rule 144 means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the 1933 Act or any other similar or successor rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit the Investors to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration.

(n) Rule 415 means Rule 415 under the 1933 Act or any successor rule providing for offering securities on a continuous or delayed basis.

(o) SEC means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

2. Registration.

(a) Mandatory Registration. The Company shall prepare, and, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than the Filing Deadline, file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-3 covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities. In the event that Form S-3 is unavailable for such a registration, the Company shall use such other form as is available for such a registration on another appropriate form reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders, subject to the provisions of Section 2(c). The Registration Statement prepared pursuant hereto shall register for resale at least the number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Required Registration Amount as of the date such Registration Statement is initially filed with the SEC. The Registration Statement shall contain (except if otherwise directed by the Required Holders) the “Selling Stockholders” and “Plan of Distribution” sections in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B. The Company shall use its best efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective by the SEC as soon as practicable, but in no event later than the Effectiveness Deadline. By 9:30 a.m. on the Business Day immediately following the Effective Date of the applicable Registration Statement, the Company shall file with the SEC in accordance with Rule 424 under the 1933 Act the final prospectus to be used in connection with sales pursuant to such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, other than during an Allowable Grace Period, the Company shall ensure that, when filed and at all times while effective, each Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection with such Registration Statement will disclose (whether directly or through incorporation by reference to other SEC filings to the extent permitted) all material information regarding the Company and its securities. In no event shall the Company include any securities other than Registrable Securities and the Placement Agent Warrant Shares (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) on any Registration Statement without the prior written consent of the Required Holders. The Company shall not after the date hereof until the Effective Date of the Registration Statement required to be filed pursuant to this Section 2(a) enter into any agreement providing any such right to any of its security holders.

 

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(b) Legal Counsel. Subject to Section 5 hereof, Cranshire Capital, L.P. shall have the right to select one (1) legal counsel to review and oversee, solely on its behalf, any registration pursuant to this Section 2 (“Legal Counsel”), which shall be Greenberg Traurig, LLP or such other counsel as thereafter designated by Cranshire Capital, L.P.

(c) Ineligibility for Form S-3. In the event that Form S-3 is not available for the registration of the resale of Registrable Securities hereunder, the Company shall (i) register the resale of the Registrable Securities on another appropriate form reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders and (ii) undertake to register the Registrable Securities on Form S-3 as soon as such form is available, provided that the Company shall maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect until such time as a Registration Statement on Form S-3 covering the Registrable Securities has been declared effective by the SEC.

(d) Sufficient Number of Shares Registered. In the event the number of shares available under a Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2(a) is insufficient to cover all of the Registrable Securities required to be covered by such Registration Statement or an Investor’s allocated portion of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2(h) the Company shall amend the applicable Registration Statement, or file a new Registration Statement (on the short form available therefor, if applicable), or both, so as to cover at least the Required Registration Amount as of the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the filing of such amendment or new Registration Statement, in each case, as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than fifteen (15) days after the necessity therefor arises. The Company shall use its best efforts to cause such amendment and/or new Registration Statement to become effective as soon as practicable following the filing thereof. For purposes of the foregoing provision, the number of shares available under a Registration Statement shall be deemed “insufficient to cover all of the Registrable Securities” if at any time the number of shares of Common Stock available for resale under the Registration Statement is less than the product determined by multiplying (i) the Required Registration Amount as of such time by (ii) 0.90. The calculation set forth in the foregoing sentence shall be made without regard to any limitations on the exercise of the Warrants (and such calculation shall assume that the Warrants are then fully exercisable for shares of Common Stock at the then prevailing applicable Exercise Price).

(e) Effect of Failure to File and Obtain and Maintain Effectiveness of Registration Statement. If (i) a Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities required to be covered thereby and required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this Agreement is (A) not filed with the SEC on or before the Filing Deadline (a “Filing Failure”) (it being understood that if the Company files a Registration Statement without affording each Investor the opportunity to review and comment on the same as required by Section 3(c) hereof, the Company shall not be deemed to have satisfied this clause (i)(A) and such event shall be deemed to be a Filing Failure) or (B) not declared effective by the SEC on or before the Effectiveness Deadline (an “Effectiveness Failure”) (it being understood that if on the Business Day immediately following the Effective Date the Company shall not have filed a “final” prospectus for such Registration Statement with the SEC under Rule 424(b) in accordance with Section 2(a) above (whether or not such a prospectus is technically required by such rule), the Company shall not be deemed to have satisfied this clause (i)(B) and such event shall be deemed to be an Effectiveness Failure), (ii) on any day after the Effective Date of such Registration Statement sales of all of the Registrable Securities required to be included on such Registration

 

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Statement cannot be made (other than during an Allowable Grace Period (as defined in Section 3(r)) pursuant to such Registration Statement (including, without limitation, because of a failure to keep such Registration Statement effective, to disclose such information as is necessary for sales to be made pursuant to such Registration Statement, a suspension or delisting of (or a failure to timely list) the shares of Common Stock on its principal trading market or exchange, or to register a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock) (a “Maintenance Failure”), or (iii) after the expiration of the Registration Period (as defined below) the Company fails to file with the SEC any required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act such that it is not in compliance with Rule 144(c)(1) (a “Current Public Information Default”) as a result of which any of the Buyers are unable to sell all Registrable Securities without restriction under Rule 144 (including, without limitation, volume restrictions), then, as partial relief for the damages to any holder by reason of any such delay in or reduction of its ability to sell the underlying shares of Common Stock (which remedy shall not be exclusive of any other remedies available at law or in equity), the Company shall pay to each holder of Registrable Securities relating to such Registration Statement an amount in cash equal to one (1%) percent of the Purchase Price (as such term is defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) of such Investor’s Registrable Securities (1) on the date of such Filing Failure, Effectiveness Failure, Maintenance Failure or Current Public Information Default, as applicable, and (2) on every thirty (30) day anniversary of (I) a Filing Failure until such Filing Failure is cured; (II) an Effectiveness Failure until such Effectiveness Failure is cured; (III) a Maintenance Failure until such Maintenance Failure is cured; and (IV) a Current Public Information Default until the earlier of (i) the date such Current Public Information Default is cured and (ii) such time that such public information is no longer required pursuant to Rule 144 (in each case, pro rated for periods totaling less than thirty (30) days). The payments to which a holder shall be entitled pursuant to this Section 2(e) are referred to herein as “Registration Delay Payments.” Following the initial Registration Delay Payment for any particular event or failure (which shall be paid on the date of such event or failure, as set forth above), without limiting the foregoing, if an event or failure giving rise to the Registration Delay Payments is cured prior to any thirtieth (30th) day anniversary of such event or failure, then such Registration Delay Payment shall be made on the third (3rd) Business Day after such cure. In the event the Company fails to make Registration Delay Payments in a timely manner in accordance with the foregoing, such Registration Delay Payments shall bear interest at the rate of one and one-half percent (1.5%) per month (prorated for partial months) until paid in full. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Registration Delay Payments shall be owed to an Investor (other than with respect to a Maintenance Failure resulting from a suspension or delisting of the shares of Common Stock on the Company’s principal trading market or exchange) with respect to any period during which all of such Investor’s Registrable Securities may be sold by such Investor without restriction under Rule 144 (including, without limitation, volume restrictions).

