As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 2, 2016

Registration No. 333-212377

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

Amendment No. 2
to
Form S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Republic of Marshall Islands   6770   N/A
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

 

90 Kifissias Avenue
Maroussi 15125
Athens, Greece
Tel: +30 210 876-4858
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

 

Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis
c/o Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
Telephone: (212) 370-1300
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

 

Copies to:

 

Stuart Neuhauser, Esq.
Barry I. Grossman, Esq.
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
Telephone: (212) 370-1300
  Dennis Reeder, Esq.
Reeder & Simpson, P.C.
P.O. Box 601
Majuro, Marshall Islands 96960
Telephone: 011-692-625-3602
  Mitchell S. Nussbaum, Esq.
Giovanni Caruso, Esq.
Loeb & Loeb LLP
345 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10154
Telephone: (212) 407-4000

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box. ☐

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated file ☐   Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒   Smaller reporting company ☐
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    

 

 
 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Each Class of Security Being Registered   Amount Being Registered   Proposed Maximum Offering
Price per Security (1)
    Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering
Price (1)
    Amount of Registration Fee  
Units, each consisting of one share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and one warrant (2)   9,200,000 Units   $ 10.00     $ 92,000,000     $ 9,264.40  
Shares of common stock included as part of the units (3)   9,200,000 Shares                 (4)
Warrants included as part of the units (3)   9,200,000 Warrants                 (4)
Total               $ 92,000,000     $ 9,264.40 (5)

 

 

(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.
(2) Includes 1,200,000 units, consisting of 1,200,000 shares of common stock and 1,200,000 warrants, which may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.
(3) Pursuant to Rule 416, there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.
(4) No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g).
(5) Previously paid.

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

 
 

 

EXPLANATIORY NOTE

 

This amendment is being filed solely to file certain exhibits to the Registration Statement.

 

 
 

 

Part Ii
Information not Required in Prospectus

 

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

 

The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:

 

Legal fees and expenses   $ 250,000  
Printing and engraving expenses     35,000  
Accounting fees and expenses     37,500  
SEC Expenses     9,265  
FINRA Expenses     17,750  
Travel and road show     20,000  
Directors and officers insurance     125,000  
NASDAQ listing and filing fees     75,000  
Reimbursement to underwriters for expenses     100,000  
Miscellaneous expenses     55,485  
Total offering expenses   $ 725,000  

 

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that all of our directors, officers, employees and agents shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by the BCA.

 

§60.   Indemnification of directors and officers.

 

  (1) Actions not by or in right of the corporation. A corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or officer of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. The te f no contest, or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

 

  (2) Actions by or in right of the corporation. A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending, or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or officer of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the court shall deem proper.

 

  II- 1  
 

 

  (3) When director or officer successful. To the extent that a director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (1) or (2) of this section, or in the defense of a claim, issue or matter therein, he shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith.

 

  (4) Payment of expenses in advance. Expenses incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding may be paid in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding as authorized by the board of directors in the specific case upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in this section.

 

  (5) Indemnification pursuant to other rights. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other subsections of this section shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.

 

  (6) Continuation of Indemnification. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this section shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such person.

 

  (7) Insurance. A corporation shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director or officer against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in such capacity whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of this section.

 

Our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification we provide to our officers and directors will only be able to be satisfied by us if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in a successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

In accordance with the BCA, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, will provide that no director shall be personally liable to us or any of our shareholders for monetary damages resulting from breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except to the extent such limitation on or exemption from liability is not permitted under the BCA. The effect of this provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is to eliminate our rights and those of our shareholders (through shareholders’ derivative suits on our behalf) to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of the fiduciary duty of care as a director, including breaches resulting from negligent or grossly negligent behavior, except, as restricted by the BCA. However, this provision does not limit or eliminate our rights or the rights of any shareholder to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director’s duty of care.

 

  II- 2  
 

 

If the BCA is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the liability of directors, then, in accordance with our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the liability of our directors to us or our shareholders will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent authorized by the BCA, as so amended. Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limiting or eliminating the liability of directors, whether by our shareholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to further limit or eliminate the liability of directors on a retroactive basis.

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also provide that we will, to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by applicable law, indemnify our current and former officers and directors, as well as those persons who, while directors or officers of our corporation, are or were serving as directors, officers, employees or agents of another entity, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, in connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, against all expense, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorney’s fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by any such person in connection with any such proceeding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person eligible for indemnification pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will be indemnified by us in connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding was authorized by our board of directors, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification.

 

The right to indemnification conferred by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is a contract right that includes the right to be paid by us the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding referenced above in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that if the BCA requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by our officer or director (solely in the capacity as an officer or director of our corporation) will be made only upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such officer or director, to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or otherwise.

 

The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which any person covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may have or hereafter acquire under law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our bylaws, an agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.

 

Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation affecting indemnification rights, whether by our shareholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also permit us, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than those specifically covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

 

Our bylaws include provisions relating to advancement of expenses and indemnification rights consistent with those set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In addition, our bylaws provide for a right of indemnity to bring a suit in the event a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses is not paid in full by us within a specified period of time. Our bylaws also permit us to purchase and maintain insurance, at our expense, to protect us and/or any director, officer, employee or agent of our corporation or another entity, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the BCA.

 

  II- 3  
 

 

Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our bylaws affecting indemnification rights, whether by our board of directors, shareholders or by changes in applicable law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing thereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.

 

We will enter into indemnification agreements with each of our officers and directors a form of which is filed as Exhibit 10.9 to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.

 

Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

 

Our initial shareholders currently own 2,300,000 shares of common stock (initially purchased by Messrs. Tsirigakis and Syllantavos in January 2016 for an aggregate of $25,000), up to 300,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised in full. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such founder shares would represent 20.0% of the outstanding shares upon completion of this offering. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D.

 

In addition, Dominium Investments Inc. and Firmus Investments Inc. have committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase from us an aggregate of 7,300,000 private placement warrants (or 7,540,000 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) at $0.50 per warrant (for an aggregate purchase price of $3,650,000, or $3,770,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering. This issuance will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

 

No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.

 

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

(a) Exhibits.  The list of exhibits following the signature page of this registration statement is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(b) Financial Statements.  See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements included in the registration statement.

 

Item 17. Undertakings.

 

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

 

(b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

  II- 4  
 

 

(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

  (1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

  (2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

  (3) For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

  (4) For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

  (i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

  (ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant;

 

  (iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

  (iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

  II- 5  
 

 

Signatures

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, on the 2 nd day of August, 2016.

 

  STELLAR ACQUISITION III INC.
     
  By: /s/ Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis
    Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis
    co-Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name   Position   Date
         
/s/ Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis   Chairman of the Board of Directors and   August 2, 2016
Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis   co-Chief Executive Officer    
    (Principal Executive Officer)    
         
/s/ George Syllantavos   co-Chief Executive Officer,   August 2, 2016
George Syllantavos   Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
   
         
Authorized Representative in the United States:        
         
Puglisi& Associates        
         
/s/ Donald J. Puglisi        
Name: Donald J. Puglisi        
Title: Managing Director        
Date: August 2, 2016        

 

  II- 6  
 

 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit No.   Description
1.1   Form of Underwriting Agreement. **
3.1   Articles of Incorporation.*
3.2   Amended Articles of Incorporation.*
3.3   Form of Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation.*
3.4   Bylaws.*
4.1   Specimen Unit Certificate.*
4.2   Specimen Common Stock Certificate.*
4.3   Specimen Warrant Certificate.*
4.4   Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.*
4.5   Form of Unit Purchase Option. **
5.1   Opinion of Reeder & Simpson PC. **
5.2   Opinion of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP. **
10.1   Promissory Note, dated January 15, 2016, issued to Firmus Investments Inc.*
10.2   Promissory Note, dated January 15, 2016, issued to Astra Maritime Inc.*
10.3   Promissory Note, dated January 15, 2016, issued to Magellan Investments Corp.*
10.4   Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant and our officers, directors and security holders.*
10.5   Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant.*
10.6   Form of Registration Rights Agreement between the Registrant and certain security holders.*
10.7   Securities Subscription Agreement, dated January 29, 2016, among the Registrant and certain securityholders.*
10.8   Amended and Restated Sponsors Warrants Purchase Agreement, dated June 29, 2016, among the Registrant and certain securityholders.*
10.9   Form of Indemnity Agreement. **
10.10   Form of Administrative Services Agreement, by and between the Registrant and Nautilus Energy Management Corp.*
14   Form of Code of Ethics.*
23.1   Consent of WithumSmith+Brown, PC.*
23.2   Consent of Reeder & Simpson PC (included in Exhibit 5.1). **
23.3   Consent of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP (included on Exhibit 5.2). **
24   Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this Registration Statement).*
99.1   Form of Audit Committee Charter.*
99.2   Form of Compensation Committee Charter.*
99.3   Consent of Alexandros Argyros. **
99.4   Consent of Tiziano Paravagna. **
99.5   Consent of Eleonora (Liona) Bacha. **

 

*         Previously filed.

**       Filed herewith.

 

 

II-7

 

 

 

Exhibit 1.1

 

8,000,000 Units

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

New York, New York

 

_____________, 2016

  

MAXIM GROUP LLC

405 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10174

 

As Representative of the Underwriters

named on Schedule A hereto

  

Ladies and Gentlemen:

  

The undersigned, Stellar Acquisition III Inc., a Marshall Islands company (“ Company ”), hereby confirms its agreement with Maxim Group LLC (hereinafter referred to as “ you ”, “ Maxim ”, or as the “ Representative ”) and with the other underwriters named on Schedule A hereto for which you are acting as representative (the Representative and the other Underwriters being collectively referred to herein as the “ Underwriters ” or, individually, an “ Underwriter ”), as follows:

 

1.             Purchase and Sale of Securities .

 

1.1.         Firm Securities .

 

1.1.1.      Purchase of Firm Units . On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell, severally and not jointly, to the several Underwriters, an aggregate of 8,000,000 units (the “ Firm Units ”) of the Company at a purchase price (net of discounts and commissions, including the Deferred Underwriting Commission described in Section 1.3 below) of $9.546875 per Firm Unit. The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Units set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A attached hereto and made a part hereof at a purchase price (net of discounts and commissions, including the Deferred Underwriting Commission described in Section 1.3 below) of $9.546875 per Firm Unit. The Firm Units (and the Option Units (as hereinafter defined), if any) are to be offered initially to the public (the “ Offering ”) at the offering price of $10.00 per Firm Unit. Each Firm Unit consists of one share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share of the Company (the “ Common Stock ”), and one redeemable warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “ Warrant(s) ”). The shares of Common Stock and the Warrants included in the Firm Units will not be separately transferable until the earlier of the 52 nd day after the Effective Date (as defined below) or the announcement by the Company of the Representative’s decision to allow earlier trading, subject, however, to the Company filing a Current Report on Form 8-K (“ Form 8-K ”) with the Commission (as defined below) containing an audited balanced sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of the Offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. In no event will the Company allow separate trading until (i) the preparation of an audited balance sheet of the Company reflecting receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the Offering and the filing of such audited balance sheet with the Commission (as herein defined) on a Form 8-K or similar form by the Company which includes such balance sheet and (ii) the issuance of a press release announcing when such separate trading shall begin. Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Common Stock for $11.50 per share during the period commencing on the later of (a) 30 days after the closing of a Business Combination, or (b) twelve months from the Closing (as defined below) (the “ Effective Date ”), and terminating on the five (5) year anniversary of the closing of the a Business Combination. As used herein, the term “ Business Combination ” shall mean any acquisition by merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, or similar business combination, or control through contractual arrangements, of one or more operating businesses by the Company. The Company’s initial focus will be on acquiring an operating business in the information technology consulting industry. The Company has the right to redeem the Warrants, with the prior consent of the Representative, upon not less than thirty (30) days written notice at a price of $0.01 per Warrant at any time after the Warrants become exercisable; so long as the last sales price of the Common Stock has been at least $21.00 for any twenty (20) trading days within a thirty (30) trading day period ending on the third (3rd) Business Day prior to the day on which notice is given. As used herein, the term “ Business Day ” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any day on which national banks in New York, New York are not open for business.

 

 

 

 

1.1.2.      Payment and Delivery . Delivery and payment for the Firm Units shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on the third (3rd) Business Day following the Effective Date of the Registration Statement (or the fourth (4th) Business Day following the Effective Date, if the Registration Statement is declared effective on or after 4:00 p.m.) or at such earlier time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company at the offices of Maxim or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company. The closing of the public offering contemplated by this Agreement is referred to herein as the “Closing” and the hour and date of delivery and payment for the Firm Units is referred to herein as the “ Closing Date .” Payment for the Firm Units shall be made on the Closing Date at the Representative’s election by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds or by certified or bank cashier’s check(s) in New York Clearing House funds. $80,800,000 ($92,920,000 if the Over-allotment Option (as defined in Section 1.2) is exercised in full), or approximately $10.10 per unit, of the proceeds received by the Company for the Firm Units and from the Private Placement (as defined in Section 1.4) shall be deposited in the trust account established by the Company for the benefit of the public shareholders as described in the Registration Statement (the “ Trust Account ”) pursuant to the terms of an Investment Management Trust Agreement (the “ Trust Agreement ”). The Underwriters shall place an aggregate of $2,000,000 ($2,300,000 if the Over-allotment Option is exercised in full), or $0.25 per Firm Unit, payable to Maxim as a Deferred Underwriting Commission in accordance with Section 1.3 hereof, in the Trust Account. The proceeds (less commissions, expense allowance and actual expense payments or other fees payable pursuant to this Agreement) shall be paid to the order of the Company upon delivery to the Representative of certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Firm Units (or through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (the “ DTC ”)) for the account of the Underwriters. The Firm Units shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date. The Company will permit the Representative to examine and package the Firm Units for delivery, at least one (1) full Business Day prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Firm Units except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all the Firm Units.

 

1.2.         Over-Allotment Option .

 

1.2.1.      Option Units . For the purpose of covering any over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of the Firm Units, the Underwriters are hereby granted, severally and not jointly, an option to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 units from the Company (the “ Over-allotment Option ”). Such additional 1,200,000 units shall be identical in all respects to the Firm Units and are hereinafter referred to as “ Option Units .” The Firm Units and the Option Units are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “ Units ,” and the Units, the shares of Common Stock and the Warrants included in the Units and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “ Public Securities .” The purchase price to be paid for the Option Units (net of discounts and commissions) will be $9.75 per Option Unit. The Option Units are to be offered initially to the public at the offering price of $10.00 per Option Unit.

 

1.2.2.      Exercise of Option . The Over-allotment Option granted pursuant to Section 1.2.1 hereof may be exercised by the Representative as to all (at any time) or any part (from time to time) of the Option Units within forty-five (45) days after the Effective Date. The Underwriters will not be under any obligation to purchase any Option Units prior to the exercise of the Over-allotment Option. The Over-allotment Option granted hereby may be exercised by the giving of oral notice to the Company from the Representative, which must be confirmed in writing by overnight mail or facsimile transmission setting forth the number of Option Units to be purchased and the date and time for delivery of and payment for the Option Units, which will not be later than five (5) Business Days after the date of the notice or such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative, at the offices of the Representative or at such other place or in such other manner as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative. If such delivery and payment for the Option Units does not occur on the Closing Date, the date and time of the closing for such Option Units will be as set forth in the notice (hereinafter the “ Option Closing Date ”). Upon exercise of the Over-allotment Option, the Company will become obligated to convey to the Underwriters, and, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Underwriters will become obligated to purchase, the number of Option Units specified in such notice.

