UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported):  January 31, 2012 (January 30, 2012)

 

HYPERDYNAMICS CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Delaware

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

 

001-32490

 

87-0400335

(Commission File Number)

 

(IRS Employer Identification
No.)

 

12012 Wickchester Lane, Suite 475
Houston, Texas 77079

(Address of principal executive offices,
including zip code)

 

voice:  (713) 353-9400

fax:  (713) 353-9421

(Registrant’s telephone number,
including area code)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o             Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o             Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o             Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o             Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 



 

Item 1.01                                              Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

 

On January 30, 2012, Hyperdynamics Corporation (the “Company”) entered into a placement agency agreement with Rodman & Renshaw, LLC (the “Placement Agent”), pursuant to which the Placement Agent agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of 10,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and warrants to purchase up to 10,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock in a registered direct public offering.  The Company has agreed to pay the Placement Agent an aggregate fee (the “Placement Agent Fee”) equal to 5% of the gross proceeds received in the offering.  The Company has also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for expenses incurred by it in connection with the offering in an amount equal to 0.5% of the gross proceeds received by the Company in the offering.

 

Also on January 30, 2012, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investors pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell an aggregate of 10,000,000 shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase a total of 10,000,000 shares of its common stock to institutional investors for gross proceeds of approximately $30,000,000.  The purchase price of a share of common stock and warrant is $3.00.  The warrants will expire 14 months following the closing date, and subject to certain ownership limitations, are exercisable 181 days following the closing date of the offering.  The warrants will have an exercise price of $3.50 per share.  The exercise price of the warrants is subject to adjustment in the case of stock splits, stock dividends, combinations of shares and similar recapitalization transactions.

 

The net proceeds to the Company from the registered direct public offering, after deducting placement agent fees and the Company’s estimated offering expenses, and excluding the proceeds, if any, from the exercise of the warrants issued in the offering, are expected to be approximately $28,200,000.  The offering is expected to close on or about February 2, 2012.  After giving effect to the offering, the Company will have 166,816,065 shares of common stock outstanding.

 

The common stock, warrants to purchase common stock and shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants will be issued pursuant to a prospectus supplement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on or about January 31, 2012 and the shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-173051), which became effective automatically upon filing on March 24, 2011.

 

The description of terms and conditions of the placement agent agreement, the form of warrant and securities purchase agreement set forth herein do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by the full text of the form of the placement agent agreement and securities purchase agreement, which are attached hereto as Exhibit 1.1, 4.1 and 10.1, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.

 

The legal opinion of Patton Boggs LLP relating to the legality of the issuance and sale of the shares of common stock, warrants and shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants in the offering is attached as Exhibit 5.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

Item 7.01                                              Regulation FD Disclosure

 

On January 30, 2012, we issued a press release entitled, “Hyperdynamics to Raise $30 Million in Registered Direct Offering”.  The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information disclosed in Item 7.01 of, and Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto, this Current Report on Form 8-K shall not be deemed “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing.  This Current Report on Form 8-K does not constitute a determination of whether any information included herein is material.

 

2



 

Item 8.01          Other Items

 

We have revised certain risk factors we previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2011, and added certain new risk factors.  Our updated and additional risk factors are set forth below.

 

Risks Relating to Our Business and the Industry in Which We Operate.

 

We depend on a single exploration asset.

 

The Concession is currently our single most important asset and constitutes our greatest potential for the future generation of revenue.  In addition to our current exploratory well, the Sabu-1, we are required under the PSC to drill a minimum of one additional exploration well to a minimum depth of 2,500 meters below the seabed at a minimum cost of $15 million by September 21, 2016.  The PSC has other work and additional obligations that we will need to perform to maintain compliance with the PSC.  Failure to comply could subject us to risk of loss of the Concession.  In addition, oil and natural gas operations in Africa may be subject to higher political and security risks than operations in the United States.  Upon commencing operations at the Concession, any adverse development affecting our progress such as, but not limited to, the drilling and operational hazards described below, could result in damage to, or destruction of, any wells and producing facilities constructed on the Concession as well as damage to life.  Although we may acquire producing assets to diversify our asset base, given that the Concession is currently our only major asset, any adverse development affecting it could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

 

We have no proved reserves and our exploration program may not yield oil in commercial quantities or quality, or at all.

 

We have no proved reserves.  We have identified leads based on seismic and geological information that indicates the potential presence of oil.  However, the areas we decide to drill may not yield oil in commercial quantities or quality, or at all.  Even when properly used and interpreted, 2-D and 3-D seismic data and visualization techniques are only tools used to assist geoscientists in identifying subsurface structures and hydrocarbon indicators and do not enable the interpreter to know whether hydrocarbons are, in fact, present in those structures.  Accordingly, we do not know if any of our prospects will contain oil in sufficient quantities or quality to recover drilling and completion costs or to be economically viable.  Even if oil is found in commercial quantities, construction costs of oil pipelines or floating production systems, as applicable, and transportation costs may prevent such leads from being economically viable.  If our exploration efforts do not prove to be successful, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

 

Offshore Guinea, the area of all of our exploration, appraisal and development efforts, has not yet proved to be an economically viable production area.  We know of only one exploration well drilled in the area of our Concession, and that was a dry hole in 1977.  Although there have been significant technological advancements in geophysical and petroleum science since 1977, and we have acquired significant 2-D and 3-D seismic data, exploration activities are subject to a high degree of risk, and there is no assurance of a commercially successful discovery or production in this region.

 

We do not have reserve reports for the Concession and our expectations as to oil and gas reserves are uncertain and may vary substantially from any actual production.

 

We do not have any reserve reports for the Concession.  A reserve report is the estimated quantities of oil and gas based on reports prepared by third party reserve engineers.  Reserve reporting is a subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of oil and natural gas that cannot be measured in an exact manner.  Expectations as to oil and gas reserves are uncertain and may vary substantially from any actual production.

 

3



 

The PSC is subject to renegotiation under certain conditions, which may have an adverse impact upon our operations and profitability.

 

The PSC provides that should the Guinea government note material differences between provisions of the PSC and international standards or the Guinea Petroleum Code, the parties will renegotiate the relevant articles of the PSC.  If the Guinea government identifies material differences between the PSC’s provisions and international standards or the Guinea Petroleum Code, there is no assurance that we will be able to negotiate an acceptable modification to the PSC.  If the parties are not successful in renegotiating the relevant articles of the PSC, the parties may be required to submit the matter to international arbitration.  There is no assurance that any arbitration would be successful or otherwise lead to articles that are more favorable to us than the present articles.  Therefore, the results of such negotiations or arbitration could be unfavorable to us and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operation and future cash flows.

 

We are highly dependent on our management team and consultants, and any failure to retain the services of such parties could adversely affect our ability to effectively manage our operations or successfully execute our business plan.

 

Our business is dependent on retaining the services of a small number of key personnel of the appropriate caliber as the business develops.  Our success is, and will continue to be to a significant extent, dependent upon the expertise and experience of the directors, senior management and certain key geoscientists, geologists, engineers and other professionals we engage.  While we have entered into contractual arrangements with the aim of securing the services of the key management team, the retention of their services cannot be guaranteed.  The loss of key members of our management team or other highly qualified technical professionals could adversely affect our ability to effectively manage our overall operations or successfully execute current or future business strategies.  If any member of management or director were to leave our company, it may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and/or growth prospects.

 

Drilling wells is speculative and potentially hazardous.  Actual costs may be more than our estimates, and may not result in any discoveries.

 

Exploring for and developing oil reserves involves a high degree of operational and financial risk, which precludes definitive statements as to the time required and costs involved in reaching certain objectives.  The budgeted costs of drilling, completing and operating wells are often exceeded and can increase significantly when drilling costs rise due to a tightening in the supply of various types of oilfield equipment and related services.

 

Drilling may be unsuccessful for many reasons, including geological conditions, weather, cost overruns, equipment shortages and mechanical difficulties.  Exploratory wells bear a much greater risk of loss than development wells.  The successful drilling of an oil well may not be indicative of the potential for the development of a commercially viable field and will not necessarily result in a profit on investment.  A variety of factors, both geological and market-related, can cause a well to become uneconomic or only marginally economic.

 

There are a variety of operating risks, including:

 

·       blowouts, cratering and explosions;

 

·       mechanical and equipment problems;

 

4



 

·       uncontrolled flows of oil and gas or well fluids;

 

·       fires;

 

·       marine hazards with respect to offshore operations;

 

·       formations with abnormal pressures;

 

·       pollution and other environmental risks; and

 

·       weather conditions and natural disasters.

 

Offshore operations are subject to a variety of operating risks particular to the marine environment, such as capsizing and collisions.  Also, offshore operations are subject to damage or loss from adverse weather conditions.  Any of these events could result in loss of human life, significant damage to property, environmental pollution, impairment of our operations and substantial losses.

