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Exhibit 6(j)
ANNEX IV
TO
SECURITIES PURCHASE
AGREEMENT
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of May 3, 1999
(this "Agreement"), is made by and between AMERICA_S SENIOR FINANCIAL SERVICES,
INC., a Florida corporation, with headquarters located at 00000 X.X. 00xx Xxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000 (the _Company_), and each entity named on a signature page
hereto (each, an _Initial Investor_) (each agreement with an Initial Investor
being deemed a separate and independent agreement between the Company and such
Initial Investor, except that each Initial Investor acknowledges and consents to
the rights granted to each other Initial Investor under such agreement).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the
Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 3, 1999, between the Initial
Investor and the Company (the "Securities Purchase Agreement"; terms not
otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the
Securities Purchase Agreement), the Company has agreed to issue and sell to the
Initial Investor one or more 3% Convertible Debentures of the Company, in an
aggregate principal amount not exceeding $10,000,000 (the "Debentures"); and
WHEREAS, the Company has agreed to issue the Warrants to the
Initial Investor in connection with the issuance of the Debentures; and
WHEREAS, the Debentures are convertible into shares of Common
Stock (the "Conversion Shares"; which term, for purposes of this Agreement,
shall include shares of Common Stock of the Company issuable in lieu of accrued
interest on conversion as contemplated by the Debentures) upon the terms and
subject to the conditions contained in the Debentures and the Warrants may be
exercised for the purchase of shares of Common Stock (the _Warrant Shares_) upon
the terms and conditions of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, to induce the Initial Investor to execute and deliver
the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain
registration rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules
and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the
"Securities Act"), with respect to the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the
mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the
Initial Investor hereby agree as follows:
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1. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Agreement, the following terms
shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Investor" means the Initial Investor and any permitted
transferee or assignee who agrees to become bound by the provisions of this
Agreement in accordance with Section 9 hereof and who holds Debentures, Warrants
or Registrable Securities.
(b) _Potential Material Event_ means any of the following: (i)
the possession by the Company of material information not ripe for disclosure in
a registration statement, which shall be evidenced by determinations in good
faith by the Board of Directors of the Company that disclosure of such
information in the registration statement would be detrimental to the business
and affairs of the Company; or (ii) any material engagement or activity by the
Company which would, in the good faith determination of the Board of Directors
of the Company, be adversely affected by disclosure in a registration statement
at such time, which determination shall be accompanied by a good faith
determination by the Board of Directors of the Company that the registration
statement would be materially misleading absent the inclusion of such
information.
(c) "Register," "Registered," and "Registration" refer to a
registration effected by preparing and filing a Registration Statement or
Statements in compliance with the Securities Act and pursuant to Rule 415 under
the Securities Act or any successor rule providing for offering securities on a
continuous basis ("Rule 415"), and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness
of such Registration Statement by the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC").
(d) "Registrable Securities" means the Conversion Shares and
the Warrant Shares applicable to the Debentures and Warrants issued on the
Initial Closing Date or the relevant Additional Closing Date, as the case may
be.
(e) "Registration Statement" means a registration statement of
the Company under the Securities Act.
2. REGISTRATION.
(a) MANDATORY REGISTRATION.