 

1.2.3.      Payment and Delivery . Payment for the Option Units shall be made on the Option Closing Date at the Representative’s election by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds or by certified or bank cashier’s check(s) in New York Clearing House funds, by deposit of the sum of $9.75 per Option Unit in the Trust Account pursuant to the Trust Agreement upon delivery to the Representative of certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Option Units (or through the facilities of DTC) for the account of the Underwriters. The Underwriter shall place an aggregate of $0.25 per Option Unit (up to $300,000), payable to Maxim, as Deferred Underwriting Commission, in accordance with Section 1.3 hereof, in the Trust Account. The certificates representing the Option Units to be delivered will be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative requests not less than two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and will be made available to the Representative for inspection, checking and packaging at the aforesaid office of the Company’s transfer agent or correspondent not less than one (1) full Business Day prior to such Closing Date or Option Closing Date.

 

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1.3.         Deferred Underwriting Commission . The Underwriter agrees that 2.5% of the gross proceeds from the sale of the Firm Units ($2,000,000) and 2.5% of the gross proceeds from the sale of the Option Units (up to $300,000) (the Deferred Underwriting Commission ”) will be deposited in and held in the Trust Account and payable directly from the Trust Account, without accrued interest, to Maxim for its own account upon consummation of the Company’s Business Combination. In the event that a Business Combination is consummated, the amount of Deferred Underwriting Compensation paid to Maxim upon consummation of the Business Combination shall be reduced by $0.25 for each share redeemed by the Company’s stockholders in connection with the Business Combination. In the event that the Company is unable to consummate a Business Combination and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“ CST ”), as the trustee of the Trust Account (in this context, the Trustee ”), commences liquidation of the Trust Account as provided in the Trust Agreement, the Underwriter agrees that: (i) the Underwriters hereby forfeit any rights or claims to the Deferred Underwriting Commission; and (ii) the Deferred Underwriting Commission, together with all other amounts on deposit in the Trust Account, shall be distributed on a pro-rata basis among the Public Stockholders.

 

1.4.         Representative’s Purchase Option .

 

1.4.1.      Purchase Option . As additional consideration, the Company hereby agrees to issue and sell to the Representative (and/or their designees) on the Effective Date an option (“ Representative’s Purchase Option ”) for the purchase of an aggregate of 200,000 units (the “ Representative’s Units ”) for an aggregate purchase price of $100.00. The Representative’s Purchase Option shall be exercisable, in whole or in part, commencing the later of (i) the closing of the Business Combination, or (ii) one year from the Effective Date, and expiring on the earlier of five years from the Effective Date and the day immediately prior to the day on which the Company and all of its successors have been dissolved, for cash or on a cashless basis, at an initial exercise price per Representative’s Unit of $11.50, which is equal to one hundred and fifteen percent (115%) of the initial public offering price of a Unit. The Representative’s Purchase Option, the Representative’s Units, the shares of Common Stock and the Warrants included in the Representative’s Units (the “ Representative’s Warrants ”) and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrants are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “ Representative’s Securities .” The Public Securities and the Representative’s Securities are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “ Securities .” The Representative understands and agrees that there are significant restrictions against transferring the Representative’s Purchase Option during the first six (6) months after the Effective Date, as set forth in Section 3 of the Representative’s Purchase Option.

 

1.4.2.      Delivery and Payment . Delivery and payment for the Representative’s Purchase Option shall be made on the Closing Date. The Company shall deliver to the Representative and their designees upon payment therefor, certificates for the Representative’s Purchase Option in the name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request.

 

1.5.         Private Placement to the Representative, Officers and Directors and Designees . Immediately prior to the Closing, the Representative, certain officers and directors of the Company and their designees, or entities wholly owned by them, shall purchase from the Company pursuant to the Warrants Purchase Agreement (as defined in Section 2.23.2 hereof) an aggregate of 7,300,000 warrants (or 7,540,000 units if the Over-allotment Option is exercised in full) identical to the Units (the “ Placement Warrants ”) at a purchase price of $0.50 per Placement Unit in a private placement (the “ Private Placement ”). The Placement Warrants and the securities issuable upon exercise of the Placement Warrants are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “ Placement Securities .” There will be no placement agent in the Private Placement and no party shall be entitled to a placement fee or expense allowance from the sale of the Placement Securities.

 

2.             Representations and Warranties of the Company . The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as follows:

 

2.1.         Filing of Registration Statement .

 

2.1.1.      Pursuant to the Act . The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) a registration statement and an amendment or amendments thereto, on Form S-1 (File No. 333-212377), including any related preliminary prospectus (the “ Preliminary Prospectus ”, including any prospectus that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement), for the registration of the Public Securities under the Act, which registration statement and amendment or amendments have been prepared by the Company in conformity in all material respects with the requirements of the Act, and the rules and regulations (the “ Regulations ”) of the Commission under the Act. The conditions for use of Form S-1 to register the Offering under the Act, as set forth in the General Instructions to such Form, have been satisfied in all material respects. Except as the context may otherwise require, such registration statement, as amended, on file with the Commission at the time the registration statement becomes effective (including the prospectus, financial statements, schedules, exhibits and all other documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated therein and all information deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430A of the Regulations), is hereinafter called the “ Registration Statement ,” and the form of the final prospectus dated the Effective Date included in the Registration Statement (or, if applicable, the form of final prospectus containing information permitted to be omitted at the time of effectiveness by Rule 430A of the Regulations filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 of the Regulations), is hereinafter called the “ Prospectus .” For purposes of this Agreement, “ Time of Sale ”, as used in the Act, means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement. If the Company has filed, or is required pursuant to the terms hereof to file, a registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act registering the Securities (a “ Rule 462(b) Registration Statement ”), then, unless otherwise specified, any reference herein to the term “ Registration Statement ” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Other than a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, which, if filed, becomes effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Registration Statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission. All of the Public Securities have been registered under the Securities Act pursuant to the Registration Statement or, if any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed, will be duly registered under the Securities Act with the filing of such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission on the date hereof. If, subsequent to the date of this Agreement, the Company or the Representative have determined that at the Time of Sale the Prospectus included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted a statement of material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and have agreed to provide an opportunity to purchasers of the Firm Units to terminate their old purchase contracts and enter into new purchase contracts, the Prospectus will be deemed to include any additional information available to purchasers at the time of entry into the first such new purchase contract.

 

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2.1.2.      Pursuant to the Exchange Act . The Company has filed with the Commission a Form 8-A (File Number 001-______) providing for the registration under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), of the Units, the Common Stock and the Warrants. The registration of the Units, Common Stock and Warrants under the Exchange Act will be declared effective by the Commission on or prior to the Effective Date.

 

2.2.         No Stop Orders, Etc. Neither the Commission nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any state regulatory authority has issued any order or threatened to issue any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or has instituted or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute any proceedings with respect to such an order.

 

2.3.         Disclosures in Registration Statement .

 

2.3.1.      10b-5 Representation . At the time the Registration Statement became effective, upon the filing or first use (within the meaning of the Regulations) of the Prospectus and at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus contained or will contain all material statements that are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Act and the Regulations, and did or will in all material respects conform to the requirements of the Act and the Regulations. Neither the Registration Statement nor any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, nor any amendment or supplement thereto, on their respective dates, did or will contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading. When any Preliminary Prospectus was first filed with the Commission (whether filed as part of the Registration Statement for the registration of the Securities or any amendment thereto or pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the Regulations) or first used (within the meaning of the Regulations) and when any amendment thereof or supplement thereto was first filed with the Commission or first used (within the meaning of the Regulations), such Preliminary Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements thereto complied or will have been corrected in the Prospectus to comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Act and the Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representation and warranty made in this Section 2.3.1 does not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to the Underwriters by the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto. It is understood the following identified statements set forth in the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting” constitute, for the purposes of this Agreement, information furnished by the Representative with respect to the Underwriters: (i) the table of underwriters in the first paragraph of “Underwriting”, (ii) the fourth paragraph of “Underwriting”, and (iii) the first paragraph of the Underwriting subsection “Determination of Offering Price.”

 

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2.3.2.      Disclosure of Agreements . The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus conform to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party or by which its property or business is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or attached as an exhibit thereto, or (ii) is material to the Company’s business, has been duly and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except ( x ) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, ( y ) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and ( z ) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought, and none of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in breach or default thereunder and, to the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a breach or default thereunder. To the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a material violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses, including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations.

 

2.3.3.      Prior Securities Transactions . No securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any person or persons controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company since the date of the Company’s formation, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement.

 

2.3.4.      Regulations . The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus concerning the effects of Federal, state and local regulation on the Company’s business as currently contemplated fairly summarize, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, such effects and do not omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.

 

2.4.         Changes After Dates in Registration Statement .

 

2.4.1.      No Material Adverse Change . Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus, except as otherwise specifically stated therein: (i) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or business prospects of the Company; (ii) there have been no material transactions entered into by the Company, other than as contemplated pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) no member of the Company’s board of directors or management has resigned from any position with the Company and (iv) no event or occurrence has taken place which materially impairs, or would likely materially impair, with the passage of time, the ability of the members of the Company’s board of directors or management to act in their capacities with the Company as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

2.4.2.      Recent Securities Transactions, Etc. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and except as may otherwise be indicated or contemplated herein or therein, the Company has not: (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital stock.

 

2.5.         Independent Accountants . To the best of the Company’s knowledge, WithumSmith+Brown, PC (“ Withum ”), whose report is filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, are independent accountants as required by the Act and the Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (including the rules and regulations promulgated by such entity, the “ PCAOB ”). To the best of the Company’s knowledge, Withum is duly registered and in good standing with the PCAOB. Withum has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act.

 

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2.6.         Financial Statements; Statistical Data .

 

2.6.1.      Financial Statements . The financial statements, including the notes thereto and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus fairly present the financial position and the results of operations of the Company at the dates and for the periods to which they apply; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied throughout the periods involved; and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein. To the best of the Company’s knowledge, no other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus. The Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus disclose all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. To the best of the Company’s knowledge, there are no pro forma or as adjusted financial statements which are required to be included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus in accordance with Regulation S-X which have not been included as so required.

 

2.6.2.      Statistical Data . The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.

 

2.7.         Authorized Capital; Options, Etc. The Company had at the date or dates indicated in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, as the case may be, duly authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. Based on the assumptions stated in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company will have on the Closing Date the adjusted stock capitalization set forth therein. Except as set forth in, or contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, on the Effective Date of the Prospectus and on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, there will be no options, warrants, or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any authorized, but unissued shares of Common Stock of the Company or any security convertible into shares of Common Stock of the Company, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell shares of Common Stock or any such options, warrants, rights or convertible securities.

 

2.8.         Valid Issuance of Securities, Etc .

 

2.8.1.      Outstanding Securities . All issued and outstanding securities of the Company (including, without limitation, the Placement Securities) have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof have no rights of rescission with respect thereto, and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The Public Securities conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. Subject to the disclosure contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus with respect to the Placement Securities, the offers and sales of the outstanding shares of Common Stock were at all relevant times either registered under the Act and the applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of such shares of Common Stock, exempt from such registration requirements.

 

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2.8.2.      Securities Sold . The Securities have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and when issued and paid for, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Securities are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate actions required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities have been duly and validly taken. The Securities conform in all material respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, as the case may be. When issued, the Representative’s Purchase Option, the Representative’s Warrants and the Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company to issue and sell, upon exercise thereof and payment of the respective exercise prices therefor, the number and type of securities of the Company called for thereby in accordance with the terms thereof and such Representative’s Purchase Option, the Representative’s Warrants and the Warrants are enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Purchase Option, the Representative’s Warrants and the Warrants have been reserved for issuance upon the exercise of the Representative’s Purchase Option, the Representative’s Warrants, and the Warrants, respectively, and, when issued in accordance with the terms of such securities, will be duly and validly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders.

 

2.8.3.      Placement Warrants . The Placement Warrants constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company to issue and sell, upon payment therefor, the number and type of securities of the Company called for thereby in accordance with the terms thereof, and such Placement Warrants are enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. The securities issuable upon exercise of the Placement Warrants have been reserved for issuance upon the exercise of the Placement Warrants and, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Placement Warrants, will be duly and validly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders.

 

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2.8.4.      No Integration . Subject to the disclosure contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus with respect to the Placement Securities, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has, prior to the date hereof, made any offer or sale of any securities which are required to be “integrated” pursuant to the Act or the Regulations with the offer and sale of the Public Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

2.9.         Registration Rights of Third Parties . Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the Company or any rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of the Company under the Act or to include any such securities in a registration statement to be filed by the Company.

 

2.10.        Validity and Binding Effect of Agreements . This Agreement, the Warrant Agreement (as defined in Section 2.22 hereof), the Trust Agreement, the Services Agreement (as defined in Section 3.7.2 hereof), and the Warrants Purchase Agreement (as defined in Section 2.23.2 hereof) have been duly and validly authorized by the Company and constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

 

2.11.        No Conflicts, Etc. The execution, delivery, and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, Representative’s Purchase Option, the Trust Agreement, the Services Agreement, and the Warrants Purchase Agreement, the consummation by the Company of the transactions herein and therein contemplated and the compliance by the Company with the terms hereof and thereof do not and will not, with or without the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both: (i) result in a material breach of, or conflict with any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a material default under, or result in the creation, modification, termination or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to the terms of any agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company; or (iii) violate any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties or business.

 

2.12.        No Defaults; Violations . No material default exists in the due performance and observance of any term, covenant or condition of any material license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, loan or credit agreement, or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed money, or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company is subject. The Company is not in of any material franchise, license, permit, applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties or businesses, except for such violations which would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company is not in violation of any term or provision of its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws.

 

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2.13.        Corporate Power; Licenses; Consents.

 

2.13.1.  Conduct of Business . The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority, and has all necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, certificates and permits of and from all governmental regulatory officials and bodies that it needs as of the date hereof to conduct its business for the purposes described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. The disclosures in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus concerning the effects of federal, state and local regulation on this Offering and the Company’s business purpose as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Since its formation, the Company has conducted no business and has incurred no liabilities other than in connection with and in furtherance of the Offering.

 

2.13.2.  Transactions Contemplated Herein . The Company has all corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to carry out the provisions and conditions hereof, and all consents, authorizations, approvals and orders required in connection therewith have been obtained. No consent, authorization or order of, and no filing with, any court, government agency or other body is required for the valid issuance, sale and delivery, of the Securities and the consummation of the transactions and agreements contemplated by this Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, Representative’s Purchase Option, the Trust Agreement, the Services Agreement, and the Warrants Purchase Agreement and as contemplated by the Prospectus, except with respect to applicable federal and state securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (the “FINRA” ).

 

2.14.        D&O Questionnaires . All information contained in the questionnaires (the “ Questionnaires ”) completed by each of the Company’s shareholders immediately prior to the Offering (the “ Initial Shareholders ”) and each of the Company’s officers and directors and provided to the Underwriters as an exhibit to his or her Insider Letter (as defined in Section 2.23.1) is true and correct and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the questionnaires completed by each Initial Shareholder, officer or director, to become inaccurate and incorrect.

 

2.15.        Litigation; Governmental Proceedings . There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration, investigation, litigation or governmental proceeding pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened against, or involving the Company or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any Initial Shareholder which has not been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Questionnaires, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

2.16.        Good Standing . The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation and is in good standing under the laws of its country of organization and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to qualify would not have a material adverse effect on the Company.

 

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2.17.        No Contemplation of a Business Combination . Prior to the date hereof, neither the Company, its officers and directors nor the Initial Shareholders had, and as of the Closing, the Company and such officers and directors and Initial Shareholders will not have had: (i) any specific Business Combination under consideration or contemplation; or (ii) any substantive interactions or discussions with any target business regarding a possible Business Combination.

 

2.18.        Transactions Affecting Disclosure to FINRA .

 

2.18.1.  Except as described in the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a finder’s, consulting or origination fee by the Company or any Initial Shareholder with respect to the sale of the Securities hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any Initial Shareholder that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by the FINRA.

 

2.18.2.  The Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) to any FINRA member; or (iii) to any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the twelve (12) months prior to the Effective Date, other than payments to the Representative.