 

Deepwater drilling generally requires more time and more advanced drilling technologies than exploration in shallower waters, involving a higher risk of equipment failure and usually higher drilling costs.  In addition, there may be production risks of which we are currently unaware.  If we participate in the development of new subsea infrastructure and use floating production systems to transport oil from producing wells, these operations may require substantial time for installation or encounter mechanical difficulties and equipment failures that could result in significant liabilities, cost overruns or delays.  Furthermore, deepwater operations generally, and operations in West Africa in particular, lack the physical and oilfield service infrastructure present in other regions.  As a result, a significant amount of time may elapse between a deepwater discovery and the marketing of the associated oil and natural gas, increasing both the financial and operational risks involved with these operations.  Because of the lack and high cost of this infrastructure, further discoveries we may make in Guinea may never be economically producible.

 

Actual costs associated with the Sabu-1 well are greater than we expected, and estimated costs of wells in the future may be greater than estimated.

 

The costs associated with the Sabu-1 well offshore Guinea are greater than we expected due to mechanical and operational issues on the drilling rig, logistical delays resulting from limited port facilities in Guinea, and an expanded well logging program.  There may be additional delays and problems associated with the Sabu-1 well that we cannot predict with certainty at this time and that may ultimately exceed our current cost estimates for the remaining work to be completed.  Offshore operations are subject to a variety of operating risks and subject to loss from such risks resulting in, among others, drilling delays, significant damage to the rig and higher drilling costs.  Unexpected delays and increases in costs associated with the Sabu-1 well or with wells drilled in the future, could adversely affect our results of operations, financial position, liquidity and business plans.

 

The cost overruns on the Sabu-1 well have adversely affected our cash position and liquidity, and additional cost overruns would adversely affect us and increase our need for additional capital.

 

5



 

The unexpectedly high cost of the Sabu-1 well has adversely affected our cash position and liquidity. We currently have cash and restricted cash of $67.8 million. After giving effect to our estimated net remaining costs to complete both the 3-D seismic survey and Sabu-1 well (including $3.8 million owed to us by Dana for well costs), our remaining cash at January 27, 2012 would be approximately $19.4 million.  If there are unexpected cost overruns in the future on this well, our liquidity, financial position and operations would be adversely affected, and we could need additional financing to maintain operations.

 

We may not be able to meet our substantial capital requirements to conduct our operations or achieve our business plan.

 

Our business is capital intensive, and we must invest a significant amount in our activities.  We intend to make substantial capital expenditures to find, develop and produce natural gas and oil reserves.

 

Additional capital could be obtained from a combination of funding sources.  The current potential funding sources, and the potential adverse effects attributable thereto, include:

 

·       offerings of equity, equity-linked and convertible debt securities, which would dilute the equity interests of our stockholders;

 

·       sales or assignments of interests in the Concession and exploration program, which would reduce any future revenues from that program while at the same time offsetting potential expenditures;

 

·       debt and convertible debt offerings, which would increase our leverage and add to our need for cash to service such debt and which could result in assets being pledged as collateral; and

 

·       borrowings from financial institutions, which may subject us to certain restrictive covenants, including covenants restricting our ability to raise additional capital or pay dividends.

 

It is difficult to quantify the amount of financing we may need to fund our business plan in the longer term.  The amount of funding we may need in the future depends on various factors such as:

 

·       our financial position;

 

·       the cost of exploration and drilling;

 

·       the prevailing market price of natural gas and oil; and

 

·       the lead time required to bring any discoveries to production.

 

Our ability to raise additional capital will depend on the results of operations and the status of various capital and industry markets at the time such additional capital is sought.  Historically, we have been able to raise capital from equity sources to finance our activities, but there is no assurance that we will be able to do so in the future or on acceptable terms, if at all.  Further, we currently have no operating revenue.  While we believe, absent additional Sabu-1 cost overruns, we have sufficient resources to complete the drilling of the Sabu-1, to complete the processing of the new deeper water 3D seismic survey and working capital for at least the next 12 months, additional capital will likely be required beyond this period.

 

6



 

If we do not obtain capital resources in the future, we may not be able to meet the obligations under the PSC and thereby could be required to surrender the Concession.  The Concession is our single most important asset and, although we are considering other opportunities, the loss of the Concession would significantly reduce our ability to eventually become a profit-generating company.

 

We also expect to continue to incur significant expenses over the next several years with our operations, including further 3-D seismic studies and exploratory drilling.  We may not be able to raise or expend the capital necessary to undertake or complete future drilling programs or acquisition opportunities unless we raise additional funds through debt or equity financings, which may not be available on acceptable terms to us or at all.  We may not be able to obtain debt or equity financing or enter into and complete additional strategic relationships with an industry partner to meet our capital requirements on acceptable terms, if at all.  Further, our future cash flow from operations may not be sufficient for continued exploration, development or acquisition activities, and we may not be able to obtain the necessary funds from other sources.

 

We will need additional funding to drill additional exploratory wells, and such funding, if available, may not be on terms advantageous to us.

 

Our exploration plan in 2011 contemplated a two well exploration program using the same drilling rig, beginning with the Sabu-1 well, and continuing soon thereafter with a second well.  After consideration of the suitability and cost performance of that rig and the effect of the delays and increased cost on our liquidity and capital resources, we plan to defer the commencement of our next exploration well.  Our ability to drill additional wells will depend on obtaining additional cash resources through equity or debt financings, sales of additional interests in the Concession, or through other means.  If we sell additional interests in the Concession, our percentage interest will decrease.  The terms of any capital raising arrangements may not be advantageous for us.

 

New investors or commercial partners may require participation interests which could decrease future profitability.

 

Due to funding limitations or other factors, we may conduct exploration activities under agreements that provide investors or commercial partners with a participation interest in a particular property held by us.  Under this type of arrangement, an investor or commercial partner would invest in specific property and receive a negotiated interest in that specific property.  This could reduce the potential profitability of the remaining interest in the property and reduce our ability to control and manage the property.  We expect that entering into these partnering relationships would entail transferring a portion of our interest in the Concession, or other properties that we may acquire in the future, to such partner.

 

We have no ability to control the prices that we may receive for oil or gas.  Oil and gas prices are volatile, and a substantial or extended decline in prices could adversely affect our financial condition, liquidity, ability to obtain financing and future operating results.

 

We currently have no source of revenue.  Our financial condition is based solely on our ability to sell equity or debt securities to investors, enter into an additional joint operating or similar strategic relationship with an industry partner, sell interests related to the Concession or borrow funds.  We expect that entering into these joint operating or similar relationships would entail transferring a portion of our interest in the Concession to such partner.  Such investors would consider the price of oil and gas in making an investment decision.  Declines in oil and gas prices may adversely affect our financial condition, liquidity, ability to obtain financing and operating results.  Low oil and gas prices also may reduce the amount of oil and gas that we could produce economically.  Low oil and gas prices in the future could have a negative effect on our future financial results.  Historically, oil and gas prices and

 

7



 

markets have been volatile, with prices fluctuating widely, and they are likely to continue to be volatile.  Prices for oil and gas are subject to wide fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in supply and demand, market uncertainty and a variety of additional factors that are beyond our control.  These factors include:

 

·       the level of domestic and foreign supplies of oil;

 

·       the level of consumer product demand;

 

·       weather conditions and natural disasters;

 

·       political conditions in oil producing regions throughout the world;

 

·       the ability of the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to agree to and maintain oil production;

 

·       speculation as to the future price of oil and natural gas and the speculative trading of oil and natural gas futures contracts;

 

·       price and production controls;

 

·       political and economic conditions, including embargoes in oil-producing countries or affecting other oil-producing activities, particularly in the Middle East, Africa, Russia and South America;

 

·       continued threat of terrorism and the impact of military and other action, including U.S. military operations in the Middle East;

 

·       the level of global oil and natural gas exploration and production activity;

 

·       the price of foreign oil imports;

 

·       actions of governments;

 

·       domestic and foreign governmental regulations;

 

·       the price, availability and acceptance of alternative fuels;

 

·       technological advances affecting energy consumption;

 

·       global economic conditions; and

 

·       the value of the U.S. dollar, the Euro and fluctuations in exchange rates generally.

 

These factors and the volatile nature of the energy markets make it impossible to predict oil and gas prices.  Our inability to respond appropriately to changes in these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business plan, financial position, results of operations and future cash flows.

 

8



 

The unavailability or high cost of drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, personnel and oilfield services, as well as gathering systems and processing facilities, and our dependence on industry contractors generally, could adversely impact us.

 

We are dependent on industry contractors for the success of our oil and gas exploration projects.  In particular, our drilling activity offshore of Guinea will require that we have access to offshore drilling rigs and contracts with experienced operators of such rigs.  The availability and cost of drilling rigs and other equipment and services, and the skilled personnel required to operate those rigs and equipment is affected by the level and location of drilling activity around the world.  An increase in drilling operations worldwide may reduce the availability and increase the cost to us of drilling rigs, other equipment and services, and appropriately experienced drilling contractors.  The reduced availability of such equipment and services may delay our ability to discover reserves and higher costs for such equipment and services may increase our costs, both of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and future cash flow.  If we succeed in constructing oil wells, we may be required to shut them because access to pipelines, gathering systems or processing facilities may be limited or unavailable.  If that were to occur, we would be unable to realize revenue from those wells until arrangements were made to deliver the production to market, which could cause a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

 

We are exposed to the failure or non-performance of commercial counterparties.

