THE ELMET GROUP CO. [●] Shares of Common Stock (par value $0.001 per share) Underwriting Agreement
Exhibit 1.1
THE ELMET GROUP CO.
[●] Shares of Common Stock
(par value $0.001 per share)
[●], 2026
Cantor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
As Representative of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule A hereto
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
New York, NY 10022
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The Elmet Group Co., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of [●] shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”). The [●] Shares to be sold by the Company are called the “Firm Shares.” In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional [●] Shares (the “Over-Allotment Option”). The additional [●] Shares to be sold by the Company pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option are collectively called the “Over-Allotment Option Shares.” The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent the Over-Allotment Option is exercised, the Over-Allotment Option Shares, are collectively called the “Offered Shares.” ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. (“▇▇▇▇▇▇”) has agreed to act as representative of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representative”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares. To the extent there are no additional underwriters listed on Schedule A, the term “Underwriter” as used herein shall mean Cantor, as Underwriter, and the term “Underwriters” shall mean either the singular or the plural, as the context requires.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ has agreed to reserve a portion of the Offered Shares to be purchased by it under this agreement (the “Agreement”) for sale to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and business associates and other parties related to the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in the Prospectus (as defined below) under the heading “Underwriting” (the “Directed Share Program”), subject to the terms of this Agreement, the applicable rules, regulations and interpretations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (“FINRA”) and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Directed Share Program shall be administered by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company LLC. The Offered Shares to be sold by ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and its affiliates pursuant to the Directed Share Program, at the direction of the Company, are referred to hereinafter as the “Directed Shares.” Any Directed Shares not orally confirmed for purchase by any Participant by the end of the Business Day (as defined below) on which this Agreement is executed may be offered to the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Prospectus.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-294725). Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and from and after the date and time of filing of any such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The preliminary prospectus dated April [●], 2026 describing the Offered Shares and the offering thereof is called the “Preliminary Prospectus,” and the Preliminary Prospectus and any other prospectus in preliminary form that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (as defined below) is called a “preliminary prospectus.” As used herein, the term “Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Offered Shares or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act. The Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), a registration statement (as amended, the “Exchange Act Registration Statement”) on Form 8-A (File No. [●]) under the Exchange Act to register, under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, the Shares.
As used herein, the “Applicable Time” is [●][a.m.][p.m.] (New York time) on [●]. As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus, as amended or supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule B hereto and the pricing information set forth on Schedule C hereto. As used herein, “Road Show” means a “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the offering of the Offered Shares contemplated hereby that is a “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act). As used herein, “Section 5(d) Written Communication” means each written communication (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that is made in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act by the Company or any person authorized to act on behalf of the Company to one or more potential investors that are qualified institutional buyers (“QIBs”) and/or institutions that are accredited investors (“IAIs”), as such terms are respectively defined in Rule 144A and Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act, to determine whether such investors might have an interest in the offering of the Offered Shares; “Section 5(d) Oral Communication” means each oral communication, if any, made in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act by the Company or any person authorized to act on behalf of the Company made to one or more QIBs and/or one or more IAIs to determine whether such investors might have an interest in the offering of the Offered Shares; “Marketing Materials” means any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Offered Shares, including any Road Show or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); and “Permitted Section 5(d) Communication” means the Section 5(d) Written Communication(s) and Marketing Materials listed on Schedule D attached hereto.
All references in this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, or any free writing prospectus, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“▇▇▇▇▇”) and (ii) the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any “electronic Prospectus” provided for use in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares as contemplated by Section 3(n).
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The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters as follows:
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date of this Agreement, the Applicable Time, the First Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) and each Option Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), if any, as follows:
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act. The Company has complied, to the Commission’s satisfaction, with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information, if any. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission. The Exchange Act Registration Statement has become effective as provided in Section 12 of the Exchange Act.
(b) Disclosure. Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic transmission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, was identical (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act) to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became or becomes effective and at all subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and will 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 not misleading. As of the Applicable Time, the Time of Sale Prospectus did not, and at the time of each sale of the Offered Shares and at the First Closing Date (as defined in Section 2), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus, as of its date and (as then amended or supplemented) at all subsequent times, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(b). There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.
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(c) Free Writing Prospectuses; Road Show. As of the determination date referenced in Rule 164(h) under the Securities Act, the Company was not, is not or will not be (as applicable) an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Each free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending, and each such free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Shares did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus and not superseded or modified. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule B, and electronic Road Shows, if any, furnished to the Representative before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the Representative’s prior written consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus. Each Road Show, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(d) Emerging Growth Company. From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Section 5(d) Written Communication or Section 5(d) Oral Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).
(e) Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Section 5(d) Written Communication or Section 5(d) Oral Communication and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representative to engage in such Permitted Section 5(d) Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representative has been authorized to act on its behalf in conveying Marketing Materials, Section 5(d) Oral Communications and Section 5(d) Written Communications. The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Section 5(d) Written Communications. Any individual Permitted Section 5(d) Communication does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus, and when taken together with the Time of Sale Prospectus as of the Applicable Time, did not, and as of the First Closing Date and as of each Option Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company has filed publicly on ▇▇▇▇▇ at least 15 calendar days prior to any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act), any confidentially submitted registration statement and registration statement amendments relating to the offer and sale of the Offered Shares.
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(f) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. Prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the Over-Allotment Option to the several Underwriters in Section 2, (ii) the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares and (iii) the expiration of 25 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representative, and the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule B hereto and any Permitted Section 5(d) Communications.
(g) Financial Information. The consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company and the Subsidiaries (as defined below) as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity of the Company for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act and in conformity with GAAP (as defined below) applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that are not included as required; the Company and the Subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; and all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus and the free writing prospectuses, if any, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. The financial data set forth in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Prospectus Summary—Summary Financial Information,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Capitalization” fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. The pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(h) Conformity with ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇. The Preliminary Prospectus and Final Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement will be identical to the versions of the Preliminary Prospectus and Final Prospectus created to be transmitted to the Commission for filing via ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
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(i) Organization. The Company and each of its subsidiaries (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) (the “Subsidiaries”) are duly organized, validly existing as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, and in good standing under the Laws (as defined below) of their respective jurisdictions of organization. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are duly licensed or qualified as a foreign corporation for transaction of business and in good standing under the Laws of each other jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such license or qualification, and have all corporate power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on or affect the assets, business, operations, earnings, properties, condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or prevent or materially interfere with the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(j) Subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the equity interests of the Subsidiaries free and clear of any lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal or other restriction. All the equity interests of the Subsidiaries are validly issued and are fully paid, nonassessable and free of preemptive and similar rights. No Subsidiary has outstanding any options to purchase, or any rights or warrants to subscribe for, or any securities or obligations convertible into, or exchangeable for, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any shares of its capital stock or other securities. No Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(k) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any Law of any Governmental Authority (as defined below), except, in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such violation or default that could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, no other party under any material contract or other agreement to which it or any of the Subsidiaries is a party is in default in any respect thereunder.
