REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.3
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of August 25, 2003, among Metron Technology N.V., a corporation incorporated under the laws of The Netherlands (the “Company”), and the purchasers signatory hereto (each such purchaser is a “Purchaser” and all such purchasers are, collectively, the “Purchasers”).
This Agreement is made pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, dated as of the date hereof among the Company and the Purchasers (the “Subscription Agreement”).
The Company and the Purchasers hereby agree as follows:
1. Definitions
Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Subscription Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Subscription Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Effectiveness Date” means, with respect to the initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the 60th calendar day (90th calendar day in the event of a “full review” by the Commission) following the Filing Date and, with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the 60th calendar day (90th calendar day in the event of a “full review” by the Commission) following the date on which the Company first knows, or reasonably should have known, that such additional Registration Statement is required hereunder; provided, however, in the event the Company is notified by the Commission that one of the above Registration Statements will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further review and comments, the Effectiveness Date as to such Registration Statement shall be the fifth Trading Day following the date on which the Company is so notified if such date precedes the dates required above.
“Effectiveness Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Filing Date” means, with respect to the initial Registration Statement filed hereunder, the later of (i) September 5, 2003 or (ii) the 30th day following the Closing Date and, with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the 30th day following the date on which the Company first knows, or reasonably should have known that such additional Registration Statement is required hereunder.
“Holder” or “Holders” means the holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable Securities.
“Indemnified Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c) hereof.
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“Indemnifying Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c) hereof.
“Losses” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened in writing.
“Prospectus” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without limitation, a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A promulgated under the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
“Registrable Securities” means (i) all of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion in full of the Debentures assuming the lowest possible conversion price in effect during the period between the applicable Closing and the filing date of the Registration Statement, (ii) all shares of Common Stock issuable in lieu of cash interest payments assuming all interest is paid in shares of Common Stock valued based on the VWAPs for the 10 Trading Days prior to the date of determination and all Debentures are held until the 42nd month anniversary of their date of issuance, (iii) all shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise in full of the Warrants, and (iv) any securities issued or issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other distribution recapitalization or similar event with respect to the foregoing or in connection with any anti-dilution provisions in the Debentures.
“Registration Statement” means the registration statements required to be filed hereunder and any additional registration statements contemplated by Section 3(c), including (in each case) the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
“Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
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“Warrants” shall mean the Common Stock purchase warrants issued to the Purchasers pursuant to the Subscription Agreement.
2. Shelf Registration
(a) On or prior to each Filing Date, the Company shall prepare and file with the Commission a “Shelf” Registration Statement covering the resale of 150% of the Registrable Securities on such Filing Date for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. The Registration Statement shall be on Form S-3 (unless the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities on Form S-3, in which case such registration shall be on another appropriate form in accordance herewith) and shall contain (unless otherwise directed by the Holders and except to the extent the Company determines that modifications thereto are required under applicable law) substantially the “Plan of Distribution” attached hereto as Annex A. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, but in any event prior to the applicable Effectiveness Date, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act until the date when all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold or may be sold without volume restrictions pursuant to Rule 144(k) as determined by the counsel to the Company pursuant to a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed and acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent with a copy to the affected Holders (the “Effectiveness Period”). The Company shall promptly notify the Holders via facsimile of the effectiveness of any Registration Statement on the day that the Company receives notification of the effectiveness of such Registration Statement from the Commission. The Holders covenant and agree that any and all sales of Registrable Securities will be made in accordance with the “Plan of Distribution” attached hereto as Annex A (or such other “Plan of Distribution” as the Holders might direct and to which the Company agrees).