(i) The Company shall prepare and file with the SEC,
as soon as possible after the Initial Closing Date no later than a date (the
_Required Filing Date_) which is thirty (30) days following the Initial Closing
Date and thirty (30) days after the relevant Additional Closing Date, as the
case may be, either a Registration Statement on Form SB-2 or an amendment to an
existing Registration Statement, in either event registering for resale by the
Investor a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the Initial Investors
to sell the Registrable Securities (or such lesser number as may be required by
the SEC, but in no event less than two hundred percent (200%) of the aggregate
number of shares (A) into which the relevant Debentures and all interest thereon
through their respective Maturity Dates would be convertible at the time of
filing of such
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Registration Statement (assuming for such purposes that all such Debentures
had been eligible to be converted, and had been converted, into Conversion
Shares in accordance with their terms, whether or not such accrual of interest,
eligibility or conversion had in fact occurred as of such date) and (B) which
would be issued upon exercise of all of the relevant Warrants at the time of
filing of the Registration Statement (assuming for such purposes that such
Warrants had been eligible to be exercised and had been exercised in accordance
with their terms, whether or not such eligibility or exercise had in fact
occurred as of such date). The Registration Statement (W) shall include only the
Registrable Securities and (X) shall also state that, in accordance with Rule
416 and 457 under the Securities Act, it also covers such indeterminate number
of additional shares of Common Stock as may become issuable upon conversion of
the Debentures and the exercise of the Warrants to prevent dilution resulting
from stock splits or stock dividends. The Company will use its reasonable best
efforts to cause such Registration Statement to be declared effective on a date
(a "Required Effective Date") which is no later than is the earlier of (Y) five
(5) days after notice by the SEC that it may be declared effective or (Z) one
hundred twenty (120) days after the Initial Closing Date or thirty (30) days
after the relevant Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(ii) If at any time (an _Increased Registered Shares
Date_), the number of shares of Common Stock represented by the Registrable
Shares, issued or to be issued as contemplated by the Transaction Agreements,
exceeds the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock then registered, the
Company shall, within ten (10) business days after receipt of a written notice
from any Investor, either (X) amend the relevant Registration Statement filed by
the Company pursuant to the preceding provisions of this Section 2, if such
Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the SEC at that time,
to register two hundred percent (200%) of such Registrable Shares, computed as
contemplated by the immediately preceding subparagraph (i), or (Y) if such
Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC at that time, file
with the SEC an additional Registration Statement on Form SB-2 or other
appropriate registration statement form (an _Additional Registration Statement_)
to register two hundred percent (200%) of the shares of Common Stock represented
by the Registrable Shares, computed as contemplated by the immediately preceding
subparagraph (i), that exceed the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock
already registered. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to cause
such Registration Statement to be declared effective on a date (a "Required
Effective Date") which is no later than (Q) with respect to a Registration
Statement under clause (X) of this subparagraph (ii), the Required Effective
Date contemplated by the immediately preceding subparagraph (i) and (R) with
respect to an Additional Registration Statement, the earlier of (I) five (5)
days after notice by the SEC that it may be declared effective or (II) thirty
(30) days after the Increased Registered Shares Date.
(b) PAYMENTS BY THE COMPANY.
(i) If the Registration Statement covering the
Registrable Securities is not filed in proper form with the SEC by the Required
Filing Date, the Company will make payment to the Initial Investor in such
amounts and at such times as shall be determined pursuant to this Section 2(b).
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(ii) If the Registration Statement covering the
Registrable Securities is not effective by the relevant Required Effective Date
or if the Investor is restricted from making sales of Registrable Securities
covered by a previously effective Registration Statement at any time (the date
such restriction commences, a _Restricted Sale Date_) after the Effective Date
other than during a Suspension Period (as defined below), then the Company will
make payments to the Initial Investor in such amounts and at such times as shall
be determined pursuant to this Section 2(b).
(iii) The amount (the "Periodic Amount") to be paid
by the Company to the Initial Investor shall be determined as of each
Computation Date (as defined below) and such amount shall be equal to the
Periodic Amount Percentage (as defined below) of the Purchase Price for all
Debentures for the period from the date following the relevant Required Filing
Date, Required Effective Date or Restricted Sale Date, as the case may be, to
the first relevant Computation Date, and thereafter to each subsequent
Computation Date. The _Periodic Amount Percentage_ means (A) one percent (1%) of
the Purchase Price for all the Debentures previously purchased for the period
from the date following the relevant Required Filing Date, Required Effective
Date or Restricted Sale Date, as the case may be, to the first relevant
Computation Date (prorated on a daily basis if such period is less than thirty
[30] days), and (B) two percent (2%) of the Purchase Price of all Debentures to
each Computation Date thereafter (prorated on a daily basis if such period is
less than thirty [30] days). Anything in the preceding provisions of this
paragraph (iii) to the contrary notwithstanding, after the Effective Date the
Purchase Price shall be deemed to refer to the sum of (X) the principal amount
of all Debentures previously purchased but not yet converted and (Y) the Held
Shares Value (as defined below). The _Held Shares Value_ means, for shares
acquired by the Investor upon a conversion within the thirty (30) days preceding
the Restricted Sale Date, but not yet sold by the Investor, the principal amount
of the Debentures converted into such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that
if the Investor effected more than one conversion during such thirty (30) day
period and sold less than all of such shares, the sold shares shall be deemed to
be derived first from the conversions in the sequence of such conversions (that
is, for example, until the number of shares from the first of such conversions
have been sold, all shares shall be deemed to be from the first conversion;
thereafter, from the second conversion until all such shares are sold). By way
of illustration and not in limitation of the foregoing, if the Registration
Statement for the Registrable Securities relating to the Debentures and Warrants
issued on the Initial Closing Date is timely filed but is not declared effective
until one hundred sixty-five (165) days after the Initial Closing Date, the
Periodic Amount will aggregate three percent (3%) of the Purchase Price of the
Initial Debentures (1% for days 120-150, plus 2% for days 151-165).