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(l) No Material Adverse Effect. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and the free writing prospectuses, if any, there has not been (i) any Material Adverse Effect or the occurrence of any development that could, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) any transaction which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iii) any obligation or liability, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iv) any material change in the capital stock or outstanding long-term indebtedness of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(m) Capitalization. The issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or similar rights. The Company has an authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as of the dates referred to therein (other than the grant of additional options under the Company’s existing equity incentive or stock option plans, or changes in the number of outstanding Shares due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise or conversion of securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Shares outstanding on the date hereof) and such authorized capital stock conforms to the description thereof set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. The description of the Shares in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus is complete and accurate in all material respects. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, as of the date referred to therein, the Company does not have outstanding any options to purchase, or any rights or warrants to subscribe for, or any securities or obligations convertible into, or exchangeable for, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any shares of capital stock or other securities.
(n) Authorization; Enforceability. The Company has full legal right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and perform the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles.
(o) Authorization of the Offered Shares. The Offered Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor pursuant to this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim, including any statutory or contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights, and will be registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act. The Offered Shares, when issued, will conform to the description thereof set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
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(p) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any Governmental Authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale by the Company of the Offered Shares, except for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities Laws or Laws of FINRA or the Capital Market tier of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) in connection with the sale of the Offered Shares.
(q) No Preferential Rights. Except as expressly disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus: (i) no person, as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act (each, a “Person”), has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to issue or sell to such Person any Shares or shares of any other capital stock or other securities of the Company, other than pursuant to outstanding stock appreciation rights and shares of restricted stock subject to vesting criteria held by certain of the Company’s non-executive employees as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; (ii) no Person has any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal, rights of co-sale, or any other rights (whether pursuant to a “poison pill” provision or otherwise) to purchase any Shares or shares of any other capital stock or other securities of the Company; (iii) no Person has the right to act as an underwriter or financial advisor to the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares; and (iv) no Person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to require the Company to register under the Securities Act the offer and sale of any Shares or shares of any other capital stock or other securities of the Company, or to include any such shares or other securities in Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby, whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise.
(r) Independent Public Accounting Firm. RSM US, LLP (the “Accountant”), whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company is filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, are and, during the periods covered by their report, were an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). To the best of the Company’s knowledge, the Accountant is not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 (the “▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act”) with respect to the Company.
(s) Enforceability of Agreements. To the best of the Company’s knowledge and belief, all agreements between the Company or one of its Subsidiaries and third parties referenced in the Prospectus are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company or such Subsidiary enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that (i) enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles and (ii) the indemnification provisions of certain agreements may be limited by federal or state securities Laws or public policy considerations in respect thereof.
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(t) No Litigation. There are no actions, suits or proceedings by or before any Governmental Authority pending, nor any audits or, to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, any investigations, by or before any Governmental Authority, to which the Company or a Subsidiary is a party or to which any property of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is the subject that could, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such actions, suits, proceedings, audits or investigations are threatened or contemplated by any Governmental Authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending audits, actions, suits, proceedings or investigations by or before any Governmental Authority that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that are not so described; and (ii) there are no contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not so filed.
(u) Consents and Permits. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and each Subsidiary possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, or has any reason to believe that it will receive, any written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit.
(v) Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries own, possess, license or have other rights to use all foreign and domestic patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, Internet domain names, know-how and other intellectual property (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as now conducted except to the extent that the failure to own, possess, license or otherwise hold adequate rights to use such Intellectual Property could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. To the best of the Company’s knowledge and except, in the case of any of clauses (i)-(vii) below, for any such infringement by third parties or any such pending or threatened suit, action, proceeding or claim as could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect: (i) there are no rights of third parties to any such Intellectual Property owned by the Company and the Subsidiaries; (ii) there is no infringement by third parties of any such Intellectual Property; (iii) there is no pending or, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s and the Subsidiaries’ rights in or to any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (iv) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property; (v) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or the Subsidiaries infringe or otherwise violate any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others; (vi) there is no third-party U.S. patent or published U.S. patent application which contains claims for which an Interference Proceeding (as defined in 35 U.S.C. § 135) has been commenced against any patent or patent application described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus as being owned by or licensed to the Company; and (vii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have complied with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company or such Subsidiary, and all such agreements are in full force and effect.
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(w) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company and the Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are: (i) adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries as currently conducted: and (ii) free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards designed to maintain and protect (i) their material confidential information (including “Personal Data,” as such term is defined under applicable Laws) in their possession or control and (ii) the integrity, operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems used in connection with their businesses. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, or that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to IT Systems or Personal Data in the Company’s and the Subsidiaries’ possession or control. The Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable Laws, internal policies and contractual obligations governing the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
(x) No Material Defaults. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has defaulted on any installment on indebtedness for borrowed money or on any rental on one or more long-term leases, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, and neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has failed to pay any dividend or sinking fund installment on preferred stock, which defaults or failures could, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(y) Certain Market Activities. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or of any “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act (“Regulation M”)) with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.
(z) Broker/Dealer Relationships. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries (i) is required to register as a “broker” or “dealer” in accordance with the provisions of the Exchange Act or (ii) directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is a “person associated with a member” or “associated person of a member” (within the meaning set forth in the FINRA Manual).
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(aa) No Reliance. The Company has not relied upon the Underwriters or legal counsel for the Underwriters for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares.
