Exhibit 10.1

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is dated as of September 25, 2007, between ImageWare Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “ Purchaser ” and collectively the “ Purchasers ”).

WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described in this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:

ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS

1.1           Definitions .  In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:

“ Action ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).

“ Affiliate ” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.  With respect to a Purchaser, any investment fund or managed account that is managed on a discretionary basis by the same investment manager as such Purchaser will be deemed to be an Affiliate of such Purchaser.

“ Board of Directors ”  means the board of directors of the Company.

“ Business Day ” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.

“ Closing ” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.

“ Closing Date ” means the Trading Day when all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities have been satisfied or waived.

“ Commission ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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“ Common Stock ” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed into.

“ Common Stock Equivalents ” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.

“Company Counsel” means Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, with offices located at 3579 Valley Centre Drive, San Diego, CA 92130.

“ Disclosure Schedules ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1.

“ Effective Date ” means the date that the initial Registration Statement filed by the Company pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement is first declared effective by the Commission.

“ Evaluation Date ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(r).

“ Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“ Exempt Issuance ” means the issuance of (a) (I) shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the Company and (II) up to 250,000 shares of Common Stock or options (subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits and the like) to consultants of the Company in any rolling 12-month period, in each case pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any Securities issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise, exchange or conversion price of such securities, including shares of Common Stock issuable in lieu of cash dividends on the Company’s outstanding Preferred Stock, and (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and in which the Company receives benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities.

 

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 “ FWS ” means Feldman Weinstein & Smith LLP with offices located at 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2620, New York, New York 10170-0002.

“ GAAP ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).

“ Indebtedness ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(aa).

 “ Intellectual Property Rights ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(o).

“ Legend Removal Date ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.1(c).

“ Liens ” means a lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.

“ Material Adverse Effect ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).

“ Material Permits ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(m).

“ Participation Maximum ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.12.

“ Per Share Purchase Price ” equals $1.50, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.

“ Person ” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.

“ Pre-Notice ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.12.

“ Proceeding ” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.

“ Purchaser Party ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.

“ Registration Rights Agreement ” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated the date hereof, among the Company and the Purchasers, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.

“ Registration Statement ” means a registration statement meeting the requirements set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement and covering the resale by the Purchasers of the Shares and the Warrant Shares.

 

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“ Required Approvals ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).

“ Rule 144 ” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

“ SEC Reports ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).

“ Securities ” means the Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares.

“ Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

“ Shares ” means the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement.

“ Short Sales ” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of borrowable shares of Common Stock). 

 “ Subscription Amount ” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Shares and Warrants purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.

“ Subsequent Financing ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.12.

“ Subsequent Financing Notice ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.12.

“ Subsidiary ” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a) , and shall, where applicable, include any subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.

 “ Trading Day ” means a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.

“ Trading Market ” means the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange or the OTC Bulletin Board.

“ Transaction Documents ” means this Agreement, the Warrants, the Registration Rights Agreement, all schedules and exhibits thereto and hereto, and any other

 

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documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.

“ Transfer Agent ” means ComputerShare Trust Company, N.A., with a mailing address of 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021 and a facsimile number of (617) 575-2549, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

“ VWAP ” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted for trading as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time); (b)  if the OTC Bulletin Board is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the OTC Bulletin Board; (c) if the Common Stock is not then quoted for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by Pink Sheets, LLC (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported; or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Shares then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company.

“ Warrants ” means, collectively, the Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Warrants shall become exercisable 6 months and 1 day following their issuance and have a term of exercise equal to five years, in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto.

“ Warrant Shares ” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.

ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE

2.1           Closing .  On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, up to an aggregate of $3,500,000 of Shares and Warrants, at a purchase price of $1.50 per share.  Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company, via wire transfer or a certified check, immediately available funds equal to its Subscription Amount and the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares and a Warrant as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing.  Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur at the offices of FWS or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree.

 

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2.2           Deliveries .

(a)           On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:

(i)            this Agreement duly executed by the Company;

(ii)           a legal opinion of Company Counsel, substantially in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto;

(iii)          a certificate evidencing a number of Shares equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price, registered in the name of such Purchaser;

(iv)          a Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 50% of the Shares issuable to such Purchaser hereunder, with an exercise price equal to $1.67, subject to adjustment therein; and

 

(v)           the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by the Company.

(b)           On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company the following:

(i)            this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;

(ii)           such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount by wire transfer to the Company;

(iii)          if such Purchaser is an individual, such Purchaser shall provide the Company with an accredited investor questionnaire in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Company; and

(iv)          the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser.

2.3           Closing Conditions .

(a)           The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:

 

(i)            the accuracy in all material respects on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein;

(ii)           all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and

 

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(iii)          the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.

(b)           The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:

(i)            the accuracy in all material respects on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein;

(ii)           all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;

(iii)          the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;

(iv)          there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof; and

(v)           from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s principal Trading Market (except for any suspension of trading of limited duration agreed to by the Company, which suspension shall be terminated prior to the Closing), and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of each Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the Closing.

ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

3.1           Representations and Warranties of the Company .  Except as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation or warranty otherwise made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in the corresponding section of the Disclosure Schedules, and except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:

(a)           Subsidiaries .  All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth on Schedule 3.1(a) .  The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to

 

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subscribe for or purchase securities.  If the Company has no subsidiaries, then all other references to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be disregarded.

(b)           Organization and Qualification .  The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization (as applicable), with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation or default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents.  Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “ Material Adverse Effect ”) and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.

(c)           Authorization; Enforcement .  The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by each of the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder.  The execution and delivery of each of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals.  Each Transaction Document has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.

(d)           No Conflicts .  The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Securities by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or

 

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charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a material default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(e)           Filings, Consents and Approvals .  The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than (i) filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement, (iii) application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Securities for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby and (iv) the filing of Form D with the Commission and such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “ Required Approvals ”).

(f)            Issuance of the Securities .  The Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company other than restrictions on transfer provided for in the Transaction Documents.  The Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company other than restrictions on transfer provided for in the Transaction Documents.  The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the number of shares of Common Stock initially issuable pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrants.

(g)           Capitalization .  The capitalization of the Company is as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g) , which Schedule 3.1(g) shall also include the number of shares of Common Stock owned beneficially, and of record, by Affiliates of the Company as of the date hereof. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s incentive plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans and pursuant to the conversion or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act.  No Person

 

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has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.  Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents.  The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.  No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities.  There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.

(h)           SEC Reports; Financial Statements .  The Company has complied in all material respects with requirements to file all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being collectively referred to herein as the “ SEC Reports ”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension.  Except to the extent corrected by subsequent SEC Reports or amendments to a prior SEC Report, as of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing.  Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“ GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved, except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.

 

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(i)            Material Changes .  Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any material liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans or securities outstanding as of the date hereof.  The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information.  Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on Schedule 3.1(i) , no event, liability or development has occurred or exists with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective business, properties, operations or financial condition, that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.

(j)            Litigation .  There is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, Proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “ Action ”) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty.  There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company.  The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.

(k)           Labor Relations .  No material labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are

 

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good.  No executive officer, to the knowledge of the Company, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters.  The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(l)            Compliance .  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is in material default under or in material violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other material agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, is in violation of any order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body, or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws applicable to its business and all such laws that affect the environment, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(m)          Regulatory Permits .  The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“ Material Permits ”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.

(n)           Title to Assets .  The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties.  Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.

 

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(o)           Patents and Trademarks .  To the Company’s knowledge, the Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or material for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “ Intellectual Property Rights ”).  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any Subsidiary violates or infringes upon the intellectual property rights of any Person.  To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights.  The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(p)           Insurance .  The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as the Company deems adequate for the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to the aggregate Subscription Amount.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has 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 from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.

(q)           Transactions with Affiliates and Employees .  Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess of $100,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.

(r)            Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls .  The Company is in material compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which are applicable to it as of the Closing Date.  The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii)

 

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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. The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms.  The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by the Company’s most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “ Evaluation Date ”).  The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date.  Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no material changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(s)           Certain Fees .  Except for fees payable to Empire Financial Group (“ Empire ”), no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.  The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

(t)            Private Placement . Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2 and the accuracy of the statements made to the Company by the placement agent to this transaction, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Securities by the Company to the Purchasers as contemplated hereby. The issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market.

(u)           Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.  The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(v)           Registration Rights .  Other than each of the Purchasers, no Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company that are currently not satisfied.

(w)          Listing and Maintenance Requirements .  The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no

 

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action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration.  The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance in all material respects with all such listing and maintenance requirements, provided that the price of the Common Stock continues to meet the minimum price requirements for continued listing on the Trading Market; and provided further that the Company makes no warranty as to the future price of its Common Stock and its impact on such listing or maintenance requirements.