 

Our operations will be dependent on certain third parties with whom we have commercial agreements (such as drilling project management contractors, drilling contractors and the parties responsible for transporting and/or storing our production) for our future exploration, development, production, sales or other activities.  The efficiency, timeliness and quality of contract performance by third party providers are largely beyond our direct control.  If one or more of these third parties fails to meet its contractual obligations to us, or if such services are temporarily or permanently unavailable (for example, as a result of technical problems or industrial action), or not available on commercially acceptable terms, we may experience a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and future cash flow.  In addition, as a named party under the PSC, we could be held liable for the environmental, health and safety impacts arising out of the activities of our drilling project management contractor or any other third party service provider contracted by us or on our behalf, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and future cash flow.

 

Participants in the oil and gas industry are subject to numerous laws that can affect the cost, manner or feasibility of doing business.

 

Exploration and production activities in the oil and gas industry are subject to local laws and regulations.  We may be required to make large expenditures to comply with governmental laws and regulations, particularly in respect of the following matters:

 

·       licenses for drilling operations;

 

·       tax increases, including retroactive claims;

 

·       unitization of oil accumulations;

 

·       local content requirements (including the mandatory use of local partners and vendors); and

 

9



 

·       environmental requirements and obligations, including investigation and/or remediation activities.

 

Under these and other laws and regulations, we could be liable for personal injuries, property damage and other types of damages.  Failure to comply with these laws and regulations also may result in the suspension or termination of our operations and subject us to administrative, civil and criminal penalties.  Moreover, new laws and regulations may be enacted, and current laws and regulations could change or their interpretations could change, in ways that could substantially increase our costs.  These risks may be higher in the developing countries in which we conduct our operations, where there could be a lack of clarity or lack of consistency in the application of these laws and regulations.  Any resulting liabilities, penalties, suspensions or terminations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

Furthermore, the explosion and sinking in April 2010 of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig during operations on the Macondo exploration well in the Gulf of Mexico, and the resulting oil spill, may have increased certain of the risks faced by those drilling for oil in deepwater regions, including increased industry standards, governmental regulation and enforcement, and less favorable investor perception of the risk-adjusted benefits of deepwater offshore drilling.

 

The occurrence of any of these factors, or the continuation thereof, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position or future results of operations.

 

We may not be able to commercialize our interests in any natural gas produced from our Guinea Concession

 

The development of the market for natural gas in West Africa is in its early stages.  Currently there is no infrastructure to transport and process natural gas on commercial terms in Guinea, and the expenses associated with constructing such infrastructure ourselves may not be commercially viable given local prices currently paid for natural gas.  We will not receive any payment for this quantity of natural gas.  Accordingly, there may be limited or no value derived from any natural gas produced from our Guinea Concession.

 

Our insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover losses, or we could be subject to uninsured liabilities which could materially affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.

 

There are circumstances where insurance will not cover the consequences of an event, or where we may become liable for costs incurred in events or incidents against which we either cannot insure or may elect not to have insured (whether on account of prohibitive premium costs or for other commercial reasons).  Further, insurance covering certain matters (such as sovereign risk, terrorism and many environmental risks) may not be available to us.  Moreover, we may be subject to large excess payments in the event a third party has a valid claim against us, and therefore may not be entitled to recover the full extent of our loss, or may decide that it is not economical to seek to do so.  The realization of any significant liabilities in connection with our future activities could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and future cash flow.

 

There are risks associated with the drilling of oil and natural gas wells which could significantly reduce our revenues or cause substantial losses, impairing our future operating results.  We may become subject to liability for pollution, blow-outs or other hazards, including those arising out of the activities of our third-party contractors.  We intend to obtain insurance with respect to certain of these hazards, but such insurance likely will have limitations that may prevent us from recovering the full extent of such liabilities.  The payment by us of such liabilities could reduce the funds available to us or could, in an

 

10



 

extreme case, result in a total loss of our properties and assets.  Moreover, oil and natural gas production operations are also subject to all the risks typically associated with such operations, including premature decline of reservoirs and the invasion of water into producing formations.

 

We have competition from other companies that have larger financial and other resources than we do, which puts us at a competitive disadvantage.

 

A large number of companies and individuals engage in drilling for gas and oil, and there is competition for the most desirable prospects.  We are likely to face competition from international oil and gas companies, which already may have significant operations in a region, together with potential new entrants into such markets, any of which may have greater financial, technological and other resources than us.  There is a high degree of competition for the discovery and acquisition of properties considered to have a commercial potential.  We compete with other companies for the acquisition of oil and gas interests, as well as for the recruitment and retention of qualified employees and other personnel.

 

There can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to compete effectively with other existing oil and gas companies, or any new entrants to the industry.  Any failure by us to compete effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and future cash flow.

 

We may incur a variety of costs to engage in future acquisitions, and the anticipated benefits of those acquisitions may never be realized.

 

As a part of our business strategy, we may make acquisitions of, or significant investments in, other assets, particularly those that would allow us to produce oil and natural gas and generate revenue to fund our exploration activities.  Any future acquisitions would be accompanied by risks such as:

 

·       diversion of our management’s attention from ongoing business concerns;

 

·       our potential inability to maximize our financial and strategic position through the successful development of the asset or assets acquired;

 

·       impairment of our relationship with our existing employees if we cannot hire employees to staff any new operations and our existing employees are required to staff both old and new operations; and

 

·       maintenance of uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies.

 

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to successfully integrate any business, products, technologies or personnel that we might acquire in the future, and our failure to do so could harm our business.

 

We have deposited $10 million in connection with a prospective investment in oil and gas properties that may be lost if the transaction is not completed.

 

We have made payments of $10 million in connection with a prospective investment in oil and gas properties.  We have not entered into a binding purchase agreement, and there are significant contingencies to completion of the transaction.  There can be no assurance that these contingencies will be satisfied.  If the transaction is completed, the $10 million payment will be credited to the purchase

 

11



 

price.  However, if the transaction is not completed, these payments may not be recovered, which could adversely affect our results of operations, financial position and liquidity.

 

Risks Relating to Operating in Guinea.

 

Geopolitical instability where we operate subjects us to political, economic and other uncertainties.

 

We conduct business in Guinea, which is in a region of the world where there have been recent civil wars, revolutions, coup d’etats and internecine conflicts.  There is the risk of political violence and increased social tension in Guinea as a result of the past political upheaval, and there is a risk of civil unrest, crime and labor unrest at times.  For example, in September 2009, the military government intervened to stop pro-democracy rallies, resulting in a number of civilian deaths and casualties.  This led to the African Union, United States and European Union imposing sanctions upon the former government.  A successful mediation organized by the international community (African Union, United States and European Union) between the opposition and the military junta resulted in the appointment of a Prime Minister of Guinea from the opposition.  In 2010 democratic elections were held, and a president was elected and inaugurated.  While these developments indicate that the political situation in Guinea is improving, external or internal political forces potentially could create a political or military climate that might cause a change in political leadership, the outbreak of hostilities, or civil unrest.  Such uncertainties could result in our having to cease our Guinea operations and result in the loss or delay of our rights under the PSC.

 

Further, we face political and economic risks and other uncertainties with respect to our operations, which may include, among other things:

 

·       loss of future revenue, property and equipment, as a result of hazards such as expropriation, war, acts of terrorism, insurrection and other political risks;

 

·       increases in taxes and governmental royalties;

 

·       unilateral renegotiation or cancellation of contracts by governmental entities;

 

·       difficulties enforcing our rights against a governmental agency because of the doctrine of sovereign immunity and foreign sovereignty over international operations;

 

·       changes in laws and policies governing operations of foreign-based companies; and

 

·       currency restrictions and exchange rate fluctuations.

 

Our operations in Guinea also may be adversely affected by laws and policies of the United States affecting foreign trade and taxation.  Realization of any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and/or growth prospects.

 

Guinea’s political uncertainties could adversely affect our rights under the Concession or obligations under the PSC.

 

Guinea has faced and continues to face political, economic and social uncertainties which are beyond our control.  Maintaining a good working relationship with the Guinea government is important because the Concession is granted under the terms of the PSC, with the Guinea government.  In June 2010, a

 

12



 

democratic election was held that identified two main candidates for a run-off election that was held on November 7, 2010.  On December 21, 2010, President Alpha Conde was inaugurated.  The newly-elected government has replaced the transitional government.  Although we believe that our management has a positive working relationship with the new Guinea government, we cannot predict future political events and changing relationships.  Political instability, substantial changes in government laws, policies or officials, and attitudes of officials toward us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and future cash flow.

 

We operate in Guinea, a country where corrupt behavior exists that could impair our ability to do business in the future or result in significant fines or penalties.

 

We operate in Guinea, a country where governmental corruption has been known to exist.  There is a risk of violating either the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, laws or legislation promulgated pursuant to the 1997 OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions or other applicable anti-corruption regulations that generally prohibit the making of improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business.  In addition, the future success of our Guinea operations may be adversely affected by risks associated with international activities, including economic and labor conditions, political instability, risk of war, expropriation, terrorism, renegotiation or modification of existing contracts, tax laws and changes in exchange rates.