(f) Offering. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, but subject to the payment of the Registration Delay Payments pursuant to Section 2(e), in the event the staff of the SEC (the “Staff”) or the SEC seeks to characterize any offering pursuant to a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement as constituting an offering of securities by or on behalf of the Company, or in any other manner, such that the Staff or the SEC do not permit such Registration Statement to become effective and used for resales in a manner that does not constitute such an offering and that permits the continuous resale at the market by the Investors participating therein (or as otherwise may be acceptable to each Investor) without being named therein as an “underwriter,” then the Company shall reduce the number of shares to

 

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be included in such Registration Statement by all Investors until such time as the Staff and the SEC shall so permit such Registration Statement to become effective as aforesaid. In making such reduction, the Company shall reduce the number of shares to be included by all Investors on a pro rata basis (based upon the number of Registrable Securities otherwise required to be included for each Investor) unless the inclusion of shares by a particular Investor or a particular set of Investors are resulting in the Staff or the SEC’s “by or on behalf of the Company” offering position, in which event the shares held by such Investor or set of Investors shall be the only shares subject to reduction (and if by a set of Investors on a pro rata basis by such Investors or on such other basis as would result in the exclusion of the least number of shares by all such Investors). In addition, in the event that the Staff or the SEC requires any Investor seeking to sell securities under a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement to be specifically identified as an “underwriter” in order to permit such Registration Statement to become effective, and such Investor does not consent to being so named as an underwriter in such Registration Statement, then, in each such case, the Company shall reduce the total number of Registrable Securities to be registered on behalf of such Investor, until such time as the Staff or the SEC does not require such identification or until such Investor accepts such identification and the manner thereof. Any reduction pursuant to this paragraph will first reduce all Registrable Securities other than those issued pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement. In the event of any reduction in Registrable Securities pursuant to this paragraph, an affected Investor shall have the right to require, upon delivery of a written request to the Company signed by such Investor, the Company to file a registration statement within thirty (30) days of such request (subject to any restrictions imposed by Rule 415 or required by the Staff or the SEC) for resale by such Investor in a manner acceptable to such Investor, and the Company shall following such request cause to be and keep effective such registration statement in the same manner as otherwise contemplated in this Agreement for registration statements hereunder, in each case until such time as: (i) all Registrable Securities held by such Investor have been registered and sold pursuant to an effective Registration Statement in a manner acceptable to such Investor or (ii) all Registrable Securities may be resold by such Investor without restriction (including volume limitations) pursuant to Rule 144 (taking account of any Staff position with respect to “affiliate” status) or (iii) such Investor agrees to be named as an underwriter in any such Registration Statement in a manner acceptable to such Investor as to all Registrable Securities held by such Investor and that have not theretofore been included in a Registration Statement under this Agreement (it being understood that the special demand right under this sentence may be exercised by an Investor multiple times and with respect to limited amounts of Registrable Securities in order to permit the resale thereof by such Investor as contemplated above).

(g) Piggyback Registrations. If, at any time during the period in which a Registration Statement is required to be kept effective, there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement relating to an offering for its own account or the account of others under the 1933 Act of any of its equity securities (other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the 1933 Act) or their then equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in connection with the Company’s stock option or other employee benefit plans), then the Company shall deliver to each Investor a written notice of such determination and, if within fifteen (15) days after the date of the delivery of such notice, any such Investor shall so request in writing, the Company shall include in such registration statement all or any part of such

 

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Registrable Securities such Investor requests to be registered; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to register any Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 2(g) that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 (without volume restrictions) or that are the subject of a then effective Registration Statement.

(h) Allocation of Registrable Securities. The initial number of Registrable Securities included in any Registration Statement and any increase in the number of Registrable Securities included therein shall be allocated pro rata among the Investors based on the number of Registrable Securities held by each Investor at the time the Registration Statement covering such initial number of Registrable Securities or increase thereof is declared effective by the SEC. In the event that an Investor sells or otherwise transfers any of such Investor’s Registrable Securities, each transferee that becomes an Investor shall be allocated a pro rata portion of the then-remaining number of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement for such transferor. Any shares of Common Stock included in a Registration Statement and which remain allocated to any Person which ceases to hold any Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement shall be allocated to the remaining Investors, pro rata based on the number of Registrable Securities then held by such Investors which are covered by such Registration Statement.

 

3. Related Obligations.

The Company shall use its best efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof and, pursuant thereto, the Company shall have the following obligations:

(a) The Company shall promptly prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement with respect to the Registrable Securities (but in no event later than the Filing Deadline) and use its best efforts to cause such Registration Statement relating to the Registrable Securities to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing (but in no event later than the Effectiveness Deadline). Subject to allowable Grace Periods (as defined below), the Company shall keep each Registration Statement effective pursuant to Rule 415 for sale on a continuous basis in an at-the-market offering at all times until the earlier of (i) the date as of which all of the Investors may sell all of the Registrable Securities required to be covered by such Registration Statement without restriction pursuant to Rule 144 and without the need for current public information as required thereunder or (ii) the date on which the Investors shall have sold all of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement (the “Registration Period”). The Company shall ensure that each Registration Statement (including any amendments or supplements thereto and prospectuses contained therein) shall not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of prospectuses, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made) not misleading. The Company shall submit to the SEC, within two (2) Business Days after the later of the date that (i) the Company learns that no review of a particular Registration Statement will be made by the Staff or that the Staff has no further comments on a particular Registration Statement (as the case may be) and (ii) the approval of Legal Counsel is obtained pursuant to Section 3(c) (which approval shall be immediately sought), a request for acceleration of effectiveness of such Registration Statement to a time and date not later than 48 hours after the submission of such request.

