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): July 12, 2021
NETLIST, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 001-33170 | 95-4812784 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of | (Commission | (I.R.S. Employer | ||
Incorporation) | File Number) | Identification Number) |
175 Technology Drive, Suite 150
Irvine, California 92618
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(949) 435-0025
(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:
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Common stock, par value $0.001 per share | NLST | None |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On July 12, 2021, Netlist, Inc. (the “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our”) entered into a Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park Capital, LLC (“Lincoln Park” or “LPC”), pursuant to which Lincoln Park has agreed to purchase from us, at our direction from time to time, in our sole discretion, from and after the date of this report and over a period of up to 36 months thereafter, shares of our common stock having a total maximum aggregate purchase price to Lincoln Park of $17,400,000 (subject to certain limitations contained in the Purchase Agreement), upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Purchase Agreement. Concurrently with the execution of the Purchase Agreement on July 12, 2021, we also entered into a registration rights agreement, or the Registration Rights Agreement, with Lincoln Park, relating to the offer and sale of the Purchase Shares and Commitment Shares that may be issued and sold by us to Lincoln Park, from time to time in our sole discretion, from and after the date of this report, and to take such other specified actions to maintain the registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of the Purchase Shares and Commitment Shares that may be issued and sold by us to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement.
Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, on the date of this report, we are issuing 80,000 Initial Commitment Shares valued at $5.98 per share to Lincoln Park as an initial fee for its commitment to purchase shares of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement, and we have agreed to issue up to 120,500 Additional Commitment Shares valued at $5.98 per share to Lincoln Park on a pro rata basis upon each purchase by Lincoln Park of Purchase Shares from us under the Purchase Agreement, up to an aggregate number of shares having a total maximum aggregate purchase price to Lincoln Park equal to its $17,400,000 total aggregate purchase commitment under the Purchase Agreement (subject to certain limitations contained in the Purchase Agreement), if and when we determine, in our sole discretion, to sell such Purchase Shares to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement from time to time from and after the date of this report.
We may, from time to time and at our sole discretion, direct Lincoln Park to purchase shares of our common stock upon the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement at a purchase price per share based on the market price of our common stock at the time of sale as computed under the Purchase Agreement. We will control the timing and amount of any sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park, and Lincoln Park has no right to require us to sell any shares to it under the Purchase Agreement. Lincoln Park may not assign or transfer its rights and obligations under the Purchase Agreement.
The Purchase Agreement prohibits us from directing Lincoln Park to purchase any shares of our common stock if those shares of our common stock, when aggregated with all other shares of our common stock then beneficially owned by Lincoln Park and its affiliates, would result in Lincoln Park having beneficial ownership, at any single point in time, of more than 9.99% of the then total outstanding shares of our common stock, as calculated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and Rule 13d-3 thereunder, which limitation we refer to as the Beneficial Ownership Cap.
Purchase of Shares under the Purchase Agreement
Regular Purchases
Under the Purchase Agreement, on any business day selected by us on which the closing sale price of our common stock equals or exceeds $0.10 per share (and provided that all shares subject to all prior Regular Purchases, and all Additional Commitment Shares to be issued in connection therewith, have theretofore been properly delivered to Lincoln Park in accordance with the Purchase Agreement), we may direct Lincoln Park to purchase, in what we refer to as a Regular Purchase, up to 750,000 shares of our common stock (the “Regular Purchase Share Limit”) on such business day, provided that Lincoln Park’s maximum purchase commitment under any single Regular Purchase may not exceed $2,500,000. The foregoing dollar amounts and share amount limitations will be subject to proportionate adjustment in the event of a reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction; provided, that if after giving effect to such full proportionate adjustment, the adjusted Regular Purchase Share Limit would preclude us from requiring Lincoln Park to purchase shares of our common stock at an aggregate purchase price equal to or greater than $250,000 in any single Regular Purchase, then the Regular Purchase Share Limit will not be fully adjusted, but rather the Regular Purchase Share Limit for such Regular Purchase shall be adjusted as specified in the Purchase Agreement, such that, after giving effect to such adjustment, the Regular Purchase Share Limit will be equal to (or as close as can be derived from such adjustment without exceeding) $250,000.
The purchase price per share for each such Regular Purchase will be equal to the lesser of:
● the lowest sale price for our common stock during the purchase date of such shares; or
● the average of the three lowest closing sale prices for our common stock during the ten consecutive business days prior to the purchase date of such shares.
In each case, upon the parties’ mutual agreement, the maximum amount of any single Regular Purchase may be increased, and any one or more of the other terms relating thereto may be amended by the parties.
Accelerated Purchases
In addition to Regular Purchases, we also have the right to direct Lincoln Park, on any business day on which we have properly submitted to Lincoln Park a Regular Purchase notice for the maximum amount of shares we are then permitted to sell in a Regular Purchase (and provided that all shares subject to all prior Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases (defined below), and all Additional Commitment Shares to be issued in connection therewith, have theretofore been properly delivered to Lincoln Park), to purchase an additional amount of our common stock, which we refer to as an Accelerated Purchase, of up to the lesser of:
● 300% of the number of shares to be purchased pursuant to such Regular Purchase; and
● 30% of the aggregate shares of our common stock traded during the period on the trading day immediately following the purchase date for such Regular Purchase, which we refer to as the “Accelerated Purchase Date,” beginning at the commencement of regular trading on such Accelerated Purchase Date (or such later time on such Accelerated Purchase Date as mutually agreed by us and Lincoln Park and specified in the Accelerated Purchase notice for such Accelerated Purchase), and ending at the close of regular trading on such Accelerated Purchase Date, or, if certain trading volume or market price thresholds specified in the Purchase Agreement are crossed prior to the close of regular trading on the applicable Accelerated Purchase Date, ending at such earlier time that any one of such thresholds is crossed, which period of time on the applicable Accelerated Purchase Date we refer to as the “Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period.”
The purchase price per share for each such Accelerated Purchase will be equal to the lesser of:
● 97% of the volume-weighted average price of our common stock during the applicable Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date; and
● the closing sale price of our common stock on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date.
In each case, upon the parties’ mutual agreement, the maximum amount of any single Accelerated Purchase may be increased, and any one or more of the other terms relating thereto may be amended by the parties.
Additional Accelerated Purchases
We also have the right to direct Lincoln Park, prior to 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, on an Accelerated Purchase Date for an Accelerated Purchase for which the applicable Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period has theretofore ended (and provided that all of the Purchase Shares subject to all prior Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases, including those that have occurred earlier on the same trading day, and all Additional Commitment Shares to be issued in connection therewith, have theretofore been properly delivered to Lincoln in accordance with the Purchase Agreement), to purchase additional shares of our common stock in another Accelerated Purchase, which we refer to as an Additional Accelerated Purchase, on the same business day, which in reference to an Additional Accelerated Purchase we refer to as an Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, of up to the lesser of:
● 300% of the number of shares purchased pursuant to the applicable corresponding Regular Purchase; and
● 30% of the aggregate shares of our common stock traded during the period on the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Date beginning at the time mutually agreed by us and Lincoln Park and specified in the Additional Accelerated Purchase notice for such Additional Accelerated Purchase, and ending at the close of regular trading on such Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, or, if certain trading volume or market price thresholds specified in the Purchase Agreement are crossed prior to the close of regular trading on such date, ending at such earlier time that any one of such thresholds is crossed, which period of time on the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Date we refer to as the “Additional Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period”.
We may, in our sole discretion, submit multiple Additional Accelerated Purchase notices to Lincoln Park on a single Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, provided that (i) such Additional Accelerated Purchase notice is received by Lincoln Park prior to 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such Additional Accelerated Purchase Date and (ii) all prior Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases (including those that have occurred earlier on the same trading day) have been completed, and all of the Purchase Shares to be purchased thereunder, and all Additional Commitment Shares to be issued in connection therewith, have theretofore been properly delivered to Lincoln in accordance with the Purchase Agreement.
The purchase price per share for each such Additional Accelerated Purchase will be equal to the lower of:
● 97% of the volume-weighted average price of our common stock during the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period on the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase date; and
● the closing sale price of our common stock on the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase date.
In each case, upon the parties’ mutual agreement, the maximum amount of any single Accelerated Purchase may be increased, and any one or more of the other terms relating thereto may be amended by the parties.
In the case of Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases, the purchase price per share will be equitably adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction occurring during the business days used to compute the purchase price.
Other than as described above, there are no trading volume requirements or restrictions under the Purchase Agreement, and we will control the timing and amount of any sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park.
Events of Default
Events of default under the Purchase Agreement include the following:
· | the effectiveness of the registration statement, of which this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are a part, lapses for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop order), or this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are unavailable for sale by us or the resale by Lincoln Park of our common stock offered hereby, and such lapse or unavailability continues for a period of ten consecutive business days or for more than an aggregate of thirty business days in any 365-day period; |
· | the suspension of our common stock from trading or the failure of our common stock to be listed on the OTCQB® for a period of one (1) business day; |
· | the delisting of our common stock from OTCQB®; provided, however, that our common stock is not immediately thereafter trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the NYSE American, the NYSE Arca, the OTC Bulletin Board or the OTCQB operated by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or nationally recognized successor to any of the foregoing); |
· | the failure for any reason by the transfer agent to issue the securities offered hereby to Lincoln Park within two business days after the applicable purchase date which Lincoln Park is entitled to receive such securities; |
· | any breach of the representations and warranties or covenants contained in the Purchase Agreement or any related agreements with Lincoln Park if such breach would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect and such breach is not cured within five trading days; |
· | our participation in insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings by or against us, as more fully described in the Purchase Agreement; or |
· | if at any time our common stock ceases to be DTC authorized and we are not eligible to transfer our common stock electronically via DWAC. |
Lincoln Park does not have the right to terminate the Purchase Agreement upon any of the events of default set forth above, however, the Purchase Agreement will automatically terminate upon initiation of insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings by or against us. During an event of default, all of which are outside of Lincoln Park’s control, we are not permitted to direct Lincoln Park to purchase any shares of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement.
Our Termination Rights
We have the unconditional right, at any time, for any reason and without any payment or liability to us, to give one business day notice to Lincoln Park to terminate the Purchase Agreement.
No Short-Selling or Hedging by Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park has agreed that neither it nor any of its affiliates shall engage in any direct or indirect short-selling or hedging of our common stock during any time prior to the termination of the Purchase Agreement.
Prohibitions on Variable Rate Transactions
Subject to specified exceptions included in the Purchase Agreement, we are limited in our ability to enter into specified variable rate transactions until the earliest of: (i) the nine-month anniversary of the termination of the Purchase Agreement, and (ii) the later of (A) the thirty-six month anniversary of the date of this prospectus supplement, and (B) the thirty-six month anniversary of the commencement date of the Purchase Agreement. Such transactions include, among others, the issuance of convertible securities with a conversion or exercise price that is based upon or varies with the trading price of our common stock after the date of issuance, the issuance of securities with embedded anti-dilution provisions, the issuance of securities with an embedded put or call right or at a price subject to being reset after the initial issuance contingent on our business or market performance or entry into any new “equity line of credit.”
All shares of Common Stock to be issued and sold to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement will be issued pursuant to the Company’s effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-228348), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and declared effective on November 28, 2018, and the prospectus supplement thereto dated July 12, 2021.
The Purchase Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and LPC, limitations and conditions to completing future sale transactions, indemnification rights and other obligations of the parties. There is no upper limit on the price per share that LPC could be obligated to pay for Common Stock under the Purchase Agreement. The Company has the right to terminate the Purchase Agreement at any time, at no cost or penalty. Actual sales of shares of Common Stock to LPC under the Purchase Agreement will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by the Company from time to time, including (among others) market conditions, the trading price of the Common Stock and determinations by the Company as to available and appropriate sources of funding for the Company and its operations. As consideration for entering into the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue to LPC 80,000 shares of Common Stock no later than the close of business on the next Business Day (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) immediately following the date of the Purchase Agreement, and up to 120,500 additional shares of Common Stock on a pro rata basis as LPC purchases up to $17,400,000 worth of the Company’s shares in the Company’s discretion under the Purchase Agreement over the term of the agreement. The Company will not receive any cash proceeds from the issuance of these 80,000 shares or the 120,500 shares that may be issued if subsequent funding is received by the Company.
This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any shares of Common Stock, nor shall there be any sale of shares of Common Stock in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.
The Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement are filed as Exhibits 1.1 and 1.2, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing descriptions of such agreements and the transactions contemplated thereby are qualified in their entirety by reference to such exhibits. In addition, the Purchase Agreement has been included to provide investors with information regarding its terms. The Purchase Agreement is not intended to provide any other factual information about the Company. The Purchase Agreement contains representations and warranties that the Company has made to LPC. The assertions embodied in those representations and warranties are qualified by information in confidential disclosure schedules that the Company has provided to LPC in connection with signing the Purchase Agreement. The disclosure schedules may contain information that modifies, qualifies and creates exceptions to the representations and warranties set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Accordingly, investors should not rely on the representations and warranties as characterizations of the actual state of facts at the time they were made or otherwise.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
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.
NETLIST, INC. | ||
July 12, 2021 | By: | /s/ Gail M. Sasaki |
Gail M. Sasaki | ||
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
Exhibit 1.1
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
PURCHASE AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), dated as of July 12, 2021, by and between NETLIST, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL FUND, LLC, an Illinois limited liability company (the “Investor”).
WHEREAS:
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Company wishes to sell to the Investor, and the Investor wishes to buy from the Company, up to Seventeen Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($17,400,000) of the Company's common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the "Common Stock"). The shares of Common Stock to be purchased hereunder are referred to herein as the “Purchase Shares.”
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 the Investor hereby agree as follows:
1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) “Accelerated Purchase Date” means, with respect to an Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Business Day immediately following the applicable Regular Purchase Date with respect to the corresponding Regular Purchase referred to in clause (i) of the second sentence of Section 2(b) hereof.
(b) “Accelerated Purchase Minimum Price Threshold” means, with respect to an Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the minimum per share price threshold set forth by the Company (if any) in the applicable Accelerated Purchase Notice.
(c) “Accelerated Purchase Notice” means, with respect to an Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, an irrevocable written notice from the Company to the Investor directing the Investor to purchase the number of Purchase Shares specified by the Company therein as the Accelerated Purchase Share Amount to be purchased by the Investor (such specified Accelerated Purchase Share Amount subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(b) hereof as necessary to give effect to the Purchase Share amount limitations applicable to such Accelerated Purchase Share Amount as set forth in this Agreement) at the applicable Accelerated Purchase Price on the applicable Accelerated Purchase Date for such Accelerated Purchase.