(iv) Each Periodic Amount will be payable by the
Company in cash or other immediately available funds to the Investor monthly,
without requiring demand therefor by the Investor.
(v) The parties acknowledge that the damages which
may be incurred by the Investor if the Registration Statement is not filed by
the Required Filing Date or if the Registration Statement has not been declared
effective by a Required Effective Date, including if the right to sell
Registrable Securities under a previously effective Registration Statement is
suspended,
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may be difficult to ascertain. The parties agree that the Periodic Amounts
represent a reasonable estimate on the part of the parties, as of the date of
this Agreement, of the amount of such damages.
(vi) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the amounts
payable by the Company pursuant to this provision shall not be payable to the
extent any delay in the effectiveness of the Registration Statement occurs
because of an act of, or a failure to act or to act timely by the Initial
Investor or its counsel, or in the event all of the Registrable Securities may
be sold pursuant to Rule 144 or another available exemption under the Act.
(vii) "Computation Date" means (A) the date which is
the earlier of (1) thirty (30) days after the Required Filing Date, any relevant
Required Effective Date or a Restricted Sale Date, as the case may be, or (2)
the date after the Required Filing Date, such Required Effective Date or
Restricted Sale Date on which the Registration Statement is filed (with respect
to payments due as contemplated by Section 2(b)(i) hereof) or is declared
effective or has its restrictions removed (with respect to payments due as
contemplated by Section 2(b)(ii) hereof), as the case may be, and (B) each date
which is the earlier of (1) thirty (30) days after the previous Computation Date
or (2) the date after the previous Computation Date on which the Registration
Statement is filed (with respect to payments due as contemplated by Section
2(b)(i) hereof) or is declared effective or has its restrictions removed (with
respect to payments due as contemplated by Section 2(b)(ii) hereof), as the case
may be.
3. OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY. In connection with the
registration of the Registrable Securities, the Company shall do each of the
following.
(a) Prepare promptly, and file with the SEC by the Required
Filing Date a Registration Statement with respect to not less than the number of
Registrable Securities provided in Section 2(a) above, and thereafter use its
reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement relating to
Registrable Securities to become effective by the Required Effective Date and
keep the Registration Statement effective at all times during the period (the
"Registration Period") continuing until the earliest of (i) the date that is two
(2) years after the last day of the calendar month following the month in which
the closing of the last tranche of Debentures occurs, (ii) the date when the
Investors may sell all Registrable Securities under Rule 144 or (iii) the date
the Investors no longer own any of the Registrable Securities, which
Registration Statement (including any amendments or supplements thereto and
prospectuses contained therein) shall not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which
they were made, not misleading;
(b) Prepare and file with the SEC such amendments (including
post-effective amendments) and supplements to the Registration Statement and the
prospectus used in connection with the Registration Statement as may be
necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective at all times during the
Registration Period, and, during the Registration Period, comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all
Registrable Securities of the
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Company covered by the Registration Statement until such time as all of such
Registrable Securities have been disposed of in accordance with the intended
methods of disposition by the seller or sellers thereof as set forth in the
Registration Statement;
(c) The Company shall permit a single firm of counsel
designated by the Initial Investors to review the Registration Statement and all
amendments and supplements thereto a reasonable period of time (but not less
than three (3) business days) prior to their filing with the SEC, and not file
any document in a form to which such counsel reasonably objects.