(b) If: (i) a Registration Statement is not filed on or prior to its Filing Date (if the Company files a Registration Statement without affording the Holders the opportunity to review and comment on the same as required by Section 3(a), the Company shall not be deemed to have been filed on or prior to the Filing Date), or (ii) the Company fails to file with the Commission a request for acceleration in accordance with Rule 461 promulgated under the Securities Act, within five Trading Days of the date that the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the Commission that a Registration Statement will not be “reviewed,” or not subject to further review, or (iii) prior to its Effectiveness Date, the Company fails to file a pre-effective amendment and otherwise respond in writing to comments made by the Commission in respect of such Registration Statement within 15 Trading Days after the receipt of comments by or notice from the Commission that such amendment is required in order for a Registration Statement to be declared effective, or (iv) a Registration Statement filed or required to be filed hereunder is not declared effective by the Commission by its Effectiveness Date, or (v) after the Effectiveness Date, a Registration Statement ceases for any reason to remain continuously effective as to all Registrable Securities for which it is required to be effective, or the Holders are not permitted to utilize the Prospectus therein to resell such
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Registrable Securities for 15 consecutive Trading Days or an aggregate of 25 Trading Days during any 12-month period (which need not be consecutive Trading Days) (any such failure or breach being referred to as an “Event”, and for purposes of clause (i) or (iv) the date on which such Event occurs, or for purposes of clause (ii) the date on which such five Trading Day period is exceeded, or for purposes of clause (iii) the date which such 15 Trading Day period is exceeded, or for purposes of clause (v) the date on which such 15 or 25 Trading Day period, as applicable, is exceeded being referred to as “Event Date”), then, on each such Event Date and every monthly anniversary thereof until the applicable Event is cured, the Company shall pay to each Holder an amount in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, equal to 2.0% per month of the Subscription Amount paid by such Holder pursuant to the Subscription Agreement for Securities then held by such Holder. If the Company fails to pay any liquidated damages pursuant to this Section in full within seven days after the date payable, the Company will pay interest thereon at a rate of 18% per annum (or such lesser maximum amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to the Holder, accruing daily from the date such liquidated damages are due until such amounts, plus all such interest thereon, are paid in full. The liquidated damages pursuant to the terms hereof shall apply on a pro-rata basis for any portion of a month prior to the cure of an Event.
3. Registration Procedures
In connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company shall:
(a) Not less than five Trading Days prior (only three Trading Days if the Registration Statement is an amendment) to the filing of each Registration Statement or any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any document that would be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference), the Company shall, (i) furnish to each Holder copies of all such documents proposed to be filed with the Commission, which documents (other than those incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference) will be subject to the review of such Holders, and (ii) cause its officers and directors, counsel and independent certified public accountants to respond to such inquiries as shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of respective counsel to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Company shall not file the Registration Statement or any such Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto to which the Holders of a majority of Registrable Securities shall reasonably and in good faith object, provided, the Company is notified of such objection in writing no later than five Trading Days (only three Trading Days if the Registration Statement is an amendment) after the Holders have been so furnished copies of such documents (it being understood that during any such period of good faith objection by such Holders, any timing deadlines on the Company shall be tolled). Any prospectus supplements required to be filed less than five Trading Days after the occurrence of any event, shall not be subject to prior approval by the Holders, but the Company shall provide pre-filing copies to the Holders.
(b) (i) Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, to a Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may
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be necessary to keep a Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities; (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this Agreement), and as so supplemented or amended to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible, and in any event within 15 Trading Days, to any comments received from the Commission with respect to a Registration Statement or any amendment thereto and as promptly as reasonably possible provide the Holders true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission relating to a Registration Statement; and (iv) comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement during the applicable period in accordance (subject to the terms of this Agreement) with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented.
(c) If during the Effectiveness Period, the number of Registrable Securities at any time exceeds 85% of the number of shares of Common Stock then registered in a Registration Statement, then the Company shall file as soon as reasonably practicable but in any case prior to the applicable Filing Date, an additional Registration Statement covering the resale by the Holders of not less than 150% of the number of such Registrable Securities.
(d) Notify the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant to clauses (ii) through (vi) hereof shall be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the requisite changes have been made) as promptly as reasonably possible (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than five Trading Days prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person) confirm such notice in writing no later than one Trading Day following the day (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement is proposed to be filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and whenever the Commission comments in writing on such Registration Statement (the Company shall provide true and complete copies thereof and all written responses thereto to each of the Holders); and (C) with respect to a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective; (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other Federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (iii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such purpose; (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes the financial statements included in a Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion therein or any statement made in a Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to a Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of a Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not
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contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and (vi) the occurrence or existence of any pending corporate development with respect to the Company that the Company believes may be material and that, in the determination of the Company, makes it not in the best interest of the Company to allow continued availability of the Registration Statement or Prospectus.
(e) Promptly deliver to each Holder, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus or Prospectuses (including each form of prospectus) and each amendment or supplement thereto as such Persons may reasonably request. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.
(f) Use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the resale of such Registrable Securities as required under applicable securities or Blue Sky laws of each State within the United States as any Holder requests in writing, to keep each such registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period; provided, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified or subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject.
(g) Cooperate with the Holders to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Subscription Agreement, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holders may request.
(h) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by this Section 3, as promptly as reasonably possible under the circumstances taking into account the Company’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its stockholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to a Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, neither a Registration Statement nor such Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses (ii) through (vi) of Section 3(d) above to suspend the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus have been made, or the Company otherwise notifies the Holders of its election to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus pursuant to clause (vi) of Section 3(d), then the Holders shall suspend use of such Prospectus. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable, except that in the case of suspension of the availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus pursuant to clause (vi) of Section 3(d), the Company shall not be required to take such action until such time as it shall
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determine that the continued availability of the Registration Statement and Prospectus is no longer not in the best interests of the Company. Notwithstanding the Company’s right to suspend the use of the prospectus hereunder, the Company shall remain liable to the Holders pursuant to Section 2(b) for any suspensions of the Registration Statement hereunder which otherwise require payment thereunder.