(d) “Accelerated Purchase Price” means, with respect to an Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the lower of (i) ninety-seven percent (97%) of the VWAP for the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., Eastern time, on the applicable Accelerated Purchase Date, or such other time publicly announced by the Principal Market as the official open (or commencement) of trading on the Principal Market on such applicable Accelerated Purchase Date, or such later time on the applicable Accelerated Purchase Date as mutually agreed by the Company and the Investor and set forth in the applicable Accelerated Purchase Notice for such Accelerated Purchase (the “Accelerated Purchase Commencement Time”), and ending at the earliest of (A) 4:00:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such applicable Accelerated Purchase Date, or such other time publicly announced by the Principal Market as the official close of trading on the Principal Market on such applicable Accelerated Purchase Date, (B) such time, from and after the Accelerated Purchase Commencement Time for such Accelerated Purchase, that the total number (or volume) of shares of Common Stock traded on the Principal Market has exceeded the applicable Accelerated Purchase Share Volume Maximum, and (C) such time, from and after the Accelerated Purchase Commencement Time for such Accelerated Purchase, that the Sale Price has fallen below the applicable Accelerated Purchase Minimum Price Threshold (if any) (such earliest of (i)(A), (i)(B) and (i)(C) above, the “Accelerated Purchase Ending Time”), and (ii) the Closing Sale Price of the Common Stock on such applicable Accelerated Purchase Date (to be appropriately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction).
(e) “Accelerated Purchase Share Amount” means, with respect to an Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the number of Purchase Shares directed by the Company to be purchased by the Investor in an applicable Accelerated Purchase Notice, which number of Purchase Shares shall not exceed the lesser of (i) 300% of the number of Purchase Shares directed by the Company to be purchased by the Investor pursuant to the corresponding Regular Purchase Notice for the corresponding Regular Purchase referred to in clause (i)(A) of the second sentence of Section 2(b) hereof (such corresponding Regular Purchase being subject to the applicable Regular Purchase Share Limit) and (ii) an amount equal to (A) the Accelerated Purchase Share Percentage multiplied by (B) the total number (or volume) of shares of Common Stock traded on the Principal Market during the period on the applicable Accelerated Purchase Date beginning at the Accelerated Purchase Commencement Time for such Accelerated Purchase and ending at the Accelerated Purchase Ending Time for such Accelerated Purchase; provided, however, that that the parties may mutually agree to increase the Accelerated Purchase Share Amount applicable to any Accelerated Purchase.
(f) “Accelerated Purchase Share Percentage” means, with respect to an Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, thirty percent (30%).
(g) “Accelerated Purchase Share Volume Maximum” means, with respect to an Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, a number of shares of Common Stock equal to (i) the number of Purchase Shares specified by the Company in the applicable Accelerated Purchase Notice as the Accelerated Purchase Share Amount to be purchased by the Investor in such Accelerated Purchase, divided by (ii) the Accelerated Purchase Share Percentage (to be appropriately adjusted for any applicable reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction).
(h) “Additional Accelerated Purchase Date” means, with respect to an Additional Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof, the Business Day (i) that is the Accelerated Purchase Date with respect to the corresponding Accelerated Purchase referred to in clause (i) of the proviso in the second sentence of Section 2(c) hereof and (ii) on which the Investor receives, prior to 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such Business Day, a valid Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice for such Additional Accelerated Purchase in accordance with this Agreement.
(i) “Additional Accelerated Purchase Minimum Price Threshold” means, with respect to an Additional Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof, the minimum per share price threshold (if any) set forth by the Company in the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice.
(j) “Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice” means, with respect to an Additional Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof, an irrevocable written notice from the Company to the Investor directing the Investor to purchase the number of Purchase Shares specified by the Company therein as the Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Amount to be purchased by the Investor (such specified Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Amount subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(c) hereof as necessary to give effect to the Purchase Share amount limitations applicable to such Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Amount as set forth in this Agreement) at the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Price on the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Date for such Additional Accelerated Purchase.
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(k) “Additional Accelerated Purchase Price” means, with respect to an Additional Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof, the lower of (i) ninety-seven percent (97%) of the VWAP for the period on the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, beginning at the time mutually agreed by the Company and the Investor and set forth in the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice delivered by the Company to the Investor with respect to such Additional Accelerated Purchase, which shall not be earlier than the latest of (A) the applicable Accelerated Purchase Ending Time with respect to the corresponding Accelerated Purchase referred to in clause (i) of the proviso in the second sentence of Section 2(c) hereof on such Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, (B) the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Ending Time with respect to the most recently completed prior Additional Accelerated Purchase on such Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, as applicable, and (C) the time at which all Purchase Shares subject to all prior Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases (as applicable), including, without limitation, those that have been effected on the same Business Day as the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Date with respect to which the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase relates, have theretofore been received by the Investor as DWAC Shares in accordance with this Agreement (such mutually agreed beginning time, the “Additional Accelerated Purchase Commencement Time”), and ending at the earliest of (X) 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, or such other time publicly announced by the Principal Market as the official close of trading on the Principal Market on such Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, (Y) such time, from and after the Additional Accelerated Purchase Commencement Time for such Additional Accelerated Purchase, that total number (or volume) of shares of Common Stock traded on the Principal Market has exceeded the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Volume Maximum, and (Z) such time, from and after the Additional Accelerated Purchase Commencement Time for such Additional Accelerated Purchase, that the Sale Price has fallen below the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Minimum Price Threshold (if any) (such earliest of (i)(X), (i)(Y) and (i)(Z) above, the “Additional Accelerated Purchase Ending Time”), and (ii) the Closing Sale Price of the Common Stock on such Additional Accelerated Purchase Date (to be appropriately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction).
(l) “Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Amount” means, with respect to an Additional Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof, the number of Purchase Shares directed by the Company to be purchased by the Investor on an Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice, which number of Purchase Shares shall not exceed the lesser of (i) 300% of the number of Purchase Shares directed by the Company to be purchased by the Investor pursuant to the corresponding Regular Purchase Notice for the corresponding Regular Purchase referred to in clause (i)(A) of the second sentence of Section 2(b) hereof (such corresponding Regular Purchase being subject to the applicable Regular Purchase Share Limit) and (ii) an amount equal to (A) the Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Percentage multiplied by (B) the total number (or volume) of shares of Common Stock traded on the Principal Market during the period on the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Date beginning at the Additional Accelerated Purchase Commencement Time for such Additional Accelerated Purchase and ending at the Additional Accelerated Purchase Ending Time for such Additional Accelerated Purchase; provided, however, that that the parties may mutually agree to increase the Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Amount applicable to any Additional Accelerated Purchase.
(l) “Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Percentage” means, with respect to an Additional Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof, thirty percent (30%).
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(m) “Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Volume Maximum” means, with respect to an Additional Accelerated Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof, a number of shares of Common Stock equal to (i) the number of Purchase Shares specified by the Company in the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice as the Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Amount to be purchased by the Investor in such Additional Accelerated Purchase, divided by (ii) the Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Percentage (to be appropriately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction).
(n) “Alternate Adjusted Regular Purchase Share Limit” means, with respect to a Regular Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof, the maximum number of Purchase Shares which, taking into account the applicable per share Regular Purchase Price therefor calculated in accordance with this Agreement, would enable the Company to deliver to the Investor, on the applicable Regular Purchase Date for such Regular Purchase, a Regular Purchase Notice for a Purchase Amount equal to, or as closely approximating without exceeding, Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000).
(o) “Available Amount” means, initially, Seventeen Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($17,400,000) in the aggregate, which amount shall be reduced by the Purchase Amount each time the Investor purchases Purchase Shares pursuant to Section 2 hereof.
(p) “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
(q) “Base Prospectus” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Registration Rights Agreement.
(r) “Business Day” means any day on which the Principal Market is open for trading, including any day on which the Principal Market is open for trading for a period of time less than the customary time.
(s) “Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last closing sale price for such security on the Principal Market as reported by the Principal Market.
(t) “Confidential Information” means any information disclosed by either party to the other party, either directly or indirectly, in writing, orally or by inspection of tangible objects (including, without limitation, documents, prototypes, samples, plant and equipment), which is designated as "Confidential," "Proprietary" or some similar designation. Information communicated orally shall be considered Confidential Information if such information is confirmed in writing as being Confidential Information within ten (10) Business Days after the initial disclosure. Confidential Information may also include information disclosed to a disclosing party by third parties. Confidential Information shall not, however, include any information which (i) was publicly known and made generally available in the public domain prior to the time of disclosure by the disclosing party; (ii) becomes publicly known and made generally available after disclosure by the disclosing party to the receiving party through no action or inaction of the receiving party; (iii) is already in the possession of the receiving party without confidential restriction at the time of disclosure by the disclosing party as shown by the receiving party’s files and records immediately prior to the time of disclosure; (iv) is obtained by the receiving party from a third party without a breach of such third party’s obligations of confidentiality; (v) is independently developed by the receiving party without use of or reference to the disclosing party’s Confidential Information, as shown by documents and other competent evidence in the receiving party’s possession; or (vi) is required by law to be disclosed by the receiving party, provided that the receiving party gives the disclosing party prompt written notice of such requirement prior to such disclosure and assistance in obtaining an order protecting the information from public disclosure.
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(u) “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
(v) “DTC” means The Depository Trust Company, or any successor performing substantially the same function for the Company.
(w) “DWAC Shares” means shares of Common Stock that are (i) issued in electronic form, (ii) freely tradable and transferable and without restriction on resale and (iii) timely credited by the Company to the Investor’s or its designee’s specified Deposit/Withdrawal at Custodian (DWAC) account with DTC under its Fast Automated Securities Transfer (FAST) Program, or any similar program hereafter adopted by DTC performing substantially the same function.
(x) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(y) “Floor Price” means $0.10, which shall be appropriately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction and, effective upon the consummation of any such reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction, the Floor Price shall mean the lower of (i) the adjusted price and (ii) $1.00.
(z) “Fully Adjusted Regular Purchase Share Limit” means, with respect to any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction from and after the date of this Agreement, the Regular Purchase Share Limit (as defined in Section 2(a) hereof) in effect on the applicable date of determination, after giving effect to the full proportionate adjustment thereto made pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof for or in respect of such reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction.
(aa) “Initial Prospectus Supplement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Registration Rights Agreement.
(bb) “Material Adverse Effect” means any material adverse effect on (i) the enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) the results of operations, assets, business or financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than any material adverse effect that resulted primarily from (A) any change in the United States or foreign economies or securities or financial markets in general that does not have a disproportionate effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (B) any change that generally affects the industry in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate that does not have a disproportionate effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (C) any change arising in connection with earthquakes, hostilities, acts of war, sabotage or terrorism or military actions or any escalation or material worsening of any such hostilities, acts of war, sabotage or terrorism or military actions existing as of the date hereof, (D) any action taken by the Investor, its affiliates or its or their successors and assigns with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (E) the effect of any change in applicable laws or accounting rules that does not have a disproportionate effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (F) any change resulting from compliance with terms of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or (iii) the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document to be performed as of the date of determination.
(cc) “Maturity Date” means the first day of the month immediately following the thirty-six (36) month anniversary of the Commencement Date.
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(dd) “Person” means an individual or entity including but not limited to any limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture, a corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization and a government or any department or agency thereof.
(ee) “Principal Market” means the OTCQB operated by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or any nationally recognized successor thereto); provided, however, that in the event the Company’s Common Stock is ever listed or traded on The NASDAQ Capital Market, The NASDAQ Global Market, The NASDAQ Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the NYSE Arca, the OTC Bulletin Board, or the OTCQB operated by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or any nationally recognized successor to any of the foregoing), then the “Principal Market” shall mean such other market or exchange on which the Company’s Common Stock is then listed or traded.
(ff) “Prospectus” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Registration Rights Agreement..
(gg) “Prospectus Supplement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Registration Rights Agreement.
(hh) “Registration Statement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Registration Rights Agreement.
(ii) “Regular Purchase Date” means, with respect to a Regular Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof, the Business Day on which the Investor receives, after 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, but prior to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such Business Day, a valid Regular Purchase Notice for such Regular Purchase in accordance with this Agreement.
(jj) “Regular Purchase Notice” means, with respect to a Regular Purchase pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof, an irrevocable written notice from the Company to the Investor directing the Investor to buy a specified number of Purchase Shares (subject to the Purchase Share limitations contained in Section 2(a) hereof) at the applicable Regular Purchase Price for such Regular Purchase in accordance with this Agreement.
(kk) “Regular Purchase Price” means, with respect to a Regular Purchase made pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof, the lower of: (i) the lowest Sale Price on the applicable Regular Purchase Date for such Regular Purchase and (ii) the arithmetic average of the three (3) lowest Closing Sale Prices for the Common Stock during the ten (10) consecutive Business Days ending on the Business Day immediately preceding such Regular Purchase Date for such Regular Purchase (in each case, to be appropriately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction that occurs on or after the date of this Agreement).
(ll) “Regular Purchase Share Limit” means, with respect to a Regular Purchase pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof, Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand (750,000) Purchase Shares (which shall be appropriately proportionately adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction; provided that if, after giving effect to the full proportionate adjustment to the Regular Purchase Share Limit therefor, the Fully Adjusted Regular Purchase Share Limit then in effect would preclude the Company from delivering to the Investor, on a Regular Purchase Date for a Regular Purchase hereunder, a Regular Purchase Notice for a Purchase Amount equal to or greater than Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) (which shall be determined by multiplying (X) the Fully Adjusted Regular Purchase Share Limit then in effect on such Regular Purchase Date, by (Y) the applicable Regular Purchase Price per Purchase Share for such Regular Purchase calculated in accordance with this Agreement), the Regular Purchase Share Limit shall equal the applicable Alternate Adjusted Regular Purchase Share Limit); provided, further, however, that the Investor’s committed obligation under any single Regular Purchase, other than any Regular Purchase with respect to which an Alternate Adjusted Regular Purchase Share Limit shall apply, shall not exceed Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000); provided that the parties may mutually agree to increase the Regular Purchase Share Limit applicable to any Regular Purchase on any Purchase Date above the forgoing amounts that the Investor is committed to purchase.
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(mm) “Sale Price” means any trade price for the shares of Common Stock on the Principal Market as reported by the Principal Market.
(oo) “SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
(pp) “Securities” means, collectively, the Purchase Shares and the Commitment Shares.
(qq) “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(rr) “Subsidiary” means any Person the Company wholly-owns or controls, or in which the Company, directly or indirectly, owns a majority of the voting stock or similar voting interest, in each case that would be disclosable pursuant to Item 601(b)(21) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act.