 

We are subject to governmental regulations, the cost of compliance with which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and future cash flow.

 

Oil and gas operations in Guinea will be subject to government regulation and to interruption or termination by governmental authorities on account of ecological and other considerations.  It is impossible to predict future government proposals that might be enacted into law, future interpretation of existing laws or future amendments to the Guinea Petroleum Code or any other laws, or the effect those new or amended laws or changes in interpretation of existing laws might have on us.  Restrictions on oil and gas activities, such as production restrictions, price controls, tax increases and pollution and environmental controls may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and future cash flows.

 

Political, social and economic conditions in Guinea may adversely affect our business, results of operation, financial condition and future cash flow.

 

As all of our potential revenue generating assets are currently located in Guinea, our operations are dependant on the economic and political conditions prevailing in Guinea.  Accordingly, we are subject to the risks associated with conducting business in and with a foreign country, including the risks of changes in the country’s laws and policies (including those relating to taxation, royalties, acquisitions, disposals, imports and exports, currency, environmental protection, management of natural resources, exploration and development of mines, labor and safety standards, and historical and cultural preservation).  The costs associated with compliance with these laws and regulations are substantial, and possible future laws and regulations as well as changes to existing laws and regulations could impose additional costs on us, require us to incur additional capital expenditures and/or impose restrictions on or suspensions of our operations and delays in the development of our assets.

 

Further, these laws and regulations may allow government authorities and private parties to bring legal claims based on damages to property and injury to persons resulting from the environmental, health and safety impacts of our past and current operations and could lead to the imposition of substantial fines, penalties or other civil or criminal sanctions.  If material, these compliance costs, claims or fines could

 

13



 

have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and/or growth prospects.

 

In addition, Guinea has high levels of unemployment, poverty and crime.  These problems have, in part, hindered investments in Guinea, prompted emigration of skilled workers and affected economic growth negatively.  While it is difficult to predict the effect of these problems on businesses operating in Guinea or the Guinea government’s efforts to solve them, these problems, or the solutions proposed, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and/or growth prospects.

 

The legal and judicial system in Guinea is relatively undeveloped and subject to frequent changes, and we may be exposed to similar risks if we operate in certain other jurisdictions.

 

Guinea has a less developed legal and judicial system than more established economies which could result in risks such as: (i) effective legal redress in the courts of such jurisdictions, whether in respect of a breach of contract, law or regulation, or in an ownership dispute, being more difficult to obtain; (ii) a higher degree of discretion on the part of Governmental authorities who may be susceptible to corruption; (iii) the lack of judicial or administrative guidance on interpreting applicable rules and regulations; (iv) inconsistencies or conflicts between and within various laws, regulations, decrees, orders and resolutions; or (v) relative inexperience of the judiciary and courts in such matters.  In Guinea and certain other jurisdictions, the commitment of local business people, government officials and agencies and the judicial system to abide by legal requirements and negotiated agreements may be more uncertain, creating particular concerns with respect to the Concession or other licenses, permits or approvals required by us for the operation of our business, which may be susceptible to revision or cancellation, and legal redress may be uncertain or delayed.  There can be no assurance that joint ventures, licenses, license applications or other legal arrangements will not be adversely affected by the actions of government authorities or others, and the effectiveness of and enforcement of such arrangements in these jurisdictions cannot be assured.

 

Risks Relating to Our Common Stock.

 

The price of our common stock historically has been volatile.  This volatility may affect the price at which you could sell your common stock, and the sale of substantial amounts of our common stock could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

 

The closing price for our common stock has varied between a high of $5.58 on July 26, 2011 and a low of $2.04 on December 19, 2011 to date for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2012.  This volatility may affect the price at which an investor could sell the common stock, and the sale of substantial amounts of our common stock could adversely affect the price of our common stock.  Our stock price is likely to continue to be volatile and subject to significant price and volume fluctuations in response to market and other factors, including the other factors discussed in “— Risks Relating to Our Business and the Industry in Which We Operate”; variations in our quarterly operating results from our expectations or those of securities analysts or investors; downward revisions in securities analysts’ estimates; and announcement by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments.

 

We may issue additional shares of common stock in the future, which could adversely affect the market price of our shares and cause dilution to existing stockholders.

 

We may issue additional shares of our common stock in the future which could adversely affect the market price of our shares.  Significant sales of shares of our common stock by major stockholders, or the public perception that an offering or sale may occur also could have an adverse effect on the market price

 

14



 

of shares of our common stock.  Issuance of additional shares of common stock will dilute the percentage ownership interest of the existing stockholders, and may dilute the book value per share of our shares of common stock held by existing stockholders.

 

Sales of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock in the public market could harm the market price of the shares of common stock.

 

The sale of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock (including shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding options and warrants to purchase shares) may cause substantial fluctuations in the price of shares of our common stock.  Because investors may be more reluctant to purchase shares of our common stock following substantial sales or issuances, the sale of shares in an offering could impair our ability to raise capital in the near term.

 

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls for the year ended June 30, 2011, and if we fail to adequately remediate, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results in the future and the market price of our shares may be adversely affected.

 

We and our independent registered public accounting firm, in connection with the audit of our internal control over financial reporting, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011, have identified certain control deficiencies resulting from the lack of effective detective and monitoring controls being designed within internal control over financial reporting.  Such deficiencies related to oversight and review of information as prepared or received from external service providers covering marketable securities, income taxes and equity awards and over the presentation of the financial statements and the application of certain accounting principles. In addition, we identified certain control deficiencies in our general computer control environment, resulting from the lack of effective controls around the areas of approval and review of information technology changes and system security, including the enforcement of segregation of duties and appropriate user access restrictions.  We plan to take measures to remedy these weaknesses.  A failure to address any control deficiency could result in inaccuracies in our financial statements and could also impair our ability to comply with applicable financial reporting requirements.  As a result, our business and the market price of our shares may be adversely affected.

 

Delaware law and our charter documents may impede or discourage a takeover, which could adversely impact the market price of our shares.

 

We are a Delaware corporation, and the anti-takeover provisions of Delaware law impose various impediments to the ability of a third party to acquire control of us, even if a change in control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders.  Certain provisions of Delaware law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could impede a merger, takeover or other business combination involving us or discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer for our common stock, which, under certain circumstances, could reduce the market price of our common stock.

 

15


 


 

Item 9.01                                              Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

Exhibit 1.1

 

Placement Agency Agreement, dated January 30, 2012, by and between Hyperdynamics Corporation and Rodman & Renshaw, LLC.

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.1

 

Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant to be issued by Hyperdynamics Corporation to the investors in the offering.

 

 

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

Opinion of Patton Boggs LLP.

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated January 30, 2012, by and between Hyperdynamics Corporation and the investors in the offering.

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Patton Boggs LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

Press Release dated January 30, 2012 entitled “Hyperdynamics to Raise $30 Million in Registered Direct Offering”.

 

16



 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

HYPERDYNAMICS CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

Date:

January 31, 2012

 

By:

/s/ PAUL C. REINBOLT

 

Name:

Paul C. Reinbolt

 

Title:

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

17



 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

Exhibit 1.1

 

Placement Agency Agreement, dated January 30, 2012, by and between Hyperdynamics Corporation and Rodman & Renshaw, LLC.

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.1

 

Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant to be issued by Hyperdynamics Corporation to the investors in the offering.

 

 

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

Opinion of Patton Boggs LLP.

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated January 30, 2012, by and between Hyperdynamics Corporation and the investors in the offering.

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Patton Boggs LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

Press Release dated January 30, 2012 entitled “Hyperdynamics to Raise $30 Million in Registered Direct Offering”.

 

18


Exhibit 1.1

 

 

January 30, 2012

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

Ray Leonard

President and Chief Executive Officer

Hyperdynamics Corporation

12012 Wickchester Lane, Suite 475

Houston, Texas  77079

 

Dear Mr. Leonard:

 

This letter (the “ Agreement ”) constitutes the agreement between Rodman & Renshaw, LLC (“ Rodman ” or the “ Placement Agent ”) and Hyperdynamics Corporation (the “ Company ”), that Rodman shall serve as the exclusive placement agent for the Company, on a reasonable best efforts basis, in connection with the proposed placement (the “ Placement ”) of registered securities (the “ Securities ”) of the Company, including shares (the “ Shares ”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Common Stock ”) and warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock. The terms of such Placement and the Securities shall be mutually agreed upon by the Company and the purchasers (each, a “ Purchaser ” and collectively, the “ Purchasers ”) and nothing herein constitutes that Rodman would have the power or authority to bind the Company or any Purchaser or an obligation for the Company to issue any Securities or complete the Placement. This Agreement and the documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Purchasers in connection with the Placement shall be collectively referred to herein as the “ Transaction Documents .”  The date of the closing of the Placement shall be referred to herein as the “ Closing Date .”  The Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that Rodman’s obligations hereunder are on a reasonable best efforts basis only and that the execution of this Agreement does not constitute a commitment by Rodman to purchase the Securities and does not ensure the successful placement of the Securities or any portion thereof or the success of Rodman with respect to securing any other financing on behalf of the Company.