 

2.18.3.  No officer, director, or beneficial owner of any class of the Company’s securities (whether debt or equity, registered or unregistered, regardless of the time acquired or the source from which derived) (any such individual or entity, a “ Company Affiliate ”) is a member, a person associated, or affiliated with a member of FINRA.

 

2.18.4.  No Company Affiliate is an owner of stock or other securities of any member of FINRA (other than securities purchased on the open market).

 

2.18.5.  No Company Affiliate has made a subordinated loan to any member of FINRA.

 

2.18.6.  No proceeds from the sale of the Public Securities (excluding underwriting compensation) or the Placement Securities will be paid to any FINRA member, or any persons associated or affiliated with a member of FINRA, except as specifically authorized herein and in the Warrants Purchase Agreement.

 

2.18.7.  Except with respect to the Representative, the Company has not issued any warrants or other securities, or granted any options, directly or indirectly to anyone who is a potential underwriter in the Offering or a related person (as defined by FINRA rules) of such an underwriter within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement.

 

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2.18.8.  No person to whom securities of the Company have been privately issued within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement has any relationship or affiliation or association with any member of the FINRA.

 

2.18.9.  No FINRA member intending to participate in the Offering has a conflict of interest with the Company. For this purpose, a “conflict of interest” exists when a member of FINRA and its associated persons, parent or affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own 10% or more of the Company’s outstanding subordinated debt or common equity, or 10% or more of the Company’s preferred equity. “Members participating in the Offering” include managing agents, syndicate group members and all dealers which are members of the FINRA.

 

2.18.10.    Except with respect to the Representative in connection with the Offering, the Company has not entered into any agreement or arrangement (including, without limitation, any consulting agreement or any other type of agreement) during the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement, which arrangement or agreement provides for the receipt of any item of value and/or the transfer of any warrants, options, or other securities from the Company to a FINRA member, any person associated with a member (as defined by FINRA rules), any potential underwriters in the Offering and any related persons.

 

2.19.        Foreign Corrupt Practices Act . Neither the Company nor any of the Initial Shareholders or any other person acting on behalf of the Company has, directly or indirectly, given or agreed to give any money, gift or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Company (or assist it in connection with any actual or proposed transaction) that: (i) might subject the Company to any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding; (ii) if not given in the past, might have had a material adverse effect on the assets, business or operations of the Company as reflected in any of the financial statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus; or (iii) if not continued in the future, might adversely affect the assets, business, operations or prospects of the Company. The Company’s internal accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.

 

2.20.        Patriot Act . Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any officer, director or Initial Shareholder has violated: (i) the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended; (ii) the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, as amended; or (iii) the Uniting and Strengthening of America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001, and/or the rules and regulations promulgated under any such law, or any successor law.

 

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2.21.        Officers’ Certificate . Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or to the Representative’s counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

 

2.22.        Warrant Agreement . The Company has entered into a warrant agreement with respect to the Warrants and the Representative’s Warrants with CST substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “ Warrant Agreement ”).

 

2.23.        Agreements With Initial Shareholders .

 

2.23.1.  Insider Letters . The Company has caused to be duly executed legally binding and enforceable agreements (except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification, contribution or non-compete provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought) annexed as exhibits to the Registration Statement (the “ Insider Letter ”), pursuant to which each of the officers, directors and Initial Shareholders of the Company agree to certain matters, including but not limited to, certain matters described as being agreed to by them under the “Proposed Business” Section of the Prospectus.

 

2.23.2.  Warrants Purchase Agreement . Certain of the Company’s officers and directors and their respective designees, and the Representative, have executed and delivered an agreement, annexed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “ Warrants Purchase Agreement ”), pursuant to which such persons, among other things, have purchased an aggregate of up to 7,540,000 Placement Warrants in the Private Placement. Pursuant to the Warrants Purchase Agreement all of the proceeds from the sale of the Placement Warrants will be deposited by the Company in the Trust Account in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement prior to the Closing.

 

2.24.        Investment Management Trust Agreement . The Company has entered into the Trust Agreement with respect to certain proceeds of the Offering and the Private Placement substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

 

2.25.        Covenants Not to Compete . No Initial Shareholder of the Company is subject to any non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer which could materially affect his ability to be an Initial Shareholder, employee, officer or director of the Company.

 

2.26.        Investments . No more than 45% of the “value” (as defined in Section 2(a)(41) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”)) of the Company’s total assets consist of, and no more than 45% of the Company’s net income after taxes is derived from, securities other than “Government Securities” (as defined in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act).

 

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2.27.        Subsidiaries . The Company does not own an interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other business entity.

 

2.28.        Related Party Transactions . No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Company or any Company Affiliate, on the one hand, and any director, officer, shareholder, customer or supplier of the Company or any Company Affiliate, on the other hand, which is required by the Act, the Exchange Act or the Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus which is not so described and described as required. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus. The Company has not extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or officer of the Company.

 

2.29.        No Influence . The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, the Firm Units to any person or entity with the intention of unlawfully influencing: (i) a customer or supplier of the Company or any Company Affiliate to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or such affiliate; or (ii) a journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any such affiliate.

 

2.30.        Trading of the Public Securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market. As of the Effective Date and the Closing Date, the Public Securities will have been authorized for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and no proceedings have been instituted or threatened which would effect, and no event or circumstance has occurred as of the Effective Date which is reasonably likely to effect, the listing of the Public Securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

 

2.31.        Definition of “Knowledge” . As used in herein, the term “ knowledge of the Company ” (or similar language) shall mean the knowledge of the officers and directors of the Company who are named in the Prospectus, with the assumption that such officers and directors shall have made reasonable and diligent inquiry of the matters presented.

 

3.             Covenants of the Company . The Company covenants and agrees as follows:

 

3.1.          Amendments to Registration Statement . The Company will deliver to the Representative, prior to filing, any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus proposed to be filed after the Effective Date and not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing.

 

3.2.          Federal Securities Laws .

 

3.2.1.      Compliance . During the time when a Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Act, the Company will use all reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Act, the Regulations and the Exchange Act and by the regulations under the Exchange Act, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Public Securities in accordance with the provisions hereof and the Prospectus. If at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Public Securities is required to be delivered under the Act, any event shall have occurred as a result of which, in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented , includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary during such period to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will notify the Representative promptly and prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3.1 hereof, an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or amendment or supplement to the Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.

 

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3.2.2.      Filing of Final Prospectus . The Company will file the Prospectus (in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative) with the Commission pursuant to the requirements of Rule 424 of the Regulations.

 

3.2.3.      Exchange Act Registration . For a period of five (5) years from the Effective Date, or until such earlier time upon which the Company is required to be liquidated, the Company will use its best efforts to maintain the registration of the Units, Common Stock and Warrants under the provisions of the Exchange Act. The Company will not deregister the Units under the Exchange Act without the prior written consent of the Representative.

 

3.2.4.      Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance . As soon as it is legally required to do so, the Company shall take all actions necessary to obtain and thereafter maintain material compliance with each applicable provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and related or similar rules and regulations promulgated by any other governmental or self-regulatory entity or agency with jurisdiction over the Company.

 

3.3.          Blue Sky Filing . Unless the Public Securities are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market or another national securities exchange, the Company at its expense will endeavor in good faith, in cooperation with the Representative, at or prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective, to qualify the Public Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate, provided that no such qualification shall be required in any jurisdiction where, as a result thereof, the Company would be subject to service of general process or to taxation as a foreign corporation doing business in such jurisdiction. In each jurisdiction where such qualification shall be effected, the Company will, unless the Representative agrees that such action is not at the time necessary or advisable, use all reasonable efforts to file and make such statements or reports at such times as are or may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction.

 

3.4.          Delivery to Underwriters of Prospectuses . The Company will deliver to each of the several Underwriters, without charge, from time to time during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Act or the Exchange Act such number of copies of each Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents as such Underwriters may reasonably request and, as soon as the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto becomes effective, deliver to the Representative two original executed Registration Statements, including exhibits, and all post-effective amendments thereto and copies of all exhibits filed therewith or incorporated therein by reference and all original executed consents of certified experts.

 

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3.5.          Effectiveness and Events Requiring Notice to the Representative . The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to remain effective and will notify the Representative immediately and confirm the notice in writing: (i) of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto; (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iii) of the issuance by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the Public Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iv) of the mailing and delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; (v) of the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commission; and (vi) of the happening of any event during the period described in Section 3.4 hereof that, in the judgment of the Company, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, (with respect to the Prospectus in light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading. If the Commission or any state securities commission shall enter a stop order or suspend such qualification at any time, the Company will make every reasonable effort to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.

 

3.6.          Review of Financial Statements . Until the earlier of five (5) years from the Effective Date, or until such earlier date upon which the Company is required to be liquidated, the Company, at its expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent certified public accountants to review (but not audit) the Company’s financial statements for each of the first three fiscal quarters prior to the announcement or filing of quarterly financial information, if any.

 

3.7.          Affiliated Transactions .

 

3.7.1.      Business Combinations . The Company will not consummate a Business Combination with any entity which is affiliated with any Initial Shareholder unless the Company obtains an opinion from an independent investment banking firm regulated by FINRA stating the Business Combination is fair to the Company’s shareholders from a financial perspective.

 

3.7.2.      Administrative Services . The Company has entered into an administrative services agreement (the “ Services Agreement ”) with Nautilus Energy Management Corp. (the “ Affiliate ”) in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement pursuant to which the Affiliate will make available to the Company general and administrative services including office space, utilities, receptionist and secretarial support for the Company’s use for $10,000 per month.

 

3.7.3.      Compensation . The Company shall not pay any Initial Shareholder or any of their affiliates any fees or compensation from the Company, for services rendered to the Company prior to, or in connection with, this Offering or the consummation of a Business Combination.

 

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3.8.          Secondary Market Trading . In the event the Public Securities are not listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market or such other national securities exchange, the Company will apply to be included in Mergent, Inc. Manual for a period of five (5) years from the consummation of a Business Combination. Promptly after the consummation of the Offering, the Company shall take such steps as may be necessary to obtain a secondary market trading exemption for the Company’s securities in the State of California. The Company shall also take such other action as may be reasonably requested by the Representative to obtain a secondary market trading exemption in such other states as may be requested by the Representative.

 

3.9.          Financial Public Relations Firm . Promptly after the execution of a definitive agreement for a Business Combination, the Company shall retain a financial public relations firm reasonably acceptable to the Representative for a term to be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative.

 

3.10.       Reports to the Representative .

 

3.10.1.  Periodic Reports, Etc. For a period of five (5) years from the Effective Date or until such earlier time upon which the Company is dissolved, the Company will furnish to the Representative and its counsel copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any class of its securities, and promptly furnish to the Representative: (i) a copy of each periodic report the Company shall be required to file with the Commission; (ii) a copy of every press release and every news item and article with respect to the Company or its affairs which was released by the Company; (iii) a copy of each Form 8-K or Schedules 13D, 13G, 14D-1 or 13E-4 received or prepared by the Company; (iv) five copies of each Registration Statement; and (v) such additional documents and information with respect to the Company and the affairs of any future subsidiaries of the Company as the Representative may from time to time reasonably request; provided that the Representative shall sign, if requested by the Company, a Regulation FD compliant confidentiality agreement which is reasonably acceptable to the Representative and its counsel in connection with the Representative’s receipt of such information. Documents filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System ( “EDGAR” ) shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Representative pursuant to this section.

 

3.10.2.  Transfer Sheets . For a period of five (5) years following the Effective Date or until such earlier time upon which the Company is dissolved, the Company shall retain a transfer and warrant agent acceptable to the Representative (the “ Transfer Agent ”). In the event the Public Securities are not listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market or such other national securities exchange, the Company will furnish to the Underwriters at the Company’s sole cost and expense such transfer sheets of the Company’s securities as the Representative may request, including the daily and monthly consolidated transfer sheets of the Transfer Agent and DTC. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, Inc. is an acceptable Transfer Agent to the Representative.

 

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3.10.3.  Trading Reports . If the Public Securities are quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board (or any successor trading market) or a market operated by the OTC Market Group Inc. (or similar publisher of quotations), then during such time the Company shall provide to the Representative, at its expense, such reports published by the OTC Bulletin Board or the OTC Market Group Inc. relating to price trading of the Public Securities, as the Representative shall reasonably request. In addition to the requirements of the preceding sentence, for a period of two (2) years from the Closing Date, the Company, at its expense, shall provide Maxim a subscription to the Company’s weekly Depository Transfer Company Security Position Reports.

 

3.11.       Disqualification of Form S-1 . For a period equal to seven (7) years from the date hereof, the Company will not take any action or actions which may prevent or disqualify the Company’s use of Form S-1 (or other appropriate form) for the registration of the Warrants and the Representative’s Purchase Option and the securities underlying the Representative’s Purchase Option under the Act.

 

3.12.       Payment of Expenses .

 

3.12.1.  General Expenses Related to the Offering . The Company hereby agrees to pay on each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, to the extent not paid at Closing Date, all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, but not limited to: (i) the preparation, printing, filing and mailing (including the payment of postage with respect to such mailing) of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the final Prospectus and the printing and mailing of this Agreement and related documents, including the cost of all copies thereof and any amendments thereof or supplements thereto supplied to the Underwriters in quantities as may be required by the Underwriters; (ii) the printing, engraving, issuance and delivery of the Units, Common Stock and the Warrants included in the Units and the Representative’s Purchase Option, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon; (iii) the qualification of the Public Securities under state or foreign securities or Blue Sky laws, including the costs of printing and mailing the “Preliminary Blue Sky Memorandum,” and all amendments and supplements thereto, fees and disbursements for counsel of Maxim’s choice retained for such purpose; (iv) filing fees incurred in registering the Offering with the FINRA (including all Public Offering System filing fees); (v) fees and disbursements of the transfer and warrant agent; (vi) the Company’s expenses associated with “due diligence” meetings arranged by the Representative (none of which will be received or paid on behalf of an underwriter and related person); (vii) the preparation, binding and delivery of bound volumes in form and style reasonably satisfactory to Maxim and 12 transaction lucite cubes or similar commemorative items in a style as reasonably requested by Maxim; (viii) all costs and expenses associated with “road show” marketing and “due diligence” trips for the Company’s management to meet with prospective investors, including without limitation, all travel, food and lodging expenses associated with such trips; and (ix) all other reasonable costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section 3.12.1. The Representative may deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date, or the Option Closing Date, if any, the expenses set forth above to be paid by the Company to the Representative and others, as agreed to by the Company in writing. If the Offering is not consummated for any reason whatsoever, except as a result of the Representative’s or any Underwriter’s breach or default with respect to any of its obligations described in this Agreement, then the Company shall reimburse the Representative in full for their out-of-pocket accountable expenses actually incurred by the Representative, including, without limitation, their legal fees (less any amounts previously paid), up to an aggregate amount of $100,000. Additionally, upon any such termination, the Representative shall return to the Company any portion of the amounts advanced towards the Underwriters’ expenses (of which $15,000 has previously been paid (“ Advance ”)) in excess of the out-of-pocket accountable expenses actually incurred by the Representative, including, without limitation, their legal fees.

 

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3.12.2.  Fee on Termination of Offering . Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, upon termination of the Offering the Company shall: (A) reimburse the Representative for, or otherwise pay and bear, the expenses and fees to be paid and borne by the Company as provided for in Paragraph 3.12.1 above, as applicable, and (B) reimburse the Representative for the full amount of their accountable out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred to such date (which shall include, but shall not be limited to, all fees and disbursements of the Representative’s counsel, travel, lodging and other “road show” expenses, mailing, printing and reproduction expenses, and any expenses incurred by the Representative in conducting their due diligence), up to an aggregate amount of $100,000, less the amounts previously paid and any amounts previously paid to the Representative in reimbursement for such expenses. If applicable, and solely in the event of a termination of this Offering, the Representative shall refund to the Company any portion of the Advance previously received by the Representative which is in excess of the accountable out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred to such date by the Representative.