(ss) “Transaction Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement and the schedules and exhibits hereto, the Registration Rights Agreement and the schedules and exhibits thereto, and each of the other agreements, documents, certificates and instruments entered into or furnished by the parties hereto in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.
(tt) “Transfer Agent” means Computershare Trust Company, N.A., or such other Person who is then serving as the transfer agent for the Company in respect of the Common Stock.
(uu) “VWAP” means in respect of an Accelerated Purchase Date and an Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, as applicable, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock on the Principal Market, as reported on the Principal Market or by another reputable source such as Bloomberg, L.P.
2. PURCHASE OF COMMON STOCK.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Company has the right to sell to the Investor, and the Investor has the obligation to purchase from the Company, Purchase Shares as follows:
(a) Commencement of Regular Sales of Common Stock. Upon the satisfaction of all of the conditions set forth in Sections 7 and 8 hereof (the “Commencement” and the date of satisfaction of such conditions the “Commencement Date”), and thereafter, the Company shall have the right, but not the obligation, to direct the Investor, by its delivery to the Investor of a Regular Purchase Notice from time to time in accordance with this Agreement, to purchase up to the Regular Purchase Share Limit at the applicable Regular Purchase Price on the applicable Regular Purchase Date (each such purchase a “Regular Purchase”). The Company may deliver a Regular Purchase Notice to the Investor as often as every Business Day, so long as (i) the Closing Sale Price of the Common Stock on such Business Day is not less than the Floor Price and (ii) all Purchase Shares subject to all prior Regular Purchases, and all Additional Commitment Shares issuable in respect thereof pursuant to Section 5(e), have theretofore been received by the Investor as DWAC Shares in accordance with this Agreement.
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(b) Accelerated Purchases. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, from and after the Commencement Date, in addition to purchases of Purchase Shares as described in Section 2(a) above, the Company shall also have the right, but not the obligation, to direct the Investor, by its delivery to the Investor of an Accelerated Purchase Notice from time to time in accordance with this Agreement, to purchase the applicable Accelerated Purchase Share Amount at the Accelerated Purchase Price on the Accelerated Purchase Date therefor in accordance with this Agreement (each such purchase, an “Accelerated Purchase”). The Company may deliver an Accelerated Purchase Notice to the Investor only (i) on a Regular Purchase Date on which the Company also properly submitted a Regular Purchase Notice for a Regular Purchase of not less than the Regular Purchase Share Limit then in effect, and (ii) if all Purchase Shares subject to all Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases prior to the Regular Purchase Date referred to in clause (i) hereof (as applicable), and all Additional Commitment Shares issuable in respect thereof pursuant to Section 5(e), have theretofore been received by the Investor as DWAC Shares in accordance with this Agreement. Within one (1) Business Day after completion of each Accelerated Purchase Date for an Accelerated Purchase, the Investor will provide to the Company a written confirmation of such Accelerated Purchase setting forth the applicable Accelerated Purchase Share Amount and Accelerated Purchase Price for such Accelerated Purchase (each, an “Accelerated Purchase Confirmation”).
(c) Additional Accelerated Purchases. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, from and after the Commencement Date, in addition to purchases of Purchase Shares as described in Section 2(a) and Section 2(b) above, the Company shall also have the right, but not the obligation, to direct the Investor, by its timely delivery to the Investor of an Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice on an Additional Accelerated Purchase Date in accordance with this Agreement, to purchase the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Amount at the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Price therefor in accordance with this Agreement (each such purchase, an “Additional Accelerated Purchase”). The Company may deliver multiple Additional Accelerated Purchase Notices to the Investor on an Additional Accelerated Purchase Date only (i) on a Business Day that is also the Accelerated Purchase Date for an Accelerated Purchase with respect to which each of the conditions set forth in the second sentence of Section 2(b) have been satisfied, and (ii) if all Purchase Shares subject to all prior Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases, including, without limitation, those that have been effected on the same Business Day as the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Date with respect to which the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase relates, and all Additional Commitment Shares issuable in respect thereof pursuant to Section 5(e), have theretofore been received by the Investor as DWAC Shares in accordance with this Agreement. The Investor will provide to the Company a written confirmation of each Additional Accelerated Purchase on such Additional Accelerated Purchase Date setting forth the applicable Additional Accelerated Purchase Share Amount and Additional Accelerated Purchase Price for each such Additional Accelerated Purchase on such Additional Accelerated Purchase Date in the Accelerated Purchase Confirmation for the related Accelerated Purchase as provided in the last sentence of Section 2(b).
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(d) Excess Share Limitations. If the Company delivers any Regular Purchase Notice for a Purchase Amount in excess of the Regular Purchase Share Limit, such Regular Purchase Notice shall be void ab initio to the extent of the amount by which the number of Purchase Shares set forth in such Regular Purchase Notice exceeds the number of Purchase Shares which the Company is permitted to include in such Regular Purchase Notice in accordance herewith, and the Investor shall have no obligation to purchase such excess Purchase Shares in respect of such Regular Purchase Notice; provided, however, that the Investor shall remain obligated to purchase the number of Purchase Shares which the Company is permitted to include in such Regular Purchase Notice. If the Company delivers any Accelerated Purchase Notice or Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice directing the Investor to purchase an amount of Purchase Shares that exceeds the Accelerated Purchase Share Amount or Additional Accelerated Purchase Amount, as applicable, that the Company is then permitted to include in such Accelerated Purchase Notice or Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice, respectively, such Accelerated Purchase Notice or Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice, as applicable, shall be void ab initio to the extent of the amount by which the number of Purchase Shares set forth in such Accelerated Purchase Notice or Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice, as applicable, exceeds the Accelerated Purchase Share Amount or Additional Accelerated Purchase Amount, respectively, that the Company is then permitted to include in such Accelerated Purchase Notice or Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice, respectively (which shall be confirmed in an Accelerated Purchase Confirmation), and the Investor shall have no obligation to purchase such excess Purchase Shares; provided, however, that the Investor shall remain obligated to purchase the Accelerated Purchase Share Amount or Additional Accelerated Purchase Amount, as applicable, which the Company is permitted to include in such Accelerated Purchase Notice or Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice, respectively.
(e) Payment for Purchase Shares. For each Regular Purchase, the Investor shall pay to the Company an amount equal to the Purchase Amount with respect to such Regular Purchase as full payment for such Purchase Shares via wire transfer of immediately available funds on the same Business Day that the Investor receives such Purchase Shares, if such Purchase Shares are received by the Investor before 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, or, if such Purchase Shares are received by the Investor after 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, the next Business Day. For each Accelerated Purchase and each Additional Accelerated Purchase, the Investor shall pay to the Company an amount equal to the Purchase Amount with respect to such Accelerated Purchase and Additional Accelerated Purchase, respectively, as full payment for such Purchase Shares via wire transfer of immediately available funds on the second (2nd) Business Day following the date that the Investor receives such Purchase Shares. If the Company or the Transfer Agent shall fail for any reason or for no reason to electronically transfer any Purchase Shares as DWAC Shares in respect of a Regular Purchase, an Accelerated Purchase or an Additional Accelerated Purchase (as applicable) within two (2) Business Days following the receipt by the Company of the aggregate Regular Purchase Price, Accelerated Purchase Price or Additional Accelerated Purchase Price (as applicable) therefor in compliance with this Section 2(e), and if on or after such Business Day the Investor purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Investor of such Purchase Shares that the Investor anticipated receiving from the Company in respect of such Regular Purchase, Accelerated Purchase or Additional Accelerated Purchase, then the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days after the Investor’s request, either (i) pay cash to the Investor in an amount equal to the Investor’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased (the “Cover Price”), at which point the Company’s obligation to deliver such Purchase Shares as DWAC Shares shall terminate, or (ii) promptly honor its obligation to deliver to the Investor such Purchase Shares as DWAC Shares and pay cash to the Investor in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Cover Price over the total Purchase Amount paid by the Investor pursuant to this Agreement for all of the Purchase Shares to be purchased by the Investor in connection with such Regular Purchase, Accelerated Purchase or Additional Accelerated Purchase (as applicable). The Company shall not issue any fraction of a share of Common Stock upon any Regular Purchase, any Accelerated Purchase or any Additional Accelerated Purchase. If the issuance would result in the issuance of a fraction of a share of Common Stock, the Company shall round such fraction of a share of Common Stock up or down to the nearest whole share. All payments made under this Agreement shall be made in lawful money of the United States of America or wire transfer of immediately available funds to such account as the Company may from time to time designate by written notice in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. Whenever any amount expressed to be due by the terms of this Agreement is due on any day that is not a Business Day, the same shall instead be due on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day.
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(f) Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Company shall not issue or sell, and the Investor shall not purchase or acquire, any shares of Common Stock under this Agreement which, when aggregated with all other shares of Common Stock then beneficially owned by the Investor and its affiliates (as calculated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 promulgated thereunder), would result in the beneficial ownership by the Investor of more than 9.99% of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”). The Investor, upon written notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(g), 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 pursuant to this Agreement and the provisions of this Section 2(g) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such written 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(g) 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 Investor and the Company shall each cooperate in good faith in the determinations required hereby and the application hereof. The Investor’s written certification to the Company of the applicability of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the resulting effect thereof hereunder at any time, shall be conclusive with respect to the applicability thereof and such result absent manifest error.
3. INVESTOR'S REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.
The Investor represents and warrants to the Company that as of the date hereof and as of the Commencement Date:
(a) Organization, Authority. Investor is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with the requisite 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
(b) Accredited Investor Status. The Investor is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a)(3) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act.
(c) Information. The Investor understands that its investment in the Securities involves a high degree of risk. The Investor (i) is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities including a total loss thereof, (ii) has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the proposed investment in the Securities and (iii) has had an opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from the officers of the Company concerning the financial condition and business of the Company and other matters related to an investment in the Securities. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigations conducted by the Investor or its representatives shall modify, amend or affect the Investor's right to rely on the Company's representations and warranties contained in Section 4 below. The Investor has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to its acquisition of the Securities.
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(d) No Governmental Review. The Investor understands that no U.S. federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed on or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Securities or the fairness or suitability of an investment in the Securities nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities.
(e) Validity; Enforcement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of the Investor and is a valid and binding agreement of the Investor enforceable against the Investor in accordance with its terms, subject as to enforceability to general principles of equity and to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation and other similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of applicable creditors' rights and remedies.
(f) Residency. The Investor is a resident of the State of Illinois.
(g) No Short Selling. The Investor represents and warrants to the Company that at no time prior to the date of this Agreement has any of the Investor, its agents, representatives or affiliates engaged in or effected, in any manner whatsoever, directly or indirectly, any (i) "short sale" (as such term is defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO of the Exchange Act) of the Common Stock or (ii) hedging transaction, which establishes a net short position with respect to the Common Stock.
4. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.
The Company represents and warrants to the Investor that, except as set forth in the disclosure schedules attached hereto, which exceptions shall be deemed to be part of the representations and warranties made hereunder, as of the date hereof and as of the Commencement Date:
(a) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of its 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 corporate 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 of its Subsidiaries 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 its 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 a Material Adverse Effect and no proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification. The Company has no Subsidiaries except as set forth on Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2020.
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(b) Authorization; Enforcement; Validity. (i) The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents, and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, (ii) the execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including without limitation, the issuance of the Commitment Shares (as defined below in Section 5(e)) and the reservation for issuance and the issuance of the Purchase Shares issuable under this Agreement, have been duly authorized by the Company's Board of Directors and no further consent or authorization is required by the Company, its Board of Directors or its stockholders (except as provided in this Agreement), (iii) each of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement has been, and each other Transaction Document shall be on the Commencement Date, duly executed and delivered by the Company and (iv) each of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement constitutes, and each other Transaction Document upon its execution on behalf of the Company, shall constitute, the valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of creditors' rights and remedies. The Board of Directors of the Company has approved the resolutions (the “Signing Resolutions”) substantially in the form as set forth as Exhibit B attached hereto to authorize this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. The Signing Resolutions are valid, in full force and effect and have not been modified or supplemented in any respect. The Company has delivered to the Investor a true and correct copy of minutes of a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company at which the Signing Resolutions were duly adopted by the Board of Directors or a unanimous written consent adopting the Signing Resolutions executed by all of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company. Except as set forth in this Agreement, no other approvals or consents of the Company’s Board of Directors, any authorized committee thereof, and/or stockholders (except as provided in this Agreement) is necessary under applicable laws, the Company's certificate of incorporation, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the "Certificate of Incorporation"), and the Company's bylaws, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the "Bylaws"), to authorize the Company’s execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents to which the Company is a party, and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including, but not limited to, the issuance of the Commitment Shares and the Purchase Shares to the Investor as contemplated by this Agreement.
(c) Capitalization. As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company is set forth in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 28, 2019. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents (as defined below) or on Schedule 4(c), (i) no shares of the Company's capital stock are subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights or any liens or encumbrances suffered or permitted by the Company, (ii) there are no outstanding debt securities, (iii) there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to issue additional shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (iv) there are no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is obligated to register the sale of any of their securities under the Securities Act (except the Registration Rights Agreement), (v) there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (vi) there are no securities or instruments containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance of the Securities as described in this Agreement and (vii) the Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or "phantom stock" plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. The Company has furnished to the Investor true and correct copies of (A) the Certificate of Incorporation, (B) the Bylaws, and (C) summaries of the material terms of all securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock, if any, and copies of any documents containing the material rights of the holders thereof in respect thereto, which in the case of this clause (C), are not disclosed in any SEC Document or filed as an exhibit thereto.
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(d) Issuance of Securities. Upon issuance and payment therefor in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Purchase Shares shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens, charges, restrictions, rights of first refusal and preemptive rights with respect to the issue thereof, with the holders being entitled to all rights accorded to a holder of Common Stock. Upon issuance in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Commitment Shares (as defined below in Section 5(e)) shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens, charges, restrictions, rights of first refusal and preemptive rights with respect to the issue thereof, with the holders being entitled to all rights accorded to a holder of Common Stock. 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock (subject to equitable adjustment for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction) have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance upon purchase under this Agreement as Purchase Shares. 120,500 shares of Common Stock (subject to equitable adjustment for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction) have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance as Additional Commitment Shares in accordance with this Agreement.