(x)            Application of Takeover Protections .  The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.

(y)           Disclosure .  Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information.   The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.  All disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company, its business and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct in all material respects and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.

(z)            No Integrated Offering . Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2 and the accuracy of the statements made to the placement agents to the transaction contemplated hereunder, neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of (i) the Securities Act

 

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which would require the registration of any such securities under the Securities Act, or (ii) any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.

(aa)         Solvency .  Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature.  The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt).  The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date.  The SEC Reports set forth as of the respective dates thereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments.  For the purposes of this Agreement, “ Indebtedness ” means (a) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (b) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (c) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.

(bb)         Tax Status .  Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and each Subsidiary has filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and has paid or accrued all taxes shown as due thereon, and the Company has no knowledge of a tax deficiency which has been asserted or threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary.

(cc)         No General Solicitation .  Assuming the accuracy of the statements made to the placement agents to the transaction contemplated hereunder, the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising.  The Company has offered the Securities for sale only to the Purchasers and certain other “accredited investors” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act.

(dd)         Foreign Corrupt Practices.   Neither the Company, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully

 

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any contribution made by the Company (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.

(ee)            Accountants .  The Company’s accounting firm is set forth on Schedule 3.1(ee) .  To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2007.

(ff)           No Disagreements with Accountants and Lawyers .  There are no disagreements of any kind presently existing, or reasonably anticipated by the Company to arise, between the Company and the independent auditing firms and outside counsel formerly or presently employed by the Company which could affect the Company’s ability to perform any of its obligations under any of the Transaction Documents, and the Company is current with respect to any fees owed to its independent auditing firm and outside counsel.

(gg)         Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities .  The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby.  The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities.  The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.

(hh)         Acknowledgement Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity .  Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(f) and 4.14 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company (i) that none of the Purchasers have been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii) that past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) that any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Stock, and (iv) that each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction.   The Company further understands and acknowledges that (a) one or more Purchasers may

 

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engage in hedging activities at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, including, without limitation, during the periods that the value of the Warrant Shares deliverable with respect to Securities are being determined and (b) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders’ equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted.  The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.

(ii)           Regulation M Compliance.   The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities (other than for the placement agents’ placement of the Securities), or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Company’s placement agent in connection with the placement of the Securities.

(jj)           Form S-3 Eligibility .  The Company is eligible to register the resale of the Securities for resale by the Purchaser on Form S-3 promulgated under the Securities Act.

3.2       Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers .  Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows:

(a)           Organization; Authority .  Such Purchaser, if not an individual, is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization with full right, corporate or partnership power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or similar action on the part of such Purchaser.  Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.

(b)           Own Account .  Such Purchaser understands that the Securities are “restricted securities” and have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Securities or any part

 

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thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, has no present intention of distributing any of such Securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws) in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law.  Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business.

(c)           Purchaser Status .  At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and at the date hereof it is, and on each date on which it exercises any Warrants, it will be either: (i) an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501 under the Securities Act or (ii) a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A(a) under the Securities Act.  Such Purchaser is not required to be registered as a broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Exchange Act and all of the SEC Reports have been made available to the Purchaser.

(d)           Experience of Such Purchaser .  Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment.  Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.

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

(f)            Short Sales and Confidentiality Prior To The Date Hereof .  Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, directly or indirectly, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing from the time that such Purchaser first received notice of the identity of the Company as the issuer in the transaction from the Company or any other Person representing the Company contemplated hereunder until the date hereof (“ Discussion Time ”).   Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.  Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement, such Purchaser

 

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has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction).

(g)           No Government Review.   Such Purchaser understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Securities purchased hereunder.

(h)           No Conflict.   The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the transactions and contemplated herein by such Purchaser and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not conflict with or result in any violation of or default by such Purchaser (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation or to a loss of a material benefit under (i) any provision of the organizational documents of such Purchaser, (ii) any material agreement or instrument, permit, franchise, or license or (iii) any judgment, order, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulations, applicable to such Purchaser or its respective properties or assets.

(i)            Brokers.   Each Purchaser has not retained, utilized or been represented by any broker or finder in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(j)            Information.   Each Purchaser and its advisors, if any, have been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company, and materials relating to the offer and sale of the Securities, if any, that have been requested by the Purchaser or its advisors, if any. The Purchaser and its advisors, if any, have been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company. The Purchaser acknowledges and understands that its investment in the Securities involves a significant degree of risk, including the risks reflected in the SEC Reports. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigation conducted by such Purchaser shall modify, limit or otherwise affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement.

ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES

4.1           Transfer Restrictions . 

(a)           The Securities may only be disposed of in compliance with state and federal securities laws.  In connection with any transfer of Securities other than pursuant to an effective registration statement or Rule 144, to the Company or to an Affiliate of a Purchaser or in connection with a pledge as contemplated in Section 4.1(b), the Company may require the transferor thereof to provide to the Company an opinion of counsel selected by the transferor and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that such transfer does not require registration of such transferred Securities under the Securities Act.  As a condition of transfer, any such transferee shall agree in writing to be

 

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bound by the terms of this Agreement and shall have the rights of a Purchaser under this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.

(b)           The Purchasers agree to the imprinting, so long as is required by this Section 4.1, of a legend on any of the Securities in the following form:

THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN  REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY.  THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.

The Company acknowledges and agrees that a Purchaser may from time to time pledge pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement with a registered broker-dealer or grant a security interest in some or all of the Securities to a financial institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and who agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and, if required under the terms of such arrangement, such Purchaser may transfer pledged or secured Securities to the pledgees or secured parties.  Such a pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval of the Company and no legal opinion of legal counsel of the pledgee, secured party or pledgor shall be required in connection therewith.  Further, no notice shall be required of such pledge.  At the appropriate Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Securities, including, if the Securities are subject to registration pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the preparation and filing of any required prospectus supplement under Rule 424(b)(3) under the Securities Act or other applicable provision of the Securities Act to appropriately amend the list of Selling Stockholders thereunder.

(c)           Certificates evidencing the Shares and Warrant Shares shall not contain any legend (including the legend set forth in Section 4.1(b)), (i) while a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) covering the resale of such security is

 

 

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effective under the Securities Act, or (ii) following any sale of such Shares or Warrant Shares pursuant to Rule 144, or (iii) if such Shares or Warrant Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144(k), or (iv) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission).  The Company shall cause its counsel to issue a legal opinion to the Transfer Agent promptly after the Effective Date if required by the Transfer Agent to effect the removal of the legend hereunder.  If all or any portion of a Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the resale of the Warrant Shares, such Warrant Shares shall be issued free of all legends, provided that the holder of the Warrant Shares is not an Affiliate of the Company.  The Company agrees that following the Effective Date or at such time as such legend is no longer required under this Section 4.1(c), it will, no later than three Trading Days following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company or the Transfer Agent of a certificate representing Shares or Warrant Shares, as the case may be, issued with a restrictive legend (such third Trading Day, the “ Legend Removal Date ”), deliver or cause to be delivered to such Purchaser a certificate representing such shares that is free from all restrictive and other legends.  The Company may not make any notation on its records or give instructions to the Transfer Agent that enlarge the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section.  Certificates for Securities subject to legend removal hereunder shall be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Purchaser by crediting the account of the Purchaser’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company System as directed by such Purchaser.

 

(d)           In addition to such Purchaser’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Shares or Warrant Shares (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date such Securities are submitted to the Transfer Agent) delivered for removal of the restrictive legend and subject to Section 4.1(c), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day seven (7) Trading Days after such damages have begun to accrue) for each Trading Day commencing on the second Trading Day after the Legend Removal Date until such certificate is delivered without a legend. Nothing herein shall limit such Purchaser’s right to pursue actual damages for the Company’s failure to deliver certificates representing any Securities as required by the Transaction Documents, and such Purchaser shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief.

(e)           Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, agrees that such Purchaser will sell any Securities pursuant to either the registration requirements of the Securities Act, including any applicable prospectus delivery requirements, or an exemption therefrom, and that if Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement, they will be sold in compliance with the plan of distribution set forth therein, and acknowledges that the removal of the restrictive legend from certificates representing Securities as set forth in this Section 4.1 is predicated upon the Company’s reliance upon this understanding.

 

 

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4.2           Furnishing of Information .   Until the earliest of the time that (i) no Purchaser owns Securities or (ii) the Warrants have expired, the Company covenants to use reasonable efforts to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.  As long as any Purchaser owns Securities, if the Company is not required to file reports pursuant to the Exchange Act, it will prepare and furnish to the Purchasers and make publicly available in accordance with Rule 144(c) such information as is required for the Purchasers to sell the Securities under Rule 144. The Company further covenants that it will take such further action as any holder of Securities may reasonably request, to the extent required from time to time to enable such Person to sell such Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the requirements of the exemption provided by Rule 144.