(bb) Taxes. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries have filed all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed and paid all taxes shown thereon through the date hereof, to the extent that such taxes have become due and are not being contested in good faith, except where the failure to so file or pay could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries which has had, or could have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any federal, state or other governmental tax deficiency, penalty or assessment which has been or might be asserted or threatened against it which could, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(cc) Title to Real and Personal Property. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all items of real property owned by them, and good and valid title to all personal property described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus as being owned by them that are material to the businesses of the Company or such Subsidiary, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and claims, except those matters that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and any of the Subsidiaries or (ii) could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Any real or personal property described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus as being leased by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is held by them under valid, existing and enforceable leases, except those that (A) do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or (B) could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the properties of the Company and the Subsidiaries complies with all applicable Laws (including building and zoning Laws and Laws relating to access to such properties) except for such failures to comply that could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company or the Subsidiaries has received from any Governmental Authorities any notice of any condemnation of, or zoning change affecting, the properties of the Company and the Subsidiaries, and the Company knows of no such condemnation or zoning change which is threatened, except for such that could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(dd) Environmental Laws. The Company and the Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign Laws relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus; and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except, in the case of any of clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) above, for any such failure to comply or failure to receive required permits, licenses, other approvals or liability as could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(ee) Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintain systems of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as expressly described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective, and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements of the Company included in the Time of Sale Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15) for the Company and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the Company and each of the Subsidiaries is made known to the certifying officers by others within those entities. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements of the Company included in the Time of Sale Prospectus, there have been no significant changes in the Company’s internal controls (as such term is defined in Item 307(b) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) or, to the Company’s knowledge, in other factors that could significantly affect the Company’s internal controls.
(ff) Accounting Controls. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company and the Subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls designed, and which the Company believes sufficient, to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls. The Accountant and the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised in writing of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
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(gg) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any applicable provisions of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(hh) Brokers. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has incurred any liability for any finder’s fees, brokerage commissions or similar payments in connection with the transactions herein contemplated, except as may otherwise exist with respect to or pursuant to this Agreement.
(ii) Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened which could, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(jj) Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is, or will be, either after receipt of payment for the Offered Shares or after the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
(kk) Operations. The operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable money laundering, financial record keeping and reporting requirements and counter-terrorism financing Laws, rules and regulations, including but not limited to the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the anti-money laundering Laws and counter-terrorism financing Laws, rules and regulations of all jurisdictions to which the Company or the Subsidiaries are subject, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Authority (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no investigation, action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Authority involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
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(ll) Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company, on the one hand, and/or any of its affiliates and any unconsolidated entity, on the other hand, including any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity (each, an “Off-Balance Sheet Transaction”) that could reasonably be expected to affect materially the Company’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources, including those Off-Balance Sheet Transactions described in the Commission’s Statement about Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Release Nos. 33-8056; 34-45321; FR-61), required to be described in the Prospectus which have not been described as required.
(mm) ERISA. Each material employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company and any of the Subsidiaries has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred which would result in a material liability to the Company with respect to any such plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; and for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions.
(nn) Forward-Looking Statements. Each financial or operational projection or other “forward-looking statement” (as defined by Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (i) was so included by the Company in good faith and with reasonable basis after due consideration by the Company of the underlying assumptions, estimates and other applicable facts and circumstances and (ii) is accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying those factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statement. No such statement was made with the knowledge of an executive officer or director of the Company that it was false or misleading.
(oo) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
(pp) Insurance. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company and each of the Subsidiaries reasonably believe are adequate for the conduct of their business and the maintenance of their properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries; and neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that any material capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
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(qq) Government Contracts and Government Bids. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has complied in all material respects with: (i) all terms and conditions of each Government Contract and Government Bid; (ii) all legal requirements applicable to each such Government Contract and Government Bid; and (iii) all representations, certifications and disclosure statements made by or submitted on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to each Government Contract and Government Bid, and all such representations, certifications and disclosure statements were current, accurate, and complete in all material respects as of the date of submission. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has identified or received written or, to the Company’s knowledge, oral notice of any actual or alleged violation or breach of any statute, regulation, representation, certification, disclosure obligation, or term or condition of a Government Contract or Government Bid that would reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received written or, to the Company’s knowledge, oral notice of termination for cause or default, cure notice, show cause notice, or stop work order relating to any Government Contract, other than with respect to any ordinary course of business termination for convenience due to a change in scope of a Government Contract. No Government Contract has been terminated for default or cause and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no facts or circumstances exist upon which a termination for convenience, default, or cause may be based in the future. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received written or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, oral notice of any pending or threatened investigation, prosecution, or administrative proceeding or audit related to any Government Contract or Government Bid. None of the Company, any Subsidiary, any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s owners, officers or directors, or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any of its subcontractors, employees, consultants, agents, or representatives, is currently debarred or suspended from doing business with any Governmental Authority, or proposed for debarment or suspension, or otherwise ineligible to hold, perform, or bid on any Government Contract. To the Company’s knowledge, there exist no facts or circumstances that would be reasonably likely to result in a suspension, debarment proceeding or ineligibility on the part of the Company, any Subsidiary, or any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s owners, officers, or directors. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has been determined to be ineligible for award or received a negative determination of responsibility or an adverse or negative past performance evaluation or rating with respect to any Government Contract or Government Bid, and there exist (i) no outstanding claims, requests for equitable adjustment, or disputes against the Company or a Subsidiary by a Governmental Authority, prime contractor, subcontractor, or whistleblower arising under any Government Contract; (ii) to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no facts over which a claim, request for equitable adjustment, or dispute would reasonably be expected to arise in the future; and (iii) no bid protests relating to a Government Contract or Government Bid.
(rr) Export Control and Import Compliance. The Company, the Subsidiaries, its or their directors and officers and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, employees, are and have been in compliance, in all material respects, with (i) all applicable trade, export control, import and antiboycott laws and regulations imposed, administered or enforced by the U.S. government, including: (a) laws, regulations and policies enforced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection; (b) the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. § 1778) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 C.F.R. Part 120 et seq.) administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls; (c) the Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. Part 730 et seq.) administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security; (d) the U.S. anti-boycott regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and the IRS; (e) all laws concerning export and import reporting administered by the U.S. Census Bureau; (f) the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. §§ 1701–1706); the Foreign Trade Regulations (15 C.F.R. Part 30); and the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. §§ 4801-4861), and (ii) the antiboycott Laws and regulations imposed, administered or enforced by any other country, except to the extent inconsistent with U.S. law (collectively, the “Export Control and Import Laws”). The Company and the Subsidiaries have obtained all registrations, approvals, license exceptions, and licenses necessary for exporting, importing, conducting their operations, and providing their products and services in accordance with all Export Control and Import Laws (collectively, the “Export Approvals”), and have complied with the terms of all Export Approvals in all material respects.