 

3.13.       Application of Net Proceeds . The Company will apply the net proceeds from the Offering received by it in a manner consistent with the application described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus.

 

3.14.       Delivery of Earnings Statements to Security Holders . The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but not later than the first day of the fifteenth (15th) full calendar month following the Effective Date, an earnings statement (which need not be certified by independent public or independent certified public accountants unless required by the Act or the Regulations, but which shall satisfy the provisions of Rule 158(a) under Section 11(a) of the Act) covering a period of at least twelve (12) consecutive months beginning after the Effective Date.

 

3.15.       Notice to FINRA .

 

3.15.1.  Business Combination . In the event any person or entity (regardless of any FINRA affiliation or association) is engaged to assist the Company in its search for a merger candidate or to provide any other merger and acquisition services, the Company will provide the following to the FINRA and the Representative prior to the consummation of the Business Combination: (i) complete details of all services and copies of agreements governing such services; and (ii) justification as to why the person or entity providing the merger and acquisition services should not be considered an “underwriter and related person” with respect to the Company’s initial public offering, as such term is defined in Rule 5110 of FINRA’s Rules. The Company also agrees that proper disclosure of such arrangement or potential arrangement will be made in any proxy or tender offer statement which the Company files in connection with the Business Combination.

 

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3.15.2.  Broker/Dealer . In the event the Company intends to register as a broker/dealer, merge with or acquire a registered broker/dealer, or otherwise become a member of FINRA, it shall promptly notify FINRA.

 

3.16.       Stabilization . Neither the Company, nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Units.

 

3.17.       Internal Controls . The Company will maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

3.18.       Accountants . For a period of five (5) years from the Effective Date or until such earlier time upon which the Company is required to be liquidated, the Company shall retain Withum or other independent public accountants reasonably acceptable to the Representative.

 

3.19.       Form 8-K . The Company shall, on the date hereof, retain its independent public accountants to audit the financial statements of the Company as of the Closing Date (the “ Audited Financial Statements ”) reflecting the receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the initial public offering and the Private Placement, as well as the proceeds from the exercise of the Over-Allotment if such exercise has occurred on the date of the Prospectus. Within three (3) trading days of the Closing Date, the Company will file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission, which Report shall contain the Company’s Audited Financial Statements.

 

3.20.       FINRA . The Company shall advise FINRA if it is aware that any 5% or greater shareholder of the Company becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the distribution of the Company’s Public Securities.

 

3.21.        Corporate Proceedings . All corporate proceedings and other legal matters necessary to carry out the provisions of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall have been done to the reasonable satisfaction to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

3.22.        Investment Company . The Company shall cause the proceeds of the Offering to be held in the Trust Account to be invested only in “government securities” with specific maturity dates or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act as set forth in the Trust Agreement and disclosed in the Prospectus. The Company will otherwise conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act. Furthermore, once the Company consummates a Business Combination, it will be engaged in a business other than that of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading securities.

 

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3.23.       Business Combination Announcement . Within four (4) Business Days following the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination, the Company shall cause an announcement (“ Business Combination Announcement” ) to issued by a global press release service announcing the consummation of the Business Combination and indicating that the Representative was one of the co-managing underwriters in the Offering and also indicating the name and location of any other financial advisors engaged by the Company as its merger and acquisitions advisor. The Company shall supply the Representative with a draft of the Business Combination Announcement and provide the Representative with a reasonable advance opportunity to comment thereon. The Company will not place the Business Combination Announcement without the final approval of the Representative, which approval will not be unreasonably withheld.

 

3.24.       Colorado Trust Filing . In the event the Securities are registered in the State of Colorado, the Company will cause a Colorado Form ES to be filed with the Commissioner of the State of Colorado no less than ten (10) days prior to the distribution of the Trust Account in connection with a Business Combination and will do all things necessary to comply with Section 11-51-302 and Rule 51-3.4 of the Colorado Securities Act.

 

3.25.       Press Releases . The Company agrees that it will not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without Maxim’s prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), for a period of forty-five (45) days after the Closing Date.

 

3.26.       Electronic Prospectus . The Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered to the Representative, at its expense, within one (1) Business Day from the Effective Date, an Electronic Prospectus to be used by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering. As used herein, the term “ Electronic Prospectus ” means a form of prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that may be transmitted electronically by the other Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Units for at least the period during which a Prospectus relating to the Units is required to be delivered under the Securities Act; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper prospectus and prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that will allow recipients thereof to store and have continuously ready access to the prospectus at any future time, without charge to such recipients (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time). The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative within the period when a prospectus relating to the Units is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Prospectus.

 

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3.27.       Reservation of Shares . The Company will reserve and keep available that maximum number of its authorized but unissued securities which are issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and the Representative’s Purchase Option, Representative’s Warrants and the Placement Warrants outstanding from time to time.

 

3.28.       Private Placement Proceeds . Immediately upon establishment of the Trust Account and prior to the Closing, the Company shall deposit all of the proceeds from the Private Placement in the Trust Account and shall provide the Representative with evidence of the same.

 

3.29.       No Amendment to Charter .

 

(i)                 The Company covenants and agrees it will not seek to amend or modify Article [SIXTH] of its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws without the prior approval of its Board of Directors and the affirmative vote of at least 65% of the voting power of the shares of Common Stock that were issued in the Offering.

 

(ii)               The Company acknowledges that the purchasers of the Firm Units and Option Units in this Offering shall be deemed to be third party beneficiaries of Section 3.29 of this Agreement.

 

(iii)             The Representative and the Company specifically agree that this Section 3.29 shall not be modified or amended in any way without the approval of at least 65% of the voting power of the shares of Common Stock that were issued in the Offering.

 

3.30.       Financial Printer . The Company shall retain a financial printer, reasonably acceptable to the Representative, for the purpose of facilitating the Company’s EDGAR filings and the printing of the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus.

 

3.31.       Listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market . The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the listing of the Public Securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market or such other national securities exchange until the earlier of five (5) years from the Effective Date or until the Public Securities are no longer registered under the Exchange Act.

 

3.32.       Payment of Deferred Underwriting Commission on Business Combination . Upon the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company agrees that it will cause the Trustee to pay the Deferred Underwriting Commission directly from the Trust Account to Maxim, in accordance with Section 1.3.

 

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3.33.       Right of First Refusal . Provided that the Firm Shares are sold in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Representative shall have the irrevocable right of first refusal (the “ Right of First Refusal ”) to act as lead book running manager for each and every future public and private equity and equity-linked offering and every future debt offering for a period of twelve months following the Business Combination (each, a “ Subject Transaction ”). The Company shall notify the Representative of its intention to pursue a Subject Transaction, including the material terms thereof, by providing written notice thereof by registered mail or overnight courier service addressed to the Representative. If the Representative fails to exercise its Right of First Refusal with respect to any Subject Transaction within ten (10) Business Days after the mailing of such written notice, then the Representative shall have no further claim or right with respect to the Subject Transaction. The Representative may elect, in its sole and absolute discretion, not to exercise its Right of First Refusal with respect to any Subject Transaction; provided that any such election by the Representative shall not adversely affect the Representative’s Right of First Refusal with respect to any other Subject Transaction; and provided, further that, pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(F)(ii), the Representative shall not have more than one opportunity to waive or terminate the Right of First Refusal in consideration of any payment or fee. The terms and conditions of any such engagements shall be set forth in separate agreements and may be subject to, among other things, satisfactory completion of due diligence by the Representative, market conditions, the absence of a material adverse change to the Company’s business, financial condition and prospects, approval of the Representative’s internal committee and any other conditions that the Representative may deem appropriate for transactions of such nature. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Representative shall be entitled to receive as its compensation at least 50% of the compensation payable to the underwriting or placement agent group when serving as co-manager and at least 40% of the compensation payable to the underwriting placement agent group when serving as co-manager with respect to a proposed financing in which there are three co-managing or lead underwriters or co- placement agents.

 

4.             Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations . The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Units, as provided herein, shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company as of the date hereof and as of each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, to the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company made pursuant to the provisions hereof and to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following conditions:

 

4.1.         Regulatory Matters .

 

4.1.1.      Effectiveness of Registration Statement . The Registration Statement shall have become effective not later than 5:00 P.M., New York time, on the date of this Agreement or such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representative, and, at each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for the purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or contemplated by the Commission and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of Loeb & Loeb LLP (“ Loeb ”).

 

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4.1.2.      FINRA Clearance . By the Effective Date, the Representative shall have received clearance from the FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters as described in the Registration Statement.

 

4.1.3.      No Commission Stop Order . At each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, the Commission has not issued any order or threatened to issue any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any part thereof, and has not instituted or threatened to institute any proceedings with respect to such an order.

 

4.1.4.      No Blue Sky Stop Orders . No order suspending the sale of the Units in any jurisdiction designated by the Representative pursuant to Section 3.3 hereof shall have been issued on either the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be contemplated.

 

4.1.5.      The Nasdaq Capital Market . By the Effective Date, the Securities shall have been approved for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

 

4.2.         Company Counsel Matters .

 

4.2.1.      Closing Date Opinion of Counsel . On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP (“ EGS ”), counsel to the Company, and Reeder & Simpson, P.C. (“ Reeder ”), Marshall Islands counsel to the Company, dated the Closing Date, addressed to the Representative and the other Underwriters and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.

 

The opinion of EGS and Reeder shall further include a statement to the effect that such counsel has participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent public accountants for the Company and representatives of the Underwriters at which the contents of the Registration Statement, final Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and related matters were discussed and although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, final Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (except as otherwise set forth in this opinion), no facts have come to the attention of such counsel which lead them to believe that either the Registration Statement, final Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the date of such opinion contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (it being understood that such counsel need express no opinion with respect to the financial statements and related notes and schedules and other financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement, final Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus). The opinion of counsel shall state that such counsel is not opining as to the Placement Securities with respect to any rights to rescind or the effect any exercise of such rights will have on any other securities of the Company or on the Offering.

 

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4.2.2.      Option Closing Date Opinion of Counsel . On each Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion of EGS and Reeder, dated each Option Closing Date, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel to the Representative, confirming as of each Option Closing Date, the statements made by EGS and Reeder, as applicable, in its opinion delivered on the Closing Date.

 

4.2.3.      Reliance . In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely: (i) as to matters involving the application of laws other than the laws of the United States and jurisdictions in which they are admitted, to the extent such counsel deems proper and to the extent specified in such opinion, if at all, upon an opinion or opinions (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative) of other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Representative, familiar with the applicable laws; and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates or other written statements of officers of the Company and officers of departments of various jurisdiction having custody of documents respecting the corporate existence or good standing of the Company, provided that copies of any such statements or certificates shall be delivered to the Underwriters’ counsel if requested. The opinion of EGS and and any opinion relied upon by such counsel for the Company shall include a statement to the effect that it may be relied upon by counsel for the Underwriters in its opinion delivered to the Underwriters.

 

4.3.         Cold Comfort Letter . At the time this Agreement is executed, and at each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a letter, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects (including the nature of the changes or decreases, if any, referred to in clause (iii) below) to the Representative from Withum dated, respectively, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any:

 

(i)                 Confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Regulations;

 

(ii)               Stating that in their opinion the financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Regulations thereunder;

 

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(iii)             Stating that, on the basis of limited procedures which included a reading of the latest available minutes of the shareholders and board of directors and the various committees of the board of directors, consultations with officers and other employees of the Company responsible for financial and accounting matters and other specified procedures and inquiries, nothing has come to their attention which would lead them to believe that: (a) at a date not later than five (5) days prior to the Effective Date, Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, there was any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company, or any decrease in the shareholders’ equity of the Company as compared with amounts shown in the December 31, 2015 balance sheet included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, other than as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, or, if there was any decrease, setting forth the amount of such decrease; and (c) during the period from May 31, 2016 (balance sheet date) to a specified date not later than five (5) days prior to the Effective Date, Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, there was any decrease in net earnings or net earnings per share of Common Stock, in each case as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year and as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year, other than as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, or, if there was any such decrease, setting forth the amount of such decrease;

 

(iv)             Stating they have compared specific dollar amounts, numbers of shares, percentages of earnings, statements and other financial information pertaining to the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus in each case to the extent that such amounts, numbers, percentages, statements and information may be derived from the general accounting records, including work sheets, of the Company and excluding any questions requiring an interpretation by legal counsel, with the results obtained from the application of specified readings, inquiries and other appropriate procedures (which procedures do not constitute an examination in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB) set forth in the letter and found them to be in agreement; and

 

(v)               Statements as to such other matters incident to the transaction contemplated hereby as the Representative may reasonably request.

 

4.4.         Officers’ Certificates .

 

4.4.1.      Officers’ Certificate . At each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Chairman of the Board or the President and the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Company, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, respectively, to the effect that the Company has performed all covenants and complied with all conditions required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Company prior to and as of the Closing Date, or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and that the conditions set forth in Section 4.5 hereof have been satisfied as of such date and that, as of Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof are true and correct. In addition, the Representative will have received such other and further certificates of officers of the Company as the Representative may reasonably request.

 

4.4.2.      Secretary’s Certificate . At each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Company, dated the Closing Date or the Option Date, as the case may be, respectively, certifying: (i) that the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company are true and complete, have not been modified and are in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions relating to the public offering contemplated by this Agreement are in full force and effect and have not been modified; (iii) all correspondence between the Company or its counsel and the Commission; (iv) all correspondence between the Company or its counsel and the Nasdaq Stock Market; and (v) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company. The documents referred to in such certificate shall be attached to such certificate.

 

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4.5.         No Material Changes . Prior to and on each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any: (i) there shall have been no material adverse change or development that is likely to result in a material adverse change in the condition or prospects or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus; (ii) no action suit or proceeding, at law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened against the Company or any Initial Shareholder before or by any court or federal or state commission, board or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding may materially adversely affect the business, operations, prospects or financial condition or income of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus; (iii) no stop order shall have been issued under the Act and no proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and (iv) the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all material statements which are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Act and the Regulations and shall conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Regulations, and neither the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus nor the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading.

 

4.6.         Delivery of Agreements .

 

4.6.1.      Effective Date Deliveries . On the Effective Date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of the Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Services Agreement, all of the Insider Letters and the Warrants Purchase Agreement.

 

4.6.2.      Closing Date Deliveries . On the Closing Date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative and their designees executed copies of the Representative’s Purchase Option.

 

5.             Indemnification .

 

5.1.         Indemnification of Underwriters .

 

5.1.1.      General . Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Underwriters and each dealer selected by the Representative that participates in the offer and sale of the Units (each a “Selected Dealer”) and each of their respective directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter (“ Controlling Person ”) within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including but not limited to any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, whether arising out of any action between any of the Underwriters and the Company or between any of the Underwriters and any third party or otherwise) to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or any other federal, state or local statute, law, rule, regulation or ordinance or at common law or otherwise or under the laws, rules and regulation of foreign countries, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in: (i) any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented); (ii) in any post-effective amendment or amendments or any new registration statement and prospectus in which is included securities of the Company issued or issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Purchase Option; or (iii) any application or other document or written communication (in this Section 5 collectively called “ Application ”) executed by the Company or based upon written information furnished by the Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Units under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, any state securities commission or agency, the Nasdaq Stock Market or any securities exchange; or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to an Underwriter by or on behalf of such Underwriter expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereof. With respect to any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Preliminary Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter to the extent that any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense of such Underwriter results from the fact that a copy of the Prospectus was not given or sent to the person asserting any such loss, liability, claim or damage at or prior to the written confirmation of sale of the Securities to such person as required by the Act and the Regulations, and if the untrue statement or omission has been corrected in the Prospectus, unless such failure to deliver the Prospectus was a result of non-compliance by the Company with its obligations under Section 3.4 hereof. The Company agrees promptly to notify the Representative of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its officers, directors or Controlling Persons in connection with the issue and sale of the Securities or in connection with the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus. For purposes of this Section 5, the term Underwriter or Underwriters shall refer to each Underwriter whether acting as an underwriter or as a qualified independent underwriter.