4.3           Integration .  For a period of six months from the Closing Date, the Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the Securities to the Purchasers for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.

4.4           Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity .  The Company shall, by 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, issue a press release, disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and  by the fourth Trading Day following the date hereof, file a Current Report on Form 8-K, filing the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto.  The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release or otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (i) as required by federal securities law in connection with (A) any registration statement contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement and (B) the filing of final Transaction Documents (including signature pages thereto) with the Commission and (ii) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (ii).

4.5           Shareholder Rights Plan .  No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any

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such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers.

4.6           Non-Public Information .  Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents prior to their public announcement, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that the Company believes constitutes material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have executed a written agreement regarding the confidentiality and use of such information.  The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.

4.7           Use of Proceeds .  Except as set forth on Schedule 4.7 attached hereto, the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital purposes and shall not use such proceeds for (a) the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and prior practices), (b) the redemption of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or (c) the settlement of any outstanding litigation.

4.8           Indemnification of Purchasers .   Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.8, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “ Purchaser Party ”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and reasonable costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against a Purchaser in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is based upon a breach of such Purchaser’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser may have with any such stockholder or any violations by the Purchaser of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser which constitutes fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or malfeasance).  If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party.  To the extent that a Purchaser Party fails to provide timely notice of a claim for indemnity under this Section 4.8, and such failure materially prejudices the Company’s ability to defend against such claim, then the Company shall have no obligation under this Section 4.8 to indemnify the Purchaser Party for the claim (or portion

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thereof) that was so affected. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of such separate counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel.  The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (i) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (ii) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser may have with any such stockholder or any violations by the Purchaser of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser which constitutes fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or malfeasance.

4.9           Reservation of Common Stock . As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue Shares pursuant to this Agreement and Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Warrants.  

4.10         Listing of Common Stock .   The Company hereby agrees to use best efforts to maintain the listing of the Common Stock on a Trading Market, and as soon as reasonably practicable following the Closing (but not later than the earlier of the Effective Date and the first anniversary of the Closing Date) to list all of the Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market, it will include in such application all of the Shares and Warrant Shares, and will take such other action as is reasonably necessary to cause all of the Shares and Warrant Shares to be listed on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible.  The Company will take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market.

4.11         Equal Treatment of Purchasers .  No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of any of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents.  For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise. The provisions of this Section 4.11 notwithstanding, nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit the Company from negotiating and entering into separate settlements with any Purchaser in the event of litigation arising out of the transactions

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contemplated by the Transaction Documents without triggering the obligation to make a similar payment to any other Purchaser.

4.12         [INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

4.13         Subsequent Equity Sales .

(a)           From the date hereof until 90 days after the Effective Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall issue shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents; provided , however , the 90 day period set forth in this Section 4.13 shall be extended for the number of Trading Days during such period in which (i) trading in the Common Stock is suspended by any Trading Market, or (ii) following the Effective Date, the Registration Statement is not effective or the prospectus included in the Registration Statement may not be used by the Purchasers for the resale of the Shares and Warrant Shares.

(b)           From the date hereof until the one year anniversary of the Effective Date, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any Subsequent Financing involving a Variable Rate Transaction.  “ Variable Rate Transaction ” means a transaction in which the Company issues or sells (i) any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional shares of Common Stock either (A) at a conversion, exercise or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock or (ii) enters into any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit, whereby the Company may sell securities at a future determined price.  Any Purchaser shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.

(c)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.13 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.

4.14         Short Sales and Confidentiality After The Date Hereof . Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it have executed or will execute any Short Sales during the period commencing at the Discussion Time and ending at the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced as described in Section 4.4.  Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company as described in Section 4.4, such Purchaser has maintained and will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in the Disclosure Schedules.  Each Purchaser severally and not jointly with any other Purchaser,

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understands and acknowledges, and agrees, to act in a manner that will not violate the positions of the Commission as set forth in Item 65, Section A, of the Manual of Publicly Available Telephone Interpretations, dated July 1997, compiled by the Office of Chief Counsel, Division of Corporation Finance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in Short Sales in the securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced as described in Section 4.4.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.

4.15         Delivery of Securities After Closing .  The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the respective Securities purchased by each Purchaser to such Purchaser within 3 Trading Days of the Closing Date.

4.16         Form D; Blue Sky Filings .  The Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the Securities as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof, promptly upon request of any Purchaser. The Company shall take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to qualify the Securities for, sale to the Purchasers at the Closing under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States, and shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon request of any Purchaser.

4.17         Capital Changes .  Until the one year anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company shall not undertake a reverse or forward stock split or reclassification of the Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Purchasers holding a majority in interest of the Shares unless reasonably required in order to maintain a listing of the Common Stock on the American Stock Exchange. No such separate approval requirement shall exist for any other proposed corporate actions, including, without limitation, any proposed amendments to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation for the purpose of increasing the authorized capital stock of the Company.

ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS

5.1           Termination .  This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before September 31, 2007; provided , however , that no such termination will affect the right of any party to sue for any breach by the other party (or parties).

5.2           Fees and Expenses .  At the Closing, the Company has agreed to reimburse Empire Financial Group (“ Empire ”) the non-accountable sum of $25,000 for its legal fees and expenses,

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none of which has been paid prior to the Closing.  The Company shall deliver, prior to the Closing, a completed and executed copy of the Closing Statement, attached hereto as Annex A .  Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.  The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees, stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.

5.3           Entire Agreement .  The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.

5.4           Notices .  Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2 nd ) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.  The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto.

5.5           Amendments; Waivers .  No provision of this Agreement may be waived or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Purchasers of at least 67% of the Shares still held by the Purchasers or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought.  No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.

5.6           Headings .  The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

5.7           Successors and Assigns .  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns.  The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger).  Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”

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5.8           No Third-Party Beneficiaries .  This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.8.

5.9           Governing Law .  All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.  Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. 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 herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding.  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 via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) 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 other manner permitted by law.  If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

5.10         Survival .  The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Shares and Warrant Shares for the period of the statute of limitations applicable thereto.

5.11         Execution .  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart.  In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” or “.tif” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” or “.tif” signature page were an original thereof.

5.12         Severability .  If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full

 

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force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.

5.13         Rescission and Withdrawal Right .  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided , however , in the case of a rescission of an exercise of a Warrant, the Purchaser shall be required to return any shares of Common Stock delivered in connection with any such rescinded exercise notice.

5.14         Replacement of Securities .  If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of an affidavit of loss or presentation of other evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction.  The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.

5.15         Remedies .  In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents.  The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

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

5.17         Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights .  The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of

 

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any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document.  Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.  Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.  Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in their review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents.  For reasons of administrative convenience only, Purchasers and their respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through FWS.  FWS does not represent all of the Purchasers but only Empire, which has acted as placement agent to the transaction.  The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by the Purchasers.

5.18         Liquidated Damages .  The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.

5.19         Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc.   If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.

5.20         Construction . The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel has reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments hereto.

5.21         Waiver of Jury Trial .  In any action, suit or proceeding in any jurisdiction brought by any party against any other party, the parties each knowingly and intentionally, to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law, hereby absolutely, unconditionally, irrevocably and expressly waives forever trial by jury.

 

(Signature Pages Follow)

 

 

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                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.

 

IMAGEWARE SYSTEMS, INC.			Address for Notice:
By:	/s/ Wayne G. Wetherell		Fax:
	Name: Wayne G. Wetherell
	Title: SVP & CFO, Secretary
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

 

 

 

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]

 

32

 

[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO IW SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.

 

Name of Purchaser:                                                                                                          

 

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser :                                                                                                          

 

Name of Authorized Signatory:                                                                                                          

 

Title of Authorized Signatory:                                                                                                          

 

Email Address of Purchaser:                                                                                                          

 

Fax Number of Purchaser:                                                                                                          

 

Address for Notice of Purchaser:

 

 

 

 

Address for Delivery of Securities for Purchaser (if not same as address for notice):

 

 

 

 

 

Subscription Amount: $                         

 

Shares:                            

 

Warrant Shares:                          

 

EIN Number:  [PROVIDE THIS UNDER SEPARATE COVER]

 

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]

 

33

 

Annex A

 

CLOSING STATEMENT

 

Pursuant to the attached Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereto, the purchasers shall purchase up to $3,500,000 of Common Stock and Warrants from Imageware Systems, Inc. (the “ Company ”).  All funds will be wired into an account maintained by the Company.  All funds will be disbursed in accordance with this Closing Statement.

