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EXHIBIT 2.6
REGISTRATION AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION AGREEMENT (this "Agreement") is made as of
January 27, 2000, by and among (i) Synagro Technologies, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (together with its successors and permitted assigns, the "Company")
and (ii) GTCR Fund VII, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("GTCR Fund VII")
and GTCR Capital Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("GTCR Capital")
(each of GTCR Fund VII and GTCR Capital, an "Investor," and collectively, the
"Investors").
The Company and GTCR Fund VII are parties to a Purchase
Agreement of even date herewith (the "Purchase Agreement"). The Company and GTCR
Capital are parties to a Senior Subordinated Loan Agreement of even date
herewith (the "Loan Agreement"). In connection with the transaction contemplated
by the Loan Agreement, the Company will issue to GTCR Capital warrants (the
"Warrants") to purchase shares of the Company's Convertible Preferred Stock. In
order to induce GTCR Fund VII to enter into the Purchase Agreement and GTCR
Capital to enter into the Loan Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide the
registration rights set forth in this Agreement. The execution and delivery of
this Agreement is a condition to the closings under the Purchase Agreement and
the Loan Agreement. Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, capitalized
terms used herein shall have the meanings set forth in Section 8 hereof.
The parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Demand Registrations.
(a) Requests for Registration. Subject to the restrictions set
forth below, the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities may request
registration under the Securities Act of all or any portion of their Registrable
Securities on Form S-1 or any similar long-form registration ("Long-Form
Registrations"), or on Form S-2 or S-3 (including pursuant to Rule 415 under the
Securities Act) or any similar short-form registration ("Short-Form
Registrations"), if available. All registrations requested pursuant to this
Section 1(a) are referred to herein as "Demand Registrations." Each request for
a Demand Registration shall specify the approximate number of Registrable
Securities requested to be registered and the anticipated per share price range
for such offering. Within ten days after receipt of any such request, the
Company shall give written notice of such requested registration to all other
holders of Registrable Securities and shall include in such registration all
Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written re
quests for inclusion therein within 15 days after the receipt of the Company's
notice.
(b) Long-Form Registrations. The holders of Registrable
Securities shall be entitled to request two (2) Long-Form Registrations plus one
(1) additional Long-Form Registration for each additional $25 million invested
in the Company (either on one or multiple occasions) through the purchase of
Convertible Preferred Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, in which the
Company shall pay all Registration Expenses (as defined in Section 5). All
Long-Form
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Registrations shall be underwritten registrations. A registration shall not
count as one of the permitted Long-Form Registrations until it has become
effective, and the last Long-Form Registration shall not count as one of the
permitted Long-Form Registrations unless the holders of Registrable Securities
are able to register and sell at least 90% of the Registrable Securities
requested to be included in such registration; provided that in any event the
Company shall pay all Registration Expenses in connection with any Long-Form
Registration whether or not it has become effective and whether or not such
registration has counted as one of the permitted Long-Form Registrations.
(c) Short-Form Registrations. In addition to the Long-Form
Registrations provided pursuant to Section 1(b), the holders of Registrable
Securities shall be entitled to request an unlimited number of Short-Form
Registrations in which the Company shall pay all Registration Expenses;
provided, however, that all Short-Form Registrations shall be for a minimum of
$10 million of Registrable Securities, based on the anticipated per share price
range for such offering. Demand Registrations shall be Short-Form Registrations
whenever the Company is permitted to use any applicable short form. The Company
shall use its best efforts to make Short-Form Registrations on Form S-3
available for the sale of Registrable Securities. If the Company, pursuant to
the request of the holder(s) of a majority of Registrable Securities, is
qualified to and has filed with the Securities Exchange Commission a
registration statement under the Securities Act on Form S-3 pursuant to Rule 415
under the Securities Act (the "Required Registration"), then the Company shall
use its best efforts to cause the Required Registration to be declared effective
under the Securities Act as soon as practicable after filing, and, once
effective, the Company shall cause such Required Registration to remain
effective for a period ending on the earlier of (i) the date on which all
Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to the Required Registration, or
(ii) the date as of which the holder(s) of Registrable Securities (assuming such
holder(s) are affiliates of the Company) are able to sell all of the Registrable
Securities then held be them within a ninety-day period in compliance with Rule
144 under the Securities Act.