 

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5.1.2.      Procedure . If any action is brought against an Underwriter or Controlling Person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to Section 5.1.1, such Underwriter shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such action and the Company shall assume the defense of such action, including the employment and fees of counsel (subject to the reasonable approval of such Underwriter) and payment of actual expenses. Such Underwriter or Controlling Person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such Controlling Person unless: (i) the employment of such counsel at the expense of the Company shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense of such action; (ii) the Company shall not have employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such action; or (iii) such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events the reasonable fees and expenses of not more than one additional firm of attorneys selected by the Underwriter and/or Controlling Person shall be borne by the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the Underwriter or Controlling Person shall assume the defense of such action as provided above, the Company shall have the right to approve the terms of any settlement of such action which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

5.2.         Indemnification of the Company . Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers and employees and agents who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the several Underwriters, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any Application, in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, written information furnished to the Company with respect to such Underwriter by or on behalf of the Underwriter expressly for use in such Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any such Application, which furnished written information, it is expressly agreed, consists solely of the information described in the last sentence of Section 2.3.1. In case any action shall be brought against the Company or any other person so indemnified based on any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto or any Application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company and each other person so indemnified shall have the rights and duties given to the several Underwriters by the provisions of Section 5.1.2.

 

5.3.         Contribution .

 

5.3.1.      Contribution Rights . In order to provide for just and equitable contribution under the Act in any case in which: (i) any person entitled to indemnification under this Section 5 makes claim for indemnification pursuant hereto but it is judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case notwithstanding the fact that this Section 5 provides for indemnification in such case; or (ii) contribution under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise may be required on the part of any such person in circumstances for which indemnification is provided under this Section 5, then, and in each such case, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses of the nature contemplated by said indemnity agreement incurred by the Company and the Underwriters, as incurred, in such proportions that the Underwriters are responsible for that portion represented by the percentage that the underwriting discount appearing on the cover page of the Prospectus bears to the initial offering price appearing thereon and the Company is responsible for the balance; provided , that, no person guilty of a fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5.3.1, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Public Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay in respect of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses. For purposes of this Section, each director, officer and employee of an Underwriter or the Company, as applicable, and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter or the Company, as applicable, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Underwriters or the Company, as applicable.

 

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5.3.2.      Contribution Procedure . Within fifteen (15) days after receipt by any party to this Agreement (or its representative) of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, such party will, if a claim for contribution in respect thereof is to be made against another party (“ Contributing Party ”), notify the Contributing Party of the commencement thereof, but the omission to so notify the Contributing Party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any other party other than for contribution hereunder. In case any such action, suit or proceeding is brought against any party, and such party notifies a Contributing Party or its representative of the commencement thereof within the aforesaid fifteen (15) days, the Contributing Party will be entitled to participate therein with the notifying party and any other Contributing Party similarly notified. Any such Contributing Party shall not be liable to any party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, action or proceeding effected by such party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, action or proceeding effected by such party seeking contribution without the written consent of such Contributing Party. The contribution provisions contained in this Section are intended to supersede, to the extent permitted by law, any right to contribution under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise available. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 5.3 are several and not joint.

 

6.             Default by an Underwriter .

 

6.1.         Default Not Exceeding 10% of Firm Units or Option Units . If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligations to purchase the Firm Units or the Option Units, if the over-allotment option is exercised, hereunder, and if the number of the Firm Units or Option Units with respect to which such default relates does not exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of Firm Units or Option Units that all Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, then such Firm Units or Option Units to which the default relates shall be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder.

 

6.2.         Default Exceeding 10% of Firm Units or Option Units . In the event that the default addressed in Section 6.1 above relates to more than 10% of the Firm Units or Option Units, the Representative may in its discretion arrange for itself or for another party or parties to purchase such Firm Units or Option Units to which such default relates on the terms contained herein. If, within one (1) Business Day after such default relating to more than 10% of the Firm Units or Option Units, the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of such Firm Units or Option Units, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of one (1) Business Day within which to procure another party or parties satisfactory to the Company and the Representative to purchase said Firm Units or Option Units on such terms. In the event the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of the Firm Units or Option Units to which a default relates as provided in this Section 6, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company without liability on the part of the Company (except as provided in Sections 3.12 and 5 hereof) or the several Underwriters (except as provided in Section 5 hereof); provided , however , that if such default occurs with respect to the Option Units, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Firm Units; and provided further that nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the other several Underwriters and to the Company for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

 

6.3.         Postponement of Closing Date . In the event the Firm Units or Option Units to which the default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date or Option Closing Date for a reasonable period, but not in any event exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus, as the case may be, or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment to, or to supplement, the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus, as the case may be, that in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 6 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.

 

7.             Additional Covenants .

 

7.1.         Additional Shares or Options . The Company hereby agrees that until the Company consummates a Business Combination, it shall not issue any shares of Common Stock or any options or other securities convertible into Common Stock, or any shares of Preferred Stock which participate in any manner in the Trust Account or which vote as a class with the Common Stock on a Business Combination.

 

  - 28 -  
 

 

7.2.         Trust Account Waiver Acknowledgments . The Company hereby agrees that it will not commence its due diligence investigation of any operating business or businesses which the Company seeks to acquire (each, a “ Target Business ”) unless and until such Target Business acknowledges in writing, whether through a letter of intent, memorandum of understanding or other similar document (and subsequently acknowledges the same in any definitive document replacing any of the foregoing), that: (i) it has read the Prospectus and understands that the Company has established the Trust Account, initially in an amount of $80,800,000 for the benefit of the Public Shareholders, and that (ii) for and in consideration of the Company agreeing to evaluate such Target Business for purposes of consummating a Business Combination with it, such Target Business agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies of the Trust Account (“ Claim ”) and waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever. The Company further agrees that it will use its best efforts, prior to obtaining the services of any vendor, to obtain a written acknowledgment from such vendor, whether through a letter of intent, memorandum of understanding or other similar document (and subsequently acknowledges the same in any definitive document replacing any of the foregoing), that: (i) such vendor has read the Prospectus and understands that the Company has established the Trust Account, initially in an amount of $80,800,000 for the benefit of the Public Shareholders, and that (ii) for and in consideration of the Company agreeing to engage the services of the vendor, such vendor agrees that it does not have any Claim and waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever. The foregoing letters shall substantially be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and B , respectively. Furthermore, each officer and director of the Company shall execute a waiver letter in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C .

 

7.3.         Insider Letters . The Company shall not take any action or omit to take any action which would cause a breach of any of the Insider Letters executed between each Initial Shareholder and the Representative or the Warrants Purchase Agreement and will not allow any amendments to, or waivers of, such Insider Letters or the Warrants Purchase Agreement without the prior written consent of the Representative.

 

7.4.         Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation . The Company shall not take any action or omit to take any action that would cause the Company to be in breach or violation of its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation. Except as provided in Section 3.29, prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, the Company will not amend its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, without the prior written consent of the Representative.

 

7.5.         Tender Offer Documents, Proxy Materials and Other Information . The Company shall provide counsel to the Representative with copies of all tender offer documents or proxy information and all related material filed with the Commission in connection with a Business Combination concurrently with such filing with the Commission. In addition, the Company shall furnish any other state in which its initial public offering was registered, such information as may be requested by such state.

 

7.6.         Acquisition/Liquidation Procedure . The Company agrees that it will comply with Article [SIXTH] of its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination or the failure to consummate a Business Combination within 12 months from the Effective Date (subject to extension as described in the Prospectus).

 

7.7.         Rule 419 . The Company agrees that it will use its best efforts to prevent the Company from becoming subject to Rule 419 under the Act prior to the consummation of any Business Combination, including, but not limited to, using its best efforts to prevent any of the Company’s outstanding securities from being deemed to be a “penny stock” as defined in Rule 3a-51-1 under the Exchange Act during such period.

 

  - 29 -  
 

 

7.8.         Presentation of Potential Target Businesses . The Company shall cause each of the Initial Shareholders to agree that, in order to minimize potential conflicts of interest which may arise from multiple affiliations, the Initial Shareholders will present to the Company for its consideration, prior to presentation to any other person or company, any suitable opportunity to acquire an operating business, until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination, the liquidation of the Company, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary obligations the Initial Shareholders might have.

 

8.             Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery . Except as the context otherwise requires, all representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to be representations, warranties and agreements at the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, and such representations, warranties and agreements of the Underwriters and Company, including the indemnity agreements contained in Section 5 hereof, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any Controlling Person, and shall survive termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Securities to the several Underwriters until the earlier of the expiration of any applicable statute of limitations and the seventh anniversary of the later of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, at which time the representations, warranties and agreements shall terminate and be of no further force and effect.

 

9.             Effective Date of This Agreement and Termination Thereof .

 

9.1.         Effective Date . This Agreement shall become effective on the Effective Date at the time the Registration Statement is declared effective by the Commission.

 

9.2.         Termination . The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to any Closing Date: (i) if any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in the Representative’s opinion will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States; or (ii) if trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Stock Market or on the OTC Bulletin Board (or successor trading market) shall have been suspended, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required on the OTC Bulletin Board or by order of the Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction; or (iii) if the United States, Russia or any Eastern European country shall have become involved in a war or an initiation or increase in major hostilities, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State or federal authority, or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States securities markets; or (vi) if the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in the Representative’s opinions, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Units; or (vii) if any of the Company’s representations, warranties or covenants hereunder are breached; or (viii) if the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of such a material adverse change in the conditions or prospects of the Company, or such adverse material change in general market conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof, as in the Representative’s judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Units or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Units.

 

  - 30 -  
 

 

9.3.         Expenses . In the event this Agreement shall not be carried out for any reason whatsoever, except as a result of the Representative’s or any underwriters’ breach or default with respect to any of its material obligations pursuant to this Agreement, within the time specified herein or any extensions thereof pursuant to the terms herein, the obligations of the Company to pay the out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred by the Representative related to the transactions contemplated herein shall be governed by Section 3.12 hereof.

 

9.4.         Indemnification . Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement, and whether or not this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Section 5 shall not be in any way effected by, such election or termination or failure to carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.

 

10.            Miscellaneous .

 

10.1.       Notices . All communications hereunder, except as herein otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and shall be mailed, delivered by hand or reputable overnight courier or delivered by facsimile transmission (with printed confirmation of receipt) and confirmed and shall be deemed given when so mailed, delivered or faxed (or if mailed, two (2) days after such mailing):

  

If to the Representative:

 

Maxim Group LLC

405 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10174

Attn.:

Fax:

  

Copy to (which copy shall not be deemed to constitute notice to the Representative):

 

Loeb & Loeb

345 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10154

Attn: Mitchell S. Nussbaum, Esq. and Giovanni Caruso, Esq.

Fax: (212) 407-4000

  

  - 31 -  
 

 

If to the Company:

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

90 Kifissias Avenue

Maroussi 15125

Athens, Greece

Fax:

Attn:

 

Copy to (which copy shall not be deemed to constitute notice to the Company):

 

Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
Attn: Stuart Neuhauser, Esq. and Barry I. Grossman, Esq.
Fax:

 

10.2.      Headings . The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement.

 

10.3.      Amendment . This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.

 

10.4.      Entire Agreement . This Agreement (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement) constitute the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

10.5.      Binding Effect . This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Representative, the Underwriters, the Company and the Controlling Persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 5 hereof, and their respective successors, legal representatives and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provisions herein contained.

 

10.6.      Governing Law, Venue, etc .

 

10.6.1.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof. The Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection that they may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 10.1 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any other requirements of or objections to personal jurisdiction with respect thereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action based on this Agreement may be instituted by the Representative in any competent court.

 

  - 32 -  
 

 

10.6.2.  THE COMPANY (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ON BEHALF OF ITS EQUITY HOLDERS AND CREDITORS) HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY CLAIM BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROSPECTUS.

 

10.6.3.  The Company agrees that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor.

 

10.7.       Execution in Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts has been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by fax or email/.pdf transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.

 

10.8.       Waiver, Etc . The failure of any of the parties hereto to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way effect the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof or the right of any of the parties hereto to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.

 

10.9.       No Fiduciary Relationship . The Company hereby acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the offering of the Company’s securities. The Company further acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm’s length basis and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters act or be responsible as a fiduciary to the Company, its management, shareholders, creditors or any other person in connection with any activity that the Underwriters may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of the offering of the Company’s securities, either before or after the date hereof. The Underwriters hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions, and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that effect. The Company and the Underwriters agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such transactions, and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters to the Company regarding such transactions, including but not limited to any opinions or views with respect to the price or market for the Company’s securities, do not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar duty to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions.

  

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

  - 33 -  
 

 

 

If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between us.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  Stellar Acquisition III Inc.
   
  By:  
    Name:
    Title:

 

Agreed to and accepted on the date first above written.  
     

Maxim Group LLC,

as Representative of the several Underwriters

 
     
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

  - 34 -  
 

 

SCHEDULE A

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

 

8,000,000 Units

 

Underwriter  

Number of Firm Units

to be Purchased

 
Maxim Group LLC        
Chardan Capital Markets, LLC        
         
 TOTAL     8,000,000  

  

  - 35 -  
 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Form of Target Business Letter

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

90 Kifissias Avenue

Maroussi 15125

Athens, Greece

Attn.:

 

Gentlemen:

 

Reference is made to the Final Prospectus of Stellar Acquisition III Inc. (the “ Company ”), dated ______, 2016 (the “ Prospectus ”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in Prospectus.

 

We have read the Prospectus and understand that the Company has established a “trust account”, initially in an amount of at least $80,800,000 for the benefit of the “public shareholders” and the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering (the “ Underwriters ”) and that, except for (i) interest earned on the trust account that may be released to the Company to pay any taxes it incurs, and (ii) interest earned by the trust account that may be released to the Company from time to time to fund the Company’s working capital and general corporate requirements, proceeds in the trust account will not be released until (a) the consummation of a Business Combination, or (b) the dissolution and liquidation of the Company if it is unable to consummate a Business Combination within the allotted time.

 

For and in consideration of the Company agreeing to evaluate the undersigned for purposes of consummating a business combination or other form of acquisition with it, the undersigned hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account (the “ Claim ”) and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever.

 

   
  Print Name of Target Business
   
   
  Authorized Signature of Target Business

 

  - 36 -  
 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

Form of Vendor Letter

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

90 Kifissias Avenue

Maroussi 15125

Athens, Greece

Attn.:

Gentlemen:

 

Reference is made to the Final Prospectus of Stellar Acquisition III Inc. (the “ Company ”), dated ______, 2016 (the “ Prospectus ”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in Prospectus.

 

We have read the Prospectus and understand that the Company has established a “trust account”, initially in an amount of at least $80,800,000 for the benefit of the “public shareholders” and the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering (the “ Underwriters ”) and that, except for (i) interest earned on the trust account that may be released to the Company to pay any taxes it incurs, and (ii) interest earned by the trust account that may be released to the Company from time to time to fund the Company’s working capital and general corporate requirements, proceeds in the trust account will not be released until (a) the consummation of a Business Combination, or (b) the dissolution and liquidation of the Company if it is unable to consummate a Business Combination within the allotted time.

 

For and in consideration of the Company agreeing to use the products or services of the undersigned, the undersigned hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account (the “ Claim ”) and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever.

 

   
  Print Name of Vendor
   
   
  Authorized Signature of Vendor

 

  - 37 -  
 

 

EXHIBIT C

 

Form of Director/Officer Letter

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

90 Kifissias Avenue

Maroussi 15125

Athens, Greece

Attn.:

 

Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned officer or director of Stellar Acquisition III Inc. (the “ Company ”) hereby acknowledges that the Company has established the “trust account”, initially in an amount of at least $80,800,000 for the benefit of the “public shareholders” and the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering (the “ Underwriters ”) and that, except for (i) interest earned on the trust account that may be released to the Company to pay any taxes it incurs, and (ii) interest earned by the trust account that may be released to the Company from time to time to fund the Company’s working capital and general corporate requirements, proceeds in the trust account will not be released until (a) the consummation of a Business Combination, or (b) the dissolution and liquidation of the Company if it is unable to consummate a Business Combination within the allotted time.