(d) Notify each Investor, such Investor_s legal counsel
identified to the Company (which, until further notice, shall be deemed to be
Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, ATTN: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Esq.; each, an _Investor_s Counsel_),
and any managing underwriters immediately (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not
less than five (5) days prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such
Person) confirm such notice in writing no later than one (1) business day
following the day (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement is proposed to be filed;
(B) whenever the SEC notifies the Company whether there will be a _review_ of
such Registration Statement; (C) whenever the Company receives (or a
representative of the Company receives on its behalf) any oral or written
comments from the SEC respect of a Registration Statement (copies or, in the
case of oral comments, summaries of such comments shall be promptly furnished by
the Company to the Investors); and (D) with respect to the Registration
Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective;
(ii) of any request by the SEC or any other Federal or state governmental
authority for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or
Prospectus or for additional information; (iii) of the issuance by the SEC of
any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement
covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any
Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) if at any time any of the representations or
warranties of the Company contained in any agreement (including any underwriting
agreement) contemplated hereby ceases to be true and correct in all material
respects; (v) 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; and (vi) of the occurrence of
any event that to the best knowledge of the Company makes any statement made in
the 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 the Registration Statement, Prospectus or other
documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus,
as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading. In addition, the Company shall furnish the Investors with
copies of all intended written responses to the comments contemplated in clause
(C) of this Section 3(d) not later than one (1) business day in advance of the
filing of such responses with the SEC so that the Investors shall have the
opportunity to comment thereon.
(e) Furnish to each Investor and such Investor_s Counsel (i)
promptly after the same
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is prepared and publicly distributed, filed with the SEC, or received by the
Company, one (1) copy of the Registration Statement, each preliminary prospectus
and prospectus, and each amendment or supplement thereto, and (ii) such number
of copies of a prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto and such
other documents, as such Investor may reasonably request in order to facilitate
the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investor;
(f) As promptly as practicable after becoming aware thereof,
notify each Investor of the happening of any event of which the Company has
knowledge, as a result of which the prospectus included in the Registration
Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or
omits 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, and use its best efforts promptly to prepare a supplement
or amendment to the Registration Statement or other appropriate filing with the
SEC to correct such untrue statement or omission, and deliver a number of copies
of such supplement or amendment to each Investor as such Investor may reasonably
request;
(g) As promptly as practicable after becoming aware thereof,
notify each Investor who holds Registrable Securities being sold (or, in the
event of an underwritten offering, the managing underwriters) of the issuance by
the SEC of a Notice of Effectiveness or any notice of effectiveness or any stop
order or other suspension of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement at
the earliest possible time;
(h) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time or from time
to time after the date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the
Company notifies the Investors in writing of the existence of a Potential
Material Event, the Investors shall not offer or sell any Registrable
Securities, or engage in any other transaction involving or relating to the
Registrable Securities, from the time of the giving of notice with respect to a
Potential Material Event until such Investor receives written notice from the
Company that such Potential Material Event either has been disclosed to the
public or no longer constitutes a Potential Material Event; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that the Company may not so suspend the right to such holders of Registrable
Securities for more than two twenty (20) day periods in the aggregate during any
12-month period (_Suspension Period_) with at least a ten (10) business day
interval between such periods, during the periods the Registration Statement is
required to be in effect;
(i) Use its reasonable efforts to secure and maintain the
designation of all the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration
Statement on the "OTC Bulletin Board Market" of the National Association of
Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System ("NASDAQ") within the meaning of
Rule 11Aa2-1 of the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act"), and the quotation of the Registrable Securities on The
NASDAQ Bulletin Board Market; and, without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, to arrange for at least two market makers to register with the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") as such with respect
to such Registrable Securities;
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(j) Provide a transfer agent , which may be a single entity,
for the Registrable Securities not later than the effective date of the
Registration Statement;
(k) Cooperate with the Investors to facilitate the timely
preparation and delivery of certificates for the Registrable Securities to be
offered pursuant to the Registration Statement and enable such certificates for
the Registrable Securities to be in such denominations or amounts as the case
may be, as the Investors may reasonably request, and, within three (3) business
days after a Registration Statement which includes Registrable Securities is
ordered effective by the SEC, the Company shall deliver, and shall cause legal
counsel selected by the Company to deliver, to the transfer agent for the
Registrable Securities (with copies to the Investors whose Registrable
Securities are included in such Registration Statement) an appropriate
instruction and opinion of such counsel; and
(l) Take all other reasonable actions necessary to expedite
and facilitate disposition by the Investor of the Registrable Securities
pursuant to the Registration Statement.