(e) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Initial Commitment Shares and the reservation for issuance and issuance of the Purchase Shares and the Additional Commitment Shares) will not (i) result in a violation of the Certificate of Incorporation, any Certificate of Designations, Preferences and Rights of any outstanding series of preferred stock of the Company or the Bylaws or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws and regulations and the rules and regulations of the Principal Market applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries) or by which any property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or affected, except in the case of conflicts, defaults, terminations, amendments, accelerations, cancellations and violations under clause (ii), which could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries is in violation of any term of or in default under its Certificate of Incorporation, any Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights of any outstanding series of preferred stock of the Company or Bylaws or their organizational charter or bylaws, respectively. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any term of or is in default under any material contract, agreement, mortgage, indebtedness, indenture, instrument, judgment, decree or order or any statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or its Subsidiaries, except for possible conflicts, defaults, terminations or amendments that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The business of the Company and its Subsidiaries is not being conducted, and shall not be conducted, in violation of any law, ordinance or regulation of any governmental entity, except for possible violations, the sanctions for which either individually or in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as specifically contemplated by this Agreement and as required under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws and the rules and regulations of the Principal Market, the Company is not required to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or any regulatory or self-regulatory agency in order for it to execute, deliver or perform any of its obligations under or contemplated by the Transaction Documents in accordance with the terms hereof or thereof. Except as set forth elsewhere in this Agreement, all consents, authorizations, orders, filings and registrations which the Company is required to obtain pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be obtained or effected on or prior to the Commencement Date.
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(f) SEC Documents; Financial Statements. The Company is, and has been at all times since March 1, 2018, required to file reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company with the SEC under the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, and under the Securities Act, in each case during the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of this Agreement (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Documents”), on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Documents prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable. None of the SEC Documents, 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 Documents comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the SEC 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. Except as set forth in the SEC Documents, the Company has received no notices or correspondence from the SEC for the one year preceding the date hereof. The SEC has not commenced any enforcement proceedings against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(g) Absence of Certain Changes. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents, since December 31, 2020, (i) there has been no material adverse change in the business, properties, operations, financial condition or results of operations of the Company or its Subsidiaries,(ii) the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, including without limitation any losses or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, earthquakes, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any strike, labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, that are material, individually or in the aggregate, to the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one entity, or has entered into any transactions not in the ordinary course of business; (iii) there has not been any material disruption, material delay or other material adverse change as a result of any measures intended to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 imposed by any federal, state, local or foreign government or government agency in any country or region in which the Company, or any of its agents, consultants, advisors or vendors, has assets or properties or conducts business, including, without limitation, any limitations, curtailments, suspensions or closures of businesses, business offices or establishments, schools, properties and other public areas due to quarantines, curfews, travel restrictions, workplace controls, “stay at home” orders, social distancing requirements or guidelines or other public gathering restrictions or limitations; and (iv) there has not been any material decrease in the capital stock or any material increase in any short-term or long-term indebtedness of the Company or its Subsidiaries and there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other Subsidiaries, by any of the Company’s Subsidiaries on any class of capital stock, or any repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any class of capital stock. The Company has not taken any steps, and does not currently expect to take any steps, to seek protection pursuant to any Bankruptcy Law nor does the Company or any of its Subsidiaries have any knowledge or reason to believe that its creditors intend to initiate involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings. The Company is financially solvent and is generally able to pay its debts as they become due.
(h) Absence of Litigation. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, threatened against or affecting the Company, the Common Stock or any of the Company's or its Subsidiaries' officers or directors in their capacities as such, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(i) Acknowledgment Regarding Investor's Status. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Investor is acting solely in the capacity of arm's length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The Company further acknowledges that the Investor is not 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 hereby and thereby and any advice given by the Investor or any of its representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby is merely incidental to the Investor's purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to the Investor that the Company's decision to enter into the Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation by the Company and its representatives and advisors.
(j) No Integrated Offering. 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 in a manner that would require stockholder approval pursuant to the rules of the Principal Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated. The issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Principal Market.
(k) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights or licenses to use all material trademarks, trade names, service marks, service mark registrations, service names, patents, patent rights, copyrights, inventions, licenses, approvals, governmental authorizations, trade secrets and rights necessary to conduct their respective businesses as now conducted. None of the Company's material trademarks, trade names, service marks, service mark registrations, service names, patents, patent rights, copyrights, inventions, licenses, approvals, government authorizations, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights have expired or terminated, or, by the terms and conditions thereof, could expire or terminate within two years from the date of this Agreement. The Company and its Subsidiaries do not have any knowledge of any infringement by the Company or its Subsidiaries of any material trademark, trade name rights, patents, patent rights, copyrights, inventions, licenses, service names, service marks, service mark registrations, trade secret or other similar rights of others, or of any such development of similar or identical trade secrets or technical information by others, and there is no claim, action or proceeding being made or brought against, or to the Company's knowledge, being threatened against, the Company or its Subsidiaries regarding trademark, trade name, patents, patent rights, invention, copyright, license, service names, service marks, service mark registrations, trade secret or other infringement, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where, in each of the three foregoing clauses, the failure to so comply could not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Title. Except as set forth in the SEC Documents, the Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects (“Liens”) and, 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 its 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 its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Subsidiaries.
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(n) Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as management of the Company believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and its Subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for and neither the Company nor any such 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 at a cost that would not materially and adversely affect the condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(o) Regulatory Permits. The Company and its Subsidiaries possess all material certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit.
(p) Tax Status. Except as set forth on Schedule 4(p) the Company and each of its Subsidiaries has made or filed all federal and state income and all other material tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject (unless and only to the extent that the Company and each of its Subsidiaries has set aside on its books provisions reasonably adequate for the payment of all unpaid and unreported taxes) and has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith and has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company know of no basis for any such claim.
(q) Transactions With Affiliates. Except as set forth in the SEC Documents, none of the officers or directors of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
(r) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and its board of directors have taken or will take prior to the Commencement Date 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 Certificate of Incorporation or the laws of the state of its incorporation which is or could become applicable to the Investor as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, the Company's issuance of the Securities and the Investor's ownership of the Securities.
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(s) Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents that will be timely publicly disclosed by the Company, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided the Investor or its agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement or the SEC Documents. The Company understands and confirms that the Investor will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting purchases and sales of securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Investor regarding the Company, its business and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the disclosure schedules to this Agreement, taken together, is true and correct in all material respects. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Investor neither makes nor has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3 hereof.
(t) 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.
(u) Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement with the SEC in accordance with the Securities Act. The Registration Statement was declared effective by order of the SEC on November 28, 2018. The Registration Statement is effective pursuant to the Securities Act and available for the issuance of the Securities thereunder, and the Company has not received any written notice that the SEC has issued or intends to issue a stop order or other similar order with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or that the SEC otherwise has (i) suspended or withdrawn the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or (ii) issued any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, in either case, either temporarily or permanently or intends or has threatened in writing to do so. The “Plan of Distribution” section of the Prospectus permits the issuance of the Securities under the terms of this Agreement. At the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the date of this Agreement and at each deemed effective date thereof pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the Securities Act, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with 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 not misleading; and the Base Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement thereto, at the time such Base Prospectus or such Prospectus Supplement thereto was issued and on the Commencement Date, complied and will comply in all material respects with 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, not misleading; provided that this representation and warranty does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Prospectus Supplement made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Investor furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of the Investor expressly for use therein. The Company meets all of the requirements for the use of a registration statement on Form S-3 pursuant to the Securities Act for the offering and sale of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement in reliance on General Instruction I.B.1. of Form S-3, and the SEC has not notified the Company of any objection to the use of the form of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 401(g)(1) of the Securities Act. The Company hereby confirms that the issuance of the Securities to the Investor pursuant to this Agreement would not result in non-compliance with the Securities Act or any of the General Instructions to Form S-3. The Registration Statement, as of its effective date, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x) pursuant to the Securities Act. At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act) relating to any of the Securities, the Company was not, and as of the date of this Agreement the Company is not, an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act). The Company has not distributed any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of any of the Securities, and, until the Investor does not hold any of the Securities, shall not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of any of the Securities, to or by the Investor, in each case, other than the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement required pursuant to applicable law or the Transaction Documents. The Company has not made and shall not make an offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
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(u) DTC Eligibility. The Company, through the Transfer Agent, currently participates in the DTC Fast Automated Securities Transfer (FAST) Program and the Common Stock can be transferred electronically to third parties via the DTC Fast Automated Securities Transfer (FAST) Program.
(v) Sarbanes-Oxley. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, which are applicable to it as of the date hereof.
(w) Certain Fees. 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 Investor 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 4(w) that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(x) Investment Company. The Company is not, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(y) 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 pursuant to the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the SEC is currently contemplating terminating such registration. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents, the Company has not, in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date hereof, received any notice from any Person to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of the Principal 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. The Principal Market has not commenced any delisting proceedings against the Company.
(z) Accountants. The Company’s accountants are set forth in the SEC Documents and, to the knowledge of the Company, such accountants are an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act.
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(aa) No Market Manipulation. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no Person 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.
(bb) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries 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 or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
(cc) Information Technology. The Company’s and the Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries as currently conducted. The Company, and the Subsidiaries maintain commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”) processed and stored thereon, and to the knowledge of the Company, there have been no breaches, incidents, violations, outages, compromises or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws or statutes and all applicable judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except for any such noncompliance that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(dd) Shell Company Status. The Company is not currently, and has never been, an issuer identified in Rule 144(i)(1) under the Securities Act.
5. COVENANTS.
(a) Filing of Current Report and Initial Prospectus Supplement. The Company agrees that it shall, on the date of this Agreement, file with the SEC a report on Form 8-K relating to the transactions contemplated by, and describing the material terms and conditions of, the Transaction Documents (the “Current Report”). The Company further agrees that it shall, on the date hereof, file with the SEC the Initial Prospectus Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, in the form agreed upon by the Investor prior to such filing, specifically relating to the transactions contemplated by, and describing the material terms and conditions of, the Transaction Documents, containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430B under the Securities Act, and disclosing all information relating to the transactions contemplated hereby required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the date of the Initial Prospectus Supplement, including, without limitation, information required to be disclosed in the section captioned “Plan of Distribution” in the Prospectus, pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement.
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(b) Blue Sky. The Company shall take all such action, if any, as is reasonably necessary in order to obtain an exemption for or to register or qualify (i) the issuance of the Commitment Shares and the issuance and sale of the Purchase Shares to the Investor under this Agreement and (ii) any subsequent resale of all Commitment Shares and all Purchase Shares by the Investor, in each case, under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States in such states as is reasonably requested by the Investor from time to time, and shall provide evidence of any such action so taken to the Investor.
(c) Listing/DTC. The Company shall promptly secure the listing of all of the Purchase Shares and Commitment Shares to be issued to the Investor hereunder on the Principal Market (subject to official notice of issuance) and upon each other national securities exchange or automated quotation system, if any, upon which the Common Stock is then listed, and shall maintain, so long as any shares of Common Stock shall be so listed, such listing of all such Securities from time to time issuable hereunder. The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing of the Common Stock on the Principal Market and shall comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules and regulations of the Principal Market. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall take any action that would reasonably be expected to result in the delisting or suspension of the Common Stock on the Principal Market. The Company shall promptly, and in no event later than the following Business Day, provide to the Investor copies of any notices it receives from any Person regarding the continued eligibility of the Common Stock for listing on the Principal Market; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to provide the Investor copies of any such notice that the Company reasonably believes constitutes material non-public information and the Company would not be required to publicly disclose such notice in any report or statement filed with the SEC and under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act. The Company shall pay all fees and expenses in connection with satisfying its obligations under this Section 5(c). The Company shall take all action necessary to ensure that its Common Stock can be transferred electronically as DWAC Shares.
(d) Prohibition of Short Sales and Hedging Transactions. The Investor agrees that beginning on the date of this Agreement and ending on the date of termination of this Agreement as provided in Section 11, the Investor and its agents, representatives and affiliates shall not in any manner whatsoever enter into or effect, directly or indirectly, any (i) “short sale” (as such term is defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO of the Exchange Act) of the Common Stock or (ii) hedging transaction, which establishes a net short position with respect to the Common Stock.
(e) Issuance of Commitment Shares. In consideration for the Investor’s execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company shall cause to be issued to the Investor a total of 80,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Commitment Shares”) not later than the close of business on the next Business Day immediately following the date of this Agreement and shall, concurrently with the execution of this Agreement on the date hereof, deliver to the Transfer Agent the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions with respect to the issuance of such Initial Commitment Shares to the Investor within such time period. The Company shall cause to be issued to the Investor up to 120,500 shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Commitment Shares” and, collectively with the Initial Commitment Shares, the “Commitment Shares”), as follows: in connection with each purchase of Purchase Shares hereunder, the Company shall issue to the Investor a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the product of (i) 120,500 and (y) the Purchase Amount Fraction. The “Purchase Amount Fraction” shall mean a fraction, the numerator of which is the Purchase Amount purchased by the Investor with respect to such purchase of Purchase Shares and the denominator of which is Seventeen Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($17,400,000). The Additional Commitment Shares shall be equitably adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction. For the avoidance of doubt, (1) all of the Initial Commitment Shares shall be fully earned as of the date of this Agreement, whether or not the Commencement shall occur or any Purchase Shares are purchased by the Investor under this Agreement and irrespective of any subsequent termination of this Agreement and (2) the Additional Commitment Shares shall be fully earned as of the date of their issuance pursuant to this Agreement, whether or not any additional Purchase Shares are purchased thereafter by the Investor under this Agreement and irrespective of any subsequent termination of this Agreement.
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(f) Due Diligence; Non-Public Information. The Investor shall have the right, from time to time as the Investor may reasonably deem appropriate and upon reasonable advance notice to the Company, to perform reasonable due diligence on the Company during normal business hours. The Company and its officers and employees shall provide information and reasonably cooperate with the Investor in connection with any reasonable request by the Investor related to the Investor's due diligence of the Company. Each party hereto agrees not to disclose any Confidential Information of the other party to any third party and shall not use the Confidential Information for any purpose other than in connection with, or in furtherance of, the transactions contemplated hereby. Each party hereto acknowledges that the Confidential Information shall remain the property of the disclosing party and agrees that it shall take all reasonable measures to protect the secrecy of any Confidential Information disclosed by the other party. The Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf shall provide the Investor or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information, unless a simultaneous public announcement thereof is made by the Company in the manner contemplated by Regulation FD. In the event of a breach of the foregoing covenant by the Company or any Person acting on its behalf (as determined in the reasonable good faith judgment of the Investor), in addition to any other remedy provided herein or in the other Transaction Documents, if the Investor is holding any Securities at the time of the disclosure of material, non-public information, the Investor shall have the right to make a public disclosure, in the form of a press release, public advertisement or otherwise, of such material, non-public information without the prior approval by the Company; provided the Investor shall have first provided notice to the Company that it believes it has received information that constitutes material, non-public information, the Company shall have at least 48 hours to publicly disclose such material, non-public information prior to any such disclosure by the Investor, the Company shall have failed to demonstrate to the Investor in writing within such time period that such information does not constitute material, non-public information, and the Company shall have failed to publicly disclose such material, non-public information within such time period. The Investor shall not have any liability to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, stockholders or agents, for any such disclosure. The Company understands and confirms that the Investor shall be relying on the foregoing covenants in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
(g) Purchase Records. The Investor and the Company shall each maintain records showing the remaining Available Amount at any given time and the dates and Purchase Amounts for each Regular Purchase, Accelerated Purchase and Additional Accelerated Purchase or shall use such other method, reasonably satisfactory to the Investor and the Company.