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(ss) No Improper Practices. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries, nor any director or officer, nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee of the Company or any Subsidiary or any other agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has undertaken or is aware of any of the following: (i) in the past five years and in connection with, or to further, the Company’s business, made any unlawful contributions to any candidate for any political office (or failed fully to disclose any contribution in violation of applicable Law) or made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state, municipal, or foreign office or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duty in violation of any applicable Law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus; (ii) any relationship, direct or indirect, that exists between or among the Company or any Subsidiary or any affiliate of any of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers and stockholders of the Company or any Subsidiary, on the other hand, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that is not so described; (iii) any relationship, direct or indirect, that exists between or among the Company or any Subsidiary or any affiliate of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, or stockholders of the Company or any Subsidiary, on the other hand, that is required by the rules of FINRA to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that is not so described; (iv) that there are any outstanding loans or advances or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or any Subsidiary to or for the benefit of any of their respective officers or directors or any of the members of the families of any of them; (v) that the Company has not offered, or caused any placement agent to offer, Shares to any person with the intent to influence unlawfully (A) a customer or supplier of the Company or any Subsidiary to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or any Subsidiary or (B) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective products or services; and (vi) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor any director, officer or employee of the Company or any Subsidiary or any agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary has (A) violated or is in violation of any applicable provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Official in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption Law (collectively, “Anti-Corruption Laws”), (B) promised, offered, provided, attempted to provide or authorized the provision of anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any person for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, influencing any act or decision of the recipient or securing any improper advantage, or (C) made any payment of funds of the Company or any Subsidiary or received or retained any funds in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws. The Company and the Subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and Anti-Corruption Laws.
(tt) No Conflicts. Neither the execution of this Agreement, nor the issuance, offering or sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, nor the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated herein and therein, nor the compliance by the Company with the terms and provisions hereof and thereof will conflict with, or will result in a breach of, any of the terms and provisions of, or has constituted or will constitute a default under, or has resulted in or will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any contract or other agreement to which the Company or any Subsidiary may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject, except (i) such conflicts, breaches or defaults as may have been waived and (ii) such conflicts, breaches and defaults that could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; nor will such action result in (x) any violation of the provisions of the organizational or governing documents of the Company or any Subsidiary, or (y) any material violation of the provisions of any statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary.
(uu) Sanctions.
(i) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, is an individual, or entity (in this paragraph (vv), “Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:
(A) the subject or target of any sanctions or trade embargoes administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state or the United Kingdom (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor
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(B) operating from, located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions that broadly prohibit dealings with that country or territory (including, as of the date of this Agreement, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk Regions of the Ukraine) (the “Sanctioned Countries”).
(ii) Since [●], 2021, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has engaged in, and none of them are now engaging in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or target of Sanctions or is or was a Sanctioned Country.
(vv) Compliance with Laws. To the best of the Company’s knowledge, the Company and each of the Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable Laws (including all environmental Laws), except where failure to be so in compliance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to cause a Material Adverse Effect, in the jurisdictions in which they carry on business; neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice of non-compliance, and the Company does not know of, or have reasonable grounds to know of, any facts that could give rise to a notice of non-compliance with any such Laws, and is not aware of any pending change or contemplated change to any applicable Law or governmental positions.
(ww) Statistical and Market-Related Data. All statistical, demographic and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate or represent the Company’s good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources.
(xx) Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and have been approved for listing on Nasdaq, subject only to official notice of issuance.
(yy) Related-Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.
(zz) FINRA Matters. All of the information provided to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters related to FINRA matters by the Company, its counsel, its officers and directors and the holders of any securities (debt or equity) or options to acquire any securities of the Company in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares is true, complete and correct and any letters, filings or other supplemental information provided by such persons to FINRA is true, complete and correct.
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(aaa) Parties to Lock-Up Agreements. The Company has furnished to the Underwriters a letter agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lock-up Agreement”) from the holders of all of the Company’s outstanding capital stock and each of the persons listed on Exhibit B. Such Exhibit B lists under an appropriate caption the directors and officers of the Company. If any additional persons shall become directors or officers of the Company prior to the end of the Company Lock-up Period (as defined below), the Company shall cause each such person, prior to or contemporaneously with their appointment or election as a director or officer of the Company, to execute and deliver to the Underwriters a Lock-up Agreement.
(bbb) FINCEN Beneficial Ownership Certification. As required by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network within the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Company has delivered to the Representative, on or prior to the date of execution of this Agreement, such beneficial ownership certifications and information as the Representative may have requested, together with copies of identifying documentation, and the Company undertakes to provide such additional information and supporting documentation as the Representative may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing certification.
(ccc) Directed Share Program. The Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and any preliminary prospectus comply, and any amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency, other than those obtained, is required in connection with the offering of the Directed Shares in any jurisdiction where the Directed Shares are being offered. The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, Shares to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company, or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products.
(ddd) No Ratings. There are (and prior to the Closing Date, will be) no debt securities, convertible securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act.
(eee) No Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock. The issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby will not cause any holder of any shares of capital stock, securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital stock or options, warrants or other rights to purchase capital stock or any other securities of the Company to have any right to acquire any shares of preferred stock of the Company.
(fff) No Contract Terminations. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement, which threat of termination or non-renewal has not been rescinded as of the date hereof.
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(ggg) Dividend Restrictions. None of the Subsidiaries is prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying dividends to the Company, or from making any other distribution with respect to such Subsidiary’s equity securities or from repaying to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company any amounts that may from time to time become due under any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any property or assets to the Company or to any other Subsidiary.
Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and delivered to any Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering, or the purchase and sale, of the Offered Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
The Company has a reasonable basis for making each of the representations set forth in this Section 1. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 6, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.
2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Offered Shares.
(a) The Firm Shares. Upon the terms herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of [●] Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A. The purchase price per Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company shall be $[●] per share.
(b) The First Closing Date. Settlement of the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representative) at [●] a.m. Eastern time, on [●], or such other time and date not later than [●] p.m. Eastern time, on [●] as the Representative shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “First Closing Date”). The Company hereby acknowledges that circumstances under which the Representative may provide notice to postpone the First Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are not limited to, any determination by the Company or the Representative to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Section 11.
(c) The Over-Allotment Option Shares; Option Closing Date. In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants the Over-Allotment Option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of [●]Over-Allotment Option Shares from the Company at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares. The Over-Allotment Option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time in whole or in part upon notice by the Representative to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within 30 days from the date of this Agreement. Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Over-Allotment Option Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the Over-Allotment Option and (ii) the time, date and place at which the Over-Allotment Option Shares will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the First Closing Date, the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of the Firm Shares and such Over-Allotment Option Shares). Any such time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called an “Option Closing Date,” shall be determined by the Representative, and shall not be earlier than one or later than five full Business Days after delivery of such notice of exercise. If any Over-Allotment Option Shares are to be purchased, (A) each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Over-Allotment Option Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representative may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Over-Allotment Option Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares and (B) the Company agrees to sell the number of Over-Allotment Option Shares set forth in the paragraph “Introductory” of this Agreement (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representative may determine). The Representative may cancel the Over-Allotment Option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company.