4. OBLIGATIONS OF THE INVESTORS. In connection with the
registration of the Registrable Securities, the Investors shall have the
following obligations:
(a) It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of
the Company to complete the registration pursuant to this Agreement with respect
to the Registrable Securities of a particular Investor that such Investor shall
furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable
Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable
Securities held by it, as shall be reasonably required to effect the
registration of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in
connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request. At
least ten (10) days prior to the first anticipated filing date of the
Registration Statement, the Company shall notify each Investor of the
information the Company requires from each such Investor (the "Requested
Information") if such Investor elects to have any of such Investor's Registrable
Securities included in the Registration Statement. If at least two (2) business
days prior to the filing date the Company has not received the Requested
Information from an Investor (a "Non-Responsive Investor"), then the Company may
file the Registration Statement without including Registrable Securities of such
Non-Responsive Investor;
(b) Each Investor, by such Investor's acceptance of the
Registrable Securities, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably
requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of the
Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company
in writing of such Investor's election to exclude all of such Investor's
Registrable Securities from the Registration Statement; and
(c) Each Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from
the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(e)
or 3(f), above, such Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of
Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such
Registrable Securities until such Investor's receipt of the copies of the
supplemented
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or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3(e) or 3(f) and, if so directed
by the Company, such Investor shall deliver to the Company (at the expense of
the Company) or destroy (and deliver to the Company a certificate of
destruction) all copies in such Investor's possession, of the prospectus
covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such
notice.
5. EXPENSES OF REGISTRATION. (a) All reasonable expenses
(other than underwriting discounts and commissions of the Investor) incurred in
connection with registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Section 3,
but including, without limitation, all registration, listing, and qualifications
fees, printers and accounting fees, the fees and disbursements of counsel for
the Company and a fee for a single counsel for the Investors (as a group and not
individually) not exceeding $3,500 for the Registration Statement covering the
Registrable Securities applicable to the Debentures and Warrants issued on the
Initial Closing Date and $1,000 for each Registration Statement covering
Registrable Securities applicable to the Additional Debentures and related
Warrants issued on each Additional Closing Date, shall be borne by the Company.
(b) The Buyer acknowledges that the Company either intends to
issue shares or has already issued shares as of the date of this agreement
pursuant to (i) its advisory agreement with ViStra Growth Partners, Inc. (the
_Registrable ViStra Shares_); (ii) the acquisition of (a) Dow Guarantee Corp.
(_Dow_) or (b) Capital Funding of South Florida, Inc. (_Capital_), collectively
referred to herein as the (the _Registrable Acquisition Shares_) or (iii) the
subsequent acquisition of companies as detailed in the Company_s SEC documents
(the _Future Registrable Acquisition Shares_).
(c) The Registrable ViStra Shares, Registrable Acquisition
Shares and Future Registrable Acquisition Shares detailed in Section 5(b) have
certain registration rights as defined in this Section 5(c). The ViStra
Registrable Shares will be registered simultaneous with the Common Stock issued
to the Buyer upon conversion of the debenture as provided for in this agreement.
The Registrable Acquisition Shares and the Future Registrable Acquisition Shares
shall be provided with _piggyback_ registration rights to include their shares
in a registration statement filed by the Company with the Securities and
Exchange Commission pursuant to a secondary offering of the Company_s Common
Shares. Such registration rights will be subject to whatever restrictions may be
imposed upon the sale of such shares by the underwriters of the secondary
offering, if any, provided however that the shares will be subject to a minimum
twelve month lock-up from the effective date of a registration statement for the
shares to be sold pursuant to the secondary offering.
(d) Except as otherwise provided for in this Section 5,
neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has, as of the date hereof, nor
shall the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, on or after the date of this
Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities that is
inconsistent with the rights granted to the Investors in this Agreement or
otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof. Neither the Company nor any of
its subsidiaries has previously entered into any agreement granting any
registration rights with respect to any of its securities to any Person. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, without the written consent of the
Investors holding a majority of the Registrable Securities, the Company shall
not grant to any person the right to request
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the Company to register any securities of the Company under the Securities Act
unless the rights so granted are subject in all respects to the prior rights in
full of the Investors set forth herein, and are not otherwise in conflict or
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement and the other Transaction
Agreements.