 

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(b) Subject to Section 3(r) of this Agreement, the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC such amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to a Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection with such Registration Statement, which prospectus is to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 promulgated under the 1933 Act, as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective at all times during the Registration Period, and, during such period, comply with the provisions of the 1933 Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities of the Company required to be covered by such Registration Statement until such time as all of such Registrable Securities shall have been disposed of in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the seller or sellers thereof as set forth in such Registration Statement. In the case of amendments and supplements to a Registration Statement which are required to be filed pursuant to this Agreement (including pursuant to this Section 3(b)) by reason of the Company filing a report on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K or any analogous report under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), the Company shall have incorporated such report by reference into such Registration Statement, if applicable, or shall file such amendments or supplements with the SEC on the same day on which the 1934 Act report is filed which created the requirement for the Company to amend or supplement such Registration Statement.

(c) The Company shall (A) permit Legal Counsel and legal counsel for each other Investor to review and comment upon (i) each Registration Statement at least five (5) Business Days prior to its filing with the SEC and (ii) all amendments and supplements to all Registration Statements (except for Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and any similar or successor reports) within a reasonable number of days prior to their filing with the SEC, and (B) not file any Registration Statement or amendment or supplement thereto in a form to which Legal Counsel or any legal counsel for any other Investor reasonably objects. The Company shall not submit a request for acceleration of the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto without the prior approval of Legal Counsel, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. Any unreasonable delay in by Legal Counsel or any legal counsel for any other Investor submitting such objections or granting such approval by Legal Counsel to a request for acceleration shall extend the applicable Filing Deadline or the applicable Effectiveness Deadline (as the case may be) by the number of days of such unreasonable delay. The Company shall furnish to Legal Counsel and legal counsel for each other Investor, without charge, (i) copies of any correspondence from the SEC or the Staff to the Company or its representatives relating to any Registration Statement, provided that such correspondence shall not contain any material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement), (ii) promptly after the same is prepared and filed with the SEC, one (1) copy of any Registration Statement and any amendment(s) thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated therein by reference, if requested by an Investor, and all exhibits and (iii) upon the effectiveness of any Registration Statement, one (1) copy of the prospectus included in such Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto. The Company shall reasonably cooperate with Legal Counsel and legal counsel for each other Investor in performing the Company’s obligations pursuant to this Section 3.

(d) The Company shall furnish to each Investor whose Registrable Securities are included in any Registration Statement, without charge, (i) promptly after the same is prepared and filed with the SEC, at least one (1) copy of any Registration Statement and any

 

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amendment(s) thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated therein by reference, if requested by an Investor, all exhibits and each preliminary prospectus, (ii) upon the effectiveness of any Registration Statement, ten (10) copies of the prospectus included in such Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto (or such other number of copies as such Investor may reasonably request from time to time) and (iii) such other documents, including copies of any preliminary or final prospectus, as such Investor may reasonably request from time to time in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investor.

(e) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) register and qualify, unless an exemption from registration and qualification applies, the resale by Investors of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement under such other securities or “blue sky” laws of all applicable jurisdictions in the United States, (ii) prepare and file in those jurisdictions, such amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registrations and qualifications as may be necessary to maintain the effectiveness thereof during the Registration Period, (iii) take such other actions as may be necessary to maintain such registrations and qualifications in effect at all times during the Registration Period, and (iv) take all other actions reasonably necessary or advisable to qualify the Registrable Securities for sale in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (x) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this Section 3(e), (y) subject itself to general taxation in any such jurisdiction, or (z) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction. The Company shall promptly notify Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor who holds Registrable Securities of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the registration or qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction in the United States or its receipt of actual notice of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.

(f) The Company shall notify Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor in writing of the happening of any event, as promptly as practicable after becoming aware of such event, as a result of which the prospectus included in a Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (provided that in no event shall such notice contain any material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries), and, subject to Section 3(r), promptly prepare a supplement or amendment to such Registration Statement to correct such untrue statement or omission and deliver ten (10) copies of such supplement or amendment to Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor (or such other number of copies as Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor or such Investor may reasonably request). The Company shall also promptly notify Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor in writing (i) when a prospectus or any prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment has been filed, when a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment has become effective (notification of such effectiveness shall be delivered to Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor by facsimile or e-mail on the same day of such effectiveness and by overnight mail), and when the Company receives written notice from the SEC that a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment will be reviewed by the SEC, (ii) of any request by the SEC for

 

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amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or related prospectus or related information, and (iii) of the Company’s reasonable determination that a post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement would be appropriate.

(g) The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or the suspension of the qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction and, if such an order or suspension is issued, to obtain the withdrawal of such order or suspension at the earliest possible moment and to notify Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor who holds Registrable Securities being sold of the issuance of such order and the resolution thereof or its receipt of actual notice of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for such purpose.

(h) If any Investor may be required under applicable securities law to be described in a Registration Statement as an underwriter and such Investor consents to so being named an underwriter, at the request of any Investor, the Company shall furnish to such Investor, on the date of the effectiveness of such Registration Statement and thereafter from time to time on such dates as an Investor may reasonably request (i) a letter, dated such date, from the Company’s independent certified public accountants in form and substance as is customarily given by independent certified public accountants to underwriters in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the Investors, and (ii) an opinion, dated as of such date, of counsel representing the Company for purposes of such Registration Statement, in form, scope and substance as is customarily given in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the Investors.