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(d) Public Offering of the Offered Shares. The Representative hereby advises the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, initially on the terms set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Offered Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed as the Representative, in its sole judgment, has determined is advisable and practicable.
(e) Payment for the Offered Shares.
(i) Payment for the Offered Shares shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, payment for the Over-Allotment Option Shares shall be made at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.
(ii) It is understood that the Representative has been authorized, for its own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Shares and any Over-Allotment Option Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, individually and not as the Representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Offered Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representative by the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.
(f) Delivery of the Offered Shares. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), to the Representative for the accounts of the several Underwriters, the Firm Shares at the First Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The Company shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered through the facilities of DTC unless the Representative shall otherwise instruct, to the Representative for the accounts of the several Underwriters, the Over-Allotment Option Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, against the release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. If the Representative so elects, delivery of the Offered Shares may be made by credit to the accounts designated by the Representative through DTC’s full fast transfer or DWAC programs. The certificates, if any, for the Offered Shares shall be registered in such names and denominations as the Representative shall have requested at least two full Business Days prior to the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) and shall be made available for inspection on the Business Day preceding the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) at a location in New York City as the Representative may designate. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.
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3. Additional Covenants of the Company.
The Company further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Delivery of Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus. The Company shall furnish to the Representative, without charge, [●] signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and shall furnish to the Representative in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with the sale of the Offered Shares, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Representative may reasonably request.
(b) Representative’s Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), the Company (i) will furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable period of time prior to the proposed time of filing of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, a copy of each such amendment or supplement and (ii) will not amend or supplement the Registration Statement without the Representative’s prior written consent. Prior to amending or supplementing any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the time of filing or use of the proposed amendment or supplement, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement. The Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Representative’s prior written consent. The Company shall file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
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(c) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto prepared by or on behalf of, used by or referred to by the Company, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Representative’s prior written consent. The Company shall furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by or referred to by the Company as such Underwriter may reasonably request. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with the sale of the Offered Shares (but in any event if at any time through and including the First Closing Date) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not conflict with information contained in the Registration Statement and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Representative’s prior written consent.
(d) Filing of Underwriter Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(e) Amendments and Supplements to Time of Sale Prospectus. If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Offered Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the Time of Sale Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable Law, the Company shall (subject to Section 3(b) and Section 3(c)) promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable Law.
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(f) Certain Notifications and Required Actions. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Representatives in writing of: (i) the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission; (ii) the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus; (iii) the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective; and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Shares from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with all applicable provisions of Rule 424(b), Rule 433 and Rule 430A under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(g) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus so that the Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable Law, the Company agrees (subject to Section 3(b) and Section 3(c)) to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable Law. Neither the Representative’s consent to, nor delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Section 3(b) or Section 3(c).
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(h) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Offered Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky Laws or Canadian provincial securities Laws (or other foreign Laws) of those jurisdictions designated by the Representative, shall comply with such Laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Representative promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(j) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.
(k) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representative as soon as practicable an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company commencing after the date of this Agreement that will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(l) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Offered Shares as contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), file on a timely basis with the Commission and Nasdaq all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.
(m) Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Offered Shares on Nasdaq.
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(n) Company to Provide Copy of the Prospectus in Form That May be Downloaded from the Internet. If requested by the Representative, the Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered, at its expense, within one Business Day from the effective date of this Agreement, to the Representative, an “electronic Prospectus” to be used by the Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares. As used herein, the term “electronic Prospectus” means a form of Time of Sale Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that may be transmitted electronically by the Representative and the other Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Offered Shares; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper Time of Sale Prospectus, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic Prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that will allow investors to store and have continuously ready access to the Time of Sale Prospectus at any future time, without charge to investors (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time). The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇ or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(o) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares. During the period commencing on and including the date hereof and continuing through and including the 180th day following the date of the Prospectus (such period, as extended as described below, being referred to herein as the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly or indirectly: (i) sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend any Shares or Related Securities (as defined below); (ii) effect any short sale, or establish or increase any “put equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) of any Shares or Related Securities; (iii) pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in any Shares or Related Securities; (iv) in any other way transfer or dispose of any Shares or Related Securities; (v) enter into any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of any Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise; (vi) announce the offering of any Shares or Related Securities; (vii) file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of any Shares or Related Securities (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Offered Shares); or (viii) publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing; provided, however, that the Company may (A) sell the Offered Shares pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and (B) issue Shares, Related Securities or options to purchase Shares, or issue Shares upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, but only if the holders of such Shares or options agree in writing with the Underwriters not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such Shares or options during the Lock-up Period without the prior written consent of Cantor (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion). For purposes of the foregoing, “Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for, or convertible into, Shares.
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(p) Future Reports to the Representative. During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representative, c/o Cantor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Equity Capital Markets, Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇, with copies to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: General Counsel, Email: ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇: (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such fiscal year and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company’s independent public or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other report filed by the Company with the Commission, FINRA or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report or communication of the Company furnished or made available generally to holders of its capital stock; provided, however, that the requirements of this Section 3(p) shall be satisfied to the extent that such reports, statement, communications, financial statements or other documents are available on ▇▇▇▇▇.
(q) Emerging Growth Company. The Company will promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of Shares within the meaning of the Securities Act and (ii) completion of the Lock-Up Period.
(r) Investment Limitation. The Company shall not invest or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
(s) No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. The Company will not take, and will ensure that no affiliate of the Company will take, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to activities by the Underwriters, any action designed to or that might cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.
(t) Enforce Lock-up Agreements. During the Lock-up Period, the Company will enforce all agreements between the Company and any of its security holders that restrict or prohibit, expressly or in operation, the offer, sale or transfer of Shares or Related Securities or any of the other actions restricted or prohibited under the terms of the form of Lock-up Agreement. In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements, including “lock-up” agreements entered into by the Company’s officers, directors and stockholders pursuant to Section 6(d) hereof.
(u) Company to Provide Interim Financial Statements. Prior to the First Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date, the Company will furnish the Underwriters, as soon as they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
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(v) Amendments and Supplements to Permitted Section 5(d) Communications. If at any time following the distribution of any Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Permitted Section 5(d) Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Permitted Section 5(d) Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.