(h) Taxes. The Company shall pay any and all transfer, stamp or similar taxes that may be payable with respect to the issuance and delivery of any shares of Common Stock to the Investor made under this Agreement.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds from the offering as described in the Prospectus.
(j) Other Transactions. The Company shall not enter into, announce or recommend to its stockholders any agreement, plan, arrangement or transaction in or of which the terms thereof would restrict, materially delay, conflict with or impair the ability or right of the Company to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents, including, without limitation, the obligation of the Company to deliver the Securities to the Investor in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents.
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(k) No Aggregation. From and after the date of this Agreement, neither the Company, nor or any of its affiliates will, and the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that no Person acting on their behalf will, directly or indirectly, make any offers or sales of any security or solicit any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities by the Company to the Investor to be integrated with other offerings by the Company in a manner that would require stockholder approval pursuant to the rules of the Principal Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated, unless stockholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction in accordance with the rules of such Principal Market.
(l) Limitation on Variable Rate Transactions. From and after the date of this Agreement until the 36-month anniversary of the date of this Agreement (irrespective of any earlier termination of this Agreement) (such period, the “Restricted Period”), (i) the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any continuous offering of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents that could constitute, or could be deemed to constitute, an “equity line of credit,” in which the Company may issue or sell Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents at a future determined price to a Person other than the Investor or any affiliate of the Investor (an “ELOC”), excluding (A) the issuance or sale of any Securities to the Investor or any affiliate or designee of the Investor pursuant to this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement or any of the Transaction Documents, as the same may be amended from time to time, (B) the issuance or sale of any shares of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents or any other securities of the Company (or a combination of units thereof) to the Investor or any affiliate or designee of the Investor pursuant to any other agreement or arrangement between the Investor or any of its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, entered into by and between such parties after the date of this Agreement, if any, and (C) the issuance or sale of any shares of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents or other securities of the Company (or a combination of units thereof) to the Investor or any affiliate of the Investor upon the exercise, exchange or conversion of any shares of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents or other securities owned or held, directly or indirectly, by the Investor or any affiliate of the Investor at any time, and (ii) 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 (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction, other than in the case of this clause (ii) in connection with an Exempt Issuance. The Investor shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief against the Company and its Subsidiaries to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required. “Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or its Subsidiaries which 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. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any equity or debt securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price, exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such equity or debt securities or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset to a lower price at some future date after the initial issuance of such equity or debt 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, excluding any pro rata adjustment for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction, (ii) issues or sells any equity or debt securities, including without limitation, Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, at a price that is subject to being reset to a lower price 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, excluding any pro rata adjustment for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction, or (iii) effects or enters into any agreement to effect an “at-the-market offering” or other similar continuous offering of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, whereby the Company may sell Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents at a future determined price (excluding an ELOC, which the Company is restricted from effecting or entering into any agreement to effect under the first sentence of this Section 5(q), which shall apply to any ELOC, subject to the exceptions set forth in clauses (A), (B) and (C) above). “Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) Common Stock, options or other equity incentive awards to employees, officers, directors or vendors of the Company pursuant to any equity incentive plan duly adopted for such purpose, by the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of directors established for such purpose, (b)(1) the issuance or sale of any Securities to the Investor or any affiliate or designee of the Investor pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Transaction Documents, as the same may be amended from time to time, (2) the issuance or sale of any shares of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents or any other debt or equity securities of the Company (or a combination of units thereof) to the Investor or any affiliate or designee of the Investor pursuant to any other agreement or arrangement between the Investor or any of its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, entered into by and between such parties after the date of this Agreement, if any, and (3) the issuance or sale of any shares of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents or other debt or equity securities of the Company (or a combination of units thereof) to the Investor or any affiliate of the Investor upon the exercise, exchange or conversion of any shares of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents or other debt or equity securities owned or held, directly or indirectly, by the Investor or any affiliate of the Investor at any time, (c) any shares of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents or any other debt or equity securities of the Company issued upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any Common Stock Equivalents issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities referred to in this clause (c) 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, (d) any shares of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents or any other debt or equity securities of the Company (or a combination of units thereof) issued pursuant to acquisitions, divestitures, licenses, partnerships, collaborations or strategic transactions approved by the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of directors established for such purpose, which acquisitions, divestitures, licenses, partnerships, collaborations or strategic transactions can have a Variable Rate Transaction component, provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equity holders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or 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 business is investing in securities, or (e) Common Stock issued pursuant to an “at-the-market offering” by the Company exclusively through a registered broker-dealer acting as agent of the Company pursuant to a written agreement between the Company and such registered broker-dealer.
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6. TRANSFER AGENT INSTRUCTIONS.
On the date of this Agreement, the Company shall issue to the Transfer Agent (and any subsequent transfer agent) irrevocable instructions, in the form substantially similar to those used by the Investor in substantially similar transactions, to issue the Purchase Shares, the Initial Commitment Shares and the Additional Commitment Shares in accordance with the terms of this Agreement (the “Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions”). All Securities to be issued to or for the benefit of the Investor pursuant to this Agreement shall be issued as DWAC Shares. The Company represents and warrants to the Investor that no instruction other than the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions referred to in this Section 6 will be given by the Company to the Transfer Agent with respect to the Securities, and the Securities shall otherwise be freely transferable on the books and records of the Company. If the Investor effects a sale, assignment or transfer of the Purchase Shares or the Commitment Shares, the Company shall permit the transfer and shall promptly instruct the Transfer Agent (and any subsequent transfer agent) to issue DWAC Shares in such name and in such denominations as specified by the Investor to effect such sale, transfer or assignment. The Company shall take all actions to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Section 6, including, without limitation, delivering or causing to be delivered all such legal opinions, consents, certificates, resolutions and instructions to the Transfer Agent, and any successor transfer agent of the Company, as may be requested from time to time by the Investor or necessary or desirable to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Section 6, and all fees and costs associated therewith shall be borne by the Company.
7. | CONDITIONS TO THE COMPANY'S RIGHT TO COMMENCE SALES OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK. |
The right of the Company hereunder to commence sales of the Purchase Shares on the Commencement Date is subject to the satisfaction or, where legally permissible, the waiver of each of the following conditions:
(a) The Investor shall have executed each of the Transaction Documents and delivered the same to the Company;
(b) No stop order with respect to the Registration Statement shall be pending or threatened by the SEC; and
(c) The representations and warranties of the Investor shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof and as of the Commencement Date as though made at that time.
8. | CONDITIONS TO THE INVESTOR'S OBLIGATION TO PURCHASE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK. |
The obligation of the Investor to buy Purchase Shares under this Agreement is subject to the satisfaction or, where legally permissible, the waiver of each of the following conditions on or prior to the Commencement Date and, once such conditions have been initially satisfied, there shall not be any ongoing obligation to satisfy such conditions after the Commencement has occurred:
(a) The Company shall have executed each of the Transaction Documents and delivered the same to the Investor;
(b) The Common Stock shall be listed or quoted on the Principal Market, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been within the last 365 days suspended by the SEC or the Principal Market, and all Securities to be issued by the Company to the Investor pursuant to this Agreement shall have been approved for listing or quotation on the Principal Market in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Principal Market, subject only to official notice of issuance;
(c) The Investor shall have received the opinions and negative assurances of the Company's legal counsel dated as of the Commencement Date substantially in the form heretofore agreed by the parties hereto;
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(d) The representations and warranties of the Company shall be true and correct in all material respects (except to the extent that any of such representations and warranties is already qualified as to materiality in Section 4 above, in which case, the portion of such representations and warranties so qualified shall be true and correct without further qualification) as of the date hereof and as of the Commencement Date as though made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such date) and the Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied with the covenants, agreements and conditions required by the Transaction Documents to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Commencement Date. The Investor shall have received a certificate, executed by the CEO, President or CFO of the Company, dated as of the Commencement Date, to the foregoing effect in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A;
(e) The Board of Directors of the Company shall have adopted resolutions substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, which shall be in full force and effect without any amendment or supplement thereto as of the Commencement Date;
(f) As of the Commencement Date, the Company shall have reserved out of its authorized and unissued Common Stock, (i) solely for the purpose of effecting purchases of Purchase Shares hereunder, 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock, and (ii) solely for the purpose of effecting the issuance of Additional Commitment Shares hereunder, 120,500 shares of Common Stock;
(g) The Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions shall have been delivered to and acknowledged in writing by the Company and the Company's Transfer Agent, and the Initial Commitment Shares required to have been issued on the Commencement Date in accordance with Section 5(e) hereof shall have been issued directly to the Investor electronically as DWAC Shares;
(h) The Company shall have delivered to the Investor a certificate evidencing the incorporation and good standing of the Company in the State of Delaware issued by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as of a date within ten (10) Business Days of the Commencement Date;
(i) The Company shall have delivered to the Investor a certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation as certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware within ten (10) Business Days of the Commencement Date;
(j) The Company shall have delivered to the Investor a secretary's certificate executed by the Secretary of the Company, dated as of the Commencement Date, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C;
(k) The Registration Statement shall continue to be effective and no stop order with respect to the Registration Statement shall be pending or threatened by the SEC. The Company shall have a maximum dollar amount certain of Common Stock registered under the Registration Statement which is sufficient to issue to the Investor not less than (i) the full Available Amount worth of Purchase Shares plus (ii) all of the Commitment Shares. The Current Report and the Initial Prospectus Supplement each shall have been filed with the SEC, as required pursuant to Section 5(a) and in compliance with Registration Rights Agreement, and copies of the Prospectus shall have been delivered to the Investor in accordance with Registration Rights Agreement. The Prospectus shall be current and available for issuances and sales of all of the Securities by the Company to the Investor, and for the resale of all of the Securities by the Investor. Any other Prospectus Supplements required to have been filed by the Company with the SEC under the Securities Act at or prior to the Commencement Date shall have been filed with the SEC within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under the Securities Act. All reports, schedules, registrations, forms, statements, information and other documents required to have been filed by the Company with the SEC at or prior to the Commencement Date pursuant to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act shall have been filed with the SEC within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under the Exchange Act;
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(l) No Event of Default has occurred, or any event which, after notice and/or lapse of time, would become an Event of Default has occurred;
(m) All federal, state and local governmental laws, rules and regulations applicable to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and necessary for the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby in accordance with the terms thereof shall have been complied with, and all consents, authorizations and orders of, and all filings and registrations with, all federal, state and local courts or governmental agencies and all federal, state and local regulatory or self-regulatory agencies necessary for the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby in accordance with the terms thereof shall have been obtained or made, including, without limitation, in each case those required under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, applicable state securities or “Blue Sky” laws or applicable rules and regulations of the Principal Market, or otherwise required by the SEC, the Principal Market or any state securities regulators;
(n) No statute, regulation, order, decree, writ, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated, threatened or endorsed by any federal, state, local or foreign court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction which prohibits the consummation of or which would materially modify or delay any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents; and
(o) No action, suit or proceeding before any federal, state, local or foreign arbitrator or any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction shall have been commenced or threatened, and no inquiry or investigation by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental authority of competent jurisdiction shall have been commenced or threatened, against the Company, or any of the officers, directors or affiliates of the Company, seeking to restrain, prevent or change the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, or seeking material damages in connection with such transactions.
9. | INDEMNIFICATION. |
In consideration of the Investor's execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and acquiring the Securities hereunder and in addition to all of the Company's other obligations under the Transaction Documents, the Company shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless the Investor and all of its affiliates, stockholders, members, officers, directors, employees and direct or indirect investors and any of the foregoing Person's agents or other representatives (including, without limitation, those retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) (collectively, the "Indemnitees") from and against any and all actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, and expenses in connection therewith (irrespective of whether any such Indemnitee is a party to the action for which indemnification hereunder is sought), and including reasonable attorneys' fees and disbursements (the "Indemnified Liabilities"), incurred by any Indemnitee as a result of, or arising out of, or relating to (a) any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made by the Company in the Transaction Documents or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, (b) any breach of any covenant, agreement or obligation of the Company contained in the Transaction Documents or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, or (c) any cause of action, suit or claim brought or made against such Indemnitee and arising out of or resulting from the execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of the Transaction Documents or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, other than, in the case of clause (c), with respect to Indemnified Liabilities which directly and primarily result from the fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct of an Indemnitee. The indemnity in this Section 9 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by the Company may be unenforceable for any reason, the Company shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities which is permissible under applicable law. Payment under this indemnification shall be made within thirty (30) days from the date the Indemnitee makes written request for it. A certificate containing reasonable detail as to the amount of such indemnification submitted to the Company by Investor shall be conclusive evidence, absent manifest error, of the amount due from the Company to Investor. If any action shall be brought against any Indemnitee in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Indemnitee 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 Indemnitee. Any Indemnitee 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 Indemnitee, except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of such separate counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Indemnitee, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel.
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10. EVENTS OF DEFAULT.