 

Disbursement Date:            September    , 2007

 

I.  PURCHASE PRICE
Gross Proceeds to be Received		$
II.  DISBURSEMENTS
		$
		$
		$
		$
		$
Total Amount Disbursed:		$
WIRE INSTRUCTIONS :
To:
To:

 

34

Exhibit 10.2

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

                This Registration Rights Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of September 25, 2007, between ImageWare Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) and each of the several purchasers signatory hereto (each such purchaser, a “ Purchaser ” and, collectively, the “ Purchasers ”).

 

                This Agreement is made pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, between the Company and each Purchaser (the “ Purchase Agreement ”).

 

                The Company and each Purchaser hereby agrees as follows:

 

                1.             Definitions

 

                Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Purchase Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

                “ Advice ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).

 

“ Effectiveness Date ” means, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required to be filed hereunder, the 90 ^th calendar day following the date hereof (or, in the event of a “full review” by the Commission, the 135 ^th calendar day following the date hereof) and with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the 90 ^th calendar day following the date on which an additional Registration Statement is required to be filed hereunder; provided , however , that in the event the Company is notified by the Commission that one or more of the above Registration Statements will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further review and comments, the Effectiveness Date as to such Registration Statement shall be the fifth (5th) Trading Day following the date on which the Company is so notified if such date precedes the dates otherwise required above.

 

“ Effectiveness Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).

 

“ Event ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).

 

“ Event Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).

 

“ Filing Date ” means, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the 45 ^th calendar day following the date hereof and, with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the earliest practical date on which the Company is permitted by SEC Guidance to file such additional Registration Statement related to the Registrable Securities.

 

“ Holder ” or “ Holders ” means the holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable Securities.

 

1

 

“ Indemnified Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).

 

“ Indemnifying Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).

 

“ Initial Registration Statement ” means the initial Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement.

 

“ Initial Shares ” means a number of Registrable Securities equal to the lesser of (i) the total number of Registrable Securities and (ii) one-third of the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock that are held by non-affiliates of the Company on the day immediately prior to the filing date of the Initial Registration Statement.

 

“ Losses ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).

 

“ Plan of Distribution ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).

 

“ Prospectus ” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without limitation, a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.

 

“ Registrable Securities ” means (i) all Shares, (ii) all Warrant Shares (assuming on the date of determination the Warrants are exercised in full without regard to any exercise limitations therein), (iii) any additional shares of Common Stock issuable in connection with any anti-dilution provisions in the Warrants (in each case, without giving effect to any limitations on exercise set forth in the Warrant) and (iv) any securities issued or issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other distribution,  recapitalization or similar event with respect to the foregoing; provided, however, that Registrable Securities shall not include those securities that (a) have been effectively registered under Section 5 of the Securities Act and disposed of pursuant to a registration statement or (b) have been transferred pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act or any successor rule.

 

“ Registration Statement ” means the registration statement required to be filed hereunder and any additional registration statements contemplated by Section 3(c), including (in each case) the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

 

2

 

 “ Rule 415 ” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

“ Rule 424 ” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

“ SEC Guidance ” means (i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance, comments, requirements or requests of the Commission staff and (ii) the Securities Act.

 

“ Selling Shareholder Questionnaire ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).

 

                2.             Shelf Registration

 

(a)           On or prior to each Filing Date, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement covering the resale of all or such maximum portion of the Registrable Securities as permitted by SEC Guidance (provided that the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the SEC Guidance, including without limitation, the Manual of Publicly Available Telephone Interpretations D.29) that are not then registered on an effective Registration Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415.  The Registration Statement shall be on Form S-3 (except if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities on Form S-3, in which case such registration shall be on another appropriate form in accordance herewith) and shall contain (unless otherwise directed by at least a 67% majority in interest of the Holders) substantially the “ Plan of Distribution ” attached hereto as Annex A ; provided that such Plan of Distribution section of the Registration Statement shall be amended to the extent required to respond to comments received by the Company from the Commission.  Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section 2(a) to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, but in any event prior to the applicable Effectiveness Date, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earlier of (i) the 2nd anniversary of the Effective Date, or (ii) the date when all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold, or may be sold without volume limitations pursuant to Rule 144(k) (the “ Effectiveness Period ”).  The Company shall telephonically request effectiveness of a Registration Statement as of 5:00 p.m. New York City time on a Trading Day.   The Company shall immediately notify the Holders via facsimile or by e-mail of the effectiveness of a Registration Statement on the same Trading Day that the Company telephonically confirms effectiveness with the

 

3

 

Commission, which shall be the date requested for effectiveness of such Registration Statement.  The Company shall on the Trading Day after the effective date of such Registration Statement, file a final Prospectus with the Commission as required by Rule 424.  Failure to so notify the Holder within two (2) Trading Days of such notification of effectiveness or failure to file a final Prospectus as foresaid shall be deemed an Event under Section 2(b).  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement and subject to the payment of liquidated damages pursuant to Section 2(b), if any SEC Guidance sets forth a limitation on the number of Registrable Securities permitted to be registered on a particular Registration Statement (and notwithstanding that the Company used commercially reasonable efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all or a greater portion of Registrable Securities), unless otherwise directed in writing by a Holder as to its Registrable Securities, the number of Registrable Securities to be registered on such Registration Statement will first be reduced by Registrable Securities represented by Warrant Shares (applied, in the case that some Warrant Shares may be registered, to the Holders on a pro rata basis based on the total number of unregistered Warrant Shares held by such Holders), and second by Registrable Securities represented by Shares (applied, in the case that some shares may be registered, to the Holders on a pro rata basis based on the total number of unregistered Registrable Securities held by such Holders); provided , however , that, prior to any reduction in the number of Registrable Securities included in a Registration Statement as set forth in this sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock set forth on Schedule 6(b) hereto which shall have been included on such Registration Statement shall be reduced by up to 100%.

 

(b)           If: (i) the Initial Registration Statement is not filed on or prior to its Filing Date (if the Company files the Initial Registration Statement without affording the Holders the opportunity to review and comment on the same as required by Section 3(a) herein, the Company shall be deemed to have not satisfied this clause (i)), or (ii) the Company fails to file with the Commission a request for acceleration of a Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 461 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, within five Trading Days of the date that the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the Commission that such Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review, or (iii) prior to the effective date of a Registration Statement, the Company fails to file a pre-effective amendment and otherwise respond in writing to comments made by the Commission in respect of such Registration Statement within fifteen (15) Trading Days after the receipt of comments by or notice from the Commission that such amendment is required in order for such Registration Statement to be declared effective, or (iv) a Registration Statement filed or required to be filed hereunder is not declared effective by the Commission by its Effectiveness Date, or (v) after the effective date of a Registration Statement, such Registration Statement ceases for any reason to remain continuously effective as to all Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement, or the Holders are otherwise not permitted to utilize the Prospectus therein to resell such Registrable Securities, for more than ten (10) consecutive Trading Days or more than an aggregate of twenty (20) calendar days (which need not be consecutive calendar days) during any twelve (12)-month period (any such failure or breach being referred to as an “ Event ”, and for purposes of clause (i), and (iv) the date on which such Event occurs, and for purpose

 

4

 

of clause (ii) the date on which such five Trading Day period is exceeded, and for purpose of clause (iii) the date which such ten (10) Trading Day period is exceeded, and for purpose of clause (v) the date on which such ten (10) or twenty (20) Trading Day period, as applicable, is exceeded being referred to as “ Event Date ”), then, in addition to any other rights the Holders may have hereunder or under applicable law, on each such Event Date and on each monthly anniversary of each such Event Date (if the applicable Event shall not have been cured by such date) until the applicable Event is cured, the Company shall pay to each Holder an amount in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, equal to 1.0% of the aggregate purchase price paid by such Holder pursuant to the Purchase Agreement for any issued and outstanding unregistered Registrable Securities then held by such Holder.  The parties agree that (1) the Company shall not be liable for liquidated damages under this Agreement with respect to any Warrants or Warrant Shares, and (2) the maximum aggregate liquidated damages payable to a Holder unexercised under this Agreement shall be twelve percent (12%) of the aggregate Subscription Amount paid by such Holder pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.  If the Company fails to pay any partial liquidated damages pursuant to this Section in full within seven (7) Trading Days after the date payable, the Company will pay interest thereon at a rate of twelve percent (12%) per annum (or such lesser maximum amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to the Holder, accruing daily from the date such partial liquidated damages are due until such amounts, plus all such interest thereon, are paid in full. The partial liquidated damages pursuant to the terms hereof shall apply on a daily pro rata basis for any portion of a month prior to the cure of an Event; provided that it shall not be deemed an Event if the Company fails to file a Registration Statement or prior to its Filing Date following notification of an objection with respect thereto from the Holders pursuant to Section 3(a) hereof provided that such Registration Statement is filed not later than five (5) Trading Days after receipt by the Company of written notice of the withdrawal of such objection.