 

The undersigned hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account (the “ Claim ”) and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, such waiver shall not apply to any shares acquired by the undersigned in the public market.

 

   
  Print Name of Officer/Director
   
   
  Authorized Signature of Officer/Director

 

 

- 38 -

 

Exhibit 4.5

 

THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE OPTION, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER OR ASSIGN THIS PURCHASE OPTION, EXCEPT AS HEREIN PROVIDED, AND THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE OPTION AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER, ASSIGN, PLEDGE OR HYPOTHECATE THIS PURCHASE OPTION FOR A PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE (DEFINED BELOW) TO ANYONE OTHER THAN (I) THE REPRESENTATIVE (AS DEFINED HEREIN) OR ITS AFFILIATES OR AN UNDERWRITER OR A SELECTED DEALER IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING (DEFINED HEREIN), OR (II) A BONA FIDE OFFICER OR PARTNER OF A REPRESENTATIVE OR OF ANY SUCH REPRESENTATIVE, UNDERWRITER OR SELECTED DEALER.

 

THIS PURCHASE OPTION IS NOT EXERCISABLE PRIOR TO THE LATER OF: (I) THE CONSUMMATION BY STELLAR ACQUISITION III INC. (THE “COMPANY”) OF A MERGER, CAPITAL STOCK EXCHANGE, ASSET ACQUISITION, STOCK PURCHASE, REORGANIZATION OR OTHER SIMILAR BUSINESS TRANSACTION (A “BUSINESS TRANSACTION”) (AS DESCRIBED MORE FULLY IN THE COMPANY’S REGISTRATION STATEMENT (AS DEFINED HEREIN)) AND (II) TWELVE MONTHS FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE.  THIS PURCHASE OPTION SHALL BE VOID AFTER 5:00 P.M., NEW YORK CITY LOCAL TIME, ON [●], 2021 .

 

UNIT PURCHASE OPTION

 

FOR THE PURCHASE OF

 

200,000 UNITS

 

OF

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc .

 

  1. Purchase Option .

 

THIS CERTIFIES THAT , in consideration of $100 duly paid by or on behalf of Maxim Partners LLC, as registered owner of this Unit Purchase Option (the “ Holder ” and, together with all other holders of any portion of this Unit Purchase Option as the context herein requires, the “ Holders ”), to Stellar Acquisition III Inc., a company formed pursuant to the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (the “ Company ”), Holder is entitled, at any time or from time to time after the closing of the Offering (as defined below) and during the period commencing (the “ Commencement Date ”) on the later of: (i) the consummation of a Business Transaction and (ii) twelve months following the Effective Date (defined below), and expiring at or before 5:00 p.m., New York City local time [●], 2021 (the “ Expiration Date ”), but not thereafter, to subscribe for, purchase and receive, in whole or in part, up to Two Hundred Thousand (200,000) units (the “ Units ”) of the Company.  Each Unit consists of (i) one share of Common Stock, $.0001 par value (“ Common Stock ”) and (ii) one warrant (the “ Warrant(s) ”) to purchase one share of Common Stock.  The Warrants expire five years from the effective date (the “ Effective Date ”) of the registration statement (the “ Registration Statement ”) pursuant to which Units are offered for sale to the public (the “ Offering ”).  Each Warrant is on the same terms and conditions as the warrants underlying the Units being registered for sale to the public by way of the Registration Statement.  If the Expiration Date is a day on which banking institutions are authorized by law to close, then this Purchase Option shall expire on the next succeeding day that is not such a day in accordance with the terms herein.  During the period ending on the Expiration Date, the Company agrees not to take any action that would terminate the Purchase Option.  This Purchase Option is initially exercisable at $11.50 per Unit (the “ Exercise Price ”).  The number of Units purchasable hereunder and the Exercise Price are subject to adjustment as provided in this Purchase Option.

 

 

 

  

  2. Exercise .

 

2.1          Exercise .  This Purchase Option may be exercised by the Holder in whole or in part at any time or in part from time to time on or after the Commencement Date and before the Expiration Date by: (x) surrendering this Purchase Option to the Company, (y) delivering a subscription form attached hereto as Annex I (duly executed by the Holder) and (z) making payment of the Exercise Price in cash, certified or official bank check payable to the order of the Company or wire transfer of immediately available funds (to an account designated by the Company), in any case in an amount obtained by multiplying (a) the number of Units designated by the Holder in the subscription form by (b) the Exercise Price then in effect.  In the event of a partial exercise or assignment hereof, the Company shall issue and deliver to or upon the order of the Holder a new Purchase Option of like tenor, in the name of the Holder or as the Holder (upon payment by the Holder of applicable transfer taxes) may request, evidencing the right to purchase the aggregate number of Units for which such Purchase Option may still be exercised.  If the subscription rights represented hereby shall not be exercised at or before 5:00 p.m., New York City local time on the Expiration Date, this Purchase Option automatically shall become and be void, without further force or effect, and all rights represented hereby shall cease and expire.

 

2.2          Legend .  Each certificate for the Units issued upon exercise of this Purchase Option and each certificate representing the underlying Common Stock and Warrants and the Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the underlying Warrants (the “ Warrant Shares ”) shall bear a legend as follows, unless such Units, Common Stock, Warrants and/or Warrant Shares (collectively, the “ Securities ”) have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Act ”):

 

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND NEITHER THE SECURITIES NOR ANY INTEREST THEREIN MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR SUCH LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND SUCH LAWS WHICH, IN THE OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THIS CORPORATION, IS AVAILABLE.”

 

2.3          Cashless Exercise .  In lieu of the payment of the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Units for which this Purchase Option is exercisable (and in lieu of being entitled to receive Common Stock and Warrants) in the manner required by Section 2.1, the Holder shall have the right (but not the obligation) to convert any exercisable but unexercised portion of this Purchase Option into Units (the “ Conversion Right ”) as follows: upon exercise of the Conversion Right, the Company shall deliver to the Holder (without payment by the Holder of any of the Exercise Price in cash) that number of shares of Common Stock and Warrants comprising that number of Units equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the Value (as defined below) of the portion of the Purchase Option being converted by (y) the Current Market Value (as defined below) of the portion of the Purchase Option being converted.  The “ Value ” of the portion of the Purchase Option being converted shall equal the remainder derived from subtracting (a) (i) the Exercise Price multiplied by (ii) the number of Units underlying the portion of this Purchase Option being converted from (b) the Current Market Value (as defined below) of a Unit multiplied by the number of Units underlying the portion of the Purchase Option being converted.

 

As used herein, the term “ Current Market Value ” per Unit at any date shall mean:

 

(a)         in the event that neither the Units nor Warrants are still trading, the remainder derived from subtracting (i) the exercise price of the Warrants multiplied by the number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants underlying one Unit from (ii) (x) the Current Market Price of the Common Stock multiplied by (y) the number of shares of Common Stock underlying one Unit, which shall include the shares of Common Stock underlying Warrants included in such Unit;

 

(b)         in the event the Units are still trading, the Current Market Price of the Units; and

 

(c)         in the event that the Units are not still trading but the Common Stock and Warrants underlying the Units are still trading the sum of (i) the Current Market Price of the Common Stock underlying one Unit, which shall not include the Warrant Shares underlying the Warrants included in such Unit and (ii) the product of (x) the Current Market Price of the Warrants and (y) the number of Warrant Shares underlying the Warrants included in one Unit.

 

  - 2 -  

 

 

As used herein, the term “ Current Market Price ” shall mean (i) if the Common Stock (or Units or Warrants, as the case may be) are listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board (or successor Exchange), the average of the sale price of the Common Stock (or Units or Warrants) in the principal trading market for the Common Stock as reported by the exchange or the OTC Bulletin Board, as the case may be, for the ten trading days ending on the third business day prior to exercise; (ii) if the Common Stock (or Units or Warrants, as the case may be) are not listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board (or successor exchange), but are traded in the residual over-the-counter market, the closing bid price for the Common Stock (or Units or Warrants) on the last trading day preceding the date in question for which such quotations are reported by the Pink Sheets, LLC or similar publisher of such quotations; and (iii) if the fair market value of the Common Stock (or Units or Warrants) cannot be determined pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) above, such price as the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine, in good faith.

 

2.4          Mechanics of Cashless Exercise .  The cashless exercise right set forth herein may be exercised by the Holder on any business day on or after the Commencement Date and not later than the Expiration Date by delivering the Purchase Option with the duly executed exercise form attached hereto with the cashless exercise section completed to the Company, exercising the cashless exercise right and specifying the total number of Units the Holder will purchase pursuant to such right.

 

2.5          No Cash Settlement .  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Purchase Option, under no circumstances will the Company be required to net cash settle the exercise of the Purchase Option or the Warrants underlying the Purchase Option.

 

  3.  Transfer .

 

3.1          General Restrictions .  Holder agrees that, pursuant to the Lock-Up Period (as defined below) of FINRA Rule 5110(g)(1), it will not (a) sell, transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise transfer this Purchase Option (including the Securities hereunder) other than to a bona fide officer or partner of the Holder or any selected dealer in connection with the Offering, in each case in accordance with FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(g)(1), or (b) cause this Purchase Option or the Securities hereunder to be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of this Purchase Option or the Securities hereunder, except as provided for in FINRA Rule 5110(g)(2).  As used herein, the term “ Lock-Up Period ” means the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the one hundred eighty day anniversary of the Effective Date.

 

3.2          Restrictions Imposed by the Act .  The Securities evidenced by this Purchase Option shall not be transferred unless and until (i) the Company has received the opinion of counsel for the Holder that the Securities may be transferred pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Act and applicable state securities laws, the availability of which is established to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company (the Company hereby agreeing that the opinion of Loeb & Loeb LLP shall be deemed satisfactory evidence of the availability of an exemption), or (ii) a registration statement or a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement relating to such Securities has been filed by the Company and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) and compliance with applicable state securities law has been established.

 

  4. New Purchase Options to be Issued .

 

4.1          Partial Exercise or Transfer .  Subject to the restrictions in Section 3 hereof, this Purchase Option may be exercised or assigned in whole or in part. In order to make any permitted assignment or transfer, the Holder must deliver to the Company the assignment form attached hereto as Annex II duly executed and completed, together with the Purchase Option and payment of all transfer taxes, if any, payable in connection therewith.  The Company shall within five (5) business days transfer this Purchase Option on the books of the Company and shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Option or Purchase Options of like tenor to the appropriate assignee(s) expressly evidencing the right to purchase the aggregate number of Units purchasable hereunder or such portion of such number as shall be contemplated by any such assignment or transfer.

 

4.2          Lost Certificate .  Upon receipt by the Company of evidence satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Purchase Option and of reasonably satisfactory indemnification or the posting of a bond, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Option of like tenor and date. Any such new Purchase Option executed and delivered as a result of such loss, theft, mutilation or destruction shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation on the part of the Company.

 

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  5. Registration Rights .

 

5.1          Demand Registration .

 

5.1.1            Grant of Right .  If at any time during a period of five (5) years commencing on the Effective Date when there is not an effective registration statement covering all of the Registrable Securities (defined below), the Company, upon written demand (a “ Demand Notice ”) of the Holder(s) of at least 51% (the “ Majority Holders ”) of the Purchase Options and/or the underlying Units and/or the underlying Securities, agrees to register all or any portion of the Purchase Option and the underlying Securities (collectively, the “ Registrable Securities ”) as requested by the Majority Holders. The Company will file a registration statement or a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities within sixty (60) days after receipt of a Demand Notice and use its commercially reasonable efforts to have such registration statement or post-effective amendment declared effective as soon as possible thereafter, subject to compliance with review by the SEC. The demand for registration may be made at any time beginning on the Commencement Date.  The Company covenants and agrees to give written notice of its receipt of any Demand Notice by any Holder(s) to all other registered Holders of the Purchase Options and/or the Registrable Securities within ten (10) days from the date of the receipt of any such Demand Notice.

 

5.1.2            Terms .  The Company shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the Registrable Securities, including the expenses of one legal counsel selected by the Majority Holders to represent them in connection with the registration of the Registrable Securities (such fees and expenses of legal counsel not to exceed $[10,000]), but the Holders shall pay any and all underwriting commissions.  The Company agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts to qualify or register the Registrable Securities in such States as are reasonably requested by the Majority Holder(s); provided, however, that in no event shall the Company be required to register the Registrable Securities in a State in which such registration would cause (i) the Company to be obligated to qualify to do business in such State, or would subject the Company to taxation as a foreign corporation doing business in such jurisdiction or (ii) the principal shareholders of the Company to be obligated to escrow their shares of capital stock of the Company.  The Company shall cause any registration statement or post-effective amendment filed pursuant to the demand rights granted under Section 5.1.1 to remain effective for a period of the later of (a) the exercise period of the Warrants or  (b) two (2) years from the effective date of such registration statement or post-effective amendment; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment filed pursuant to such demand rights granted under Section 5.1.1 to remain effective for the periods described in this Section 5.1.2 if such (i) Registrable Securities have all been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such registration statement or post-effective amendment and such Registrable Securities are no longer subject to transfer restrictions; (ii) such Registrable Securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for them (if issued in certificated form) not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of them shall not require registration under the Act; or (iii) such Registrable Securities shall have ceased to be outstanding.

 

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5.2          “Piggy-Back” Registration .

 

5.2.1            Grant of Right .  If at any time during a period of seven (7) years commencing on the Effective Date when there is not an effective registration statement covering all of the Registrable Securities, the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement relating to an offering under the Act of any of its securities, other than pursuant to SEC Form S-4 or S-8 or any equivalent form, the Company, upon the request of any Holder, as described below, shall cause the registration under the Act of the Registrable Securities as part of any such registration statement filed by the Company; provided, however , that if, in the written opinion of the Company’s managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, for such offering, the inclusion of the Registrable Securities, when added to the securities being registered by the Company or the selling shareholder(s), will exceed the maximum amount of the Company’s securities (the “ Maximum Number of Shares ”) which can be marketed (i) at a price reasonably related to their then current market value, and (ii) without materially and adversely affecting the entire offering, then the Company shall include in any such registration:

 

(i)           If the registration is undertaken for the Company’s account: (A) first, the Common Stock or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Common Stock, if any, including the Registrable Securities, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights of security holders that are in effect on the date hereof (pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock which each such person has actually requested to be included in such registration, regardless of the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which such persons have the right to request such inclusion) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and

 

(ii)           If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of persons other than the holders of Registrable Securities pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons, (A) first, the Common Stock for the account of the demanding persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Common Stock or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested under this Section 5.2 (pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of Registrable Securities held by each such holder); and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the Common Stock, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights which other shareholders desire to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares.

 

5.2.2            Terms .  The Company shall bear all reasonable fees and expenses attendant to registering the Registrable Securities, including the reasonable expenses of one legal counsel selected by the Majority Holders to represent them in connection with the registration of the Registrable Securities (such fees and expenses of legal counsel not to exceed [$10,000]) but the Holders shall pay any and all underwriting commissions related to the Registrable Securities.  In the event of such a proposed registration, the Company shall furnish the then Holders of outstanding Registrable Securities with not less than fifteen (15) days’ written notice prior to the proposed date of filing of such registration statement. Such notice to the Holders shall continue to be given for each applicable registration statement filed (during the period in which the Purchase Option is exercisable) by the Company until such time as all of the Registrable Securities have been registered and sold. The holders of the Registrable Securities shall exercise the “piggy-back” rights provided for herein by giving written notice, within ten days of the receipt of the Company’s notice of its intention to file a registration statement. The Company shall cause any registration statement filed pursuant to the above “piggyback” rights to remain effective for at least nine months from the date that the Holders of the Registrable Securities are first given the opportunity to sell all of such securities; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to cause such registration statement to remain effective for the period described above if such (i) Registrable Securities have all been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such registration statement and such Registrable Securities are no longer subject to transfer restrictions; (ii) such Registrable Securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for them (if issued in certificated form) not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of them shall not require registration under the Act; or (iii) such Registrable Securities shall have ceased to be outstanding.