(i) If any Investor may be required under applicable securities law to be described in a Registration Statement as an underwriter and such Investor consents to so being named an underwriter, upon the written request of such Investor, the Company shall make available for inspection by (i) such Investor, (ii) legal counsel for such Investor and (iii) one (1) firm of accountants or other agents retained by such Investor (collectively, the “Inspectors”), all pertinent financial and other records, and pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company (collectively, the “Records”), as shall be reasonably deemed necessary by each Inspector, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information which any Inspector may reasonably request; provided, however, that each Inspector shall agree in writing to hold in strict confidence and not to make any disclosure (except to such Investor) or use of any Record or other information which the Company’s Board of Directors determines in good faith to be confidential, and of which determination the Inspectors are so notified, unless (a) the disclosure of such Records is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement or is otherwise required under the 1933 Act, (b) the release of such Records is ordered pursuant to a final, non-appealable subpoena or order from a court or government body of competent jurisdiction, or (c) the information in such Records has been made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document. Such Investor agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such Records is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt notice to the Company and allow the Company, at its expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, the Records deemed confidential. Nothing herein (or in any other confidentiality agreement between the Company and such Investor, if any) shall be deemed to limit any Investor’s ability to sell Registrable Securities in a manner which is otherwise consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

 

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(j) The Company shall hold in confidence and not make any disclosure of information concerning an Investor provided to the Company unless (i) disclosure of such information is necessary to comply with federal or state securities laws, (ii) the disclosure of such information is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement or is otherwise required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement pursuant to the 1933 Act, (iii) the release of such information is ordered pursuant to a subpoena or other final, non-appealable order from a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction, or (iv) such information has been made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document. The Company agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such information concerning an Investor is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt written notice to such Investor and allow such Investor, at the Investor’s expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, such information.

(k) Without limiting any obligation of the Company under the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company shall use its best efforts either to (i) cause all of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be listed on each securities exchange on which securities of the same class or series issued by the Company are then listed, if any, if the listing of such Registrable Securities is then permitted under the rules of such exchange, or (ii) secure designation and quotation of all of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement on The Nasdaq Global Market, or (iii) if, despite the Company’s best efforts to satisfy the preceding clauses (i) or (ii) the Company is unsuccessful in satisfying the preceding clauses (i) or (ii), without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to use its best efforts to arrange for at least two market makers to register with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (f/k/a the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. as such with respect to such Registrable Securities. The Company shall pay all fees and expenses in connection with satisfying its obligation under this Section 3(k).

(l) The Company shall cooperate with the Investors who hold Registrable Securities being offered and, to the extent applicable, facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates (not bearing any restrictive legend) representing the Registrable Securities to be offered pursuant to a Registration Statement and enable such certificates to be in such denominations or amounts (as the case may be) as the Investors may reasonably request from time to time and registered in such names as the Investors may request.

(m) If requested by an Investor, the Company shall as soon as practicable after receipt of notice from such Investor and subject to Section 3(r) hereof, (i) incorporate in a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information as an Investor reasonably requests to be included therein relating to the sale and distribution of Registrable Securities, including, without limitation, information with respect to the number of Registrable Securities being offered or sold, the purchase price being paid therefor and any other terms of the offering of the Registrable Securities to be sold in such offering; (ii) make all required filings of such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment after being notified of the matters to be incorporated in such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment; and (iii) supplement or make amendments to any Registration Statement if reasonably requested by an Investor holding any Registrable Securities.

 

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(n) The Company shall use its best efforts to cause the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities.

(o) The Company shall make generally available to its security holders as soon as practical, but not later than ninety (90) days after the close of the period covered thereby, an earnings statement (in form complying with, and in the manner provided by, the provisions of Rule 158 under the 1933 Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the Company’s fiscal quarter next following the effective date of the Registration Statement.

(p) The Company shall otherwise use its best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC in connection with any registration hereunder.

(q) Within one (1) Business Day after a Registration Statement which covers Registrable Securities is declared effective by the SEC, the Company shall deliver, and shall cause legal counsel for the Company to deliver, to the transfer agent for such Registrable Securities (with copies to the Investors whose Registrable Securities are included in such Registration Statement) confirmation that such Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.

(r) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein (but subject to the last sentence of this Section 3(r)), at any time after the Effective Date of the applicable Registration Statement, the Company may delay the disclosure of material, non-public information concerning the Company or any of its Subsidiaries the disclosure of which at the time is not, in the good faith opinion of the Board of Directors of the Company, in the best interest of the Company and, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, otherwise required (a “Grace Period”); provided, that the Company shall promptly (i) notify the Investors in writing of the existence of material, non-public information giving rise to a Grace Period (provided that in each notice the Company will not disclose the content of such material, non-public information to the Investors) and the date on which the Grace Period will begin, and (ii) notify the Investors in writing of the date on which the Grace Period ends; and, provided further, that no Grace Period shall exceed fifteen (15) consecutive days and during any three hundred sixty five (365) day period such Grace Periods shall not exceed an aggregate of forty-five (45) days and the first day of any Grace Period must be at least five (5) Trading Days after the last day of any prior Grace Period (each, an “Allowable Grace Period”); provided, that no Allowable Grace Period may exist during the first sixty (60) Business Days after the Effective Date of the applicable Registration Statement. For purposes of determining the length of a Grace Period above, the Grace Period shall begin on and include the date the Investors receive the notice referred to in clause (i) and shall end on and include the later of the date the Investors receive the notice referred to in clause (ii) and the date referred to in such notice. The provisions of Section 3(g) hereof shall not be applicable during the period of any Allowable Grace Period. Upon expiration of each Grace Period, the Company shall again be bound by the first sentence of Section 3(f) with respect to the information giving

 

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rise thereto unless such material, nonpublic information is no longer applicable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 3(r), the Company shall cause its transfer agent to deliver unlegended shares of Common Stock to a transferee of an Investor in accordance with the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement in connection with any sale of Registrable Securities with respect to which an Investor has entered into a contract for sale, and delivered a copy of the prospectus included as part of the applicable Registration Statement to the extent applicable, prior to such Investor’s receipt of the notice of a Grace Period and for which such Investor has not yet settled.

(s) The Company shall use its best efforts to maintain eligibility for use of Form S-3 (or any successor form thereto) for the registration of the resale of the Registrable Securities.