 

3.             Registration Procedures .

 

                In connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company shall:

 

(a)           Not less than five (5) Trading Days prior to the initial filing of each Registration Statement and not less than one (1) Trading Day prior to the filing of any related Prospectus or any pre- or post-amendment or supplement thereto or to such Registration Statement (including, upon request of any Holder, any document that would be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, provided that if such request is not made prior to such five (5) or two (2) Trading Day period, as applicable, then the Company’s obligation shall only be to provide such document promptly within a reasonable period of time following such request), the Company shall (i) furnish to each Holder copies of all such documents substantially in the form proposed to be filed (which may be delivered by email or facsimile), which documents (other than those incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference) will be subject to the review of such Holders(provided, however, as to any related Prospectus, amendment or supplement thereto proposed to be filed, the Company shall only be required to provide the Holders

 

5

 

with copies of such documents prior to the filing thereof to the extent there are changes to the Selling Stockholder table or Plan of Distribution contained therein from such sections included in the initial Registration Statement filed hereunder) and (ii) cause its officers and directors, counsel and independent certified public accountants to respond to such inquiries as shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of respective counsel to each Holder, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Company shall not file a Registration Statement or any such Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto relating to the Registrable Securities to which the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities shall reasonably object in good faith, provided that the Company is notified of such objection in writing no later than five (5) Trading Days after the Holders have been so furnished copies of an initial Registration Statement or one (1) Trading Day after the Holders have been so furnished copies of any related Prospectus or pre- or post-effective amendments or supplements thereto or to such Registration Statement. Each Holder agrees to furnish to the Company a completed questionnaire in the form attached to this Agreement as Annex B (a “ Selling Shareholder Questionnaire ”) not less than three Trading Days prior to the Filing Date or by the end of the fourth (4th) Trading Day following the date on which such Holder receives draft materials in accordance with this Section.

 

(b)           (i) Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, to a Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep a Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities; (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this Agreement), and, as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible to any comments received from the Commission with respect to a Registration Statement or any amendment thereto and provide as promptly as reasonably possible to any Holder upon request true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission relating to a Registration Statement (provided that the Company may excise any information contained therein which would constitute material non-public information as to any Holder which has not executed a confidentiality agreement with the Company); and (iv) comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act applicable to the Company with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement during the applicable period in accordance (subject to the terms of this Agreement) with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented.

 

(c)           [INTENTIONALLY DELETED]

 

(d)           Notify the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant to clauses (iii) through (vi) hereof, be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the requisite changes have been made) as promptly as

 

6

 

reasonably possible (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than one (1) Trading Day prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person) confirm such notice in writing no later than one (1) Trading Day following the day (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement is proposed to be filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and, upon request of any Holder, whenever the Commission comments in writing on such Registration Statement; and (C) with respect to a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective; (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (iii) of the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such purpose; (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes the financial statements included in a Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion therein or any statement made in a Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to a Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of a Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and (vi) of the occurrence or existence of any pending corporate development with respect to the Company that the Company believes may be material and that, in the determination of the Company, makes it not in the best interest of the Company to allow continued availability of a Registration Statement or Prospectus, provided that any and all of such information shall remain confidential to each Holder until such information otherwise becomes public, unless disclosure by a Holder is required by law; provided , further , that notwithstanding each Holder’s agreement to keep such information confidential, each such Holder makes no acknowledgement that any such information is material, non-public information.

 

(e)           Use its commercially reasonable efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order stopping or suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.

 

(f)            Furnish to each Holder (which may be delivered via email or facsimile), without charge, at least one (1) conformed copy of each such Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by such Person, and all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those

 

7

 

previously furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission; provided, that any such item which is available on the EDGAR system need not be furnished in physical form.

 

(g)           Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, except after the giving of any notice pursuant to Section 3(d).

 

(h)           The Company shall cooperate with any registered broker-dealer which is effecting resales of Registrable Securities in effecting any filing with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“ NASD ”) Corporate Financing Department pursuant to NASD Rule 2710 and pay the filing fee required in connection with the first such filing.

 

(i)            Prior to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from the Registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for the resale by the Holder under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions within the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement; provided, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.

 

(j)            If requested by a Holder, cooperate with such Holders to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holder may request.

 

(k)           Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 3(d), as promptly as reasonably possible under the circumstances taking into account the Company’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its stockholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to a Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, neither a Registration Statement nor such Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated

 

8

 

therein or n ecessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses (iii) through (vi) of Section 3(d) above to suspend the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus have been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such Prospectus.  The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable.  The Company shall be entitled to exercise its right under this Section 3(k) to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus, subject to the payment of partial liquidated damages otherwise required pursuant to Section 2(b), for a period not to exceed sixty (60) calendar days (which need not be consecutive days) in any twelve (12) month period.

 

(l)            Comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission that are applicable to the Company.

 

(m)          The Company may require each selling Holder and each Holder hereby agrees, to furnish to the Company a certified statement as to the number of Registrable Securities beneficially owned by such Holder, other information relating to such Holder, the Registrable Securities it intends to sell and its plan of distribution (to the extent required for a Registration Statement), and, if required by the Commission, the natural persons thereof that have voting and dispositive control over the Registrable Securities. During any periods that the Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of the Registrable Securities solely because any Holder fails to furnish such information within three (3) Trading Days of the Company’s request, any liquidated damages that are accruing at such time as to such Holder only shall be tolled and any Event that may otherwise occur solely because of such delay shall be suspended as to such Holder only, until such information is delivered to the Company; provided, further, that the Holders agree and acknowledge that the Company will not delay the filing of a Registration Statement (or amendment or supplement to a Registration Statement) due to the failure of any Holder to deliver the information required hereby in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

(n)   Each Holder agrees not to take any action with respect to any distribution deemed to be made pursuant to such registration statement which would constitute a violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act or any other applicable rule, regulation or law.

 

 

                4.             Registration Expenses . All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance with this Agreement by the Company shall be borne by the Company whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and auditors) (A) with respect to filings made with the Commission, (B) with respect to filings required to be made with any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading, (C) in compliance with applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws reasonably agreed to

 

9

 

by the Company in writing (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company in connection with Blue Sky qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities) and (D) if not previously paid by the Company in connection with an Issuer Filing, with respect to any filing that may be required to be made by any broker through which a Holder intends to make sales of Registrable Securities with the NASD pursuant to NASD Rule 2710, so long as the broker is receiving no more than a customary brokerage commission in connection with such sale, (ii) printing expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and (vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.  In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder.  In no event shall the Company be responsible for any broker or similar commissions of any Holder or, except to the extent provided for in the Transaction Documents, any legal fees or other costs of the Holders.

 

                5.             Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification by the Company . The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors, members, partners, agents, brokers (including brokers who offer and sell Registrable Securities as principal as a result of a pledge or any failure to perform under a margin call of Common Stock), investment advisors and employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each of them, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers, directors, members, shareholders, partners, agents and employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each such controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses (collectively, “ Losses ”), as incurred arising out of or relating to (1) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, any Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading or (2) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder, in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that (i) such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information

 

 

10

 

regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, or to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a Registration Statement, such Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose), (ii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(iii)-(vi), the use by such Holder of a suspended, an outdated or a defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d) or (iii) such Holder engaged in willful misconduct.  The Company shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any Proceeding arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement of which the Company is aware.

 

(b)           Indemnification by Holders . Each Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, agents and employees, each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents or employees of such controlling Persons, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses, as incurred, to the extent arising out of or based upon: (x) such Holder’s failure to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act or (y) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (i) to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so furnished in writing by such Holder to the Company specifically for inclusion in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or (ii) to the extent that such information relates to such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a Registration Statement (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose), such Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or (iii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(iii)-(vi), the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d). In no event shall the liability of any selling Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds received by such Holder upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation.

 

(c)           Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings . If any Proceeding shall be brought or asserted against any Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “ Indemnified Party ”), such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is sought (the “ Indemnifying Party ”) in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably

 

 

11

 

satisfactory to the Indemnified Party and the payment of all reasonable and documented fees and expenses incurred in connection with defense thereof; provided, that the failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to the extent that it shall be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) that such failure shall have prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.

 

An Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties unless:  (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses; (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding; or (3) the named parties to any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and counsel to the Indemnified Party shall reasonably believe that a material conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one (1) separate counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party).  The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.  No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding.