(i) Use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.
(j) Use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.
(k) The Company may require, at any time prior to the third Trading Day prior to the Filing Date, each Holder to furnish to the Company a statement as to the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and, if requested by the Commission, the controlling person thereof, within three Trading days of the Company’s request. During any periods that the Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of the Registrable Securities solely because any Holder fails to furnish requested information within three Trading Days of the Company’s request, any liquidated damages that are accruing at such time shall be tolled and any Event that may otherwise occur solely because of such delay shall be suspended, until such information is delivered to the Company.
4. Registration Expenses. All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance with this Agreement by the Company shall be borne by the Company whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to the Registration Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses (A) with respect to filings required to be made with the Principal Market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading, and (B) in compliance with applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company in connection with Blue Sky qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities and determination of the eligibility of the Registrable Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as requested by the Holders)), (ii) printing expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities and of printing prospectuses requested by the Holders), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, and (v) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder. In no event shall the Company be responsible for any underwriter, broker or similar commissions or fees or, except to
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the extent provided for in the Transaction Documents, any legal fees or other costs of the Holders.
5. Indemnification
(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors, agents, investment advisors and employees of each Holder, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers, directors, agents and employees of each such controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, costs of preparation and reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses (collectively, “Losses”), as incurred, arising out of or relating to any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or form of prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that (1) such untrue statements or omissions or alleged untrue statements or omissions are based upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, or to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a Registration Statement, such Prospectus or such form of Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or (2) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(ii)-(vi), the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(e). The Company shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any Proceeding arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement of which the Company is aware.
(b) Indemnification by Holders. Each Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, agents and employees, each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents or employees of such controlling Persons, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final judgment not subject to appeal or review) arising out of or relating to any untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, or any form of prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or arising out of or based upon: (i) such Holder’s failure to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act or with the Plan of Distribution, or (ii) any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading to the extent, but only to the extent, such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so furnished in writing by such Holder to the Company specifically for inclusion in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or to the extent that (1) such untrue statements or
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omissions are based upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, or to the extent such information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, such Prospectus or such form of Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or (2) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(ii)-(vi), the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(e). In no event shall the liability of any selling Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation.
(c) Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. If any Proceeding shall be brought or asserted against any Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “Indemnified Party”), such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is sought (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party and the payment of all fees and expenses incurred in connection with defense thereof; provided, that the failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to the extent that such failure shall have prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.
An Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties unless: (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses; or (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding; or (3) the named parties to any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and such Indemnified Party shall have been advised by counsel that a material conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and the expense of one such counsel for each Holder shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party). The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding.
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all fees and expenses of the Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees and expenses to the extent incurred in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Proceeding in a manner not inconsistent with this Section) shall be
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paid to the Indemnified Party, as incurred, within ten Trading Days of written notice thereof to the Indemnifying Party (regardless of whether it is ultimately determined that an Indemnified Party is not entitled to indemnification hereunder; provided, that the Indemnifying Party may require such Indemnified Party to undertake to reimburse all such fees and expenses to the extent it is finally judicially determined that such Indemnified Party is not entitled to indemnification hereunder).
(d) Contribution. If a claim for indemnification under Section 5(a) or 5(b) is unavailable to an Indemnified Party (by reason of public policy or otherwise), then each Indemnifying Party, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such Losses, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of such Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or relates to information supplied by, such Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action, statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of any Losses shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 5(c), any reasonable attorneys’ or other reasonable fees or expenses incurred by such party in connection with any Proceeding to the extent such party would have been indemnified for such fees or expenses if the indemnification provided for in this Section was available to such party in accordance with its terms.
The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 5(d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5(d), no Holder shall be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount by which the proceeds actually received by such Holder from the sale of the Registrable Securities subject to the Proceeding exceeds the amount of any damages that such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties.
6. Miscellaneous
(a) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and all of the Holders of the then outstanding Registrable Securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of Holders and that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given by Holders of all of the
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Registrable Securities to which such waiver or consent relates; provided, however, that the provisions of this sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except in accordance with the provisions of the immediately preceding sentence.