 

5.2.3           The Company agrees, at its sole expense, to use its commercially reasonable efforts to qualify or register the Registrable Securities in such States as are reasonably requested by the Majority Holder(s); provided, however, that in no event shall the Company be required to register the Registrable Securities in a State in which such registration would cause (i) the Company to be obligated to qualify to do business in such State, or would subject the Company to taxation as a foreign corporation doing business in such jurisdiction or (ii) the principal shareholders of the Company to be obligated to escrow their shares of capital stock of the Company. 

 

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5.3          General Terms .

  

5.3.1            Indemnification .  The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Purchase Option, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors, agents, brokers, investment advisors and employees of each of them and each person, if any, who controls such Holders within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), and the officers, directors, agents and employees of such controlling person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever whether arising out of any action between the underwriter and the Company or between the underwriter and any third party or otherwise) to which any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising out of or relating to such registration statement filed pursuant to this Section 5 and any prospectus contained in the registration statement or in any amendment or supplement thereto, except only to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions pursuant to which the Company has agreed to indemnify the underwriters contained in Section 5.1of the Underwriting Agreement (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”) between the Company and Maxim Group, LLC, (the “ Representative ”) and the other underwriters named therein, dated the Effective Date.  Each Holder of the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to such registration statement, and their successors and assigns, shall severally, and not jointly, indemnify the Company, its officers and directors and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any claim whatsoever) to which they may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from information furnished by or on behalf of such Holders, or their successors or assigns, in writing, for specific inclusion in such registration statement to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions contained in Section 5.2 of the Underwriting Agreement pursuant to which the underwriters have agreed to indemnify the Company.

 

5.3.2            Exercise of Purchase Options .  Nothing contained in this Purchase Option shall be construed as requiring any Holder to exercise their Purchase Options or Warrants underlying such Purchase Options prior to or after the filing of any registration statement or the effectiveness thereof.

 

5.3.3            Documents Delivered to Holders .  The Company shall furnish to the Representative, as representative of the Holders participating in any of the foregoing offerings, a signed counterpart, addressed to the participating Holders, of (i) an opinion of counsel to the Company, dated the effective date of such registration statement (and, if such registration includes an underwritten public offering, an opinion dated the date of the closing under any underwriting agreement related thereto), and (ii) a “cold comfort” letter dated the effective date of such registration statement (and, if such registration includes an underwritten public offering, a letter dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement) signed by the independent public accountants who have issued a report on the Company’s financial statements included in such registration statement, in each case covering substantially the same matters with respect to such registration statement (and the prospectus included therein) and, in the case of such accountants’ letter, with respect to events subsequent to the date of such financial statements, as are customarily covered in opinions of issuer’s counsel and in accountants’ letters delivered to underwriters in underwritten public offerings of securities.  The Company shall also deliver promptly to the Representative, as representative of the Holders participating in the offering, the correspondence and memoranda described below and copies of all correspondence between the Commission and the Company, its counsel or auditors and all memoranda relating to discussions with the Commission or its staff with respect to the registration statement and permit the Representative, as representative of the Holders, to do such investigation, upon reasonable advance notice, with respect to information contained in or omitted from the registration statement as it deems reasonably necessary to comply with applicable securities laws or rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“ FINRA ”).  Such investigation shall include access to books, records and properties and opportunities to discuss the business of the Company with its officers and independent auditors, all to such reasonable extent and at such reasonable times and as often as the Representative, as representative of the Holders, shall reasonably request.  The Company shall not be required to disclose any confidential information or other records to the Representative, as representative of the Holders, or to any other person, until and unless such persons shall have entered into reasonable confidentiality agreements (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company), with the Company with respect thereto.

 

5.3.4            Documents to be Delivered by Holders(s) .  Each Holder participating in any of the foregoing offerings shall furnish to the Company a completed and executed questionnaire provided by the Company requesting information customarily sought of selling securityholders.

 

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5.3.5            Underwriting Agreement .  The Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement with the managing underwriter(s), if any, selected by any Holders, whose Registrable Securities are being registered pursuant to this Section 5, which managing underwriter shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company. Such agreement shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Company and its legal counsel, each Holder and such managing underwriters, and shall contain such representations, warranties and covenants by the Company and such other terms as are customarily contained in agreements of that type used by the managing underwriter. The Holders shall be parties to any underwriting agreement relating to an underwritten sale of their Registrable Securities and may, at their option, require that any or all the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company to or for the benefit of such underwriters shall also be made to and for the benefit of such Holders. Such Holders shall not be required to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the underwriters except as they may relate to such Holders and their intended methods of distribution. Such Holders, however, shall agree to such covenants and indemnification and contribution obligations for selling shareholders as are customarily contained in agreements of that type used by the managing underwriter. Further, such Holders shall execute appropriate custody agreements and otherwise cooperate fully in the preparation of the registration statement and other documents relating to any offering in which they include securities pursuant to this Section 5. Each Holder shall also furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as shall be reasonably required to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities.

 

5.3.6            Rule 144 Sale .  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 5 to the contrary, the Company shall have no obligation pursuant to Sections 5.1 or 5.2 for the registration of Registrable Securities held by any Holders (i) where such Holders would then be entitled to sell under Rule 144 within any three month period (or such other period prescribed under Rule 144 as may be provided by amendment thereof) all of the Registrable Securities held by such Holders, and (ii) where the number of Registrable Securities held by such Holders is within the volume limitations under paragraph (e) of Rule 144 (calculated as if such Holders were an affiliate within the meaning of Rule 144).

 

5.3.7            Supplemental Prospectus .  Each Holder agrees, that upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event as a result of which the prospectus included in the Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing, such Holders will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until such Holders’ receipt of the copies of a supplemental or amended prospectus, and, if so desired by the Company, such Holders shall deliver to the Company (at the expense of the Company) or destroy (and deliver to the Company a certificate of such destruction) all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such Holders’ possession, of the prospectus covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice.

 

  6. Adjustments .

 

6.1          Adjustments to Exercise Price and Number of Securities .  The Exercise Price and the number of Units underlying the Purchase Option shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as hereinafter set forth:

 

6.1.1            Stock Dividends – Split-Ups .  If after the date hereof, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is increased by a stock dividend payable in Common Stock or by a split-up of Common Stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date thereof, the number of shares of Common Stock underlying each of the Units purchasable hereunder shall be increased in proportion to such increase in outstanding shares of Common Stock.  In such case, the number of shares of Common Stock, and the exercise price applicable thereto, underlying the Warrants underlying each of the Units purchasable hereunder shall be adjusted in accordance with the terms of the Warrants.  For example, if the Company declares a two-for-one stock dividend and at the time of such dividend this Purchase Option is for the purchase of one Unit at $11.50 whole Unit (each Warrant underlying the Units is exercisable for $11.50 per share), upon effectiveness of the dividend, this Purchase Option will be adjusted to allow for the purchase of one Unit at $11.50 per Unit, each Unit entitling the holder to receive two shares of Common Stock and two Warrants (each Warrant exercisable for $5.75 per share).

 

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6.1.2            Aggregation of Shares .  If after the date hereof, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination or reclassification of Common Stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date thereof, the number of shares of Common Stock underlying each of the Units purchasable hereunder shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of Common Stock.  In such case, the number of shares of Common Stock, and the exercise price applicable thereto, underlying the Warrants underlying each of the Units purchasable hereunder shall be adjusted in accordance with the terms of the Warrants.

 

6.1.3            Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc .  In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Common Stock other than a change covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2 hereof or that solely affects the par value of such shares of Common Stock, or in the case of any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Common Stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the Holders of this Purchase Option shall have the right thereafter (until the expiration of the right of exercise of this Purchase Option) to receive upon the exercise hereof, for the same aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder immediately prior to such event, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, by a Holders of the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company obtainable upon exercise of this Purchase Option and the underlying Warrants immediately prior to such event; and if any reclassification also results in a change in shares of Common Stock covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2, then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to Sections 6.1.1, 6.1.2 and this Section 6.1.3. The provisions of this Section 6.1.3 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, mergers or consolidations, sales or other transfers.

 

6.1.4            Changes in Form of Purchase Option .  This form of Purchase Option need not be changed because of any change pursuant to this Section, and the Purchase Options issued after such change may state the same Exercise Price and the same number of Units as are stated in the Purchase Options initially issued pursuant to this Agreement. The acceptance by any Holders of the issuance of new Purchase Options reflecting a required or permissive change shall not be deemed to waive any rights to an adjustment occurring after the Commencement Date or the computation thereof.

 

6.2            Substitute Purchase Option .  In case of any consolidation of the Company with, or merger of the Company with, or merger of the Company into, another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger which does not result in any reclassification or change of the outstanding shares of Common Stock), the corporation formed by such consolidation or merger shall execute and deliver to the Holders a supplemental Purchase Option providing that the holder of each Purchase Option then outstanding or to be outstanding shall have the right thereafter (until the stated expiration of such Purchase Option) to receive, upon exercise of such Purchase Option, the kind and amount of shares of stock and other securities and property receivable upon such consolidation or merger, by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company for which such Purchase Option might have been exercised immediately prior to such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer. Such supplemental Purchase Option shall provide for adjustments which shall be identical to the adjustments provided in Section 6. The above provision of this Section shall similarly apply to successive consolidations or mergers.

 

6.3            Elimination of Fractional Interests .  The Company shall not be required to issue certificates representing fractions of Common Stock or Warrants upon the exercise of the Purchase Option, nor shall it be required to issue scrip or pay cash in lieu of any fractional interests, it being the intent of the parties that all fractional interests shall be eliminated by rounding any fraction up or down to the nearest whole number of Warrants, Common Stock or other securities, properties or rights.

 

  - 8 -  

 

 

7.            Reservation and Listing .  The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized Common Stock, solely for the purpose of issuance upon exercise of the Purchase Options or the Warrants underlying the Purchase Option, such number of shares of Common Stock or other securities, properties or rights as shall be issuable upon the exercise thereof.  The Company covenants and agrees that, upon exercise of the Purchase Options and payment of the Exercise Price therefor, all Common Stock and other securities issuable upon such exercise shall be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and not subject to preemptive rights of any shareholder.  The Company further covenants and agrees that upon exercise of the Warrants underlying the Purchase Options and payment of the respective Warrant exercise price therefor, all Common Stock and other securities issuable upon such exercise shall be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and not subject to preemptive rights of any shareholder.  As long as the Purchase Options shall be outstanding, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause all (i) Units and Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Purchase Options, (ii) Warrants issuable upon exercise of the Purchase Options and (iii) Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants included in the Units issuable upon exercise of the Purchase Option to be listed (subject to official notice of issuance) on all securities exchanges (or, if applicable on the OTC Bulletin Board or any successor trading market) on which the Units, the Common Stock or the Warrants may then be listed and/or quoted.

 

  8. Certain Notice Requirements .

 

8.1          Holder’s Right to Receive Notice .  Nothing herein shall be construed as conferring upon the Holders the right to vote or consent as a shareholder for the election of directors or any other matter, or as having any rights whatsoever as a shareholder of the Company.  If, however, at any time prior to the expiration of the Purchase Options and their exercise, any of the events described in Section 8.2 shall occur, then, in one or more of said events, the Company shall give written notice of such event at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date fixed as a record date or the date of closing the transfer books for the determination of the shareholders entitled to such dividend, distribution, conversion or exchange of securities or subscription rights, or entitled to vote on such proposed dissolution, liquidation, winding up or sale.  Such notice shall specify such record date or the date of the closing of the transfer books, as the case may be.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall deliver to each Holder a copy of each notice given to the other shareholders of the Company at the same time and in the same manner that such notice is given to the shareholders.

 

8.2          Events Requiring Notice .  The Company shall be required to give the notice described in this Section 8 upon one or more of the following events: (i) if the Company shall take a record of the holders of its Common Stock for the purpose of entitling them to receive a dividend or distribution, or (ii) the Company shall offer to all the holders of its Common Stock any additional shares of capital stock of the Company or securities convertible into, exercisable for or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company, or any option, right or warrant to subscribe therefor, or (iii) a dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company (other than in connection with a consolidation or merger) or a sale of all or substantially all of its property, assets and business or a merger of the Company wherein the separate existence of the Company shall cease shall be proposed.

 

8.3          Notice of Change in Exercise Price .  The Company shall, promptly after an event requiring a change in the Exercise Price pursuant to Section 6 hereof, send notice to the Holders of such event and change (a “ Price Notice ”). The Price Notice shall describe the event causing the change and the method of calculating same and shall be certified as being true and accurate by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

 

8.4          Transmittal of Notices .  All notices, requests, consents and other communications under this Purchase Option shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly made when hand delivered, mailed by express mail or private courier service, or sent by facsimile transmission, with confirmation of receipt: (i) If to the registered Holders of the Purchase Option, to the address and/or fax number of such Holders as shown on the books of the Company, or (ii) if to the Company, to the following address or fax number or to such other address or and fax number as the Company may designate by notice to the Holders:

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc .

90 Kifissias Avenue

Maroussi 15125

Athens, Greece

Fax:  __________________

Attn: Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis, Co-Chief Executive Officer

 

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  9. Miscellaneous .

 

9.1          Amendments .  The Company and the Representative may from time to time supplement or amend this Purchase Option without the approval of any of the Holders in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, or to make any other provisions in regard to matters or questions arising hereunder that the Company and the Representative may deem necessary or desirable and that the Company and the Representative deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Holders.  All other modifications or amendments shall require the written consent of and be signed by the party against whom enforcement of the modification or amendment is sought.

 

9.2          Headings .  The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Purchase Option.

 

9.3          Entire Agreement .  This Purchase Option (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Purchase Option) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

9.4          Binding Effect .  This Purchase Option shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon, the Holders and the Company and their permitted assignees, respective successors, legal representative and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Purchase Option or any provisions herein contained.

 

9.5          Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction .  This Purchase Option shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws.  Each of the Company and the Holder agree that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of, or relating in any way to this Purchase Option shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York located in New York County or of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive.  Each of the Company and the Holder hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 8 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. The Company and the Holders agree that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor.

 

9.6          Waiver, Etc .  The failure of the Company or the Holders to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Purchase Option shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way affect the validity of this Purchase Option or any provision hereof or the right of the Company or any Holders to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Purchase Option. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Purchase Option shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.

 

9.7          Execution .  It is agreed that deliver of the Company’s signature hereon by facsimile or other electronic method of delivery shall constitute a valid signature and delivery.

 

9.8          Exchange Agreement .  As a condition of the Holder’s receipt and acceptance of this Purchase Option, Holder agrees that, at any time prior to the complete exercise of this Purchase Option by Holders, if the Company and the Representative, as representative of the Holder, enter into an agreement (an “ Exchange Agreement ”) pursuant to which they agree that all outstanding Purchase Options will be exchanged for securities or cash or a combination of both, then Holder shall agree to such exchange and become a party to the Exchange Agreement.

 

  - 10 -  

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Purchase Option to be signed by its duly authorized officer as of the [●]th day of [●], 2016.

 

STELLAR ACQUISITION III INC.  
     
By:    
Name: Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis  
Title: Co-Chief Executive Officer  

 

 

 

 

Annex I

 

Form to be used to exercise Purchase Option

STELLAR ACQUISITION III INC.