An "Event of Default" shall be deemed to have occurred at any time as any of the following events occurs:
(a) the effectiveness of the Registration Statement registering the Securities lapses for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop order) or the Registration Statement or the Prospectus is unavailable for the sale by the Company to the Investor (or the resale by the Investor) of any or all of the Securities to be issued to the Investor under the Transaction Documents (including, without limitation, as a result of any failure of the Company to satisfy all of the requirements for the use of a registration statement on Form S-3 pursuant to the Securities Act for the offering and sale of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement), and such lapse or unavailability continues for a period of ten (10) consecutive Business Days or for more than an aggregate of thirty (30) Business Days in any 365-day period;
(b) the suspension of the Common Stock from trading or the failure of the Common Stock to be listed on the Principal Market for a period of one (1) Business Day, provided that the Company may not direct the Investor to purchase any shares of Common Stock during any such suspension;
(c) the delisting of the Common Stock from the OTCQX operated by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or nationally recognized successor thereto), provided, however, that the Common Stock is not immediately thereafter trading on the New York Stock Exchange, The NASDAQ Capital Market, The NASDAQ Global Market, The NASDAQ Global Select Market, the NYSE American, the NYSE Arca, the OTC Bulletin Board or the OTCQB operated by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or nationally recognized successor to any of the foregoing);
(d) the failure for any reason by the Transfer Agent to issue (i) the Initial Commitment Shares to the Investor within two (2) Business Days after the Commencement Date, (ii) the Additional Commitment Shares to the Investor within two (2) Business Days after the date on which the Investor is entitled to receive such Additional Commitment Shares pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof, or (iii) Purchase Shares to the Investor within two (2) Business Days after the Regular Purchase Date, Accelerated Purchase Date or Additional Accelerated Purchase Date, as applicable, on which the Investor is entitled to receive such Purchase Shares;
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(e) the Company breaches any representation, warranty, covenant or other term or condition under any Transaction Document if such breach would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except, in the case of a breach of a covenant which is reasonably curable, only if such breach continues for a period of at least five (5) Business Days;
(f) if any Person commences a proceeding against the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law;
(g) if the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law: (i) commences a voluntary case, (ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case, (iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property, or (iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors or is generally unable to pay its debts as the same become due;
(h) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that (i) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case, (ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or (iii) orders the liquidation of the Company or any Subsidiary; or
(i) if at any time the Company is not eligible to transfer its Common Stock electronically as DWAC Shares.
In addition to any other rights and remedies under applicable law and this Agreement, so long as an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or if any event which, after notice and/or lapse of time, would reasonably be expected to become an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Company shall not deliver to the Investor any Regular Purchase Notice, Accelerated Purchase Notice or Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice.
11. TERMINATION
This Agreement may be terminated only as follows:
(a) If pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law, the Company commences a voluntary case or any Person commences a proceeding against the Company which is not discharged within ninety (90) days, a Custodian is appointed for the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or the Company makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors (any of which would be an Event of Default as described in Sections 10(f), 10(g) and 10(h) hereof), this Agreement shall automatically terminate without any liability or payment to the Company (except as set forth below) without further action or notice by any Person.
(b) In the event that the Commencement shall not have occurred on or before July 16, 2021, due to the failure to satisfy the conditions set forth in Sections 7 and 8 above with respect to the Commencement, either the Company or the Investor shall have the option to terminate this Agreement at the close of business on such date or thereafter without liability of any party to any other party (except as set forth below); provided, however, that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 11(b) shall not be available to any party if such party is then in breach of any covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement or any representation or warranty of such party contained in this Agreement fails to be true and correct such that the conditions set forth in Section 7(c) or Section 8(d), as applicable, could not then be satisfied.
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(c) At any time after the Commencement Date, the Company shall have the option to terminate this Agreement for any reason or for no reason by delivering notice (a “Company Termination Notice”) to the Investor electing to terminate this Agreement without any liability whatsoever of any party to any other party under this Agreement (except as set forth below). The Company Termination Notice shall not be effective until one (1) Business Day after it has been received by the Investor.
(d) This Agreement shall automatically terminate on the date that the Company sells and the Investor purchases the full Available Amount as provided herein, without any action or notice on the part of any party and without any liability whatsoever of any party to any other party under this Agreement (except as set forth below).
(e) If for any reason or for no reason the full Available Amount has not been purchased in accordance with Section 2 of this Agreement by the Maturity Date, this Agreement shall automatically terminate on the Maturity Date, without any action or notice on the part of any party and without any liability whatsoever of any party to any other party under this Agreement (except as set forth below).
Except as set forth in Sections 11(a) (in respect of an Event of Default under Sections 10(f), 10(g) and 10(h)), 11(d) and 11(e), any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11 shall be effected by written notice from the Company to the Investor, or the Investor to the Company, as the case may be, setting forth the basis for the termination hereof. The representations and warranties of the Company and the Investor contained in Sections 3 and 4 hereof, the indemnification provisions set forth in Section 9 hereof and the agreements and covenants set forth in Sections 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12 shall survive the Commencement and any termination of this Agreement. No termination of this Agreement shall (i) affect the Company’s or the Investor’s rights or obligations under (A) this Agreement with respect to pending Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases and the Company and the Investor shall complete their respective obligations with respect to any pending Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases under this Agreement and (B) the Registration Rights Agreement, which shall survive any such termination in accordance with its terms, or (ii) be deemed to release the Company or the Investor from any liability for intentional misrepresentation or willful breach of any of the Transaction Documents.
12. MISCELLANEOUS.
(a) Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Jury Trial. The corporate laws of the State of Delaware shall govern all issues concerning the relative rights of the Company and its stockholders. All other questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the other Transaction Documents shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of Illinois, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Illinois or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of Illinois. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the State of Illinois, County of Cook, for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or under the other Transaction Documents or in connection herewith or therewith, or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such 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. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
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(b) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which 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; provided that a facsimile signature or signature delivered by e-mail in a “.pdf” format data file, including any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com, www.echosign.adobe.com, etc., shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original signature.
(c) Headings. The headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.
(d) Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or the validity or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
(e) Entire Agreement; Amendment. This Agreement supersedes all other prior oral or written agreements between the Investor, the Company, their affiliates and Persons acting on their behalf with respect to the subject matter hereof, and this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the instruments referenced herein contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the matters covered herein and therein and, except as specifically set forth herein or therein, neither the Company nor the Investor makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to such matters. The Company acknowledges and agrees that is has not relied on, in any manner whatsoever, any representations or statements, written or oral, other than as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents. No provision of this Agreement may be amended other than by a written instrument signed by both parties hereto.
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(f) Notices. Any notices, consents or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered: (i) upon receipt when delivered personally; (ii) upon receipt when sent by facsimile or email (provided confirmation of transmission is mechanically or electronically generated and kept on file by the sending party); or (iii) one Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, in each case properly addressed to the party to receive the same. The addresses for such communications shall be:
If to the Company:
Netlist, Inc.
175 Technology Drive, Suite 150
Irvine, California 92618
Telephone: | (949) 435-0025 |
E-mail: | gsasaki@netlist.com |
Attention: | Gail Sasaki |
Chief Financial Officer
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice or service of process):
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
3580 Carmel Mountain Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92130
Telephone: | (858) 314-1880 |
Facsimile: | (858) 314-1501 |
E-mail: | smstanton@mintz.com |
Attention: | Scott M. Stanton, Esq. |
If to the Investor:
Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC
440 North Wells, Suite 410
Chicago, IL 60654
Telephone: | (312) 822-9300 |
Facsimile: | (312) 822-9301 |
E-mail: | jscheinfeld@lpcfunds.com/jcope@lpcfunds.com |
Attention: | Josh Scheinfeld/Jonathan Cope |
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice or service of process):
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
Telephone: | (212) 415-9214 |
Facsimile: | (212) 953-7201 |
E-mail: | marsico.anthony@dorsey.com |
Attention: | Anthony J. Marsico, Esq. |
If to the Transfer Agent:
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
8742 Lucent Blvd., Suite 225
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
Telephone: | (303) 262-0790 |
E-mail: | Lee.Meier@computershare.com |
Attention: | Lee Meier |
or at such other address and/or facsimile number or email address and/or to the attention of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by written notice given to each other party three (3) Business Days prior to the effectiveness of such change. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given by the recipient of such notice, consent or other communication, (B) mechanically or electronically generated by the sender's facsimile machine or email account containing the time, date, and recipient facsimile number or email address, as applicable, and an image of the first page of such transmission or (C) provided by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, shall be rebuttable evidence of personal service, receipt by facsimile or receipt from a nationally recognized overnight delivery service in accordance with clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, respectively.
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(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and any permitted successors and assigns of the Company. The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Investor, including by merger or consolidation. The Investor may not assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement.
(h) No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and any permitted successors and assigns of the Company and, except as set forth in Section 9, is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person.
(i) Publicity. The Company shall afford the Investor and its counsel with the opportunity to review and comment upon, shall consult with the Investor and its counsel on the form and substance of, and shall give due consideration to all such comments from the Investor or its counsel on, any press release, SEC filing or any other public disclosure by or on behalf of the Company relating to the Investor, its purchases hereunder or any aspect of the Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated thereby, not less than 24 hours prior to the issuance, filing or public disclosure thereof. The Investor must be provided with a final version of any such press release, SEC filing or other public disclosure at least 24 hours prior to any release, filing or use by the Company thereof. The Company agrees and acknowledges that its failure to fully comply with this provision constitutes a Material Adverse Effect.
(j) Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as the other party may reasonably request in order to consummate and make effective, as soon as reasonably possible, the Commencement, and to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(k) No Financial Advisor, Placement Agent, Broker or Finder. The Company represents and warrants to the Investor that it has not engaged any financial advisor, placement agent, broker or finder in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. The Investor represents and warrants to the Company that it has not engaged any financial advisor, placement agent, broker or finder in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company shall be responsible for the payment of any fees or commissions, if any, of any financial advisor, placement agent, broker or finder relating to or arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company shall pay, and hold the Investor harmless against, any liability, loss or expense (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees and out of pocket expenses) arising in connection with any such claim.
(l) No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party.
(m) Remedies, Other Obligations, Breaches and Injunctive Relief. The Investor’s remedies provided in this Agreement, including, without limitation, the Investor’s remedies provided in Section 9, shall be cumulative and in addition to all other remedies available to the Investor under this Agreement, at law or in equity (including a decree of specific performance and/or other injunctive relief), no remedy of the Investor contained herein shall be deemed a waiver of compliance with the provisions giving rise to such remedy and nothing herein shall limit the Investor's right to pursue actual damages for any failure by the Company to comply with the terms of this Agreement. The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to the Investor and that the remedy at law for any such breach may be inadequate. The Company therefore agrees that, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach, the Investor shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an injunction restraining any breach, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required.
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(n) Enforcement Costs. If: (i) this Agreement is placed by the Investor in the hands of an attorney for enforcement or is enforced by the Investor through any legal proceeding; (ii) an attorney is retained to represent the Investor in any bankruptcy, reorganization, receivership or other proceedings affecting creditors' rights and involving a claim under this Agreement; or (iii) an attorney is retained to represent the Investor in any other proceedings whatsoever in connection with this Agreement, then the Company shall pay to the Investor, as incurred by the Investor, all reasonable costs and expenses including reasonable attorneys' fees incurred in connection therewith, in addition to all other amounts due hereunder. If this Agreement is placed by the Company in the hands of an attorney for enforcement or is enforced by the Company through any legal proceeding, then the Investor shall pay to the Company, as incurred by the Company, all reasonable costs and expenses including reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred in connection therewith, in addition to all other amounts due hereunder.
(o) Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived other than in a written instrument signed by the party against whom enforcement of such waiver is sought. No failure or delay in the exercise of any power, right or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power, right or privilege preclude other or further exercise thereof or of any other right, power or privilege.
* * * * *
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Investor and the Company have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.
THE COMPANY: | ||
NETLIST, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Gail Sasaki | |
Name: | Gail Sasaki | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
INVESTOR: | ||
LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL FUND, LLC | ||
BY: LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL, LLC | ||
BY: ROCKLEDGE CAPITAL CORPORATION | ||
By: | /s/ Josh Scheinfeld | |
Name: | Josh Scheinfeld | |
Title: | President |
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EXHIBITS
Exhibit A | Form of Officer’s Certificate | |
Exhibit B | Form of Resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company | |
Exhibit C | Form of Secretary’s Certificate |
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE
This Officer’s Certificate (“Certificate”) is being delivered pursuant to Section 8(d) of that certain Purchase Agreement dated as of July __, 2021, (“Purchase Agreement”), by and between NETLIST, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL FUND, LLC (the “Investor”). Terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Purchase Agreement.
The undersigned, ___________, ______________ of the Company, hereby certifies, on behalf of the Company and not in his individual capacity, as follows:
1. I am the _____________ of the Company and make the statements contained in this Certificate;
2. The representations and warranties of the Company are true and correct in all material respects (except to the extent that any of such representations and warranties is already qualified as to materiality in Section 4 of the Purchase Agreement, in which case, such representations and warranties are true and correct without further qualification) as of the date when made and as of the Commencement Date as though made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, in which case such representations and warranties are true and correct as of such date);
3. The Company has performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with covenants, agreements and conditions required by the Transaction Documents to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Commencement Date.
4. The Company has not taken any steps, and does not currently expect to take any steps, to seek protection pursuant to any Bankruptcy Law nor does the Company or any of its Subsidiaries have any knowledge or reason to believe that its creditors intend to initiate involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings. The Company is financially solvent and is generally able to pay its debts as they become due.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunder signed my name on this ___ day of ___________.
______________________
Name:
Title:
The undersigned as Secretary of NETLIST, INC., a Delaware corporation, hereby certifies that ___________ is the duly elected, appointed, qualified and acting ________ of _________ and that the signature appearing above is his genuine signature.
Secretary |
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF COMPANY RESOLUTIONS
FOR SIGNING PURCHASE AGREEMENT
UNANIMOUS WRITTEN CONSENT OF
NETLIST, INC.
In accordance with the corporate laws of the state of Delaware, the undersigned, being all of the directors of NETLIST, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), do hereby consent to and adopt the following resolutions as the action of the Board of Directors for and on behalf of the Corporation and hereby direct that this Consent be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Directors:
WHEREAS, there has been presented to the Board of Directors of the Corporation a draft of the Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) by and between the Corporation and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“Lincoln Park”), providing for the purchase by Lincoln Park of up to [____] Million Dollars ($[__],000,000) of the Corporation’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”); and
WHEREAS, after careful consideration of the Purchase Agreement, the documents incident thereto and other factors deemed relevant by the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors has determined that it is advisable and in the best interests of the Corporation to engage in the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement, including, but not limited to, the issuance of up to [_______] shares of Common Stock to Lincoln Park as a commitment fee (the “Commitment Shares”) and the sale of shares of Common Stock to Lincoln Park up to the available amount under the Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase Shares").