(w) Directed Share Program. In connection with the Directed Share Program, the Company will ensure that the Directed Shares will be restricted to the extent required by FINRA or its rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of three months following the date of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of time. Should the Company release, or seek to release, from such restrictions any of the Directed Shares, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for any reasonable expenses (including, without limitation, legal expenses) they incur in connection with such release. The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(x) Announcement Regarding Lock-ups. The Company agrees to announce the Representative’s intention to release any director or “officer” (within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of the Company from any of the restrictions imposed by any Lock-up Agreement, by issuing, through a major news service, a press release, in the form set forth in Exhibit C hereto, promptly following the Company’s receipt of any notification from the Representative in which such intention is indicated, but in any case not later than the close of the third Business Day prior to the date on which such release or waiver is to become effective; provided, however, that nothing shall prevent the Representative, on behalf of the Underwriters, from announcing the same through a major news service, irrespective of whether the Company has made the required announcement; and provided, further, that no such announcement shall be made of any release or waiver granted solely to permit a transfer of securities that is not for consideration and where the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the terms of a Lock-up Agreement in the form set forth as Exhibit A hereto.
(y) Sanctions.
(i) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries covenants that it will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering and sale of the Shares, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions or is a Sanctioned Country; or
(B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
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(ii) The Company will not engage in any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is the subject of Sanctions or is a Sanctioned Country.
The Representative, on behalf of the several Underwriters, may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.
4. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay or reimburse all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Offered Shares (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares to the Underwriters; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, each free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and each preliminary prospectus, each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws, and, if requested by the Representative, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey,” and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions; (vii) the costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Underwriters in connection with determining their compliance with the rules and regulations of FINRA related to the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Shares, including any related filing fees and the legal fees of, and disbursements by, counsel to the Underwriters; (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show,” any Permitted Section 5(d) Communication or any Section 5(d) Oral Communication undertaken in connection with the offering of the Shares, including expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the Representative, employees and officers of the Company and any such consultants; (ix) all fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the registration statement on Form 8-A relating to the Shares and all fees and expenses associated with listing the Offered Shares on Nasdaq; (x) all costs and expenses of the Underwriters, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, in connection with matters related to the Directed Shares which are designated by the Company for sale to Participants; and (xi) all other fees, costs and expenses of the nature referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the Registration Statement. Any such amount payable to the Underwriters may be deducted from the purchase price for the Offered Shares. Except as provided in this Section 4 or in Section 7, Section 9 or Section 10, or in the engagement letter dated October 23, 2025 (the “Engagement Letter”), the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.
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5. Covenant of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter severally and not jointly covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not, but for such actions, be required to be filed by the Company under Rule 433(d).
6. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The respective obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares as provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Over-Allotment Option Shares, each Option Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Over-Allotment Option Shares, as of each Option Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a) Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representative shall receive from RSM US, LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, and each free writing prospectus, if any.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from FINRA. For a period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to any Over-Allotment Option Shares purchased after the First Closing Date, each Option Closing Date:
(i) The Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective.
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission.
(iii) FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(c) No Material Adverse Effect. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to any Over-Allotment Option Shares purchased after the First Closing Date, each Option Closing Date, in the judgment of the Representative there shall not have occurred any material adverse change in the authorized capital stock of the Company or any Material Adverse Effect or any development that could cause a Material Adverse Effect.
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(d) Lock-up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative an agreement in the form of Exhibit A hereto from each director and officer (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act), and holders of all of the Company’s outstanding capital stock and each such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.
(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Schole LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative.
(f) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, dated as of such date.
(g) Officers’ Certificate. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer or President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such date, to the effect set forth in Section 6(b)(ii) and further to the effect that:
(i) for the period from and including the date of this Agreement through and including such date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Effect;
(ii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1 are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such date; and
(iii) the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such date.
(h) Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a certificate executed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such date, in the form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.
(i) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representative shall have received from RSM US, LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, which letter shall: (i) reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to Section 6(a), except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three Business Days prior to the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be; and (ii) cover certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, Prospectus, and each free writing prospectus, if any.
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(j) Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. In the event that a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission on the date of this Agreement and shall have become effective automatically upon such filing.
(k) Nasdaq. The Offered Shares shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq, subject only to receipt of official notice of issuance.
(l) Additional Documents. On or before each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably request for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein and in connection with the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.
If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice from the Representative to the Company at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Over-Allotment Option Shares, at any time on or prior to the applicable Option Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
7. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. Subject to the terms of Section 4 of the Engagement Letter, if this Agreement is terminated by the Representative pursuant to Section 6, Section 11 or Section 12, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Offered Shares on the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representative and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representative and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, including fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.
8. Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
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9. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates and their respective partners, members, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls each Underwriter or any affiliate within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus, any Marketing Material, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Authority, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 9(d)) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be delayed, conditioned or withheld; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Authority, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission (whether or not a party), to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made solely in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information (as defined below).
(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and its directors, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 9(a), as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing), in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to such Underwriter and furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter or Underwriters expressly for use therein. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriter or Underwriters has furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing) are the statements set forth in the [fifth] paragraph under the caption “Underwriting,” the [first and second] sentences of the [first] paragraph, the [first] sentence of the [second] paragraph, the [second and third] sentences of the [third] paragraph and the [second] sentence of the [fourth] paragraph under the caption “Underwriting—Market Making, Stabilization and Other Transactions,” the [first, second, third and fifth] sentences under the heading “Underwriting—Passive Market Making” and the [first, second and third] sentences under the heading “Underwriting—Electronic Distribution” in the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus (the “Underwriter Information”).
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(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 9 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 9, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from (i) any liability that it might have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 9 and (ii) any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provision of this Section 9 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of, the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any other legal expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (A) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (B) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (C) a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (D) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action or counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, in each case, within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action; in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction (plus local counsel) at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. An indemnifying party will not, in any event, be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 9 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (x) includes an express and unconditional release of each indemnified party, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (y) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
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(d) Settlement Without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for reasonable fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 9(a)(ii) (including with respect to a settlement relating to the Directed Shares) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(e) Directed Share Program Indemnification. In connection with the offer and sale of the Directed Shares, the Company agrees, promptly upon a request in writing, to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters from and against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by any of them as a result of the failure of the Participants to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares which, by the end of the Business Day on which this Agreement is executed, were subject to a properly confirmed agreement to purchase. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters and their respective affiliates, partners, members, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any of the Underwriters or any of their affiliates within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Underwriters or such controlling person may become subject, which is (i) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program (including any prospectus wrapper material distributed in connection with the reservation and sale of Directed Shares) or caused by any 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) caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that such Participant agreed to purchase; or (iii) related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program. The indemnity agreement set forth in this paragraph shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.