(b) No Inconsistent Agreements. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered, as of the date hereof, nor shall the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on or after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities, that would have the effect of impairing the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof. Except as and to the extent specified in Schedule 6(b) hereto, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has previously entered into any agreement granting any registration rights with respect to a material amount of its securities to any Person that have not been satisfied in full.
(c) No Piggyback on Registrations. Except as and to the extent specified in Schedule 6(c) attached hereto, neither the Company nor any of its security holders (other than the Holders in such capacity pursuant hereto) may include securities of the Company in the Registration Statement other than the Registrable Securities, and the Company shall not after the date hereof enter into any agreement providing any such right to any of its security holders. The Company shall not file any other registration statement on Form S-1 or S-3 until the initial Registration Statement required hereunder is declared effective by the Commission, provided that this Section 6(c) shall not prohibit the Company from filing amendments to registration statements already filed.
(d) Compliance. Each Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(e) Discontinued Disposition. Each Holder agrees by its acquisition of such Registrable Securities that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Sections 3(d)(ii) through (vi), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under a Registration Statement until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented Prospectus and/or amended Registration Statement contemplated by Section 3(h), or until it is advised in writing (the “Advice”) by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus may be resumed, and, in either case, has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings that are incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus or Registration Statement. The Company may provide appropriate stop orders to enforce the provisions of this paragraph. The Company agrees and acknowledges that any periods during which the Holder is required to discontinue the disposition of the Registrable Securities hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section 2(b).
(f) Piggy-Back Registrations. If at any time during the Effectiveness Period there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement relating to an offering for its own account or the account of others under the Securities Act of any of its equity securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the Securities Act) or their then equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection with any
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acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in connection with stock option or other employee benefit plans, then the Company shall send to each Holder written notice of such determination and, if within five Trading Days after receipt of such notice, any such Holder shall so request in writing, the Company shall include in such registration statement all or any part of such Registrable Securities such holder requests to be registered; provided, that, the Company shall not be required to give the foregoing notice with respect to or register any Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 6(f) that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144(k) promulgated under the Securities Act.
(g) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Subscription Agreement.
(h) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties and shall inure to the benefit of each Holder. The Company may not assign its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of all of the Holders of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities; provided, however that no such consent shall be required in connection with: (a) a consolidation or merger of the Company with or into another corporation or other entity or a sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all the Company’s property, assets or business to another corporation or other entity; or (b) a reorganization or other transaction the primary purpose of which is to change the jurisdiction of organization and/or corporate form of the Company, provided that such merger, reorganization or other transaction does not have an adverse tax impact upon the Purchasers with respect to their purchase or sale of the Securities. Any Purchaser may assign its rights under this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities.
(i) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and, all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, such signature shall create a valid binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) the same with the same force and effect as if such facsimile signature were the original thereof.
(j) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of California, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of Santa Xxxxx County, California for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper. 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 in effect for 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
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manner permitted by law. Each party hereto irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. If either party shall commence a Proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such Proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorneys fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such Proceeding.
(k) Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.
(l) Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
(m) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.
(n) Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser hereunder is several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser hereunder, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser hereunder. Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
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Plan of Distribution
The selling shareholders or any of their permitted pledgees, donees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their shares of common stock on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. The selling shareholders may use any one or more of the following methods when selling shares:
• 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;
• settlement of short sales
• broker-dealers may agree with the selling shareholders 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.
The selling shareholders may also sell shares that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, rather than under this prospectus. In effecting sales, broker-dealers engaged by the selling shareholders may arrange for other brokers-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the selling shareholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of shares, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated. The selling shareholders do not expect these commissions and discounts to exceed what is customary in the types of transactions involved. Broker-dealers may agree to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share, and, to the extent such broker-dealer is unable to do so acting as agent for us or a selling shareholder, to purchase as principal any unsold shares at the price required to fulfill the broker-dealer commitment. Broker-dealers who acquire shares as principal may thereafter resell such shares from time to time in transactions, which may involve block transactions and sales to and through other broker-dealers, including transactions of the nature described above, in the over-the-counter markets or otherwise at xxxxx and on terms then prevailing at the time of sale, at prices than related to the
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then-current market price or in negotiated transactions. In connection with such resales, broker-dealers may pay to or receive from the purchasers such shares commissions as described above.
The selling shareholder may from time to time pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the Shares or common stock or Warrant 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 under this prospectus, or under an amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act of 1933 amending the list of selling shareholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling shareholders under this prospectus.
The selling shareholders also may transfer the shares of common stock in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.
The selling shareholders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. The selling shareholders have informed the Company that none of them have any agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the common stock.
The Company is required to pay all fees and expenses incurred by the Company incident to the registration of the shares. The Company has agreed to indemnify the selling shareholders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
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