 

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all reasonable fees and expenses of the Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees and expenses to the extent incurred in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Proceeding in a manner not inconsistent with this Section) shall be paid to the Indemnified Party, as incurred, within ten Trading Days of written notice thereof to the Indemnifying Party; provided, that the Indemnified Party shall promptly reimburse the Indemnifying Party for that portion of such fees and expenses applicable to such actions for which such Indemnified Party is judicially determined to be not entitled to indemnification hereunder.

 

(d)           Contribution . If the indemnification under Section 5(a) or 5(b) is unavailable to an Indemnified Party or insufficient to hold an Indemnified Party harmless for any Losses, then each Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of such Indemnifying Party and Indemnified

 

12

 

Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or relates to information supplied by, such Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action, statement or omission.  The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of any Losses shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, any reasonable attorneys’ or other reasonable fees or expenses incurred by such party in connection with any Proceeding to the extent such party would have been indemnified for such fees or expenses if the indemnification provided for in this Section was available to such party in accordance with its terms.

 

The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 5(d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5(d), no Holder shall be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount by which the proceeds actually received by such Holder from the sale of the Registrable Securities subject or giving rise to the Proceeding exceeds the amount of any damages that such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission, except in the case of fraud by such Holder.

 

The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties.

 

6.                Miscellaneous .

 

(a)           Remedies .  In the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder of any of their respective obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the Company, as the case may be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, shall be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement.  The Company and each Holder agree that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions of this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall not assert or shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

(b)           No Piggyback on Registrations; Prohibition on Filing Other Registration Statements . Except as set forth on Schedule 6(b) attached hereto, neither the Company nor any of its security holders (other than the Holders in such capacity pursuant hereto) may include securities of the Company in any Registration Statements other than the Registrable Securities.  The Company shall not file any other registration statements (other than on Form S-8 or Form S-4) until all Registrable Securities are registered pursuant to a Registration Statement that is declared effective by the Commission, provided that this Section 6(b) shall not prohibit the

 

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Company from filing amendments to registration statements filed prior to the date of this Agreement.

 

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

 

(d)           Discontinued Disposition .  By its acquisition of Registrable Securities, each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3(d)(iii) through (vi), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under a Registration Statement until it is advised in writing (the “ Advice ”) by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus (as it may have been supplemented or amended) may be resumed.  The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable.  The Company agrees and acknowledges that any periods during which the Holder is required to discontinue the disposition of the Registrable Securities hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section 2(b).

 

(e)           Piggy-Back Registrations . If, at any time during the Effectiveness Period, there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement relating to an offering for its own account or the account of others under the Securities Act of any of its equity securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the Securities Act) or their then equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in connection with the Company’s stock option or other employee benefit plans, then the Company shall deliver to each Holder a written notice of such determination and, if within fifteen (15) days after the date of the delivery of such notice, any such Holder shall so request in writing, the Company shall include in such registration statement all or any part of such Registrable Securities such Holder requests to be registered; provided , however , that the Company shall not be required to register any Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 6(e) that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144(k) promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or that are the subject of a then effective Registration Statement.

 

(f)            Amendments and Waivers . The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and the Holders of a majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (including, for this purpose any Registrable Securities issuable upon exercise or conversion of any Security).  If a Registration Statement does not register all of the Registrable Securities pursuant to a waiver or amendment done in compliance with the previous sentence, then the number of Registrable Securities to be registered for each Holder shall be reduced pro rata among all Holders and each Holder shall have the right to designate which of its Registrable Securities shall be omitted from such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of a Holder or some Holders and that does not directly or

 

14

 

indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given by such Holder or Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which such waiver or consent relates; provided , however , that the provisions of this sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except in accordance with the provisions of the first  sentence of this Section 6(f).

 

(g)           Notices . Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

 

(h)           Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties and shall inure to the benefit of each Holder. The right to cause the Company to register Registrable Securities granted to the Holders by the Company under this Agreement may be assigned in full by a Holder in connection with a transfer by such Holder of its Registrable Securities, but only if: (i) such transfer may otherwise be effected in accordance with applicable securities laws; (ii) such Holder gives written notice of the proposed transfer to the Company including the name and address of such transferee and a copy of the transfer documents and agreements; and (iii) such transfer is otherwise in compliance with this Agreement. Except as specifically permitted by this Section 6(h), the rights of a Holder with respect to Registrable Securities as set out herein shall not be transferable to any other Person, the Company may impose stop transfer orders with respect to any such transfer or attempted transfer, and any such transfer or attempted transfer shall be null and void.

 

(i)            No Inconsistent Agreements . Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered, as of the date hereof, nor shall the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on or after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities, that would directly conflict with the provisions hereof.  Except as set forth on Schedule 6(i) , neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has previously entered into any agreement granting any registration rights with respect to any of its securities to any Person that have not been satisfied in full.

 

(j)            Execution and Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart.  In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” or “.tif” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” or “.tif”signature page were an original thereof.

 

(k)           Governing Law .  All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(l)            Cumulative Remedies . The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any other remedies provided by law.

 

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(m)          Severability . If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.

 

(n)           Headings . The headings in this Agreement are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of the Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

 

(o)           Independent Nature of Holders’ Obligations and Rights . The obligations of each Holder hereunder are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Holder hereunder, and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Holder hereunder. Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each Holder shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.

 

********************

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

	IMAGEWARE SYSTEMS, INC.
	By:	/s/ Wayne G. Wetherell
		Name: Wayne G. Wetherell
		Title:SVP & CFO, Secretary

 

 

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE OF HOLDERS FOLLOWS]

 

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[SIGNATURE PAGE OF HOLDERS TO IW RRA]

 

 

Name of Holder:                                                      

 

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Holder :                                                      

 

Name of Authorized Signatory:                                                      

 

Title of Authorized Signatory:                                                      

 

 

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]

 

18

Annex A

 

Plan of Distribution

 

Each Selling Stockholder (the “ Selling Stockholders ”) of the common stock and any of their pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their shares of common stock on the American Stock Exchange or any other stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions.  These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices.  A Selling Stockholder may use any one (1) or more of the following methods when selling shares:

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

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

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

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

•                   privately negotiated transactions;

•                   settlement of short sales entered into after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part;

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

•                   through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;

•                   a combination of any such methods of sale; or

•                   any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

The Selling Stockholders may also sell shares under Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), if available, rather than under this prospectus.

Broker-dealers engaged by the Selling Stockholders may arrange for other brokers-dealers to participate in sales.  Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the Selling Stockholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of shares, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this Prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction not in excess of a customary brokerage

 

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commission in compliance with FINRA NASD Rule 2440; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with NASD IM-2440.

In connection with the sale of the common stock or interests therein, the Selling Stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the common stock in the course of hedging the positions they assume.  The Selling Stockholders may also sell shares of the common stock short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities.  The Selling Stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one (1) or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).

The Selling Stockholders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales.  In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act.  Each Selling Stockholder has informed the Company that it does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Common Stock. In no event shall any broker-dealer receive fees, commissions and markups which, in the aggregate, would exceed eight percent (8%).

The Company is required to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the Company incident to the registration of the shares.  The Company has agreed to indemnify the Selling Stockholders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

Because Selling Stockholders may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, they will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act including Rule 172 thereunder.  In addition, any securities covered by this prospectus which qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than under this prospectus.  There is no underwriter or coordinating broker acting in connection with the proposed sale of the resale shares by the Selling Stockholders.

We agreed to keep this prospectus effective until the earlier of (i) the date on which the shares may be resold by the Selling Stockholders without registration and without regard to any volume limitations by reason of Rule 144(k) under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (ii) all of the shares have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect.  The resale shares will be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states, the resale shares may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.

 

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Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the resale shares may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to the common stock for the applicable restricted period, as defined in Regulation M, prior to the commencement of the distribution.  In addition, the Selling Stockholders will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares of the common stock by the Selling Stockholders or any other person.  We will make copies of this prospectus available to the Selling Stockholders and have informed them of the need to deliver a copy of this prospectus to each purchaser at or prior to the time of the sale (including by compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).

 

21

Annex B

IMAGEWARE SYSTEMS, INC.

Selling Securityholder Notice and Questionnaire

The undersigned beneficial owner of common stock (the “ Registrable Securities ”) of ImageWare Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), understands that the Company has filed or intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) a registration statement (the “ Registration Statement ”) for the registration and resale under Rule 415 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), of the Registrable Securities, in accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement (the “ Registration Rights Agreement ”) to which this document is annexed.  A copy of the Registration Rights Agreement is available from the Company upon request at the address set forth below.  All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Registration Rights Agreement.