Transaction Documents
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the transactions described in the Purchase Agreement are hereby approved and ________________________________________ (the “Authorized Officers”) are severally authorized to execute and deliver the Purchase Agreement, and any other agreements or documents contemplated thereby, with such amendments, changes, additions and deletions as the Authorized Officers may deem to be appropriate and approve on behalf of, the Corporation, such approval to be conclusively evidenced by the signature of an Authorized Officer thereon; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the terms and provisions of the forms of Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions and Notice of Effectiveness of Registration Statement (collectively, the “Instructions”) are hereby approved and the Authorized Officers are authorized to execute and deliver the Instructions on behalf of the Company in accordance with the Purchase Agreement, with such amendments, changes, additions and deletions as the Authorized Officers may deem appropriate and approve on behalf of, the Corporation, such approval to be conclusively evidenced by the signature of an Authorized Officer thereon; and
Execution of Purchase Agreement
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Corporation be and it hereby is authorized to execute the Purchase Agreement providing for the purchase of up to [_____] Million Dollars ($[___],000,000) of the Corporation’s common stock; and
Issuance of Common Stock
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Corporation is hereby authorized to issue to Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, [_______] shares of Common Stock as Initial Commitment Shares and that upon issuance of the Initial Commitment Shares pursuant to the Purchase Agreement the Initial Commitment Shares shall be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable with no personal liability attaching to the ownership thereof; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Corporation is hereby authorized to issue up to [_____] shares of Common Stock as Additional Commitment Shares under the Purchase Agreement in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement and that, upon issuance of the Additional Commitment Shares pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Additional Commitment Shares will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable with no personal liability attaching to the ownership thereof; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Corporation shall reserve [______] shares of Common Stock for issuance as Additional Commitment Shares under the Purchase Agreement; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Corporation is hereby authorized to issue shares of Common Stock upon the purchase of Purchase Shares up to the Available Amount under the Purchase Agreement in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement and that, upon issuance of the Purchase Shares pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Purchase Shares will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable with no personal liability attaching to the ownership thereof; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Corporation shall initially reserve [_____] shares of Common Stock for issuance as Purchase Shares under the Purchase Agreement; and
Approval of Actions
FURTHER RESOLVED, that, without limiting the foregoing, the Authorized Officers are, and each of them hereby is, authorized and directed to proceed on behalf of the Corporation and to take all such steps as deemed necessary or appropriate, with the advice and assistance of counsel, to cause the Corporation to consummate the agreements referred to herein and to perform its obligations under such agreements; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Authorized Officers be, and each of them hereby is, authorized, empowered and directed on behalf of and in the name of the Corporation, to take or cause to be taken all such further actions and to execute and deliver or cause to be executed and delivered all such further agreements, amendments, documents, certificates, reports, schedules, applications, notices, letters and undertakings and to incur and pay all such fees and expenses as in their judgment shall be necessary, proper or desirable to carry into effect the purpose and intent of any and all of the foregoing resolutions, and that all actions heretofore taken by any officer or director of the Corporation in connection with the transactions contemplated by the agreements described herein are hereby approved, ratified and confirmed in all respects.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Board of Directors has executed and delivered this Consent effective as of __________, 2021.
being all of the directors of NETLIST, INC.
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF SECRETARY’S CERTIFICATE
This Secretary’s Certificate (“Certificate”) is being delivered pursuant to Section 8(e) of that certain Purchase Agreement dated as of July ___, 2021 (“Purchase Agreement”), by and between NETLIST, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL FUND, LLC (the “Investor”), pursuant to which the Company may sell to the Investor up to [____] Million Dollars ($[__],000,000) of the Company's Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the "Common Stock"). Terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Purchase Agreement.
The undersigned, ____________, Secretary of the Company, hereby certifies, on behalf of the Company and not in his individual capacity, as follows:
1. I am the Secretary of the Company and make the statements contained in this Secretary’s Certificate.
2. Attached hereto as Exhibit A and Exhibit B are true, correct and complete copies of the Company’s bylaws (“Bylaws”) and Certificate of Incorporation (“Charter”), in each case, as amended through the date hereof, and no action has been taken by the Company, its directors, officers or stockholders, in contemplation of the filing of any further amendment relating to or affecting the Bylaws or Charter.
3. Attached hereto as Exhibit C are true, correct and complete copies of the resolutions duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company on _____________, at which a quorum was present and acting throughout. Such resolutions have not been amended, modified or rescinded and remain in full force and effect and such resolutions are the only resolutions adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors, or any committee thereof, or the stockholders of the Company relating to or affecting (i) the entering into and performance of the Purchase Agreement, or the issuance, offering and sale of the Purchase Shares and the Commitment Shares and (ii) and the performance of the Company of its obligation under the Transaction Documents as contemplated therein.
4. As of the date hereof, the authorized, issued and reserved capital stock of the Company is as set forth on Exhibit D hereto.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunder signed my name on this ___ day of ____________.
Secretary |
The undersigned as ___________ of NETLIST, INC., a Delaware corporation, hereby certifies that ____________ is the duly elected, appointed, qualified and acting Secretary of NETLIST, INC., and that the signature appearing above is [his/her] genuine signature.
Exhibit 1.2
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of July 12, 2021, by and between NETLIST, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL FUND, LLC, an Illinois limited liability company (together with its permitted assigns, the “Investor”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement by and between the parties hereto, dated as of the date hereof (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Purchase Agreement”).
WHEREAS:
A. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement, (i) the Company has agreed to issue to the Investor, and the Investor has agreed to purchase, up to Seventeen Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($17,400,000) of the Company's common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (such shares, the “Purchase Shares”), (ii) the Company has agreed to issue to the Investor upon the execution of the Purchase Agreement such number of shares of Common Stock as set forth in Section 5(e) of the Purchase Agreement (the “Initial Commitment Shares”), and (iii) the Company has agreed to issue to the Investor upon purchases of Purchase Shares pursuant to the Purchase Agreement up to such number of additional shares of Common Stock as set forth in Section 5(e) of the Purchase Agreement (the “Additional Commitment Shares” and, together with the Initial Commitment Shares, the “Commitment Shares”); and
B. To induce the Investor to enter into the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the “Securities Act”), and applicable state securities laws.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Investor hereby agree as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) “Base Prospectus” means the Company’s final base prospectus, dated November 28, 2018, a preliminary form of which is included in the Registration Statement (defined below), including the documents and information incorporated by reference therein.
(b) “Initial Prospectus Supplement” means the prospectus supplement of the Company dated July 12, 2021 relating to the Securities, including the accompanying Base Prospectus, to be prepared and filed by the Company with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act and in accordance herewith, together with all documents and information incorporated therein by reference.
(c) “Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by any Prospectus Supplement (including the Initial Prospectus Supplement), including the documents and information incorporated by reference therein.
(d) “Prospectus Supplement” means any prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus (including the Initial Prospectus Supplement) filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the documents and information incorporated by reference therein.
(e) “Register,” “Registered,” and “Registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing one or more registration statements of the Company in compliance with the Securities Act and pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act or any successor rule providing for offering securities on a continuous basis (“Rule 415”), and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such registration statement(s) by the SEC.
(f) “Registrable Securities” means the Purchase Shares that may from time to time be issued or issuable to the Investor upon purchases of the Available Amount under the Purchase Agreement (without regard to any limitation or restriction on purchases), the Commitment Shares issued or issuable to the Investor, and any shares of capital stock issued or issuable with respect to the Purchase Shares, the Commitment Shares or the Purchase Agreement as a result of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, exchange or similar event, without regard to any limitation on purchases under the Purchase Agreement.
(g) “Registration Statement” means the effective registration statement on Form S-3 (Commission File No. 333-228348) filed by the Company with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act for the registration of shares of its Common Stock, including the Securities, and certain other securities of the Company, as such Registration Statement has been or may be amended and supplemented from time to time, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, and all other documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including all information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B of the Securities Act, including (i) any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and (ii) any comparable successor registration statement filed by the Company with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act for the registration of shares of its Common Stock, including the Securities.
2. REGISTRATION.
(a) Initial Prospectus Supplement. The Company agrees that it shall, on the date hereof, file with the SEC the Initial Prospectus Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, in the form agreed upon by the Investor prior to such filing, specifically relating to the transactions contemplated by, and describing the material terms and conditions of, the Transaction Documents, providing for the offer and sale of a total amount of Common Stock thereunder equal to the sum of (i) the full Available Amount worth of Purchase Shares and (ii) all of the Commitment Shares, containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430B under the Securities Act, and disclosing all information relating to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the date of the Initial Prospectus Supplement, including, without limitation, information required to be disclosed in the section captioned “Plan of Distribution” in the Prospectus. The Investor acknowledges that it will be identified in the Initial Prospectus Supplement as an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. The Company shall permit the Investor and its counsel to review and comment upon a substantially complete pre-filing draft of the Initial Prospectus Supplement at least one (1) Business Day prior to the date of its filing with the SEC, the Company shall give due consideration to all such comments, and the Company shall not file the Initial Prospectus Supplement with the SEC in a form to which the Investor reasonably objects. The Investor shall use its reasonable best efforts to comment upon such substantially complete pre-filing draft of the Initial Prospectus Supplement within one (1) Business Day from the date the Investor receives such substantially complete pre-filing draft thereof from the Company. The Investor shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Securities held by it and the intended method of distribution thereof, including any arrangement between the Investor and any other Person relating to the sale or distribution of the Securities, as shall be reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of the Initial Prospectus Supplement, and shall otherwise cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of the Initial Prospectus Supplement with the SEC.
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(b) Effective Registration Statement; Current Prospectus; Securities Law Compliance. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to keep the Registration Statement effective pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act, and to keep the Registration Statement and the Prospectus current and available for issuances and sales of all of the Securities by the Company to the Investor, and for the resale by the Investor, at all times until the earliest of (i) the date on which the Investor shall have sold all the Securities and no Available Amount remains under the Purchase Agreement, (ii) thirty (30) days following the Maturity Date and (iii) ninety (90) days following the termination of the Purchase Agreement in accordance with Section 11 of the Purchase Agreement (the “Registration Period”). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, during the Registration Period, the Company shall (a) take all action necessary to continue to be required to file reports with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, shall comply with its reporting and filing obligations under the Exchange Act, and shall not take any action or file any document (whether or not permitted by the Exchange Act) to terminate or suspend its reporting and filing obligations under the Exchange Act and (b) prepare and file with the SEC, at the Company’s expense, such amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) to the Registration Statement and such Prospectus Supplements pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, in each case, as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act, and to keep the Registration Statement and the Prospectus current and available for issuances and sales of all of the Securities by the Company to the Investor, and for the resale of all of the Securities by the Investor, at all times during the Registration Period (it being hereby acknowledged and agreed that the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC, at the Company’s expense, immediately prior to the third (3rd) anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement (the “Renewal Date”), a new Registration Statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Investor and its counsel, and the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Date). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to the extent required under the Securities Act or under interpretations by the SEC thereof, as promptly as practicable after the close of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters (or on such other dates as required under the Securities Act or under interpretations by the SEC thereof), the Company shall prepare a Prospectus Supplement, which will set forth the number of Purchase Shares sold to the Investor during such quarterly period (or other relevant period), the purchase price for such Purchase Shares and the net proceeds received by the Company from such sales, and shall file such Prospectus Supplement with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (and within the time periods required by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430B under the Securities Act); provided, however, that if any such quarterly Prospectus Supplement is not required to be filed under the Securities Act or under interpretations by the SEC thereof, the Company shall disclose the information referenced in the immediately preceding sentence in its annual report on Form 10-K or its quarterly report on Form 10-Q (as applicable) in respect of the quarterly period that ended immediately before the filing of such report in which sales of Purchase Shares were made to the Investor under the Purchase Agreement, and file such report with the SEC within the applicable time period required by the Exchange Act. The Investor shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Securities held by it and the intended method of distribution thereof as shall be reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of any such amendment to the Registration Statement (or new Registration Statement) or any such Prospectus Supplement, and shall otherwise cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of any such amendment to the Registration Statement (or new Registration Statement) or any such Prospectus Supplement. The Company shall comply with all applicable federal, state and foreign securities laws in connection with the offer, issuance and sale of the Securities contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
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3. RELATED OBLIGATIONS.
With respect to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof and, pursuant thereto, the Company shall have the following obligations:
(a) Stop Orders. The Company shall advise the Investor promptly (but in no event later than 24 hours) and shall confirm such advice in writing: (i) of the Company’s receipt of notice of any request by the SEC for amendment of or a supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or for any additional information; (ii) of the Company’s receipt of notice of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, or of the Company’s receipt of any notification of the suspension of qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or contemplated initiation of any proceeding for such purpose; and (iii) of the Company becoming aware of the happening of any event, which makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement untrue or which requires the making of any additions to or changes to the statements then made in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement in order to state a material fact required by the Securities Act to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements then made therein (in the case of the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or of the necessity to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement to comply with the Securities Act or any other applicable laws. The Company shall not be required to disclose to the Investor the substance or specific reasons of any of the events set forth in clauses (i) through (iii) of the immediately preceding sentence, but rather, shall only be required to disclose that the event has occurred. The Company shall not deliver to the Investor any Regular Purchase Notice, Accelerated Purchase Notice or Additional Accelerated Purchase Notice, and the Investor shall not be obligated to purchase any shares of Common Stock under the Purchase Agreement, during the continuation or pendency of any of the foregoing events; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not affect the Company’s or the Investor’s rights or obligations under the Purchase Agreement with respect to any then pending Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases, and the Company and the Investor shall complete their respective obligations with respect to any such pending Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases under the Purchase Agreement. If at any time the SEC shall issue any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible time. The Company shall furnish to the Investor, without charge, a copy of any correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC to the Company or its representatives relating to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
(b) Investor Review. Except as provided in this Agreement and other than periodic and current reports required to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act, the Company shall not file with the SEC any amendment to the Registration Statement or any supplement to the Prospectus that refers to the Investor, the Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated thereby (including, without limitation, any Prospectus Supplement filed in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents), in each case with respect to which (a) the Investor shall not previously have been advised and afforded the opportunity to review and comment thereon at least one (1) Business Day prior to filing with the SEC, as the case may be, (b) the Company shall not have given due consideration to any comments thereon received from the Investor or its counsel, or (c) the Investor shall reasonably object, unless the Company reasonably has determined that it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement or make any supplement to the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or any other applicable law or regulation, in which case the Company shall promptly (but in no event later than 24 hours) so inform the Investor, the Investor shall be provided with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment upon any disclosure referring to the Investor, the Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated thereby, as applicable, and the Company shall expeditiously furnish to the Investor a copy thereof. In addition, for so long as, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Investor, the Prospectus is required to be delivered in connection with any acquisition or sale of Securities by the Investor, the Company shall not file any Prospectus Supplement with respect to the Securities without furnishing to the Investor as many copies of such Prospectus Supplement, together with the Prospectus, as the Investor may reasonably request.