 

4. Obligations of the Investors.

(a) At least five (5) Business Days prior to the first anticipated filing date of a Registration Statement, the Company shall notify each Investor in writing of the information the Company requires from each such Investor. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company (including, without limitation, with respect to the applicable Filing Deadline or the applicable Effectiveness Deadline) to complete the registration pursuant to this Agreement with respect to the Registrable Securities of a particular Investor that such Investor shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it, as shall be reasonably required to effect and maintain the effectiveness of the registration of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request.

(b) Each Investor, by such Investor’s acceptance of the Registrable Securities, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of any Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company in writing of such Investor’s election to exclude all of such Investor’s Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.

(c) Each Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(g) or the first sentence of 3(f), such Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement(s) covering such Registrable Securities until such Investor’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3(g) or the first sentence of Section 3(f) or receipt of notice that no supplement or amendment is required. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4(c), the Company shall cause its transfer agent to deliver unlegended shares of Common Stock to a transferee of an Investor in accordance with the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement in connection with any sale of Registrable Securities with respect to which such Investor has entered into a contract for sale prior to the Investor’s receipt of a notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(g) or the first sentence of Section 3(f) and for which such Investor has not yet settled.

(d) Each Investor covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the 1933 Act as applicable to it in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

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5. Expenses of Registration.

All reasonable expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, incurred in connection with registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Sections 2 and 3, including, without limitation, all registration, listing and qualifications fees, printers and accounting fees, and fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company shall be paid by the Company. The Company shall also reimburse Cranshire Capital, L.P. for the fees and disbursements of Legal Counsel in connection with registration, filing or qualification pursuant to Sections 2 and 3 of this Agreement which amount shall be limited to $10,000.

 

6. Indemnification.

In the event any Registrable Securities are included in a Registration Statement under this Agreement:

(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company will, and hereby does, indemnify, hold harmless and defend each Investor, the directors, officers, members, partners, employees, agents, representatives of, and each Person, if any, who controls any Investor within the meaning of the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act (each, an “Indemnified Person”), against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, judgments, fines, penalties, charges, costs, reasonable attorneys’ fees, amounts paid in settlement or expenses, joint or several, (collectively, “Claims”) incurred in investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim, suit, inquiry, proceeding, investigation or appeal taken from the foregoing by or before any court or governmental, administrative or other regulatory agency, body or the SEC, whether pending or threatened, whether or not an indemnified party is or may be a party thereto (“Indemnified Damages”), to which any of them may become subject insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact in a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or in any filing made in connection with the qualification of the offering under the securities or other “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction in which Registrable Securities are offered (“Blue Sky Filing”), or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus if used prior to the effective date of such Registration Statement, or contained in the final prospectus (as amended or supplemented, if the Company files any amendment thereof or supplement thereto with the SEC) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein any material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which the statements therein were made, not misleading or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other law, including, without limitation, any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder relating to the offer or sale of the Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii) being, collectively, “Violations”). Subject to Section 6(b), the Company shall reimburse the Indemnified Persons, promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any legal fees or other reasonable expenses incurred by them in connection with

 

14


investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a): (i) shall not apply to a Claim by an Indemnified Person arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such Indemnified Person for such Indemnified Person expressly for use in connection with the preparation of such Registration Statement or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto and (ii) shall not be available to the extent such Claim is based on a failure of the Investor to deliver or to cause to be delivered the prospectus made available by the Company (to the extent applicable), including a corrected prospectus, if such prospectus or corrected prospectus was timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(d) and then only if, and to the extent that, following the receipt of the corrected prospectus no grounds for such Claim would have existed; and (iii) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person and shall survive the transfer of any of the Registrable Securities by any of the Investors pursuant to Section 9.

(b) In connection with any Registration Statement in which an Investor is participating, such Investor agrees to severally and not jointly indemnify, hold harmless and defend, to the same extent and in the same manner as is set forth in Section 6(a), the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any Claim or Indemnified Damages to which any of them may become subject, under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, insofar as such Claim or Indemnified Damages arise out of or are based upon any Violation, in each case, to the extent, and only to the extent, that such Violation occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Investor expressly for use in connection with such Registration Statement; and, subject to Section 6(b), such Investor will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by an Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 6(b) and the agreement with respect to contribution contained in Section 7 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of such Investor, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; provided, further, however, that such Investor shall be liable under this Section 6(b) for only that amount of a Claim or Indemnified Damages as does not exceed the net proceeds to such Investor as a result of the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer of any of the Registrable Securities by any of the Investors pursuant to Section 9.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including any governmental action or proceeding) involving a Claim, such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof, and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other

 

15


indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the indemnifying party and the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party (as the case may be); provided, however, that an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the fees and expenses of such counsel to be paid by the indemnifying party if: (i) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses; (ii) the indemnifying party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Claim and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) in any such Claim; or (iii) the named parties to any such Claim (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) and the indemnifying party, and such Indemnified Person or such Indemnified Party (as the case may be) shall have been advised by counsel that a conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Person or such Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party (in which case, if such Indemnified Person or such Indemnified Party (as the case may be) notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, then the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and such counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party, provided further, that in the case of clause (iii) above the indemnifying party shall not be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one (1) separate legal counsel for such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be). The Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) shall reasonably cooperate with the indemnifying party in connection with any negotiation or defense of any such action or Claim by the indemnifying party and shall furnish to the indemnifying party all information reasonably available to the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) which relates to such action or Claim. The indemnifying party shall keep the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) reasonably apprised at all times as to the status of the defense or any settlement negotiations with respect thereto. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without its prior written consent, provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be), consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or other compromise which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) of a release from all liability in respect to such Claim or litigation, and such settlement shall not include any admission as to fault on the part of the Indemnified Party. Following indemnification as provided for hereunder, the indemnifying party shall be subrogated to all rights of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating to the matter for which indemnification has been made. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is materially and adversely prejudiced in its ability to defend such action.

(d) No Person involved in the sale of Registrable Securities who is guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) in connection with such sale shall be entitled to indemnification from any Person involved in such sale of Registrable Securities who is not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

16


(e) The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or Indemnified Damages are incurred.

(f) The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to (i) any cause of action or similar right of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person against the indemnifying party or others, and (ii) any liabilities the indemnifying party may be subject to pursuant to the law.