(d) Priority on Demand Registrations. The Company shall not
include in any Demand Registration any securities which are not Registrable
Securities without the prior written consent of the holders of a majority of the
Registrable Securities included in such registration. If a Demand Registration
is an underwritten offering and the managing underwriters advise the Company in
writing that, in their opinion, the number of Registrable Securities and, if
permitted hereunder, other securities requested to be included in such offering
exceeds the number of Registrable Securities and other securities, if any, which
can be sold in an orderly manner in such offering within a price range
acceptable to the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be
included in such registration, then the Company shall include in such
registration, prior to the inclusion of any securities which are not Registrable
Securities, the number of Registrable Securities requested to be included which,
in the opinion of such underwriters, can be sold in an orderly manner within the
price range of such offering, pro rata among the respective holders thereof on
the basis of the amount of Registrable Securities owned by each such holder.
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(e) Restrictions on Long-Form Registrations.
(i) The Company shall not be obligated to effect any Long-Form
Registration within 90 days after the effective date of a previous
Long-Form Registration or a previous registration in which the holders
of Registrable Securities were given piggyback rights pursuant to
Section 2 and in which there was no reduction in the number of
Registrable Securities requested to be included.
(ii) The Company may postpone for up to 120 days the filing or
the effectiveness of a registration statement for a Demand Registration
if the Company's Board of Directors determines that such Demand
Registration would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse
effect on any proposal or plan by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to acquire financing, engage in any acquisition of assets
(other than in the ordinary course of business), or engage in any
merger, consolidation, tender offer, reorganization, or similar
transaction; provided that, in such event, the holders of Registrable
Securities initially requesting such Demand Registration shall be
entitled to withdraw such request and the Company shall pay all
Registration Expenses in connection with such registration. The Company
may delay a Demand Registration under this Section 1(e)(ii) only once
in any twelve-month period and two times in the aggregate.
(f) Selection of Underwriters. In the case of an underwritten
offering, the Company shall have the right to select the investment banker(s)
and manager(s) to administer the offering, subject to the approval of the
holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities included in such Demand
Registration, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
(g) Other Registration Rights. Except as provided in this
Agreement, the Company shall not grant to any Persons the right to request the
Company to register any equity securities of the Company, or any securities,
options, or rights convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for such
securities, without the prior written consent of the holders of a majority of
the Registrable Securities.
2. Piggyback Registrations.
(a) Right to Piggyback. Whenever the Company proposes to
register any of its securities under the Securities Act (other than (i) pursuant
to a Demand Registration, to which Section 1 is applicable or (ii) in connection
with registrations on Form X-0, X-0 or any successor or similar forms) and the
registration form to be used may be used for the registration of Registrable
Securities (a "Piggyback Registration"), the Company shall give prompt written
notice (and in any event within three business days after its receipt of notice
of any exercise of demand registration rights other than under this Agreement)
to all holders of Registrable Securities of its intention to effect such a
registration and shall include in such registration all Registrable Securities
with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion
therein within 20 days after the receipt of the Company's notice.
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(b) Piggyback Expenses. The Registration Expenses of the
holders of Registrable Securities shall be paid by the Company in all Piggyback
Registrations.
(c) Priority on Primary Registrations. If a Piggyback
Registration is an underwritten primary registration on behalf of the Company,
and the managing underwriters advise the Company in writing that, in their
opinion, the number of securities requested to be included in such registration
exceeds the number which can be sold in an orderly manner in such offering
within a price range acceptable to the Company, then the Company shall include
in such registration (i) first, the securities the Company proposes to sell and
(ii) second, all other securities (including the Registrable Securities)
requested to be included in such registration, pro rata among the holders of
such securities on the basis of the number of shares owned by each such holder.