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(c) Prospectus Delivery. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus (and of each Prospectus Supplement thereto) in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act and with the securities or “blue sky” laws of the jurisdictions in which the Securities may be sold by the Investor, in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities and for such period of time thereafter as the Prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities. The Company will make available to the Investor upon request, and thereafter from time to time will furnish to the Investor, as many copies of the Prospectus (and each Prospectus Supplement thereto) as the Investor may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the Securities Act within the time during which the Prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities. If during such period of time any event shall occur that in the reasonable judgment of the Company and its counsel, or in the reasonable judgment of the Investor and its counsel, is required to be set forth in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement or should be set forth therein in order to make the statements made therein (in the case of the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or if in the reasonable judgment of the Company and its counsel, or in the reasonable judgment of the Investor and its counsel, it is otherwise necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement to comply with the Securities Act or any other applicable law or regulation, the Company shall forthwith prepare and, subject to Section 3(b) above, file with the SEC an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or an appropriate Prospectus Supplement and in each case shall expeditiously furnish to the Investor, at the Company’s expense, such amendment to the Registration Statement or such Prospectus Supplement, as applicable, as may be necessary to reflect any such change or to effect such compliance. The Company shall have no obligation to separately advise the Investor of, or deliver copies to the Investor of, the SEC Documents, all of which the Investor shall be deemed to have notice of.
(i) Delivery of Shares. The Company shall cooperate with the Investor to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of DWAC Shares (not bearing any restrictive legend) representing the Registrable Securities to be offered pursuant to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and enable such DWAC Shares to be in such denominations or amounts as the Investor may reasonably request and registered in such names as the Investor may request
(j) Transfer Agent. The Company shall at all times maintain the services of the Transfer Agent with respect to its Common Stock.
(k) Approvals. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Registrable Securities covered by any Registration Statement to be Registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities in the United States as may be necessary to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities.
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(l) Confirmation of Effectiveness. If reasonably requested in writing by the Investor at any time, the Company shall deliver to the Investor a written confirmation of whether or not the effectiveness of such Registration Statement has lapsed at any time for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop order) and whether or not the Registration Statement is currently effective and available to the Company for sale of all of the Registrable Securities..
(m) Further Assurances. The Company agrees to take all other reasonable actions as necessary and reasonably requested in writing by the Investor to expedite and facilitate disposition by the Investor of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement.
(n) Transfer Agent Instructions. On or before the date the Initial Prospectus Supplement is filed with the SEC, the Company shall issue to the Transfer Agent the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions in the form agreed to prior to the date hereof, and on the date any Registration Statement which includes the Registrable Securities is ordered effective by the SEC, the Company shall deliver, and shall cause legal counsel for the Company to deliver, to the Transfer Agent for such Registrable Securities (with copies to the Investor) confirmation that such Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC. Thereafter, if requested by the Investor at any time, the Company shall deliver to the Investor a written confirmation of whether or not the effectiveness of such Registration Statement has lapsed at any time for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop order) and whether or not the Registration Statement is current and available to the Investor for sale of all of the Registrable Securities.
4. OBLIGATIONS OF THE INVESTOR.
(a) Investor Information. The Investor has furnished to the Company in Exhibit A hereto such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition thereof, including any arrangement between the Investor and any other Person relating to the sale or distribution of the Securities, as required to effect the registration of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request. The Company shall notify the Investor in writing of any other information the Company reasonably requires from the Investor in connection with any Registration Statement hereunder. The Investor will as promptly as practicable notify the Company of any material change in the information set forth in Exhibit A, other than changes in its ownership of Common Stock.
(b) Suspension of Sales. The Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the existence of any suspension or stop order as set forth in Section 3(a), the Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until the Investor's receipt of the copies of a notice regarding the resolution or withdrawal of the suspension or stop order as contemplated by Section 3(a). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Company shall cause its transfer agent to promptly deliver to the Investor DWAC Shares without any restrictive legend in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement in connection with any sale of Registrable Securities with respect to which the Investor has entered into a contract for sale prior to the Investor’s receipt of a notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(a) and for which the Investor has not yet settled.
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(c) Investor Cooperation. The Investor agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of any amendments and supplements to any Registration Statement or the Prospectus hereunder.
5. EXPENSES OF REGISTRATION.
All reasonable expenses of the Company, other than sales or brokerage commissions and fees and disbursements of counsel for, and other expenses of, the Investor, incurred in connection with registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Sections 2 and 3, including, without limitation, all registration, listing and qualifications fees, printers and accounting fees, and fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, shall be paid by the Company.
6. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company will, and hereby does, indemnify, hold harmless and defend the Investor, each Person, if any, who controls the Investor, the members, the directors, officers, partners, employees, agents, representatives of the Investor and each Person, if any, who controls the Investor within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (each, an "Indemnified Person"), against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, judgments, fines, penalties, charges, costs, attorneys' fees, amounts paid in settlement or expenses, joint or several, (collectively, "Claims") incurred in investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim, suit, inquiry, proceeding, investigation or appeal taken from the foregoing by or before any court or governmental, administrative or other regulatory agency, body or the SEC, whether pending or threatened, whether or not an indemnified party is or may be a party thereto ("Indemnified Damages"), to which any of them may become subject insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained, or incorporated by reference, in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto or any omission or alleged omission to state therein, or in any document incorporated by reference therein, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained, or incorporated by reference, in the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein, or in any document incorporated by reference therein, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors or employees, of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, state securities or “Blue Sky” laws, or the rules and regulations of the Principal Market relating to the offer or sale of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii) being, collectively, “Violations”). The Company shall reimburse each Indemnified Person promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any reasonable out-of-pocket legal fees or other reasonable expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a): (A) shall not apply to a Claim by an Indemnified Person to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Investor expressly for use in any Prospectus Supplement (it being hereby acknowledged and agreed that the written information set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto, as the same may be updated from time to time in writing by the Investor, is the only written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Investor expressly for use in any Prospectus Supplement), if the Prospectus was timely made available by the Company to the Investor pursuant to Section 3(c); (B) shall not be available to the extent such Claim is based on a failure of the Investor to deliver, or to cause to be delivered, the Prospectus made available by the Company, if such Prospectus was theretofore made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(c), and if delivery of the Prospectus would have cured the defect giving rise to such Claim; and (C) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by the Investor pursuant to Section 8.
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(b) In connection with any Prospectus Supplement, the Investor agrees to indemnify, hold harmless and defend, to the same extent and in the same manner as is set forth in Section 6(a), the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (collectively and together with an Indemnified Person, an “Indemnified Party”), against any Claim or Indemnified Damages to which any of them may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Claim or Indemnified Damages arise out of or are based upon any Violation, in each case to the extent, and only to the extent, that such Violation occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information about the Investor set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto (as the same may be updated from time to time in writing by the Investor) and furnished to the Company by the Investor expressly for inclusion any Prospectus Supplement; and, subject to Section 6(d), the Investor will reimburse any reasonable out-of-pocket legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 6(b) and the agreement with respect to contribution contained in Section 7 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Investor, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned; and provided, further, that the Investor shall be liable under this Section 6(b) for only that amount of a Claim or Indemnified Damages as does not exceed the net proceeds to the Investor as a result of the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by the Investor pursuant to Section 8.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including any governmental action or proceeding) involving a Claim, such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof, and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the indemnifying party and the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party, as the case may be; provided, however, that an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel retained by the indemnifying party, the representation by such counsel of the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding. The Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person shall cooperate with the indemnifying party in connection with any negotiation or defense of any such action or claim by the indemnifying party and shall furnish to the indemnifying party all information reasonably available to the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person which relates to such action or claim. The indemnifying party shall keep the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person fully apprised as to the status of the defense or any settlement negotiations with respect thereto. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without its written consent, provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or other compromise which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation. Following indemnification as provided for hereunder, the indemnifying party shall be subrogated to all rights of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating to the matter for which indemnification has been made. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is prejudiced in its ability to defend such action.
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(d) The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or Indemnified Damages are incurred. Any Person receiving a payment pursuant to this Section 6 which person is later determined to not be entitled to such payment shall return such payment to the person making it.
(e) The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to (i) any cause of action or similar right of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person against the indemnifying party or others, and (ii) any liabilities the indemnifying party may be subject to pursuant to the law.
7. CONTRIBUTION.
To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however, that: (i) no seller of Registrable Securities guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any seller of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation; and (ii) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in amount to the net amount of proceeds received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities.
8. ASSIGNMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS.
The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Investor; provided, however, that any transaction, whether by merger, reorganization, restructuring, consolidation, financing or otherwise, whereby the Company remains the surviving entity immediately after such transaction shall not be deemed an assignment. The Investor may not assign its rights under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Company, other than to an affiliate of the Investor controlled by Jonathan Cope or Josh Scheinfeld, in which case the assignee must agree in writing to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
9. | AMENDMENT OR WAIVER OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS. |
No provision of this Agreement may be (i) amended other than by a written instrument signed by both parties hereto or (ii) waived other than in a written instrument signed by the party against whom enforcement of such waiver is sought. Failure of any party to exercise any right or remedy under this Agreement or otherwise, or delay by a party in exercising such right or remedy, shall not operate as a waiver thereof.
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10. MISCELLANEOUS.
(a) Holder. A Person is deemed to be a holder of Registrable Securities whenever such Person owns or is deemed to own of record such Registrable Securities. If the Company receives conflicting instructions, notices or elections from two or more Persons with respect to the same Registrable Securities, the Company shall act upon the basis of instructions, notice or election received from the registered owner of such Registrable Securities.
(b) Notices. Any notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered: (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon receipt, when sent by facsimile or email (provided confirmation of transmission is mechanically or electronically generated and kept on file by the sending party); or (iii) one (1) Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, in each case properly addressed to the party to receive the same. The addresses for such communications shall be:
If to the Company:
Netlist, Inc. |
175 Technology Drive, Suite 150 |
Irvine, California 92618 |
Telephone: | (949) 435-0025 |
E-mail: | gsasaki@netlist.com |
Attention: | Gail Sasaki |
Chief Financial Officer |
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice or service of process):
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. |
3580 Carmel Mountain Road, Suite 300 |
San Diego, CA 92130 |
Telephone: | (858) 314-1880 |
Facsimile: | (858) 314-1501 |
E-mail: | smstanton@mintz.com |
Attention: | Scott M. Stanton, Esq. |
If to the Investor:
Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC |
440 North Wells, Suite 410 |
Chicago, IL 60654 |
Telephone: | (312) 822-9300 |
Facsimile: | (312) 822-9301 |
E-mail: | jscheinfeld@lpcfunds.com/jcope@lpcfunds.com |
Attention: | Josh Scheinfeld/Jonathan Cope |
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice or service of process):
Dorsey & Whitney LLP |
51 West 52nd Street |
New York, NY 10019 |
Telephone: | (212) 415-9214 |
Facsimile: | (212) 953-7201 |
E-mail: | marsico.anthony@dorsey.com |
Attention: | Anthony J. Marsico, Esq. |
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or at such other address, email address and/or facsimile number and/or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party has specified by written notice given to each other party three (3) Business Days prior to the effectiveness of such change. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given by the recipient of such notice, consent, waiver or other communication, (B) mechanically or electronically generated by the sender's facsimile machine or email account containing the time, date, recipient facsimile number or email address, as applicable, and an image of the first page of such transmission or (C) provided by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, shall be rebuttable evidence of personal service, receipt by facsimile or receipt from a nationally recognized overnight delivery service in accordance with clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, respectively.
(c) Governing Law. The corporate laws of the State of Delaware shall govern all issues concerning the relative rights of the Company and its stockholders. All other questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of Illinois, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Illinois or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of Illinois. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting the State of Illinois, County of Cook, for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such 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 any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or the validity or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
(d) Integration. This Agreement, the Purchase Agreement and the other Transaction Documents constitute the entire understanding among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein and therein. This Agreement, the Purchase Agreement and the other Transaction Documents supersede all other prior oral or written agreements between the Investor, the Company, their affiliates and persons acting on their behalf with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof.
(e) No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and any permitted successors and assigns of the Company and, except as set forth in Section 9, is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person.
(f) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.
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(g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which 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; provided that a facsimile signature or signature delivered by e-mail in a “.pdf” format data file, including any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com, www.echosign.adobe.com, etc., shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original signature.
(h) Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(i) No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party.
** Signature Page Follows **
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of day and year first above written.
THE COMPANY: | ||
NETLIST, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Gail Sasaki | |
Name: Gail Sasaki | ||
Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
INVESTOR: | ||
LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL FUND, LLC | ||
BY: LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL, LLC | ||
BY: ROCKLEDGE CAPITAL CORPORATION | ||
By: | /s/ Josh Scheinfeld | |
Name: Josh Scheinfeld | ||
Title: President |
EXHIBIT A
Information About The Investor Furnished To The Company By The Investor Expressly For Use In Connection With Each Registration Statement and Prospectus Supplement
Information With Respect to Lincoln Park Capital
As of the date of the Purchase Agreement, Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, beneficially owned [_______] shares of our common stock. Josh Scheinfeld and Jonathan Cope, the Managing Members of Lincoln Park Capital, LLC, the manager of Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, are deemed to be beneficial owners of all of the shares of common stock owned by Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC. Messrs. Cope and Scheinfeld have shared voting and investment power over the shares being offered under the prospectus supplement filed with the SEC in connection with the transactions contemplated under the Purchase Agreement. Lincoln Park Capital, LLC is not a licensed broker dealer or an affiliate of a licensed broker dealer.
Exhibit 5.1
3580 Carmel Mountain Road Suite 300 San Diego, CA 92130 858 314 1500 mintz.com
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July 12, 2021
Netlist, Inc.
175 Technology Drive, Suite 150
Irvine, California 92618
Re: Securities Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-228348) (as amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”) filed on November 13, 2018 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the registration of the offer by Netlist, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) of up to $50,000,000 of any combination of securities of the types specified therein, that was declared effective by the Commission on November 28, 2018. Reference is made to our opinion letter dated November 13, 2018 and included as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. We are delivering this supplemental opinion letter in connection with the prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) filed on July 12, 2021 by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. The Prospectus Supplement relates to the offering by the Company of (i) up to $17,400,000 aggregate offering amount of shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, and (ii) up to 200,500 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share ((i) and (ii) together, the “Shares”) covered by the Registration Statement. We understand that the Shares are to be offered and sold in the manner described in the Prospectus Supplement pursuant to a Purchase Agreement between the Company and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (the “Purchase Agreement”).
We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions set forth below. We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinions set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.
The opinion set forth below is limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law (which includes reported judicial decisions interpreting the Delaware General Corporation Law).
Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Very truly yours, | |
/s/ Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris Glovsky & Popeo, P.C. | |
MINTZ, LEVIN, COHN,
FERRIS, GLOVSKY & POPEO, P.C. |