6. INDEMNIFICATION. In the event any Registrable Securities
are included in a Registration Statement under this Agreement:
(a) To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify
and hold harmless each Investor who holds such Registrable Securities, the
directors, if any, of such Investor, the officers, if any, of such Investor,
each person, if any, who controls any Investor within the meaning of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act (each, an "Indemnified Person" or
_Indemnified Party_), against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
expenses (joint or several) incurred (collectively, "Claims") to which any of
them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise,
insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or
threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any of the
following statements, omissions or violations in the Registration Statement, or
any post-effective amendment thereof, or any prospectus included therein: (i)
any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereof or the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii)
any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
the final prospectus (as amended or supplemented, if the Company files any
amendment thereof or supplement thereto with the SEC) or the omission or alleged
omission to state therein any material fact necessary to make the statements
made therein, in light of the circumstances under which the statements therein
were made, not misleading or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the
Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities law or any
rule or regulation under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state
securities law (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii) being,
collectively, "Violations"). Subject to clause (b) of this Section 6, the
Company shall reimburse the Investors, promptly as such expenses are incurred
and are due and payable, for any legal fees or other reasonable expenses
incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification
agreement contained in this Section 6(a) shall not (I) apply to a Claim arising
out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any
Indemnified Person expressly for use in connection with the preparation of the
Registration Statement or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto, if
such prospectus was timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section
3(c) hereof; (II) be available to the extent such Claim is based on a failure of
the Investor to deliver or cause to be delivered the prospectus made available
by the Company; or (III) apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if
such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company,
which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Each Investor will indemnify
the Company and its officers, directors and agents (each, an "Indemnified
Person" or _Indemnified Party_) against any claims arising out of or based upon
a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished in writing
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to the Company, by or on behalf of such Investor, expressly for use in
connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, subject to such
limitations and conditions as are applicable to the Indemnification provided by
the Company to this Section 6. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and
effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Indemnified
Person and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by the
Investors pursuant to Section 9.
(b) Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or
Indemnified Party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any
action (including any governmental action), such Indemnified Person or
Indemnified Party shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any
indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a
written notice of the commencement thereof and the indemnifying party shall have
the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so
desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume
control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the
indemnifying party and the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party, as the
case may be. In case any such action is brought against any Indemnified Person
or Indemnified Party, and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement
thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the
extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly
notified, assume the defense thereof, subject to the provisions herein stated
and after notice from the indemnifying party to such Indemnified Person or
Indemnified Party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the
indemnifying party will not be liable to such Indemnified Person or Indemnified
Party under this Section 6 for any legal or other reasonable out-of-pocket
expenses subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party
in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of
investigation, unless the indemnifying party shall not pursue the action of its
final conclusion. The Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party shall have the
right to employ separate counsel in any such action and to participate in the
defense thereof, but the fees and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of such
counsel shall not be at the expense of the indemnifying party if the
indemnifying party has assumed the defense of the action with counsel reasonably
satisfactory to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party. The failure to
deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the
commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any
liability to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6,
except to the extent that the indemnifying party is prejudiced in its ability to
defend such action. The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made
by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the
investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred
and is due and payable.
7. CONTRIBUTION. To the extent any indemnification by an
indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party
agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it
would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by
law; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that (a) no contribution shall be made under
circumstances where the maker would not have been liable for indemnification
under the fault standards set forth in Section 6; (b) no seller of Registrable
Securities guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section
11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any seller
of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of such fraudulent
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misrepresentation; and (c) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities
shall be limited in amount to the net amount of proceeds received by such seller
from the sale of such Registrable Securities.
8. REPORTS UNDER EXCHANGE ACT. With a view to making available
to the Investors the benefits of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act
or any other similar rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit
the Investors to sell securities of the Company to the public without
registration ("Rule 144"), the Company agrees to:
(a) make and keep public information available, as those terms
are understood and defined in Rule 144;
(b) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other
documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act;
and
(c) furnish to each Investor so long as such Investor owns
Registrable Securities, promptly upon request, (i) a written statement by the
Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of Rule 144, the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (ii) a copy of the most recent annual or
quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents so filed by
the Company and (iii) such other information as may be reasonably requested to
permit the Investors to sell such securities pursuant to Rule 144 without
registration.