(d) Priority on Secondary Registrations. If a Piggyback
Registration is an underwritten secondary registration on behalf of holders of
the Company's securities other than holders of Registrable Securities (it being
understood that secondary registrations on behalf of holders of Registrable
Securities are addressed in Section 1 above rather than this Section 2(d)), and
the managing underwriters advise the Company in writing that, in their opinion,
the number of securities requested to be included in such registration exceeds
the number which can be sold in an orderly manner in such offering within a
price range acceptable to the holders of a majority of the Registrable
Securities to be included in such registration, then the Company shall include
in such registration (i) first, the securities requested to be included therein
by the holders requesting such registration and (ii) second, all other
securities (including Registrable Securities) requested to be included in such
registration, pro rata among the holders of such securities on the basis of the
number of shares owned by each such holder.
(e) Other Registrations. If the Company has previously filed a
registration statement with respect to Registrable Securities pursuant to
Section 1 or pursuant to this Section 2, and if such previous registration has
not been withdrawn or abandoned, then, unless such previous registration is a
Required Registration, the Company shall not file or cause to be effected any
other registration of any of its equity securities or securities convertible or
exchangeable into or exercisable for its equity securities under the Securities
Act (except on Form S-8 or any successor form), whether on its own behalf or at
the request of any holder or holders of such securities, until a period of at
least 180 days has elapsed from the effective date of such previous
registration.
3. Other Sales.
The Company (i) shall not effect any public sale or
distribution of its equity securities, or any securities, options, or rights
convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such securities, during the
seven days prior to and during the 180-day period beginning on the effective
date of any underwritten Demand Registration or any underwritten Piggyback
Registration (except as part of such underwritten registration or pursuant to
registrations on Form S-8 or any successor form), unless the underwriters
managing the registered public offering otherwise agree, and (ii) to the extent
not inconsistent with applicable law, shall cause each holder of its equity
securities, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable
for equity securities, in an amount of more
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than 5% of the then-outstanding shares of Common Stock (as adjusted for stock
splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations, and similar transactions), purchased
from the Company at any time after the date of this Agreement (other than in a
registered public offering) to agree not to effect any public sale or
distribution (including sales pursuant to Rule 144) of any such securities
during such period (except as part of such underwritten registration, if
otherwise permitted), unless the underwriters managing the registered public
offering otherwise agree.
4. Registration Procedures. Whenever the holders of
Registrable Securities have requested that any Registrable Securities be
registered pursuant to this Agreement, the Company shall use commercially
reasonable efforts to effect the registration and the sale of such Registrable
Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof, and
pursuant thereto the Company shall as expeditiously as possible:
(a) prepare and, within 60 days after the end of the period
within which requests for registration may be given to the Company, file with
the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement with respect to
such Registrable Securities and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause
such registration statement to become effective (provided that, before filing a
registration statement or prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto,
the Company shall furnish to the counsel selected by the holders of a majority
of the Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement copies of
all such documents proposed to be filed, which documents shall be subject to the
review and comment of such counsel);
(b) notify in writing each holder of Registrable Securities of
the effectiveness of each registration statement filed hereunder and prepare and
file with the Securities and Exchange Commission such amendments and supplements
to such registration statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith
as may be necessary to keep such registration statement effective for a period
of not less than 180 days (or, if such registration statement relates to an
underwritten offering, such longer period as in the opinion of counsel for the
underwriters a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with
sales of Registrable Securities by an underwriter or dealer) and comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all
securities covered by such registration statement during such period in
accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the sellers thereof set
forth in such registration statement;
(c) furnish to each seller of Registrable Securities such
number of copies of such registration statement, each amendment and supplement
thereto, the prospectus included in such registration statement (including each
preliminary prospectus and any supplemental prospectus), and such other
documents as such seller may reasonably request in order to facilitate the
disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such seller;
(d) use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify
such Registrable Securities under such other securities or blue sky laws of such
jurisdictions as any seller reasonably requests and do any and all other acts
and things which may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable such seller
of Registrable Securities to consummate the disposition in such jurisdictions of
the Registrable Securities owned by such seller of Registrable Securities