 

SECTION 1 .                             COMPENSATION .  As compensation for the services provided by Rodman hereunder (“ Placement Agent Fees ”), the Company agrees to pay to Rodman a cash fee payable immediately upon the closing of the Placement and equal to 5% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Placement.  Additionally, the Company also agrees to reimburse Rodman’s non-accountable fees and expenses in an amount equal to 0.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the placement (provided, however, that such expense allowance in no way limits or impairs the indemnification and contribution provisions of this Agreement).

 

SECTION 2 .                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT .  The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Placement Agent that:

 

(A)                               The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration File No. 333-173051) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), which became automatically effective upon filing on March 24, 2011, for the registration under the Securities Act of the Shares.  At the time of such filing, the Company met the requirements of Form S-3 under the Securities Act as a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Such registration statement meets the requirements

 

Rodman & Renshaw, LLC · 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 20 th  Floor, New York, NY 10020

Tel: 212 356 0500 · Fax: 212 581 5690 · www.rodm.com · Member: FINRA, SIPC

 



 

set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Securities Act and complies with said Rule. The Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations (the “ Rules and Regulations ”) of the Commission promulgated thereunder, a supplement to the form of prospectus included in such registration statement relating to the placement of the Shares and the plan of distribution thereof and has advised the Placement Agent of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein. Such registration statement, including the exhibits thereto, as amended at the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “ Registration Statement ”; such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement is hereinafter called the “ Base Prospectus ”; and the supplemented form of prospectus, in the form in which it will be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented) is hereinafter called the “ Prospectus Supplement .” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “ Incorporated Documents ”) pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), on or before the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be; and any reference in this Agreement to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “contained,” “included,” “described,” “referenced,” “set forth” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be.  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement has been issued, and no proceeding for any such purpose is pending or has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened by the Commission. For purposes of this Agreement, “ free writing prospectus ” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act and the “ Time of Sale Prospectus ” means the preliminary prospectus, if any, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, used in connection with the Placement, including any documents incorporated by reference therein.

 

(B)                                The Registration Statement (and any further documents to be filed with the Commission) contains all exhibits and schedules as required by the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and did not and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, if any, and the Prospectus Supplement, each as of its respective date, comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations. Each of the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, if any, and the Prospectus Supplement, as amended or supplemented, did not and will not contain as of the date thereof any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations, and none of such documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (with respect to Incorporated Documents incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement), in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading; and

 

2



 

any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, if any, or Prospectus Supplement, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or events arising after the date thereof which represent, individually or in the aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required to be filed with the Commission.  There are no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby that (x) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, if any, or Prospectus Supplement, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, that have not been described or filed as required.

 

(C)                                 The Company is eligible to use free writing prospectuses in connection with the Placement pursuant to Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act.  Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.  Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.  The Company will not, without the prior consent of the Placement Agent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

 

(D)                                The Company has delivered, or will as promptly as practicable deliver, to the Placement Agent complete conformed copies of the Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts, as applicable, filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits), the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, if any, and the Prospectus Supplement, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Placement Agent reasonably requests.  Neither the Company nor any of its directors and officers has distributed and none of them will distribute, prior to the Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, if any, the Prospectus Supplement, the Registration Statement, copies of the documents incorporated by reference therein and any other materials permitted by the Securities Act.

 

SECTION 3 .                             REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES . Except as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus Supplement, which shall be deemed a part hereof, the Company hereby makes the representations and warranties set forth below to the Placement Agent.

 

(A)                               Organization and Qualification .  All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries (individually, a “ Subsidiary ”) of the Company are set forth in the SEC Reports.  The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any “ Liens ” (which for purposes of this Agreement shall mean a lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction), and all 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 subscribe for or purchase securities.  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

 

3



 

Subsidiary is in violation or default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles 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, prospects 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, to the knowledge of the Company, no “ Proceeding ” (which for purposes of this Agreement shall mean any action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened) has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.

 

(B)                                 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 thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, its board of directors or its stockholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the “ Required Approvals ” (as defined in subsection 3(D) below).  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 applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies.

 

(C)                                 No Conflicts .   The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Securities 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 charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a 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.

 

(D)                                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 ” (defined as an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability

 

4



 

company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind, including, without limitation, any Trading Market) in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus Supplement, (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) such filings as are required to be made under applicable Federal and state securities laws (collectively, the “ Required Approvals ”).

 

(E)                                  Issuance of the Securities; Registration .  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 Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents.  The issuance by the Company of the Securities has been registered under the Securities Act and all of the Securities are freely transferable and tradable by the Purchasers without restriction (other than any restrictions arising solely from an act or omission of a Purchaser).  The Securities are being issued pursuant to the Registration Statement and the issuance of the Securities has been registered by the Company under the Securities Act.  The Registration Statement is effective and available for the issuance of the Securities thereunder and the Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to issue a stop-order with respect to the Registration Statement or that the Commission otherwise has suspended or withdrawn the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, either temporarily or permanently, or intends or has threatened in writing to do so.  The “Plan of Distribution” section under the Registration Statement permits the issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder.  Upon receipt of the Securities, the Purchasers will have good and marketable title to such Securities and the Securities will be freely tradable on the New York Stock Exchange (the “ Trading Market ”).

 

(F)                                  Capitalization .  The capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement.  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 stock option plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plan and pursuant to the conversion or exercise of securities exercisable, exchangeable or convertible into Common Stock (“ Common Stock Equivalents ”).  No Person 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, other than as set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding options, warrants, script 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 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 of the Company 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.

 

5



 

(G)                                 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 it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, on the date hereof or for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, 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.  As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, 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 applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“ GAAP ”), 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.

 

(H)                                Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments .  Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in the SEC Reports, (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 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 required to be 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 ” (defined as 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 144 under the Securities Act), except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans.  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, 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 that has not been publicly disclosed.

 

(I)                                     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 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

 

6



 

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 or contemplated, 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.  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, and neither the Company or 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 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, 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.

 

(J)                                    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.

 

(K)                                Compliance .  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is in default under or in 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 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) 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 a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(L)                                  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 have or 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.

 

(M)                             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 of which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.

 

7



 

(N)                                Patents and Trademarks .  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 similar intellectual property 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 the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any Subsidiary violates or infringes upon the 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 of others.  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.

 

(O)                                Insurance .  The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in 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 under the Transaction Documents.  To the best knowledge of the Company, such insurance contracts and policies are accurate and complete.  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.

 

(P)                                  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, other than (i) for payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) for other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.

 

(Q)                                Sarbanes-Oxley .  The Company is in material compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which are applicable to it as of the date hereof and of the closing date of the Placement.

 

(R)                                 Certain Fees .  Except for the fees otherwise provided for in this Agreement, 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.

 

(S)                                  Trading Market Rules .  The issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market.

 

(T)                                 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

 

8



 

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.

 

(U)                                Registration Rights .  No Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company.

 

(V)                                 Listing and Maintenance Requirements .  The Company’s Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no 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 with all such listing and maintenance requirements.

 

(W)                            Application of Takeover Protections .  The Company and its 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.

 

(X)                                Solvency .  Based on the 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, (i) the Company’s fair saleable value of its 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; and (ii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its debt when such amounts are required to be paid.  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 sets forth as of the 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 ” shall mean (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.

 

(Y)                                 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

 

9



 

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.

 

(Z)                                 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 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.

 

(AA)                     Accountants .  The Company’s accountants are named in the Prospectus Supplement.  To the knowledge of the Company, such accountants, who the Company expects will express their opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s next Annual Report on Form 10-K, are a registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act.

 

(BB)                         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 Agent’s 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.

 

(CC)                         Approvals .  The issuance and listing on the Trading Market of the Shares requires no further approvals, including but not limited to, the approval of shareholders.

 

(DD)                      FINRA Affiliations .  There are no affiliations with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“ FINRA ”) member firm among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent (5%) or greater stockholder of the Company, except as set forth in the Base Prospectus.

 

SECTION 4 .                             ENGAGEMENT TERM .  Rodman’s engagement hereunder will be for the period of 30 days. The engagement may be terminated by either the Company or Rodman at any time upon 10 days’ written notice. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions in this Agreement concerning confidentiality, indemnification, contribution and payment of fees pursuant to Section 1(C) will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 5 .                             RODMAN INFORMATION .  The Company agrees that any information or advice rendered by Rodman in connection with this engagement is for the confidential use of the Company only in their evaluation of the Placement and, except as otherwise required by law, the Company will not disclose or otherwise refer to the advice or information in any manner without Rodman’s prior written consent.

 

SECTION 6 .                             NO FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP .  This Agreement does not create, and shall not be construed as creating rights enforceable by any person or entity not a party hereto, except those entitled hereto by virtue of the indemnification provisions hereof.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that Rodman is not and shall not be construed as a fiduciary of the Company and shall have no duties or liabilities to the equity holders or the creditors of the Company or any other person by virtue of this Agreement or the retention of Rodman hereunder, all of which are hereby expressly waived.

 

10


 


 

SECTION 7 .                             CLOSING .   The obligations of the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, and the closing of the sale of the Securities hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and on the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company and its Subsidiaries contained herein, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and its Subsidiaries of their obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

 

(A)                               No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Placement Agent.