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10. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of Section 9 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable or insufficient from the Company or the Underwriters, the Company and the Underwriters will contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted) to which any indemnified party may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares (or Directed Shares in the case of indemnification pursuant to Section 9(e)) (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total compensation received by the Underwriters (before deducting expenses) from the sale of Offered Shares (or Directed Shares in the case of indemnification pursuant to Section 9(e)) on behalf of the Company. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable Law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, with respect to the statements or omission that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 10 were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 10 shall be deemed to include, for the purpose of this Section 10, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim to the extent consistent with Section 9(c). Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Section 9 and this Section 10, the Underwriters shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the commissions actually received by it under this Agreement and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 10, any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act, any affiliates of the respective Underwriters and any officers, directors, partners, employees or agents of the Underwriters or their respective affiliates, will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each director of the Company and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 10, will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify will not relieve that party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 10 except to the extent that the failure to so notify such other party materially prejudiced the substantive rights or defenses of the party from whom contribution is sought. Except for a settlement entered into pursuant to the last sentence of Section 9(c), no party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent if such consent is required pursuant to Section 9(c).
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11. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the First Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, the Representative may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Shares by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representative with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the First Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representative and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.
As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 11. Any action taken under this Section 11 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
12. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the purchase of the Firm Shares by the Underwriters on the First Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice given to the Company if at any time: (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by Nasdaq, or trading in securities generally on either Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal, or New York authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the sole judgment of the Representative is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the sole judgment of the Representative there shall have occurred any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the business, properties, earnings, results of operations or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the sole judgment of the Representative may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of (A) the Company to any Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representative and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 4 or Section 7 hereof or (B) any Underwriter to the Company; provided, however, that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
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13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Offered Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand; (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, or its creditors, employees or any other party; (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company; and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
14. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, its officers and the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, affiliates, officers, directors or employees or any controlling person, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
15. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
| If to the Representative: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. |
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
New York, NY 10022
Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇;
▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇
Facsimile: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: General Counsel
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| with a copy to: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP |
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
Chicago, IL 60603
Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇.
| If to the Company: | The Elmet Group Co. |
2 Portland Fish Pier
Suite 214
Portland, ME 04101
Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, General Counsel
| with a copy to: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Schole LLP |
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
New York, NY 10105
Attn: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose. Each such notice or other communication shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally or by verifiable facsimile transmission (with an original to follow) on or before 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on a Business Day or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day, (ii) on the next Business Day after timely delivery to a nationally-recognized overnight courier and (iii) on the Business Day actually received if deposited in the U.S. mail (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid).
16. Electronic Notice. An electronic communication (“Electronic Notice”) shall be deemed written notice for purposes of this Section 16 if sent to the electronic mail address specified by the receiving party under separate cover. Electronic Notice shall be deemed received at the time the party sending Electronic Notice receives verification of receipt by the receiving party. Any party receiving Electronic Notice may request and shall be entitled to receive the notice on paper, in a nonelectronic form (“Nonelectronic Notice”) which shall be sent to the requesting party within ten (10) days of receipt of the written request for Nonelectronic Notice.
17. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and the Underwriters and their respective successors and the parties referred to in Section 11. References to any of the parties contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the successors and permitted assigns of such party. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Neither party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, however, that the Representative may assign its rights and obligations hereunder to an affiliate thereof without obtaining the Company’s consent.
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18. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
19. Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability; Waiver. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto issued pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company and the Representative. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the parties as reflected in this Agreement. No implied waiver by a party shall arise in the absence of a waiver in writing signed by such party. No failure or delay in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any right, power, or privilege hereunder.
20. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS. SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
21. CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND AGREES NOT TO ASSERT IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING, ANY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH COURT, THAT SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM OR THAT THE VENUE OF SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS IMPROPER. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS AND CONSENTS TO PROCESS BEING SERVED IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF (CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED) TO SUCH PARTY AT THE ADDRESS IN EFFECT FOR NOTICES TO IT UNDER THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREES THAT SUCH SERVICE SHALL CONSTITUTE GOOD AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE THEREOF. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO LIMIT IN ANY WAY ANY RIGHT TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW.
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22. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered by facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf) or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000 or the New York Electronic Signature and Records Act or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
23. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
As used in this Section 23:
“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
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“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
24. Construction.
(a) The section and exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof;
(b) words defined in the singular shall have a comparable meaning when used in the plural, and vice versa;
(c) the words “hereof,” “hereto,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import, when used in this Agreement, shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement;
(d) wherever the word “include,” “includes” or “including” is used in this Agreement, it shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”;
(e) references herein to any gender shall include each other gender;
(f) references herein to any law, statute, ordinance, code, regulation, rule or other requirement of any Governmental Authority shall be deemed to refer to such law, statute, ordinance, code, regulation, rule or other requirement of any Governmental Authority as amended, reenacted, supplemented or superseded in whole or in part and in effect from time to time and also to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;
(g) if the last day for the giving of any notice or the performance of any act required or permitted under this Agreement is a day that is not a Business Day, then the time for the giving of such notice or the performance of such action shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day;
(h) “knowledge” means, as it pertains to the Company, the actual knowledge of the officers and directors of the Company, together with the knowledge which such officers and directors would have had if they had conducted a reasonable inquiry of the relevant persons into the relevant subject matter;
(i) “Governmental Authority” means (i) any federal, provincial, state, local, municipal, national or international government or governmental authority, regulatory or administrative agency, governmental commission, department, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality, court, tribunal, arbitrator or arbitral body (public or private); (ii) any self-regulatory organization; or (iii) any political subdivision of any of the foregoing;
(j) “Government Bid” means any quotation, offer, bid or proposal made by the Company or a Subsidiary that, if accepted, would result in or lead to a Government Contract (as defined below). For avoidance of doubt, the term Government Bid includes only quotations, offers, bids or proposals that have not expired and for which award has not been made.
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(k) “Government Contract” means any contract, task order, delivery order, purchase order, grant, program or other binding commitment between the Company or any Subsidiary, on the one hand, and an agency of the United States or an agency of any of its respective States, or any municipality, or an agency of a foreign sovereign or agency of a provincial, regional, or metropolitan government thereof, or any intergovernmental agency or quasi-governmental agency, on the other hand. “Government Contract” also includes any subcontract, subgrant, reseller agreement, or other agreement (at any tier) of the Company or any Subsidiary, (i) with another entity under a prime contract held by the Company or a Subsidiary, and (ii) with another entity that holds either a prime contract or other agreement with such a governmental agency or a subcontract or other agreement (at any tier) under such a prime contract.