(provided that the
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Company shall not be required to (i) qualify generally to do business in any
jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this
Section 4(d), (ii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction, or (iii)
consent to general service of process in any such jurisdiction);
(e) promptly notify in writing each seller of such Registrable
Securities, at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be
delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event as a result of
which the prospectus included in such registration statement contains an untrue
statement of a material fact or omits any fact necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
and, at the request of the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities
covered by such registration statement, the Company shall promptly prepare and
furnish to each such seller a reasonable number of copies of a supplement or
amendment to such prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers
of such Registrable Securities, such prospectus shall not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any fact necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they
were made;
(f) cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each
securities exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then
listed and, if not so listed, to be listed on the NASD automated quotation
system and, if listed on the NASD automated quotation system, use its best
efforts to secure designation of all such Registrable Securities covered by such
registration statement as a NASDAQ "national market system security" within the
meaning of Rule 11Aa2-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission or, failing
that, to secure NASDAQ authorization for such Registrable Securities;
(g) provide a transfer agent and registrar for all such
Registrable Securities not later than the effective date of such registration
statement;
(h) enter into such customary agreements (including
underwriting agreements in customary form) and take all such other actions as
the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities being sold or the
underwriters, if any, reasonably request in order to expedite or facilitate the
disposition of Registrable Securities (including effecting a stock split or a
combination of shares);
(i) make available for inspection by any underwriter
participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement, and
any attorney, accountant, or other agent retained by any such underwriter, all
financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the
Company, and cause the Company's officers, directors, employees, and independent
accountants to supply all information reasonably requested by any such
underwriter, attorney, accountant, or agent in connection with such registration
statement and assist and, at the request of any participating underwriter, use
commercially reasonable efforts to cause such officers or directors to
participate in presentations to prospective purchasers;
(j) otherwise use commercially reasonable efforts to comply
with all applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, and make available to its security
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holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the
period of at least twelve months beginning with the first day of the Company's
first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the registration
statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section
11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder;
(k) permit any holder of Registrable Securities which holder,
in its sole and exclusive judgment, might be deemed to be an underwriter or a
controlling person of the Company, to participate in the preparation of such
registration or comparable statement and to require the insertion therein of
material, furnished to the Company in writing, which in the reasonable judgment
of such holder and its counsel should be included;
(l) in the event of the issuance of any stop order suspending
the effectiveness of a registration statement, or of any order suspending or
preventing the use of any related prospectus or suspending the qualification of
any equity securities included in such registration statement for sale in any
jurisdiction, the Company shall use its best efforts promptly to obtain the
withdrawal of such order;
(m) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such
Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement to be registered
with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be
necessary to enable the sellers thereof to consummate the disposition of such
Registrable Securities;
(n) obtain one or more cold comfort letters, dated the
effective date of such registration statement (and, if such registration
includes an underwritten public offering, dated the date of the closing under
the underwriting agreement), from the Company's independent public accountants
in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by
cold comfort letters as the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities
being sold in such registered offering reasonably request (provided that such
Registrable Securities constitute at least 10% of the securities covered by such
registration statement), which letter or letters shall be addressed to the
underwriters; and
(o) provide a legal opinion of the Company's outside counsel,
dated the effective date of such registration statement (or, if such
registration includes an underwritten public offering, dated the date of the
closing under the underwriting agreement), with respect to the registration
statement, each amendment and supplement thereto, the prospectus included
therein (including the preliminary prospectus) and such other documents relating
thereto in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily
covered by legal opinions of such nature, which opinion and other documents
shall be addressed to the underwriters and the holders of such Registrable
Securities.
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5. Registration Expenses.