 

7. Contribution.

To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however, that: (i) no contribution shall be made under circumstances where the maker would not have been liable for indemnification under the fault standards set forth in Section 6 of this Agreement, (ii) no Person involved in the sale of Registrable Securities which Person is guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) in connection with such sale shall be entitled to contribution from any Person involved in such sale of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation; and (iii) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in amount to the net amount of proceeds received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Investor shall be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds actually received by such Investor from the sale of the Registrable Securities subject to the Claim exceeds the amount of any damages that such Investor has otherwise been required to pay, or would otherwise be required to pay under Section 6(b), by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

8. Reports Under the 1934 Act.

With a view to making available to the Investors the benefits of Rule 144, the Company agrees to:

(a) make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144;

(b) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act so long as the Company remains subject to such requirements (it being understood that nothing herein shall limit the Company’s obligations under Section [4(c)] of the Securities Purchase Agreement) and the filing of such reports and other documents is required for the applicable provisions of Rule 144; and

(c) furnish to each Investor so long as such Investor owns Registrable Securities, promptly upon request, (i) a written statement by the Company, if true, that it has complied with the reporting requirements of Rule 144 and the 1934 Act, (ii) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents so filed by the Company with the SEC if such reports are not publicly available via EDGAR, and (iii) such other information as may be reasonably requested to permit the Investors to sell such securities pursuant to Rule 144 without registration.

 

17


9. Assignment of Registration Rights.

The rights under this Agreement shall be automatically assignable by the Investors to any transferee of all or any portion of such Investor’s Registrable Securities if: (i) the Investor agrees in writing with the transferee or assignee to assign such rights, and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the Company within a reasonable time after such assignment; (ii) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with written notice of (a) the name and address of such transferee or assignee, and (b) the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned; (iii) immediately following such transfer or assignment the further disposition of such securities by the transferee or assignee is restricted under the 1933 Act or applicable state securities laws if so required; (iv) at or before the time the Company receives the written notice contemplated by clause (ii) of this sentence the transferee or assignee agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein; (v) such transfer shall have been made in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Purchase Agreement; and (vi) such transfer shall have been conducted in accordance with all applicable federal and state securities laws.

 

10. Amendment of Registration Rights.

Provisions of this Agreement may be amended and the observance thereof may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and the Required Holders, provided that any Investor may give a waiver in writing as to itself. Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this Section 10 shall be binding upon each Investor and the Company. No such amendment or waiver (unless given pursuant to the foregoing proviso) shall be effective to the extent that it applies to less than all of the holders of the Registrable Securities. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration also is offered to all of the parties to this Agreement.

 

11. Miscellaneous.

(a) Solely for purposes of this Agreement, a Person is deemed to be a holder of Registrable Securities whenever such Person owns or is deemed to own of record such Registrable Securities. If the Company receives conflicting instructions, notices or elections from two or more Persons with respect to the same Registrable Securities, the Company shall act upon the basis of instructions, notice or election received from such record owner of such Registrable Securities.

(b) Any notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered: (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon receipt, when sent by facsimile (provided confirmation of transmission is mechanically or electronically generated and kept on file by the sending party); (iii) with respect to Section 3(c), by electronic mail (provided

 

18


confirmation of transmission is electronically generated and kept on file by the sending party); or (iv) one (1) Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight delivery service with next day delivery specified, in each case, properly addressed to the party to receive the same. The addresses and facsimile numbers for such communications shall be:

 

If to the Company:
   Royale Energy, Inc.
   7676 Hazard Center Drive, Suite 1500
   San Diego, California 92108
   Telephone:   (        )         -        
   Facsimile:   (        )         -        
   Attention:                               
With a copy (for informational purposes only) to:
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
   Telephone:   (        )         -        
   Facsimile:   (        )         -        
   Attention:                               
If to the Transfer Agent:
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
   Telephone:   (        )         -        
   Facsimile:   (        )         -        
   Attention:                               

 

If to Legal Counsel:
   Greenberg Traurig, LLP
   77 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 2400
   Chicago, Illinois 60602
   Telephone:   (312) 456-8400
   Facsimile:   (312) 456-8435
   Attention:   Peter H. Lieberman, Esq.
     Todd A. Mazur, Esq.

If to a Buyer, to its address and facsimile number set forth on the Schedule of Buyers attached to the Securities Purchase Agreement, with copies to such Buyer’s representatives as set forth on the Schedule of Buyers, or to such other address and/or facsimile number and/or to the attention of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by written notice given to each other

 

19


party five (5) days prior to the effectiveness of such change; provided, that Greenberg Traurig, LLP shall only be provided notices sent to Cranshire Capital L.P. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given by the recipient of such notice, consent, waiver or other communication, (B) mechanically or electronically generated by the sender’s facsimile machine or electronic mail transmission containing the time, date, recipient facsimile number or electronic mail address and an image of the first page of such transmission or (C) provided by a courier or overnight courier service shall be rebuttable evidence of personal service, receipt by facsimile or receipt from a nationally recognized overnight delivery service in accordance with clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, respectively.

(c) Failure of any party to exercise any right or remedy under this Agreement or otherwise, or delay by a party in exercising such right or remedy, shall not operate as a waiver thereof.

(d) All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. If any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or the validity or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

(e) This Agreement, the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement), the schedules and exhibits attached hereto and thereto and the instruments referenced herein and therein constitute the entire agreement among the parties hereto and thereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein and therein. This Agreement, the other Transaction Documents, the schedules and exhibits attached hereto and thereto and the instruments referenced herein and therein supersede all prior agreements and understandings among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof.

(f) Subject to the requirements of Section 9, this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the permitted successors and assigns of each of the parties hereto.

(g) The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, each pronoun herein shall be deemed to include the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular and

 

20


plural forms thereof. The terms “including,” “includes,” “include” and words of like import shall be construed broadly as if followed by the words “without limitation.” The terms “herein,” “hereunder,” “hereof” and words of like import refer to this entire Agreement instead of just the provision in which they are found.

(h) This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by an e-mail which contains an electronic file of an executed signature page, such signature page shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or electronic file signature page (as the case may be) were an original thereof.

(i) Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents as any other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

(j) All consents and other determinations required to be made by the Investors pursuant to this Agreement shall be made, unless otherwise specified in this Agreement, by the Required Holders.