Certain legal consequences arise from being named as a selling securityholder in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus.  Accordingly, holders and beneficial owners of Registrable Securities are advised to consult their own securities law counsel regarding the consequences of being named or not being named as a selling securityholder in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus.

NOTICE

The undersigned beneficial owner (the “ Selling Securityholder ”) of Registrable Securities hereby elects to include the Registrable Securities owned by it in the Registration Statement.

 

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The undersigned hereby provides the following information to the Company and represents and warrants that such information is accurate:

QUESTIONNAIRE

1.		Name.
		(a)		Full Legal Name of Selling Securityholder
		(b)		Full Legal Name of Registered Holder (if not the same as (a) above) through which Registrable Securities are held:
		(c)		Full Legal Name of Natural Control Person (which means a natural person who directly or indirectly alone or with others has power to vote or dispose of the securities covered by this Questionnaire):

 

2.

Address for Notices to Selling Securityholder:

 

 

Telephone:

Fax:

Contact Person:

 

3.

Broker-Dealer Status:

 

		(a)		Are you a broker-dealer?
				Yes   o              No   o
		(b)		If “yes” to Section 3(a), did you receive your Registrable Securities as compensation for investment banking services to the Company?
				Yes   o              No   o
		Note:		If “no” to Section 3(b), the Commission’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement.

 

23

 

		(c)		Are you an affiliate of a broker-dealer?
				Yes   o              No   o
		(d)		If you are an affiliate of a broker-dealer, do you certify that you purchased the Registrable Securities in the ordinary course of business, and at the time of the purchase of the Registrable Securities to be resold, you had no agreements or understandings, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Registrable Securities?
				Yes   o              No   o
		Note:		If “no” to Section 3(d), the Commission’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement.
4.	Beneficial Ownership of Securities of the Company Owned by the Selling Securityholder.
		Except as set forth below in this Item 4, the undersigned is not the beneficial or registered owner of any securities of the Company other than the securities issuable pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
		(a)		Type and Amount of other securities beneficially owned by the Selling Securityholder:

 

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5.	Relationships with the Company:
		Except as set forth below, neither the undersigned nor any of its affiliates, officers, directors or principal equity holders (owners of 5% of more of the equity securities of the undersigned) has held any position or office or has had any other material relationship with the Company (or its predecessors or affiliates) during the past three years.
		State any exceptions here:

 

The undersigned agrees to promptly notify the Company of any inaccuracies or changes in the information provided herein that may occur subsequent to the date hereof at any time while the Registration Statement remains effective.

By signing below, the undersigned consents to the disclosure of the information contained herein in its answers to Items one (1) through five (5) and the inclusion of such information in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto.  The undersigned understands that such information will be relied upon by the Company in connection with the preparation or amendment of the Registration Statement and the related prospectus.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, by authority duly given, has caused this Notice and Questionnaire to be executed and delivered either in person or by its duly authorized agent.

Date:		Beneficial Owner:
		By:
			Name:
			Title:

 

PLEASE FAX A COPY OF THE COMPLETED AND EXECUTED NOTICE AND QUESTIONNAIRE, AND RETURN THE ORIGINAL BY OVERNIGHT MAIL, TO:

 

25

Exhibit 10.3

 

NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES FOR WHICH THIS SECURITY IS EXERCISABLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES OR “BLUE SKY” LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY.  THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.

 

COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT

 

IMAGEWARE SYSTEMS, INC.

Warrant Shares: [            ]		Initial Exercise Date: March 26, 2008
		Issuance Date: September 25, 2007

 

THIS COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “ Warrant ”) certifies that, for value received, [                    ] (the “ Holder ”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after March 26, 2008 (the “ Initial Exercise Date ”) and on or prior to the close of business on the five year anniversary of the Initial Exercise Date (the “ Termination Date ”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from ImageWare Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), up to [             ] shares (the “ Warrant Shares ”) of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “ Common Stock ”).  The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).

Section 1 .               Definitions .  Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “ Purchase Agreement ”), dated September 25, 2007, among the Company and the purchasers signatory thereto.

Section 2 .               Exercise .

a)             Exercise of Warrant .  Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed facsimile copy of the Notice of Exercise Form annexed hereto (or such

1

 

other office or agency of the Company as it may designate by notice in writing to the registered Holder at the address of the Holder appearing on the books of the Company); and, within 3 Trading Days of the date said Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company, the Company shall have received  payment of the aggregate Exercise Price of the shares thereby purchased by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within 3 Trading Days of the date the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company.  Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased.  The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases.  The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise Form within two (2) Trading Days of receipt of such notice.  The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.

b)            Exercise Price .  The exercise price per share of the Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $1.67, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “ Exercise Price ”).

c)             Cashless Exercise .  If at any time after the later of 6 months from the date of the Purchase Agreement and the completion of the then-applicable holding period required by Rule 144, or any successor provision then in effect, which would allow “tacking” of the holding period of this Warrant and the Warrant Shares pursuant to the SEC Manual of Publicly Available Telephone Interpretations or other Commission rule or guidance (but in no event later than 1 year from the date of the Purchase Agreement), there is no effective Registration Statement registering, or no current prospectus available for, the resale of the Warrant Shares by the Holder at a time when such Registration Statement is required to be effective pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, then this Warrant may also be exercised at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a certificate for the number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:

(A) =	the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of such election;
(B) =	the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted; and

 

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(X) =

the number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).

 

d)            Holder’s Restrictions .  The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other person or entity acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below).  For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (A) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates and (B) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other  Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its affiliates.  Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith.   To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(d) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination.   In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.  For purposes of this Section 2(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (x) the Company’s most recent Form 10-Q or Form 10-K, as the case may be, (y) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (z) any other notice by the Company or the Company’s Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock

 

3

 

outstanding.  Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within five (5) Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding.  In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported.  The “ Beneficial Ownership Limitation ” shall be 4.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant.  The Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(d) may be waived by the Holder, at the election of the Holder, upon not less than 61 days’ prior notice to the Company to change the Beneficial Ownership Limitation to 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant, and the provisions of this Section 2(d) shall continue to apply.  Upon such a change by a Holder of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation from such 4.99% limitation to such 9.99% limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation may not be further waived by the Holder.  The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(d) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.

e)             Mechanics of Exercise .

i.      Delivery of Certificates Upon Exercise .  Certificates for shares purchased hereunder shall be transmitted by the transfer agent of the Company to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission (“ DWAC ”) system if the Company is a participant in such system and there is an effective Registration Statement permitting the resale of the Warrant Shares by the Holder, and otherwise by physical delivery to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise within 3 Trading Days from the receipt by the Company of the Notice of Exercise Form, surrender of this Warrant (if required) and payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as set forth above (“ Warrant Share Delivery Date ”).  This Warrant shall be deemed to have been exercised on the date the Exercise Price is received by the Company, if such date is after the date(s) the Notice of Exercise Form and this Warrant are received by the Company.  The Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have been issued, and Holder or any other person so designated to be named therein shall be deemed to have become a holder of record of such shares for all purposes, as of the date the Warrant has been exercised by payment to the Company of the Exercise Price (or by cashless exercise, if permitted) and all taxes required to be paid by the Holder, if any, pursuant to Section 2(e)(vi) prior to the issuance of such shares, have been paid.

 

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ii.     Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise .  If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the certificate or certificates representing Warrant Shares, deliver to Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.

iii.    Rescission Rights .  If the Company fails to cause its transfer agent to transmit to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(e)(i) by the second Trading Day following the applicable Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.

iv.    Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Certificates Upon Exercise .  In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, other than during any periods that the Company has notified the Holder in writing that, at such time, there is no registration statement effective or available for the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares, if the Company fails to cause its transfer agent to transmit to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing the Warrant Shares pursuant to an exercise on or before the second Trading Day following the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “ Buy-In ”), then the Company shall (1) pay in cash to the Holder the amount by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (B) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (2) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder.  For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (1) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In, together with applicable confirmations and other

 

5

 

evidence reasonably requested by the Company, including evidence of the amount of such loss.  Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other equitable remedies available to it hereunder, including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

v.     No Fractional Shares or Scrip .  No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant.  As to any fraction of a share which Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.

vi.    Charges, Taxes and Expenses .  Issuance of certificates for Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such certificate, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such certificates shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided , however , that in the event certificates for Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder; and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto.

vii.   Closing of Books .  The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.