(a) Subject to Section 5(b) below, all expenses incident to
the Company's performance of or compliance with this Agreement, including all
registration and filing fees, fees and expenses of compliance with securities or
blue sky laws, printing expenses, travel expenses, filing expenses, messenger
and delivery expenses, fees and disbursements of custodians, and fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Company, and fees and disbursements of all
independent certified public accountants, underwriters including, if necessary,
a "qualified independent underwriter" within the meaning of the rules of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (in each case, excluding
discounts and commissions), and other Persons retained by the Company or by
holders of Registrable Securities or their affiliates on behalf of the Company
(all such expenses being herein called "Registration Expenses"), shall be borne
as provided in this Agreement, except that the Company shall, in any event, pay
its internal expenses (including all salaries and expenses of its officers and
employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual
audit or quarterly review, the expense of any liability insurance, and the
expenses and fees for listing the securities to be registered on each securities
exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed or on
the NASD automated quotation system (or any successor or similar system).
(b) In connection with each Demand Registration and each
Piggyback Registration, the Company shall reimburse the holders of Registrable
Securities included in such registration for the reasonable fees and
disbursements of one counsel chosen by the holders of a majority of the
Registrable Securities included in such registration.
(c) To the extent Registration Expenses are not required to be
paid by the Company, each holder of securities included in any registration
hereunder shall pay those Registration Expenses allocable to the registration of
such holder's securities so included, and any Registration Expenses not so
allocable shall be borne by all sellers of securities included in such
registration in proportion to the aggregate selling price of the securities to
be so registered.
6. Indemnification.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, each holder of Registrable Securities, its
officers, directors, agents, and employees, and each Person who controls such
holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all losses, claims,
damages, liabilities, and expenses (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced
or threatened, in respect thereof), whether joint and several or several,
together with reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney's
fees) to which any such indemnified party may become subject under the
Securities Act or otherwise (collectively, "Losses") caused by, resulting from,
arising out of, based upon, or relating to (i) any untrue or alleged untrue
statement of material fact contained in (A) any registration statement,
prospectus or preliminary prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement
thereto covering the sale of Registrable Securities or (B) any application or
other document or communication (in this Section 6, collectively called an
"application") executed by or on behalf of the Company or based upon written
information furnished by or on behalf of the
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Company filed in any jurisdiction in order to qualify any securities covered by
such registration under the "blue sky" or securities laws thereof or (ii) any
omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Company will
reimburse such holder and each such director, officer, and controlling Person
for any legal or any other expenses incurred by them in connection with
investigating or defending any such Losses; provided that the Company shall not
be liable in any such case to the extent that any suchLosses result from, arise
out of, are based upon, or relate to an untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement, or omission or alleged omission, made in such registration statement,
any such prospectus, or preliminary prospectus or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or in any application, in reliance upon, and in conformity with,
written information prepared and furnished in writing to the Company by such
holder expressly for use therein or by such holder's failure to deliver a copy
of the registration statement or prospectus or any amendments or supplements
thereto after the Company has furnished such holder with a sufficient number of
copies of the same. In connection with an underwritten offering, the Company
shall indemnify such underwriters, their officers and directors, and each Person
who controls such underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the
same extent as provided above with respect to the indemnification of the holders
of Registrable Securities.
(b) In connection with any registration statement in which a
holder of Registrable Securities is participating, each such holder will furnish
to the Company in writing such information and affidavits as the Company
reasonably requests for use in connection with any such registration statement
or prospectus and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall indemnify and
hold harmless the other holders of Registrable Securities and the Company, and
their respective officers, directors, agents, and employees, and each other
Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act)
against any Losses caused by, resulting from, arising out of, based upon, or
relating to (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact
contained in the registration statement, prospectus or preliminary prospectus,
or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or in any application, or (ii)
any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to
the extent that such untrue statement or omission is made in such registration
statement, any such prospectus or preliminary prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto, or in any application in reliance upon and in conformity
with written information prepared and furnished to the Company by such holder
expressly for use therein, and such holder will reimburse the Company and each
such other indemnified party for any legal or any other expenses incurred by
them in connection with investigating or defending any such Losses; provided
that the obligation to indemnify will be individual, not joint and several, for
each holder and shall be limited to the net amount of proceeds received by such
holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such registration
statement.