9. ASSIGNMENT OF THE REGISTRATION RIGHTS. The rights to have
the Company register Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be
automatically assigned by the Investors to any transferee of the Registrable
Securities (or all or any portion of any unconverted Debenture or unexercised
Warrant) only if: (a) the Investor agrees in writing with the transferee or
assignee to assign such rights, and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the
Company within a reasonable time after such assignment, (b) the Company is,
within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with
written notice of (i) the name and address of such transferee or assignee and
(ii) the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being
transferred or assigned, (c) immediately following such transfer or assignment
the further disposition of such securities by the transferee or assignee is
restricted under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, and
(d) at or before the time the Company received the written notice contemplated
by clause (b) of this sentence the transferee or assignee agrees in writing with
the Company to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein. In the event
of any delay in filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement as a
result of such assignment, the Company shall not be liable for any damages
arising from such delay, or the payments set forth in Section 2(c) hereof
arising from such delay.
10. AMENDMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS. Any provision of this
Agreement may be amended and the observance thereof may be waived (either
generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or
prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and Investors who
hold an eighty (80%) percent interest of the Registrable Securities. Any
amendment
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or waiver effected in accordance with this Section 10 shall be binding upon each
Investor and the Company.
11. MISCELLANEOUS.
(a) A person or entity is deemed to be a holder of Registrable
Securities whenever such person or entity owns of record such Registrable
Securities. If the Company receives conflicting instructions, notices or
elections from two or more persons or entities with respect to the same
Registrable Securities, the Company shall act upon the basis of instructions,
notice or election received from the registered owner of such Registrable
Securities.
(b) Notices required or permitted to be given hereunder shall
be given in the manner contemplated by the Agreement, (i) if to the Company or
to the Initial Investor, to their respective address contemplated by the
Agreement, and (iii) if to any other Investor, at such address as such Investor
shall have provided in writing to the Company, or at such other address as each
such party furnishes by notice given in accordance with this Section 11(b).
(c) Failure of any party to exercise any right or remedy under
this Agreement or otherwise, or delay by a party in exercising such right or
remedy, shall not operate as a waiver thereof.
(d) This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York for contracts to be wholly
performed in such state and without giving effect to the principles thereof
regarding the conflict of laws. Each of the parties consents to the jurisdiction
of the federal courts whose districts encompass any part of the City of New York
or the state courts of the State of New York sitting in the City of New York in
connection with any dispute arising under this Agreement and hereby waives, to
the maximum extent permitted by law, any objection, including any objection
based on FORUM NON COVENIENS, to the bringing of any such proceeding in such
jurisdictions. To the extent determined by such court, the Company shall
reimburse the Buyer for any reasonable legal fees and disbursements incurred by
the Buyer in enforcement of or protection of any of its rights under this
Agreement.
(e) If any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or
unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not
affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement or the
validity or enforceability of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
(f) Subject to the requirements of Section 9 hereof, this
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and
assigns of each of the parties hereto.
(g) All pronouns and any variations thereof refer to the
masculine, feminine or neuter, singular or plural, as the context may require.
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(h) The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of
reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning thereof.
(i) This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which shall
constitute one and the same agreement. This Agreement, once executed by a party,
may be delivered to the other party hereto by telephone line facsimile
transmission of a copy of this Agreement bearing the signature of the party so
delivering this Agreement.
(j) The Company acknowledges that any failure by the Company
to perform its obligations under Section 3(a) hereof, or any delay in such
performance could result in loss to the Investors, and the Company agrees that,
in addition to any other liability the Company may have by reason of such
failure or delay, the Company shall be liable for all direct damages caused by
any such failure or delay, unless the same is the result of force majeure.
Neither party shall be liable for consequential damages.
(k) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the
parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. There are no
restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth
or referred to herein. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and
understandings among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter
hereof. This Agreement may be amended only by an instrument in writing signed by
the party to be charged with enforcement thereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to
be duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of
the day and year first above written.
COMPANY:
AMERICA'S SENIOR FIANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
By:
-----------------------------------
Name:
Title:
INITIAL INVESTOR:
By:
-----------------------------------
Name:
Title:
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