 

(B)                                The Placement Agent shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to the Closing Date that the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Placement Agent, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(C)                                All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form, execution, delivery and validity of each of this Agreement, the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Placement Agent, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

(D)                               The Placement Agent shall have received from outside counsel to the Company such counsel’s written opinion, addressed to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, which opinion shall include a “10b-5” negative assurance from such counsel.

 

(E)                                 The Company and the Placement Agent shall have entered into an escrow agreement with a commercial bank or trust company reasonably satisfactory to both parties pursuant to which the Purchasers shall deposit their subscription funds in an escrow account and the Company and the Placement Agent shall jointly authorize the disbursement of the funds from the escrow account. The Company shall pay the reasonable fees of the escrow agent.

 

Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus, any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, terrorist act or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth in or contemplated by the Base Prospectus and (ii) since such date there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth in or contemplated by the Base Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is, in the judgment of the Placement Agent, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, if any, and the Prospectus Supplement.

 

11



 

(F)                                 The Common Stock is registered under the Exchange Act and, as of the Closing Date, the Shares shall be listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the Trading Market, and satisfactory evidence of such actions shall have been provided to the Placement Agent.  The Company shall have taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Common Stock from the Trading Market, nor has the Company received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

 

(G)                                Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq National Market or the NYSE Alternext US or in the over-the-counter market, or trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or minimum or maximum prices or maximum ranges for prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or state authorities or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, (iii) the United States shall have become engaged in hostilities in which it is not currently engaged, the subject of an act of terrorism, there shall have been an escalation in hostilities involving the United States, or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States, or (iv) there shall have occurred any other calamity or crisis or any change in general economic, political or financial conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event in clause (iii) or (iv) makes it, in the sole judgment of the Placement Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement.

 

(H)                               No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.

 

(I)                                    The Company shall have prepared and filed with the Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K with respect to the Placement, including as an exhibit thereto this Agreement.

 

(J)                                   The Company shall have entered into purchase agreements with each of the Purchasers and such agreements shall be in full force and effect and shall contain representations and warranties of the Company as agreed between the Company and the Purchasers.

 

(K)                                If required, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“ FINRA ”) shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements of this Agreement.  In addition, the Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, make or authorize Placement Agent’s counsel to make on the Company’s behalf, an Issuer Filing with FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 with respect to the Registration Statement and pay all filing fees required in connection therewith.

 

(L)                                 Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Placement Agent such further information, certificates and documents as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.

 

12



 

All opinions, letters, evidence and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Placement Agent.

 

SECTION 8 .                                 INDEMNIFICATION .  (A)  To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify Rodman and its affiliates, stockholders, directors, officers, employees and controlling persons (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) against all losses, claims, damages, expenses and liabilities, as the same are incurred (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), relating to or arising out of its activities hereunder or pursuant to this engagement letter, except to the extent that any losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) are found in a final judgment (not subject to appeal) by a court of law to have resulted primarily and directly from Rodman’s willful misconduct or gross negligence in performing the services described herein.

 

(B)                                 Promptly after receipt by Rodman of notice of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding with respect to which Rodman is entitled to indemnity hereunder, Rodman will notify the Company in writing of such claim or of the commencement of such action or proceeding, but failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any obligation it may have hereunder, except and only to the extent such failure results in the forfeiture by the Company of substantial rights and defenses.  If the Company so elects or is requested by Rodman, the Company will assume the defense of such action or proceeding and will employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to Rodman and will pay the fees and expenses of such counsel.  Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, Rodman will be entitled to employ counsel separate from counsel for the Company and from any other party in such action if counsel for Rodman reasonably determines that it would be inappropriate under the applicable rules of professional responsibility for the same counsel to represent both the Company and Rodman.  In such event, the reasonable fees and disbursements of no more than one such separate counsel will be paid by the Company, in addition to local counsel.  The Company will have the exclusive right to settle the claim or proceeding provided that the Company will not settle any such claim, action or proceeding without the prior written consent of Rodman, which will not be unreasonably withheld.

 

(C)                                 The Company agrees to notify Rodman promptly of the assertion against it or any other person of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding relating to a transaction contemplated by this engagement letter.

 

(D)                                If for any reason the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to Rodman or insufficient to hold Rodman harmless, then the Company shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by Rodman as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and Rodman on the other, but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and Rodman on the other that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any relevant equitable considerations.  The amounts paid or payable by a party in respect of losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees and expenses incurred in defending any litigation, proceeding or other action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions hereof, Rodman’s share of the liability hereunder shall not be in excess of the amount of fees actually received, or to be received, by Rodman under this engagement letter (excluding any amounts received as reimbursement of expenses incurred by Rodman).

 

(E)                                  These indemnification provisions shall remain in full force and effect whether or not the transaction contemplated by this engagement letter is completed and shall survive the termination of this engagement letter, and shall be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have to any indemnified party under this engagement letter or otherwise.

 

13



 

SECTION 9 .                                 GOVERNING LAW .  This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely in such State.  This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other party.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any right to trial by jury with respect to any dispute arising under this Agreement or any transaction or conduct in connection herewith is waived.  Any dispute arising under this Agreement may be brought into the courts of the State of New York or into the Federal Court located in New York, New York and, by execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company hereby accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of aforesaid courts.  Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by delivering a copy thereof via 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 manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of a Transaction Document, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

SECTION 10 .                           ENTIRE AGREEMENT/MISC .  This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, relating to the subject matter hereof.  If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such determination will not affect such provision in any other respect or any other provision of this Agreement, which will remain in full force and effect.  This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or waived except by an instrument in writing signed by both Rodman and the Company.  The representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained herein shall survive the closing of the Placement and delivery and/or exercise of the Securities, as applicable.  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 a .pdf format 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 signature page were an original thereof.

 

SECTION 11 .                           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 specified on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a business day, (b) the next business day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a business day or later than 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any business day, (c) the business 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 hereto.

 

14



 

Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth our agreement by signing and returning to Rodman a copy of this Agreement.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

RODMAN & RENSHAW, LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

Address for notice:

 

 

1251 Avenue of the Americas, 20th Floor

 

 

New York, NY, 10020

 

 

Fax (646) 841-1640

 

 

Attention: General Counsel

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accepted and Agreed to as of the date first written above:

 

 

 

 

 

HYPERDYNAMICS CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address for notice:

 

 

Hyperdynamics Corporation

 

 

12012 Wickchester Lane, Suite 475

 

 

Houston, Texas 77079

 

 

Fax:

 

 

Attention: Ray Leonard

 

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

15


 

Exhibit 4.1

 

COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT

 

HYPERDYNAMICS CORPORATION

 

Warrant Shares:              

Initial Exercise Date: August       , 2012

 

Issue Date: February       , 2012

 

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 August       , 2012 (the “ Initial Exercise Date ”) and on or prior to the close of business on April         , 2013 (the “ Termination Date ”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Hyperdynamics Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), up to              shares (the “ Warrant Shares ”) of 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 January 30, 2012, 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 (or such 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) of a duly executed facsimile copy of the Notice of Exercise Form annexed hereto. Within three (3) Trading Days following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. 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 three (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

 

1



 

objection to any Notice of Exercise Form within 1 Business Day of receipt of such notice. In the event of any dispute or discrepancy, the records of the Holder shall be controlling and determinative in the absence of manifest error. 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 $3.50 , subject to adjustment hereunder (the “ Exercise Price ”).

 

c)             Cashless Exercise .  If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder and all of the Warrant Shares are not then registered for resale by Holder into the market at market prices from time to time on an effective registration statement for use on a continuous basis (or the prospectus contained therein is not available for use), then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, 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 on which Holder elects to exercise this Warrant by means of a “cashless exercise,” as set forth in the applicable Notice of Exercise;

 

(B) = the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and

 

(X) = the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.

 

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 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 listed or 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 OTC Markets, Inc. (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 Holders of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

2



 

d)            Mechanics of Exercise .

 

i.      Delivery of Certificates Upon Exercise .  Certificates for shares purchased hereunder shall be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“ DWAC ”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective Registration Statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is three (3) Trading Days after the latest of (A) the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise Form, (B) surrender of this Warrant (if required) and (C) payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as set forth above (including by cashless exercise, if permitted) (such date, the “ Warrant Share Delivery Date ”).  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, with 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(d)(vi) prior to the issuance of such shares, having been paid.

 

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 the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder a certificate or the certificates representing the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the 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, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder a certificate or the certificates representing the Warrant Shares pursuant to an exercise on or before 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

 

3



 

a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “ Buy-In ”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, 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 (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) 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 (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) 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 (A) 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 and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss.  Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity 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 the 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

 

4



 

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.

 

e)             Holder’s Exercise Limitations .  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 Persons 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 (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates and (ii) 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(e), 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(e) 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(e), 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 (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding.  Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within two Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the

 

5



 

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 Holder, upon not less than 61 days’ prior notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 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 held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply.  Any such increase or decrease will not be effective until the 61 st  day after such notice is delivered to the Company.  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(e) 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.

 

Section 3 .               Certain Adjustments .