(c) Any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder will (i)
give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect
to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt
notice shall not impair any Person's right to indemnification hereunder to the
extent such failure has not prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (ii) unless
in such indemnified party's reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between
such indemnified and
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indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim, permit such
indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably
satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, then the
indemnifying party will not be subject to any liability for any settlement made
by the indemnified party without its written consent (but such consent will not
be unreasonably withheld). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or
elects not to, assume the defense of a claim will not be obligated to pay the
fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such
indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment
of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such
indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such
claim.
(d) The indemnification provided for under this Agreement
shall be in addition to any other rights to indemnification or contribution
which any indemnified party may have pursuant to law or contract, and will
remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made or omitted
by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director, or
controlling Person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of
securities.
(e) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 6 is
unavailable to or is insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
the provisions above in respect to any Losses referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such
indemnified party as a result of such Losses (i) in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the
sellers of Registrable Securities and any other sellers participating in the
registration statement on the other hand or (ii) if the allocation provided by
clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, then in such proportion as
is appropriate to reflect not only the relative fault referred to in clause (i)
above but also the relative benefit of the Company on the one hand and of the
sellers of Registrable Securities and any other sellers participating in the
registration statement on the other in connection with the registration
statement on the other in connection with the statement or omissions which
resulted in such Losses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the sellers of
Registrable Securities and any other sellers participating in the registration
statement on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total
net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) to the Company bear
to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) to the
sellers of Registrable Securities and any other sellers participating in the
registration statement. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of
the sellers of Registrable Securities and any other sellers participating in the
registration statement on the other shall be determined by reference to, among
other things, whether the untrue or alleged omission to state a material fact
relates to information supplied by the Company or by the sellers of Registrable
Securities or other sellers participating in the registration statement and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(f) The Company and the sellers of Registrable Securities
agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this
Section 6 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the sellers of
Registrable Securities were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any
other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable
considerations referred to
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in Section 6(e) above. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a
result of the Losses referred to in Section 6(e) above shall be deemed to
include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating
or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
Section 6, no seller of Registrable Securities shall be required to contribute
pursuant to this Section 6 any amount in excess of the result of (i) the net
proceeds received by such seller from the sale of Registrable Securities covered
by the registration statement filed pursuant hereto minus (ii) any amounts paid
pursuant to Section 6(b) above. No Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation
(within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation.
7. Participation in Underwritten Registrations.
(a) No Person may participate in any underwritten registration
hereunder unless such Person (i) agrees to sell such Person's securities on the
basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Person or
Persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements (including pursuant to
the terms of any over-allotment or "green shoe" option requested by the managing
underwriter(s), provided that no holder of Registrable Securities will be
required to sell more than the number of Registrable Securities that such holder
has requested the Company to include in any registration) and (ii) completes and
executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting
agreements, and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such
underwriting arrangements; provided that no holder of Registrable Securities
included in any underwritten registration shall be required to make any
representations or warranties to the Company or the underwriters (other than
representations and warranties regarding such holder and such holder's intended
method of distribution) or to undertake any indemnification obligations to the
Company or the underwriters with respect thereto, except as otherwise provided
in Section 6 hereof.
(b) Each Person that is participating in any registration
hereunder agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the
happening of any event of the kind described in Section 4(e) above, such Person
will immediately discontinue the disposition of its Registrable Securities
pursuant to the registration statement until such Person's receipt of the copies
of a supplemented or amended prospectus as contemplated by Section 4(e). In the
event the Company shall give any such notice, the applicable time period
mentioned in Section 4(b) during which a Registration Statement is to remain
effective shall be extended by the number of days during the period from and
including the date of the giving of such notice pursuant to this Section 7(b) to
and including the date when each seller of a Registrable Security covered by
such registration statement shall have received the copies of the supplemented
or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 4(e).