(k) The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party. Terms used in this Agreement but defined in the other Transaction Documents shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms on the Closing Date in such other Transaction Documents unless otherwise consented to in writing by each Investor. Notwithstanding any references to “Buyers” herein, Cranshire (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) and the Company acknowledge and agree that Cranshire is the only Buyer party hereto.

(l) This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, other than the Persons referred to in Section 6 and 7 hereof.

(m) The obligations of each Investor under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Investor, and no Investor shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Investor under this Agreement or any other Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Investor pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Investors as, and the Company acknowledges that the Investors do not so constitute, a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of group or entity, or create a presumption that the Investors are in any way acting in concert or as a group or entity with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or any matters, and the Company acknowledges that the Investors are not acting in

 

21


concert or as a group, and the Company shall not assert any such claim, with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any of the other the Transaction Documents. Each Investor shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of any other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Investor to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. The use of a single agreement with respect to the obligations of the Company contained was solely in the control of the Company, not the action or decision of any Investor, and was done solely for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Investor. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and an Investor, solely, and not between the Company and the Investors collectively and not between and among Investors.

[signature pages follow]

 

22


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

COMPANY:

ROYALE ENERGY, INC.

By:  

/s/ Stephen M. Hosmer

Name:   Stephen M. Hosmer
Title:   Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

BUYER:

CRANSHIRE CAPITAL, L.P.

By:   Downsview Capital, Inc.
Its:   General Partner

/s/ Mitch Kopin

By:   Mitch Kopin
Its:   President


SCHEDULE OF BUYERS

 

Buyer

  

Buyer Address
and Facsimile Number

  

Buyer’s Representative’s Address
and Facsimile Number

Cranshire Capital, L.P.   

3100 Dundee Road, Suite 703

Northbrook, Illinois 60062

Attn: Mitchell P. Kopin

  

Greenberg Traurig, LLP

77 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 2400

Chicago, Illinois 60601

   Facsimile: (847) 562-9031    Attention:    Peter H. Lieberman
         Todd A. Mazur
      Facsimile:    (312) 456-8435
      Telephone:    (312) 456-8400


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF NOTICE OF EFFECTIVENESS

OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Attention:  

 

 

Re: Royale Energy, Inc.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

[We are][I am] counsel to Royale Energy, Inc., a California corporation (the “Company”), and have represented the Company in connection with that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) entered into by and among the Company and the buyers named therein (collectively, the “Holders”) pursuant to which the Company issued to the Holders its shares of the Company’s common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), and warrants exercisable for shares of Common Stock (the “Warrants”). Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company also has entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with the Holders (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company agreed, among other things, to register the Registrable Securities (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement), including the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). In connection with the Company’s obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement, on                  , 200  , the Company filed a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-                    ) (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) relating to the Registrable Securities which names each of the Holders as a selling stockholder thereunder.

In connection with the foregoing, [we][I] advise you that a member of the SEC’s staff has advised [us][me] by telephone that the SEC has entered an order declaring the Registration Statement effective under the 1933 Act at [ENTER TIME OF EFFECTIVENESS] on [ENTER DATE OF EFFECTIVENESS] and [we][I] have no knowledge, after telephonic inquiry of a member of the SEC’s staff, that any stop order suspending its effectiveness has been issued or that any proceedings for that purpose are pending before, or threatened by, the SEC and the Registrable Securities are available for resale under the 1933 Act pursuant to the Registration Statement.

This letter shall serve as our standing opinion to you that the shares of Common Stock are freely transferable by the Holders pursuant to the Registration Statement. You need not require further letters from us to effect any future legend-free issuance or reissuance of such shares of Common Stock to the Holders as contemplated by the Company’s Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions dated                  , 200  .


Very truly yours,
[ISSUER’S COUNSEL]
By:  

 

CC: [LIST NAMES OF HOLDERS]


EXHIBIT B

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

The shares of common stock being offered by the selling stockholders are those previously issued to the Selling Stockholders and those issuable to the Selling Stockholders upon exercise of the warrants. For additional information regarding the issuance of common stock and the warrants, see “Private Placement of Common Stock and Warrants” above. We are registering the shares of common stock in order to permit the selling stockholders to offer the shares for resale from time to time. Except for the ownership of the shares of common stock and the warrants issued pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, the selling stockholders have not had any material relationship with us within the past three years.

The table below lists the selling stockholders and other information regarding the beneficial ownership of the shares of common stock by each of the selling stockholders. The second column lists the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by each selling stockholder, based on its ownership of the shares of common stock and the warrants, as of                  , 2008, assuming exercise of the warrants held by the selling stockholders on that date, taking account of any limitations on exercise.

The third column lists the shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus by the selling stockholders.

In accordance with the terms of a registration rights agreement with the holders of the shares of common stock and the warrants, this prospectus generally covers the resale of that number of shares of common stock equal to 120% of the sum of (i) the maximum number of shares of common stock issued and (ii) the maximum number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the related warrants, determined as if the outstanding warrants were exercised, as applicable, in full (without regard to any limitations on exercised contained therein), in each case, as of the trading day immediately preceding the date this registration statement was initially filed with the SEC. Because the exercise price of the warrants may be adjusted, the number of shares that will actually be issued may be more or less than the number of shares being offered by this prospectus. The fourth column assumes the sale of all of the shares offered by the selling stockholders pursuant to this prospectus.

Under the terms of the warrants, a selling stockholder may not exercise the warrants, to the extent such exercise would cause such selling stockholder, together with its affiliates, to beneficially own a number of shares of common stock which would exceed 4.90% or 9.90% (as applicable) of our then outstanding shares of common stock following such exercise, excluding for purposes of such determination shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants which have not been exercised. The number of shares in the second column reflects these limitations. The selling stockholders may sell all, some or none of their shares in this offering. See “Plan of Distribution.”


Name of Selling Stockholder

   Number of Shares
of Common Stock Owned
Prior to Offering
   Maximum Number of Shares
of Common Stock to be Sold
Pursuant to this Prospectus
   Number of Shares of
Common Stock Owned
After Offering

Cranshire Capital, L.P. (1)

        

 

(1) Downsview Capital, Inc. (“Downsview”) is the general partner of Cranshire Capital, L.P. (“Cranshire”) and consequently has voting control and investment discretion over securities held by Cranshire. Mitchell P. Kopin (“Mr. Kopin”), President of Downsview, has voting control over Downsview. As a result, each of Mr. Kopin, Downsview and Cranshire may be deemed to have beneficial ownership (as determined under Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of the shares owned by Cranshire which are being registered hereunder.


PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We are registering the shares of common stock previously issued and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants to permit the resale of these shares of common stock by the holders of the common stock and warrants from time to time after the date of this prospectus. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by the selling stockholders of the shares of common stock. We will bear all fees and expenses incident to our obligation to register the shares of common stock.

The selling stockholders may sell all or a portion of the shares of common stock beneficially owned by them and offered hereby from time to time directly or through one or more underwriters, broker-dealers or agents. If the shares of common stock are sold through underwriters or broker-dealers, the selling stockholders will be responsible for underwriting discounts or commissions or agent’s commissions. The shares of common stock may be sold in one or more transactions at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions, which may involve crosses or block transactions,

 

   

on any national securities exchange or quotation service on which the securities may be listed or quoted at the time of sale;

 

   

in the over-the-counter market;

 

   

in transactions otherwise than on these exchanges or systems or in the over-the-counter market;

 

   

through the writing of options, whether such options are listed on an options exchange or otherwise;

 

   

ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

 

   

block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

   

purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

   

an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

 

   

privately negotiated transactions;

 

   

short sales made after the date the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC;

 

   

sales pursuant to Rule 144;

 

   

broker-dealers may agree with the selling securityholders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share;


   

a combination of any such methods of sale; and

 

   

any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

If the selling stockholders effect such transactions by selling shares of common stock to or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, such underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may receive commissions in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholders or commissions from purchasers of the shares of common stock for whom they may act as agent or to whom they may sell as principal (which discounts, concessions or commissions as to particular underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may be in excess of those customary in the types of transactions involved). In connection with sales of the shares of common stock or otherwise, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers, which may in turn engage in short sales of the shares of common stock in the course of hedging in positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell shares of common stock short and deliver shares of common stock covered by this prospectus to close out short positions and to return borrowed shares in connection with such short sales. The selling stockholders may also loan or pledge shares of common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such shares.

The selling stockholders may pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the warrants or shares of common stock owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of common stock from time to time pursuant to this prospectus or any amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, amending, if necessary, the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer and donate the shares of common stock in other circumstances in which case the transferees, donees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

The selling stockholders and any broker-dealer participating in the distribution of the shares of common stock may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any commission paid, or any discounts or concessions allowed to, any such broker-dealer may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. At the time a particular offering of the shares of common stock is made, a prospectus supplement, if required, will be distributed which will set forth the aggregate amount of shares of common stock being offered and the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any broker-dealers or agents, any discounts, commissions and other terms constituting compensation from the selling stockholders and any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to broker-dealers.

Under the securities laws of some states, the shares of common stock may be sold in such states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the shares of common stock may not be sold unless such shares have been registered or qualified for sale in such state or an exemption from registration or qualification is available and is complied with.


There can be no assurance that any selling stockholder will sell any or all of the shares of common stock registered pursuant to the shelf registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.

The selling stockholders and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, to the extent applicable, Regulation M of the Exchange Act, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the shares of common stock by the selling stockholders and any other participating person. To the extent applicable, Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the shares of common stock to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares of common stock. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the shares of common stock and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares of common stock.

We will pay all expenses of the registration of the shares of common stock pursuant to the registration rights agreement, estimated to be $[            ] in total, including, without limitation, Securities and Exchange Commission filing fees and expenses of compliance with state securities or “blue sky” laws; provided, however, that a selling stockholder will pay all underwriting discounts and selling commissions, if any. We will indemnify the selling stockholders against liabilities, including some liabilities under the Securities Act, in accordance with the registration rights agreements, or the selling stockholders will be entitled to contribution. We may be indemnified by the selling stockholders against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, that may arise from any written information furnished to us by the selling stockholder specifically for use in this prospectus, in accordance with the related registration rights agreements, or we may be entitled to contribution.

Once sold under the shelf registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, the shares of common stock will be freely tradable in the hands of persons other than our affiliates.

EX-99.1 5 dex991.htm PRESS RELEASE Press Release

Exhibit 99.1

San Diego, California (June 9, 2008)

Royale Energy announces agreement for $4 Million dollar placement.

Royale Energy Inc (NASDAQ: ROYL) announces the signing of a definitive agreement for the private placement of common stock of approximately $4 Million dollars. Funds from the offering, expected to close later Monday, will be used for general working capital that will allow the company to accelerate drilling and development on several key projects ultimately leading to enhanced cashflow performance.

The shares being sold in the placement have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold without registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or under and applicable exemption. The terms of the agreement include the sale of 547,945 shares at $7.30 with warrants for an additional 191,781 shares at the same price.

J.P. Turner & Company held a key role in the placement by acting as agent for the placement to a single institutional investor.

Stephen Hosmer, the company’s Chief Financial Officer said “The increased working capital will open the door to increased activity in both the Rio Bravo and Moon Canyon [Uintah Basin] fields. We anticipate that rising inflation will lead to high costs of exploration, and therefore want to perform key exploration and development activity with all diligence.”

About the Company

Headquartered in San Diego, Royale Energy, Inc. is an independent energy company. The company is focused on development, acquisition, exploration, and production of natural gas and oil in California, Texas and the Rocky Mountains. It has been a leading independent producer of oil and natural gas for over 20 years. The company’s strength is continually reaffirmed by investors who participate in funding over 50% of the company’s new projects. Additional information about Royale Energy, Inc. is available on its web site at www.royl.com.

Forward Looking Statements

In addition to historical information contained herein, this news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause the company’s actual results to differ materially from those in the “forward-looking” statements. While the company believes its forward looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, there are factors that are difficult to predict and that are influenced by economic and other conditions beyond the company’s control. Investors are directed to consider such risks and other uncertainties discussed in documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Contact:
Royale Energy, Inc.
Chanda Idano, Director of Marketing & PR
619-881-2800
Fax 619-881-2899
chanda@royl.com
http://www.royl.com
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