 

a)             Stock Dividends and Splits . If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes 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), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) 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 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)            [RESERVED]

 

c)             Subsequent Rights Offerings .  If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, shall issue rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common

 

6



 

Stock (and not to the Holders) entitling them to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock at a price per share less than the VWAP on 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, options 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, options 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, options 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 the Holders) 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(c)), 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, (i) the Company , directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company , directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions (other than those transactions previously disclosed and contemplated in the SEC Reports as of the date of the Purchase Agreement), (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Company , directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization 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, (v) the Company , directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share

 

7



 

purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination ) (each a “ 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, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), 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 Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant).  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.  The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “ Successor Entity ”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the holder of this Warrant, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such

 

8



 

Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.

 

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)            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, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (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,

 

9



 

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.  To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.  The Holder shall remain 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 except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

Section 4 .               Transfer of Warrant .

 

a)             Transferability .  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, as applicable, 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.  The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, 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. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date set forth on the first page of this Warrant 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.

 

10



 

Section 5 .               Miscellaneous .

 

a)             No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise .  This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(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 this 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.

 

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 this 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 issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of executing stock certificates 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 and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, 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

 

11



 

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 (i) 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, (ii) 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 (iii) 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.

 

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, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, 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.  Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant or the Purchase Agreement, 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.

 

12



 

j)              Remedies .  The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant.  The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

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

 

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

 

m)            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 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.

 

n)            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.

 

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

 

(Signature Pages Follow)

 

13



 

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.

 

 

 

HYPERDYNAMICS CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

14



 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

 

TO:         HYPERDYNAMICS CORPORATION

 

(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:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[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.

 


Exhibit 5.1

 

January 31, 2012

 

Board of Directors
Hyperdynamics Corporation

12012 Wickchester Lane

Suite 475

Houston, TX 77079

 

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as legal counsel to Hyperdynamics Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed issuance of 10,000,000 shares (the “ Shares ”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Common Stock ”), warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock (the “ Warrants ”) and shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (the “ Warrant Shares ” and, together with the Warrants and the Shares, the “ Securities ”) to be offered and sold by the Company pursuant to a prospectus supplement, dated January 31, 2012, and the accompanying base prospectus dated March 24, 2011 (collectively, the “ Prospectus ”) that form part of the Company’s effective registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-173051) (the “ Registration Statement ”) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”).

 

This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

 

In connection with this opinion, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Registration Statement, (ii) the Prospectus, (iii) a specimen certificate representing the Common Stock, (iv) the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the Company, (v) the Bylaws, as amended, of the Company, (vi) the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 30, 2012, between the Company and the institutional investors identified therein (the “ Purchase Agreement ”), and (vii) certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors, or a committee thereof, of the Company with respect to the issuance of the Securities. We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents, certificates and records, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth herein.  The Shares and Warrants are to be sold to institutional investors pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

 

In our examination, we have assumed and have not verified (i) the legal capacity of all natural persons, (ii) the genuineness of all signatures (other than persons signing on behalf of the Company), (iii) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, (iv) the conformity with the originals of all documents supplied to us as certified or photostatic copies, (v) the accuracy and completeness of all corporate records and documents made available to us by the Company, and (vi) that the foregoing documents, in the form submitted to us for our review, have not been altered or amended in any respect material to our opinion stated herein. We have relied as to factual matters upon certificates from officers of the Company and certificates and other documents from public officials and government agencies and departments, and we have assumed the accuracy and authenticity of such certificates and documents.  In making our examination of documents executed by parties other than the Company, we have assumed that such parties had the power, corporate or other, to enter into and perform all obligations thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization by all requisite action, corporate or other, and execution and delivery by such parties of such documents and the validity, binding effect and enforceability thereof on such parties.  We have further assumed that the Shares and Warrants will be issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement.

 



 

Based on the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth herein, as of the date hereof, we are of the opinion that

 

1. The Shares been duly authorized for issuance by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

2. The Warrants, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Purchase Agreement and duly executed and delivered by the Company, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, arrangement, moratorium and other similar laws related to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general principles of equity.

 

3. The Warrant Shares, when issued and paid for upon the exercise of the Warrants, and in accordance with the provisions thereof, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

The opinions expressed herein are subject to limitations arising out of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer and other similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and general principles of equity.  We express no opinion as to the availability of any equitable or specific remedy upon any breach of any of the agreements as to which we are opining herein, or any of the agreements, documents or obligations referred to therein, or to the successful assertion of any equitable defenses, inasmuch as the availability of such remedies or the success of any equitable defenses may be subject to the discretion of a court.

 

We also express no opinion herein as to any provision of any of the documents executed in connection with the issuance of the Securities (a) which may be deemed to or construed to waive any right of the Company, (b) to the effect that rights and remedies are not exclusive, that every right or remedy is cumulative and may be exercised in addition to or with any other right or remedy and does not preclude recourse to one or more other rights or remedies, (c) relating to the effect of invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the documents on the validity or enforceability of any other provision thereof, (d) which is in violation of public policy, (e) relating to indemnification and contribution with respect to securities law matters, (f) which provides that the terms of any of the documents may not be waived or modified except in writing, (g) purporting to indemnify any person against his, her or its own negligence or misconduct, (h) requiring the payment of penalties, consequential damages or liquidated damages, (i) relating to waiver or advance consent that has the effect of waiving statutes of limitation, marshalling of assets or similar requirements, (j) relating to waiver of the right to a jury trial, or (k) relating to choice of law or consent to jurisdiction.

 

We express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than (i) the federal laws of the United States of America, including the rules and regulations underlying those laws, and applicable judicial and regulatory determinations interpreting those laws; and (ii) the Delaware General Corporation Law.  Our opinion is based on these laws as in effect on the date hereof.  We expressly disclaim any responsibility to advise you of any development or circumstance of any kind, including any change of law or fact that may occur after the date of this opinion letter and that might affect the opinions expressed herein.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we are not thereby concluding that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ PATTON BOGGS LLP

 

PATTON BOGGS LLP

 


Exhibit 10.1

 

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is dated as of January 30, 2012, between Hyperdynamics Corporation, 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 an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), 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:

 

Acquiring Person ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.5.

 

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.

 

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 on which 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, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the third Trading Day following the date hereof.

 

Commission ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

1



 

Common Stock ” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.

 

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 Patton Boggs LLP, with offices located at 1801 California Street, Suite 4900, Denver, Colorado 80202.

 

DWAC ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.2(a)(iii).

 

EGS ” means Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, with offices at 150 E. 42 nd  Street, 11 th  Floor, New York, NY 10017.

 

Escrow Agent ” means Signature Bank, a New York State chartered bank, with offices at 261 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

 

Escrow Agreement ” means the escrow agreement entered into on or about the date hereof, by and among the Company, the Escrow Agent and Rodman & Renshaw LLC pursuant to which the Purchasers shall deposit Subscription Amounts with the Escrow Agent to be applied to the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

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

 

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) shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the Company 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 price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities, (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 (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional 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

 

2



 

business is investing in securities or (d) securities issued to a Person in a transaction related to the provision of seismic data or other oil and gas exploration activities.

 

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

 

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

 

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(a).

 

Money Laundering Laws ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(u).

 

OFAC ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(t).

 

Per Share Purchase Price ” equals $3.00 , 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 and before the Closing Date.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Prospectus ” means the final prospectus filed for the Registration Statement.

 

Prospectus Supplement ” means the supplement to the Prospectus complying with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act that is filed with the Commission and delivered by the Company to each Purchaser at the Closing.

 

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

 

Registration Statement ” means the effective registration statement with Commission file No. 333-173051 which registers the sale of the Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares to the Purchasers.

 

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

 

3



 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

Subsidiary ” means SCS Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.

 

Trading Day ” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.

 

Trading Market ” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE AMEX, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).

 

Transaction Documents ” means this Agreement, the Warrants and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

Transfer Agent ” means American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 6201 15 th  Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219 and a facsimile number of (718) 765-8701, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

4



 

Variable Rate Transaction ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.12(b).

 

Warrants ” means, collectively, the Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which shall be exercisable commencing 181 days following the date hereof and have a term of exercise equal to eight months following the initial exercise date, in the form of Exhibit A 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 $30,000,000 of Shares and Warrants.  Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Escrow Agent, via wire transfer or a certified check of immediately available funds equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser 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 EGS or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree.

 

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 copy of the irrevocable instructions to the Company’s transfer agent instructing the transfer agent to deliver via the Depository Trust Company Deposit Withdrawal at Custodian System (“ DWAC ”) 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 100% of such Purchaser’s Shares, with an exercise price equal to $3.50 , subject to adjustment therein (such

 

5



 

Warrant certificate may be delivered within three Trading Days of the Closing Date); and

 

(v)           the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement (which may be delivered in accordance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).

 

(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; and

 

(ii)           such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount by wire transfer to the account specified in the Escrow Agreement.

 

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 when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein);

 

(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

 

(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 when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein);

 

(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

 

6



 

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 .  The Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:

 

(a)           Organization and Qualification .  Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, 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, 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 nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles 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, prospects 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, to the knowledge of the Company, 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.