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12
8. Definitions.
"Common Stock" means any class of the Company's common stock.
"Convertible Preferred Stock" means the Series D Preferred
(including that acquired upon conversion of the Series C Preferred) and all
subsequent series of convertible preferred stock issued or to be issued in
connection with the Purchase Agreement.
"Registrable Securities" means (i) any Common Stock issued or
issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock (x) issued pursuant to the
Purchase Agreement or (y) issued or issuable upon exercise of the Warrants
(whether issued before, on, or after the Closing Date) and (ii) any other shares
of Common Stock issued or issuable directly or indirectly with respect to the
securities referred to in clause (i) above by way of a stock dividend or stock
split or in connection with an exchange or combination of shares,
recapitalization, merger, consolidation, or other reorganization. As to any
particular Registrable Securities, such securities shall cease to be Registrable
Securities when they (i) have been distributed to the public pursuant to an
offering registered under the Securities Act or sold to the public through a
broker, dealer, or market maker in compliance with Rule 144 under the Securities
Act (or any similar rule then in force), (ii) unless the respective Investor
otherwise elects, have been distributed to the limited partners of any of the
Investors, (iii) have been effectively registered under a registration statement
including, without limitation, a registration statement on Form S-8 (or any
successor form), or (iv) have been repurchased by the Company. For purposes of
this Agreement, a Person shall be deemed to be a holder of Registrable
Securities whenever such Person has the right to acquire such Registrable
Securities (upon conversion or exercise in connection with a transfer of
securities or otherwise, but disregarding any restrictions or limitations upon
the exercise of such right), whether or not such acquisition has actually been
effected; provided that this sentence shall not apply to shares of the common
equity securities of the Company issuable upon the exercise of unvested options
originally issued to employees or former employees of the Company.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
or any successor federal law then in force, together with all rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Securities Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, or any successor federal law then in force, together with all
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Series C Preferred" means the Corporation's Series C
Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $.002 per share.
"Series D Preferred" means the Corporation's Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $.002 per share.
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13
Unless otherwise stated, other capitalized terms contained
herein have the meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
9. Miscellaneous.
(a) No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company shall not
hereafter enter into any agreement with respect to its securities which is
inconsistent with or violates the rights granted to the holders of Registrable
Securities in this Agreement.
(b) Adjustments Affecting Registrable Securities. The Company
shall not take any action, or permit any change to occur, with respect to its
securities which would adversely affect the ability of the holders of
Registrable Securities to include such Registrable Securities in a registration
undertaken pursuant to this Agreement or which would adversely affect the
marketability of such Registrable Securities in any such registration (including
effecting a stock split or a combination of shares).
(c) Remedies. Any Person having rights under any provision of
this Agreement shall be entitled to enforce such rights specifically to recover
damages caused by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to
exercise all other rights granted by law. The parties hereto agree and
acknowledge that money damages may not be an adequate remedy for any breach of
the provisions of this Agreement and that any party may in its sole discretion
apply to any court of law or equity of competent jurisdiction (without posting
any bond or other security) for specific performance and for other injunctive
relief in order to enforce or prevent violation of the provisions of this
Agreement. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to confer upon
any Person who is not a signatory hereto any rights or benefits, whether as a
third-party beneficiary or otherwise.
(d) Amendments and Waivers. Except as otherwise provided
herein, no modification, amendment, or waiver of any provision of this Agreement
shall be effective against the Company or the holders of Registrable Securities
unless such modification, amendment, or waiver is approved in writing by the
Company and the holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities
then in existence; provided that no such amendment or modification that would
materially and adversely affect holders of one class or group of Registrable
Securities in a manner different than holders of any other class or group of
Registrable Securities, shall be effective against the holders of such class or
group of Registrable Securities without the prior written consent of holders of
at least a majority of Registrable Securities of such class or group materially
and adversely affected thereby. No failure by any party to insist upon the
strict performance of any covenant, duty, agreement, or condition of this
Agreement or to exercise any right or remedy consequent upon a breach thereof
shall constitute a waiver of any such breach or any other covenant, duty,
agreement, or condition.