Section 3 .               Certain Adjustments .

a)             Stock Dividends and Splits . If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (A) pays a stock dividend or otherwise make a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (B) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (C) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of

 

6

 

shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged.  Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.

b)            [INTENTIONALLY DELETED]

c)             Subsequent Rights Offerings .  If the Company, at any time while the Warrant is outstanding, shall issue rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Stock (and not to Holders) entitling them to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock at a price per share less than the VWAP at the record date mentioned below, then the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction, of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding on the date of issuance of such rights or warrants plus the number of additional shares of Common Stock offered for subscription or purchase, and of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding on the date of issuance of such rights or warrants plus the number of shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares so offered (assuming receipt by the Company in full of all consideration payable upon exercise of such rights, options or warrants) would purchase at such VWAP.  Such adjustment shall be made whenever such rights or warrants are issued, and shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such rights, options or warrants.

d)            Pro Rata Distributions .  If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, shall distribute to all holders of Common Stock (and not to Holders of the Warrants) evidences of its indebtedness or assets (including cash and cash dividends) or rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any security other than the Common Stock (which shall be subject to Section 3(b)), then in each such case the Exercise Price shall be adjusted by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the record date fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to receive such distribution by a fraction of which the denominator shall be the VWAP determined as of the record date mentioned above, and of which the numerator shall be such VWAP on such record date less the then per share fair market value at such record date of the portion of such assets or evidence of indebtedness so distributed applicable to one outstanding share of the Common Stock as determined by the Board of Directors in good faith.  In either case the adjustments shall be described in a statement provided to the Holder of the portion of assets or evidences of indebtedness so distributed or such subscription rights applicable to one share of Common Stock.  Such adjustment shall be made whenever any such distribution is made and shall become effective immediately after the record date mentioned above.

e)             Fundamental Transaction . If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (A) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (B) the Company effects any sale of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (C) any tender offer or exchange offer

 

7

 

(whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property, or (D) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (each “ Fundamental Transaction ”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “ Alternate Consideration ”) receivable as a result of such merger, consolidation or disposition of assets by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such event. For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration.  If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction.  To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Company or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall issue to the Holder a new warrant consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holder’s right to exercise such warrant into Alternate Consideration. The terms of any agreement pursuant to which a Fundamental Transaction is effected shall include terms requiring any such successor or surviving entity to comply with the provisions of this Section 3(e) and insuring that this Warrant (or any such replacement security) will be similarly adjusted upon any subsequent transaction analogous to a Fundamental Transaction.

f)             Calculations . All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.

g)             Minimum Adjustment .  Notwithstanding anything in this Warrant to the contrary, no adjustment in the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least $0.01 per share of Common Stock; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Subsection 3(g) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment; provided, further, however, that adjustments shall be required and made in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 (other than this Subsection 3(g)) not later than such time as may be required in order to preserve the tax-free nature of a distribution, if any, to the Holder of this Warrant or the Warrant Shares.  Notwithstanding anything in this Section 3 to the contrary, the Company shall be entitled to make such

 

8

 

reductions in the Exercise Price, in addition to those required by this Section 3, as it in its discretion shall deem to be advisable in order that any stock dividend, subdivision of shares or distribution of rights to purchase stock or securities convertible or exchangeable for stock hereafter made by the Company to its stockholders shall not be taxable.

h)            Notice to Holder .

i.      Adjustment to Exercise Price . Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly mail to the Holder a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

ii.     Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder . If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock; (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock; (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights; (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, of any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property; (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company; then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be mailed to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to mail such notice or any defect therein or in the mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. Subject to applicable law, the Holder is entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the delivery of the notice described in this Section 3(h) is not intended to

 

9

 

and shall not bestow upon the Holder any voting rights whatsoever with respect to outstanding unexercised Warrants.

Section 4 .               Transfer of Warrant .

a)             Transferability .  Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws and the conditions set forth in Section 4(d) hereof and to the provisions of Section 4.1 of the Purchase Agreement, this Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer.  Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled.  A Warrant, if properly assigned pursuant to the terms of this section, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.

b)            New Warrants . This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney.  Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. Subject to applicable securities laws, Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the original Issue Date and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.

c)             Warrant Register . The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “ Warrant Register ”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time.  The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.

d)            Transfer Restrictions . If, at the time of the surrender of this Warrant in connection with any transfer of this Warrant, the transfer of this Warrant shall not be registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws, the Company may require, as a condition of allowing such transfer, that (i) the Holder or transferee of this Warrant, as the case may be, furnish to the Company a written opinion of counsel (which opinion shall be in form, substance and scope customary for opinions of counsel in comparable transactions) to the effect that such transfer may be made without registration under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws, and (ii) the Holder

 

10

 

or transferee execute and deliver to the Company an investment letter in form and substance acceptable to the Company, and (iii) the transferee be an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7), or (a)(8) promulgated under the Securities Act or a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A(a) promulgated under the Securities Act .

Section 5.                Investment Intent; Limited Transferability .

(a)           By accepting this Warrant, the Holder represents to the Company that it understands that this Warrant has not been, and any securities obtainable upon exercise of this Warrant may not have not been registered for sale under the Securities Act or any state securities or “blue sky” laws and are being offered and sold to the Holder pursuant to one or more exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable State securities or “blue sky” laws.  In the absence of an effective registration of such securities or an exemption therefrom, any certificates for such securities shall bear a legend substantially similar to the legend set forth in the Purchase Agreement.  The Holder understands that it may have to bear the economic risk of its investment in this Warrant and any securities obtainable upon exercise of this Warrant for an indefinite period of time, until such securities have been registered under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under such laws, or an exemption from such registration is available.  The Holder further represents to the Company, by accepting this Warrant, that it has full power and authority to accept this Warrant and make the representations set forth herein.

(b)            The Holder agrees and acknowledges that this Warrant may not be sold, transferred, assigned or hypothecated by the Holder except in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act and any applicable State securities or “blue sky” laws.

Section 6 .               Miscellaneous .

a)             No Rights as Shareholder Until Exercise .  This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights or other rights as a shareholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(e)(i).

b)            Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant . The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate. Upon the surrender of this Warrant and the payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (or by means of a cashless exercise), the Warrant Shares so purchased shall be and

 

11

 

be deemed to be issued to such Holder as the record owner of such shares as of the close of business on the later of the date of such surrender or payment.

c)             Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc .  If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.

d)            Authorized Shares .

The Company covenants that during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant.  The Company further covenants that its officers who are charged with the duty of executing stock certificates have full authority to execute and issue the necessary certificates for the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant.  The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed.  The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).

Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (a) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (b) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant, and (c) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof as may be necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.

 

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Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.

e)             Jurisdiction . All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.

f)             Restrictions .  The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.

g)            Nonwaiver and Expenses .  No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice Holder’s rights, powers or remedies, notwithstanding the fact that all rights hereunder terminate on the Termination Date.  If the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.

h)            Notices .  Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions of the Purchase Agreement.

i)              Limitation of Liability .  No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of Holder, shall give rise to any liability of Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

j)              Successors and Assigns .  Subject to applicable securities laws and Section 4(a) hereof, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder.  The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of all Holders from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by any the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.

k)             Amendment .  This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.

l)              Severability .  Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such

 

13

 

provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.

m)            Headings .  The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.

 

********************

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.

 

 

	IMAGEWARE SYSTEMS, INC.
	By:		/s/ Wayne G. Wetherell
			Name: Wayne G. Wetherell
			Title: SVP & CFO, Secretary

 

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NOTICE OF EXERCISE

 

TO:    IMAGEWARE SYSTEMS, INC.

 

(1)   The undersigned hereby elects to purchase            Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.

(2)   Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):

o in lawful money of the United States; or

o [if permitted] the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).

(3)   Please issue a certificate or certificates representing said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:

                                                                                                

 

 

The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number or by physical delivery of a certificate to:

 

                                                                                                

 

                                                                                                

 

                                                                                                

 

(4)   Accredited Investor .  The undersigned is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]

 

Name of Investing Entity:                                                                                                                                                    

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity :                                                                                                       

Name of Authorized Signatory:                                                                                                                                           

Title of Authorized Signatory:                                                                                                                                              

Date:                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

(To assign the foregoing warrant, execute
this form and supply required information.
Do not use this form to exercise the warrant.)

 

 

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, [         ] all of or [        ] shares of the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to

 

                                                                                                  whose address is

 

                                                                                                                               .

 

 

 

                                                                                                                               

 

                                                                                                                Dated:                          ,             

 

 

                                                Holder’s Signature:                                                               

 

                                                Holder’s Address:                                                                

 

                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

 

Signature Guaranteed:                                                                                                    

 

 

NOTE:  The signature to this Assignment Form must correspond with the name as it appears on the face of the Warrant, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a bank or trust company.  Officers of corporations and those acting in a fiduciary or other representative capacity should file proper evidence of authority to assign the foregoing Warrant.