 

(b)           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

 

7



 

Company’s stockholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals.  Each Transaction Document to which it is a party 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.

 

(c)           No Conflicts .  The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby to which it is a party 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 charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a 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.

 

(d)           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) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus Supplement, (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) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “ Required Approvals ”).

 

(e)           Issuance of the Securities; Registration .  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.  The Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance

 

8



 

with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company.  The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrants. The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, which became effective on March 24, 2011 (the “ Effective Date ”), including the Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement.  The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission.  The Company, if required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, proposes to file the Prospectus, with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b).  At the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and 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 and when made, not misleading; and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at time the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made and when made, not misleading.

 

(f)            SEC Reports; Financial Statements .  The Company has filed 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 (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, 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.  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 Company has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act. 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 applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved

 

9



 

(“ GAAP ”), 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.

 

(g)           Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments .  Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed on or 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 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.  The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information.  No event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective business, prospects, properties, operations, assets 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.

 

(h)           Compliance .  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in 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 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) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(i)            Patents and Trademarks .  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

 

10



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 ”).  None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.  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.

 

(j)            Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls .  Except as described in the SEC Reports, the Company is in material compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. Except as described in the SEC Reports, 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) 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 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 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 changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) that has materially adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

11



 

(k)           Certain Fees .  Except as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement, 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.

 

(l)            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 an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(m)          Listing and Maintenance Requirements .  The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no 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 is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements.

 

(n)           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 which is not otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus Supplement.   The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.  All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company, its business and the transactions contemplated hereby is true and correct 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.

 

(o)           No Integrated Offering . Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, 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 any applicable shareholder approval provisions

 

12



 

of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.

 

(p)           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 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.

 

(q)           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.

 

(r)            Acknowledgement Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity .  Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(e) and 4.14 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) 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) 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 transaction or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) 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) 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 (y) one or more Purchasers may 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 (z) 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

 

13



 

conducted.  The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.

 

(s)           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 or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company in a manner that would violate Rule 102 of Regulation M, other than compensation paid to the Company’s placement agent in connection with the placement of the Securities.

 

(t)            Office of Foreign Assets Control .  Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“ OFAC ”).

 

(u)           Money Laundering .  The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “ Money Laundering Laws ”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

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 (unless as of a specific date therein):

 

(a)           Organization; Authority .  Such Purchaser is either an individual or 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 this Agreement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, 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.

 

14



 

(b)           Understandings or Arrangements .  Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account 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).  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 as of 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(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7) or (a)(8) 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.

 

(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)           Certain Transactions and Confidentiality .  Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, 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 as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) as of the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof.  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 has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to the identification of the availability of, or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.

 

The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any

 

15



 

other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby.

 

ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES

 

4.1           Warrant Shares .  If all or any portion of a Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance or resale of the Warrant Shares or if the Warrant is exercised via cashless exercise, the Warrant Shares issued pursuant to any such exercise shall be issued free of all legends.  If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement (or any subsequent registration statement registering the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares) is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Warrants in writing that such registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and available for the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any Purchaser to sell, any of the Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).  The Company shall use reasonable commercial efforts to keep a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) registering the issuance or resale of the Warrant Shares effective during the period ending on the first anniversary of the Closing Date.

 

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 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 so long as the Company is 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, including without limitation, 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, including without limitation, within the requirements of the exemption provided by Rule 144.

 

4.3           Integration .  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 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 8:30 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 file a Current Report on Form 8-K (which shall include this Agreement as an exhibit thereto) disclosing the material

 

16



 

terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto within the time required by the Exchange Act.  From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.  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 nor 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 (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents with the Commission and (b) 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 (b).

 

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 such plan or arrangement, solely 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, 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 with the Company 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 .  The Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement 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 or (d) in violation of the FCPA or OFAC regulations.

 

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,

 

17



 

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 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 such 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.  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 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 (y) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) 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. The indemnification required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others, and (y) any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.

 

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.

 

18



 

4.10         Listing of Common Stock . The Company hereby agrees to use best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of 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 then include in such application all of the Shares and Warrant Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Shares and Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible.  The Company will then 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         [RESERVED]

 

4.12         Subsequent Equity Sales .

 

(a)           From the date hereof until 30 days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents; provided , however , that the 30-day period set forth in this Section 4.12 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) 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.12(a) shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance,

 

(b)           From the date hereof until the earlier of the date that no Purchaser holds any of the Warrants and the one year anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents for cash consideration (or a combination of units hereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction.  “ Variable Rate Transaction ” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells 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 price, exercise price 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.

 

19



 

4.13         Equal Treatment of Purchasers .  No consideration (including any modification of any Transaction Document) 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.

 

4.14         Certain Transactions and Confidentiality . 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 will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release 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 pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction.  Notwithstanding the foregoing and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality to the Company or its Subsidiaries after the issuance of the initial press release 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 Warrants After Closing .  The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the respective Warrant certificates purchased by each Purchaser to such Purchaser within 3 Trading Days of the Closing Date.

 

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 February 6, 2012; provided , however , that no

 

20



 

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 .  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, the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, 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, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Purchasers holding at least 51% in interest of the Shares based on the initial Subscription Amounts hereunder 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

 

21



 

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.”

 

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, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.8, 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 Securities.

 

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” 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” signature page were an original thereof.

 

22



 

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 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 , that in the case of a rescission of an exercise of a Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any shares of Common Stock subject to any such rescinded exercise notice concurrently with the return to such Purchaser of the aggregate exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such Purchaser’s right to acquire such shares pursuant to such Purchaser’s Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right).

 

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 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 agree 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         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 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

 

23



 

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, each Purchaser and its respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through EGS.  EGS does not represent any of the Purchasers and only represents Rodman & Renshaw, LLC, the placement agent.  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 any of the Purchasers.  It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.

 

5.17         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.

 

5.18         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. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and shares of Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be 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.

 

5.19         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)

 

 

24



 

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.

 

 

HYPERDYNAMICS CORPORATION

 

Address for Notice:

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Fax: (713) 353-9421

 

Name:

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

 

 

 

 

Patton Boggs LLP

 

Hyperdynamics Corporation

Attn: Robert Bearman

 

Attn: Paolo Amoruso

1801 California Street

 

12012 Wickchester Lane, Suite 475

Denver, CO 80202

 

Houston, TX 77079

Fax: (303) 894-9239

 

Fax: (713) 352-9421

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]

 

25



 

[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO HDY 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 Authorized Signatory:

 

 

 

Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory:

 

 

 

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]

 

o   Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, by checking this box (i) the obligations of the above-signed to purchase the securities set forth in this Agreement to be purchased from the Company by the above-signed, and the obligations of the Company to sell such securities to the above-signed, shall be unconditional and all conditions to Closing shall be disregarded, (ii) the Closing shall occur on the third (3 rd ) Trading Day following the date of this Agreement and (iii) any condition to Closing contemplated by this Agreement (but prior to being disregarded by clause (i) above) that required delivery by the Company or the above-signed of any agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) shall no longer be a condition and shall instead be an unconditional obligation of the Company or the above-signed (as applicable) to deliver such agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) to such other party on the Closing Date.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]

 

26


Exhibit 99.1

 

Hyperdynamics to Raise $30 Million in Registered Direct Offering

 

·                   Monday January 30, 2012

 

HOUSTON, January 30 /PRNewswire / — Hyperdynamics Corporation (NYSE: HDY) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with institutional investors in a registered direct offering of its common stock with gross proceeds of approximately $30 million.  Hyperdynamics plans to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes and working capital, including ongoing drilling costs on the Sabu-1 exploratory well offshore Guinea and a 3-D deep water seismic survey.

 

In the offering, the Company will issue 10,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price per share of $3.00.  The investors will also receive common stock purchase warrants to purchase up to 10,000,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $3.50 per share. The warrants will have a 14-month term and will not be exercisable until 6 months from the closing date of the transaction.

 

Rodman & Renshaw, LLC, a subsidiary of Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:RODM - News), acted as the sole placement agent for the offering.

 

The closing of the offering is expected to take place on or about February 2 nd  subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

 

The shares and warrants are being offered by Hyperdynamics pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 previously declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Any offer will be made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. Copies of the prospectus supplement together with the accompanying prospectus can be obtained at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov or from Rodman & Renshaw, LLC, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10020.

 

About Hyperdynamics

 

Hyperdynamics is an emerging independent oil and gas exploration and production company that is exploring for oil and gas offshore the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. To find out more, visit our website at www.hyperdynamics.com.

 

Forward Looking Statements

 

This news release and the Company’s website referenced in this news release contain forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding Hyperdynamics Corporation’s future plans and expected performance that are based on assumptions the Company believes to be reasonable. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “projects”, “estimates”, “plans”, “may increase”, “may result”, “will result”, “may fluctuate” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will”, “should”, “would”, “may” and “could” are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements, including without limitation, funding and

 



 

exploration efforts, fluctuations in oil and gas prices and other risk factors described from time to time in the Company’s reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011 and the Company’s Report on Form 8-K filed on January 30, 2012. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the issuance of this news release or to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect to these forward looking statements.

 

 

Source: Hyperdynamics Corporation