(e) Successors and Assigns. All covenants and agreements in
this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties hereto shall bind and inure
to the benefit of the respective
- 13 -
14
successors and assigns of the parties hereto whether so expressed or not. In
addition, whether or not any express assignment has been made, the provisions of
this Agreement which are for the benefit of purchasers or holders of Registrable
Securities are also for the benefit of, and enforceable by, any subsequent
holder of Registrable Securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in order to
obtain the benefit of this Agreement, any subsequent holder of Registrable
Securities must execute a counterpart to this Agreement, thereby agreeing to be
bound the terms hereof.
(f) Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this
Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under
applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be prohibited
by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective only to
the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder
of this Agreement.
(g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed
simultaneously in two or more counterparts, any one of which need not contain
the signatures of more than one party, but all such counterparts taken together
shall constitute one and the same Agreement.
(h) Descriptive Headings. The descriptive headings of this
Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute a substantive
part of this Agreement. Whenever required by the context, any pronoun used in
this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine, or neuter
forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns, and verbs shall include the
plural and vice versa. The use of the word "including" in this Agreement shall
be, in each case, by way of example and without limitation. The use of the words
"or," "either," and "any" shall not be exclusive. Reference to any agreement,
document, or instrument means such agreement, document, or instrument as amended
or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof,
and if applicable hereof.
(i) Governing Law. The corporate law of the State of Delaware
shall govern all issues and questions concerning the relative rights of the
Company and its stockholders. All other issues and questions concerning the
construction, validity, interpretation, and enforcement of this Agreement and
the exhibits and schedules hereto shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Illinois, without giving effect to any
choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of
Illinois or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws
of any jurisdiction other than the State of Illinois.
(j) Notices. All notices, demands, or other communications to
be given or delivered under or by reason of the provisions of this Agreement
shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when delivered
personally to the recipient, sent to the recipient by reputable overnight
courier service (charges prepaid) or mailed to the recipient by certified or
registered mail, return receipt requested and postage prepaid. Such notices,
demands, and other communications shall be sent to each Investor at the
addresses indicated on the Schedule of Holders
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15
and to the Company at the address of its corporate headquarters or to such other
address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party has
specified by prior written notice to the sending party.
(k) Entire Agreement. This Agreement, those documents
expressly referred to herein and other documents of even date herewith embody
the complete agreement and understanding among the parties and supersede and
preempt any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the
parties, written or oral, which may have related to the subject matter hereof in
any way.
(l) No Strict Construction. The parties hereto have
participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting to this Agreement. In the
event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this
Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto, and no
presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by
virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement.
* * * * *
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16
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this
Registration Agreement as of the date first written above.
SYNAGRO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
By: /s/ XXXX X. XXXXXX
----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
----------------------------------------
Its: Chairman/CEO
----------------------------------------
GTCR FUND VII, L.P.
By: GTCR Partners VII, L.P.
Its: General Partner
By: GTCR Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, L.L.C.
Its: General Partner
By: /s/ XXXXX X. XXXXXXX
----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Its: Principal
GTCR CAPITAL PARTNERS, L.P.
By: GTCR Mezzanine Partners, L.P.
Its: General Partner
By: GTCR Partners VI, L.P.
Its: General Partner
By: GTCR Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, L.L.C.
Its: General Partner
By: /s/ XXXXX X. XXXXXXX
----------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Its: Principal
SIGNATURE PAGE TO THE REGISTRATION AGREEMENT
17
SCHEDULE OF HOLDERS
GTCR FUND VII, L.P.
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
GTCR CAPITAL PARTNERS, L.P.
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