(l) “Law” means any and all laws, including all federal, state, local, municipal, national or foreign statutes, codes, ordinances, guidelines, decrees, rules, regulations and by-laws and all judicial, arbitral, administrative, ministerial, departmental or regulatory judgments, orders, directives, decisions, rulings or awards or other requirements of any Governmental Authority, binding on or affecting the person referred to in the context in which the term is used and rules, regulations and policies of any stock exchange on which securities of the Company are listed for trading; and
(m) “Business Day” means any day on which the Nasdaq and commercial banks in the City of New York are open for business.
25. General Provisions.
Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including the indemnification provisions of Section 9 and the contribution provisions of Section 10, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 hereof fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, each free writing prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements to the foregoing), as contemplated by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
[Signature Page Follows]
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and the Underwriters, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and the Underwriters.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| THE ELMET GROUP CO. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| ACCEPTED as of the date first-above written: | ||
| CANTOR ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| For itself and the other several Underwriters named in Schedule A to this Agreement. | ||
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SCHEDULE A
| Underwriters | Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased | |||
| Cantor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. | [●] | |||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, LLC | [●] | |||
| Canaccord Genuity LLC | [●] | |||
| ▇▇▇▇ Capital Partners, LLC | [●] | |||
| Total | [●] |
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SCHEDULE B
Free Writing Prospectuses Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus
[None]
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Schedule C
Pricing Information
Firm Shares: [●]
Over-Allotment Option Shares: [●]
Price to Public: $[●]
Underwriters’ Discount: $[●]
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Schedule D
Permitted Section 5(d) Communications
| 1. |
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Exhibit A
Form of Lock-up Agreement
Cantor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
New York, New York 10022
Attn: Equity Capital Markets
Re: Proposed Initial Public Offering by The Elmet Group Co.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, a direct or indirect securityholder and/or officer and/or a director of The Elmet Group Co., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), understands that the Company proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., as representative of the several underwriters named therein (the “Representative”) relating to the proposed initial public offering (the “Offering”) of shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”). The undersigned acknowledges that the underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this lock-up agreement in conducting the Offering and in entering into the Underwriting Agreement and other related arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.
In recognition of the benefit that the Offering will confer upon the undersigned as a securityholder and/or officer and/or a director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not (and will cause any immediate family member not to), without the prior written consent of the Representative, which may withhold its consent in its sole discretion, directly or indirectly, (i) sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend, effect any short sale or establish or increase a Put Equivalent Position (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) or liquidate or decrease any Call Equivalent Position (as defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act), pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in, or in any other way transfer or dispose of, any Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, in each case whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”), (ii) make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of the Lock-Up Securities, or the filing of any registration statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement (or an amendment or supplement thereto) in connection therewith, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”); provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Company of a registration statement on Form S-8 (or an amendment or supplement thereto) that relates to any of the Lock-Up Securities, (iii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequence of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or (iv) publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions below, the undersigned may transfer the Lock-Up Securities pursuant to clauses (i) through (vii) below without the prior written consent of the Representative, provided that (1) prior to any such transfer, the Representative receives a signed lock-up agreement, substantially in the form of this lock-up agreement, for the balance of the Lock-Up Period from each donee, trustee, distributee or transferee, as the case may be, (2) any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (3) in the case of clauses (i) through (vi) below, such transfers are not required to be reported with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act, and (4) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such transfers:
(i) as a bona fide gift or gifts; or
(ii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned (for purposes of this lock-up agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin); or
(iii) to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other business entity all of the equity holders of which consist of the undersigned and/or the immediate family of the undersigned; or
(iv) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity: (a) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the undersigned (with “control” being as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act); or (b) in the form of a distribution to limited partners, limited liability company members or stockholders of the undersigned; or
(v) if the undersigned is a trust, to the beneficiary of such trust; or
(vi) pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement; or
(vii) by will or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir, beneficiary or immediate family of the undersigned upon the death of the undersigned.
The undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any Common Stock the undersigned may purchase or otherwise receive in the Offering (including pursuant to the Directed Share Program).
The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Lock-Up Securities except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any shares of Common Stock and/or any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Common Stock or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Common Stock, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Common Stock, owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.
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In addition, if the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Representative agrees that, at least three (3) business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of Lock-Up Securities, the Representative will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company (in accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement) will announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Representative hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if both (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter agreement that are applicable to the transferor to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.
The undersigned confirms that the undersigned has not, and has no knowledge that any immediate family member has, directly or indirectly, taken any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale of the Common Stock. The undersigned will not, and will cause any immediate family member not to take, directly or indirectly, any such action.
As used herein, “immediate family” shall mean the spouse, domestic partner, lineal descendant, father, mother, brother, sister, or any other person with whom the undersigned has a relationship by blood, marriage or adoption not more remote than first cousin.
The undersigned represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power, capacity and authority to enter into this letter agreement. This letter agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned.
This lock-up agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Whether or not the Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the underwriters.
This lock-up agreement shall automatically terminate, and the undersigned shall be released from its obligations hereunder, upon the earliest to occur, if any, of (i) the Company advising the Representative in writing, prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that it has determined not to proceed with the Offering, (ii) the executed Underwriting Agreement being terminated prior to the closing of the Offering (other than the provisions thereof that survive termination), and (iii) June 30, 2026, in the event that the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by such date.
[Signature Page Follows]
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| Very truly yours, | ||
| Name of Securityholder/Director/Officer | ||
| (Print exact name) | ||
| By: | ||
| Signature | ||
| If not signing in an individual capacity: | ||
| Name of Authorized Signatory | ||
| (Print) | ||
| Title of Authorized Signatory | ||
| (Print and indicate capacity of person signing if signing as custodian, trustee or on behalf of an entity) | ||
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Exhibit B
Parties to Lock-up Agreement
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Exhibit C
Form of Lock-up Release Announcement
[Name of Company]
[Date]
[Name of Issuer] (the “Company”) announced today that ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., the lead book-running manager in the Company’s recent public sale of [ ] shares of common stock is [waiving][releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [ ] shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver][release] will take effect on [ ], 20[ ], and the shares may be sold on or after such date.
This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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