90 Kifissias Avenue

Maroussi 15125

Athens, Greece

 

Date:_________________, 201__

 

The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to exercise all or a portion of the within Purchase Option and to purchase ____ Units of STELLAR ACQUISITION III INC. hereby makes payment of $____________ (at the rate of $_________ per Unit) in payment of the Exercise Price pursuant thereto.  Please issue the Warrants as to which this Purchase Option is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below.

 

or

 

The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to convert its right to purchase _________ Units purchasable under the within Purchase Option by surrender of the unexercised portion of the attached Purchase Option (with a “Value” based of $_______ based on a “Market Price” of $_______). Please issue the securities comprising the Units as to which this Purchase Option is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below.

 

   
Signature  
   
Signature Guaranteed  

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES

 

Name  
  (Print in Block Letters)
   
Address  

 

NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE TO THIS FORM MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE WITHIN PURCHASE OPTION IN EVERY PARTICULAR WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATSOEVER, AND MUST BE GUARANTEED BY A BANK, OTHER THAN A SAVINGS BANK, OR BY A TRUST COMPANY OR BY A FIRM HAVING MEMBERSHIP ON A REGISTERED NATIONAL SECURITIES EXCHANGE.

 

  I- 1  

 

 

Annex II

 

Form to be used to assign Purchase Option

 

ASSIGNMENT

 

(To be executed by the registered Holders to effect a transfer of the within Purchase Option):

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED,___________________________________________ does hereby sell, assign and transfer unto______________________________________ the right to purchase __________ Units of STELLAR ACQUISITION III INC. (the “ Company ”) evidenced by the within Purchase Option and does hereby authorize the Company to transfer such right on the books of the Company.

 

Dated:___________________, 201_

 

   
Signature  
   
   
Signature Guaranteed  

 

NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE TO THIS FORM MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE WITHIN PURCHASE OPTION IN EVERY PARTICULAR WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATSOEVER, AND MUST BE GUARANTEED BY A BANK, OTHER THAN A SAVINGS BANK, OR BY A TRUST COMPANY OR BY A FIRM HAVING MEMBERSHIP ON A REGISTERED NATIONAL SECURITIES EXCHANGE.

 

 

II-1

 

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

REEDER & SIMPSON, P.C.

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

 

P.O. Box 601   Telephone: +692-625-3602
RRE Commercial Center   Email: dreeder@ntamar.net
Majuro, MH 96960   r.simpson@simpson.gr

 

August 2, 2016

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

90 Kifissias Avenue

Maroussi 15125

Athens, Greece

 

Re: Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as Republic of the Marshall Islands (the “ RMI ”), counsel to Stellar Acquisition III Inc., a corporation formed under the laws of the RMI (the “ Corporation ”), with respect to the preparation of a preliminary prospectus dated June 30, 2016 (the “ Preliminary Prospectus ”), to that certain Registration Statement on Form S-1 (333-212377), as amended, (the “ Registration Statement ’), for the offering and sale by the Corporation of up to 9,200,000 units of the Corporation (the “ Units ”), including up to 1,200,000 Units to cover over-allotments, with each Unit consisting of one share of common stock, par value US$0.0001 per share (the “ Common Stock ”), and one warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (“ Warrant ”). The shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants that are part of the Units are referred to as the “ Warrant Shares ”.

 

In connection with this opinion, we have examined originals or electronic copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction the following documents (together the “ Documents ”): (i) the Registration Statement; (ii) the Preliminary Prospectus; (iii) a draft of the Underwriting Agreement, by and between the Company and Maxim Group LLC (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”); (iv) a draft of the Warrant Agreement, by and between the Company and Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “ Warrant Agreement ”), (v) the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended; (vi) the Corporation’s Bylaws, as amended; and (vii) resolutions of the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, approving the offering of the Units and the securities underlying the Units and all action relating thereto. We have also examined such corporate documents and records of the Corporation and other instruments, certificates and documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinions hereinafter expressed. In such examinations, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as electronic copies or drafts of documents to be executed, the genuineness of all signatures, and the legal competence or capacity of persons or entities to execute and deliver such documents. As to various questions of fact which are material to the opinions hereinafter expressed, we have relied upon statements or certificates of public officials, directors of the Corporation and others, and have made no independent investigation, but have assumed that any representation, warranty or statement of fact or law, other than as to the laws of the RMI, made in any of the Documents is true, accurate and complete.

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, and having regard to such other legal considerations that we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

 

Under the laws of the RMI, the shares of Common Stock underlying the Units have been duly authorized for issuance, and when issued and delivered by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and the Underwriting Agreement and upon payment of the consideration thereof or provided for therein, the shares of Common Stock underlying the Units will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Under the laws of the RMI, the Warrant Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and when issued and delivered by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Underwriting Agreement, and the Warrant Agreement and upon payment of the consideration thereof or provided for therein, the Warrant Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

We qualify our opinion to the extent that we express no opinion as to any law other than the laws of the RMI, including the statutes and Constitution of the RMI, in effect on the effective date of the Registration Statement and the reported judicial decisions interpreting such statutes and constitution. None of the opinions expressed herein relates to compliance with or matters governed by the laws of any jurisdiction except the RMI.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and to each reference to us under the heading “ Legal Matters ” in the Registration Statement and the Preliminary Prospectus without admitting we are an “expert” within the meaning of Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  /s/ Dennis J. Reeder
  Dennis J. Reeder
  Reeder & Simpson, P.C.

 

 

Exhibit 5.2

 

Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP

1345 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10105

 

August 2, 2016

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

90 Kifi ssias Avenue

Maroussi 15125

Athens, Greece

 

Re:    Registration Statement of Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as United States counsel to Stellar Acquisition III Inc., a Marshall Islands corporation (the “ Company ”), in connection with the registration by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission of up to 9,200,000 units of the Company, including the underwriters’ over-allotment option (collectively the “ Units ”), with each Unit consisting of one share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “ Common Stock ”) of the Company and one warrant of the Company to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “ Warrant ”), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 initially filed by the Company with the Commission on June 30, 2016 (File No. 333-212377) (as amended, the “ Registration Statement ”). This opinion is being given in accordance with the Legal Matters section of the Registration Statement, as it pertains to the portions of New York law set forth below.

 

We have examined such documents and considered such legal matters as we have deemed necessary and relevant as the basis for the opinion set forth below. With respect to such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as reproduced or certified copies, and the authenticity of the originals of those latter documents. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have, to the extent deemed appropriate, relied upon certain representations of certain officers and employees of the Company.

 

Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

 

1.             Units . When the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Act ”), and when the offering is completed as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Units will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except: (a) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); (b) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (c) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

  

2.             Warrants . When the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act, the Warrants included in the Units, when the Units are delivered to and paid for by the underwriters in accordance with the terms of the underwriting agreement proposed to be entered into between the Company and the underwriters named therein, and assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery of such Warrants by the Warrant Agent, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms except: (a) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); (b) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (c) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

 

Notwithstanding anything in this letter which might be construed to the contrary, our opinions expressed herein are limited to the laws of the State of New York. We express no opinion with respect to the applicability to, or the effect on, the subject transaction of the laws of any other jurisdiction or as to any matters of municipal law or the laws of any local agencies within any state other than the State of New York. The opinion expressed herein is based upon the laws of the State of New York in effect on the date hereof and as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, and we assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion after the effective date of the Registration Statement should such law be changed by legislative action, judicial decision, or otherwise. Except as expressly set forth in our opinion above: (i) we express no opinion as to whether the laws of any other jurisdiction are applicable to the subject matter hereof, and (ii) we express no opinion as to compliance with any other federal or state law, rule or regulation relating to securities, or to the sale or issuance thereof.

 

We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, to the use of our name as your counsel and to all references made to us in the Registration Statement and in the prospectus forming a part thereof. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. 

 

Very truly yours,

  

/s/ Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP  

 

Exhibit 10.9

 

INDEMNITY AGREEMENT

 

THIS INDEMNITY AGREEMENT  (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of _________, 2016, by and between STELLAR ACQUISITION III INC., a corporation incorporated under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (the “ Company ”), and ___________ (“ Indemnitee ”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS , highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve publicly-held corporations as directors, officers or in other capacities unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of such corporations;

 

WHEREAS , the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) has determined that, in order to attract and retain qualified individuals, the Company will attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its subsidiaries from certain liabilities. Although the furnishing of such insurance has been a customary and widespread practice among United States based corporations and other business enterprises, the Company believes that, given current market conditions and trends, such insurance may be available to it in the future only at higher premiums and with more exclusions. At the same time, directors, officers and other persons in service to corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to, among other things, matters that traditionally would have been brought only against the Company or business enterprise itself. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the “ Charter ”) and the Bylaws (the “ Bylaws ”) of the Company require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company. Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to applicable provisions of the Business Corporations Act of the Republic of Marshall Islands (“ BCA ”). The Charter, the Bylaws and the BCA expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the board of directors, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement and reimbursement rights;

 

WHEREAS , the uncertainties relating to such insurance and to indemnification have increased the difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons;

 

WHEREAS , the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s shareholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;

 

WHEREAS , it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so protected against liabilities;

 

WHEREAS , this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Charter and Bylaws of the Company and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee may not be willing to serve as an officer or director, advisor or in another capacity without adequate protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity. Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that he be so indemnified; and

 

 

 

 

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein and subject to the provisions of the letter agreement dated as of ________, 2016 between the Company and Indemnitee pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement between the Company and the Underwriters in connection with the Company’s initial public offering, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

1. SERVICES TO THE COMPANY . In consideration of the Company’s covenants and obligations hereunder, Indemnitee will serve or continue to serve as an officer, director, advisor, key employee or in any other capacity of the Company, as applicable, for so long as Indemnitee is duly elected, appointed or retained or until Indemnitee tenders his resignation or until Indemnitee is removed. The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as a director, officer, advisor, key employee or in any other capacity of the Company, as provided in Section 17. This Agreement, however, shall not impose any obligation on Indemnitee or the Company to continue Indemnitee’s service to the Company beyond any period otherwise required by law or by other agreements or commitments of the parties, if any.

 

2. DEFINITIONS . As used in this Agreement:

 

2.1. References to “ agent ” shall mean any person who is or was a director, officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company or other person authorized by the Company to act for the Company, to include such person serving in such capacity as a director, officer, employee, advisor, fiduciary or other official of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the interests of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company.

 

2.2. The terms “ Beneficial Owner ” and “ Beneficial Ownership ” shall have the meanings set forth in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below) as in effect on the date hereof.

 

2.3. A “ Change in Control ” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following events:

 

2.3.1.  Acquisition of Stock by Third Party . Any Person (as defined below) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, unless (1) the change in the relative Beneficial Ownership of the Company’s securities by any Person results solely from a reduction in the aggregate number of outstanding shares of securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, or (2) such acquisition was approved in advance by the Continuing Directors (as defined below) and such acquisition would not constitute a Change in Control under part 2.3.3 of this definition; 

 

2.3.2.  Change in Board of Directors . Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board, and any new director whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds of the directors then still in office who were directors on the date hereof or whose election for nomination for election was previously so approved (collectively, the “ Continuing Directors ”), cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board;

 

2.3.3.  Corporate Transactions . The effective date of a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination, involving the Company and one or more businesses (a “ Business Combination ”), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination: (1) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the Beneficial Owners of securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 51% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, a corporation which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more Subsidiaries (as defined below) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Business Combination, of the securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; (2) no Person (excluding any corporation resulting from such Business Combination) is the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of 15% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the surviving corporation except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination; and (3) at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination were Continuing Directors at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board of Directors, providing for such Business Combination;

 

2

 

 

2.3.4.  Liquidation . The approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement or series of agreements for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, other than factoring the Company’s current receivables or escrows due (or, if such approval is not required, the decision by the Board to proceed with such a liquidation, sale, or disposition in one transaction or a series of related transactions); or

  

2.3.5.  Other Events . There occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or any successor rule) (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement.

 

2.4. “ Corporate Status ” describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, trustee, general partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of the Company or of any other Enterprise (as defined below) which such person is or was serving at the request of the Company.

 

2.5. “ Marshall Islands Court ” means the High Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

 

2.6. “ Disinterested Director ” shall mean a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding (as defined below) in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.

 

2.7. “ Enterprise ” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger to which the Company (or any of its wholly owned subsidiaries) is a party, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, general partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent.

 

2.8. “ Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

2.9. “ Expenses ” shall include all direct and indirect costs, fees and expenses of any type or nature whatsoever, including, without limitation, all reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, fees of private investigators and professional advisors, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, fax transmission charges, secretarial services and all other disbursements, obligations or expenses in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, settlement or appeal of, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding (as defined below), including reasonable compensation for time spent by Indemnitee for which he or she is not otherwise compensated by the Company or any third party. Expenses also shall include Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding (as defined below), including without limitation the principal, premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.

 

2.10. “ Independent Counsel ” shall mean a law firm or a member of a law firm with significant experience in matters of corporation law and that neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements); or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding (as defined below) giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.

 

2.11. References to “ fines ” shall include any excise tax assessed on Indemnitee with respect to any employee benefit plan; references to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Company” as referred to in this Agreement.

 

3

 

 

2.12. The term “ Person ” shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof; provided, however, that “Person” shall exclude: (i) the Company; (ii) any Subsidiaries (as defined below) of the Company; (iii) any employment benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company or of any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company; and (iv) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company or of a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company. 

 

2.13. The term “ Proceeding ” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, mediation, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil (including intentional or unintentional tort claims), criminal, administrative, or investigative or related nature, in which Indemnitee was, is, will or might be involved as a party or otherwise by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director or officer of the Company, by reason of any action (or failure to act) taken by him or of any action (or failure to act) on his part while acting as a director or officer of the Company, or by reason of the fact that he is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, general partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement, or advancement of expenses can be provided under this Agreement.

 

2.14. The term “ Subsidiary ,” with respect to any Person, shall mean any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by that Person.

 

3. INDEMNITY IN THIRD-PARTY PROCEEDINGS .

 

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this  Section 3  if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status. Pursuant to this  Section 3 , Indemnitee shall be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses, judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually, and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

 

4. INDEMNITY IN PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY .

 

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this  Section 4  if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status. Pursuant to this  Section 4 , Indemnitee shall be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. No indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration for Expenses shall be made under this  Section 4  in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that any court in which the Proceeding was brought or the Marshall Islands Court shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, to be held harmless or to exoneration.

 

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5. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A PARTY WHO IS WHOLLY OR PARTLY SUCCESSFUL .

 

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement except for Section 27, to the extent that Indemnitee was or is, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a party to (or a participant in) and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, in whole or in part, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding, the Company also shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses reasonably incurred in connection with a claim, issue or matter related to any claim, issue, or matter on which Indemnitee was successful. For purposes of this Section 5  and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

 

6. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A WITNESS .

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement except for Section 27, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a witness or deponent in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee was or is not a party or threatened to be made a party, he shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith.

 

7. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION, HOLD HARMLESS AND EXONERATION RIGHTS .

  

7.1 Notwithstanding any limitation in  Sections 3 4 , or  5 , except for Section 27, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee if Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding. No indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights shall be available under this  Section 7.1  on account of Indemnitee’s conduct which constitutes a breach of Indemnitee’s duty of loyalty to the Company or its shareholders or is an act or omission not in good faith or which involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law.

 

7.2 Notwithstanding any limitation in  Sections 3 4 5  or  7.1 , except for Section 27, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee if Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.

  

8. CONTRIBUTION IN THE EVENT OF JOINT LIABILITY .

 

8.1. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification, hold harmless and/or exoneration rights provided for in this Agreement are unavailable to Indemnitee in whole or in part for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying, holding harmless or exonerating Indemnitee, shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any Proceeding without requiring Indemnitee to contribute to such payment, and the Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution it may have at any time against Indemnitee.

 

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8.2. The Company shall not enter into any settlement of any Proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such Proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against Indemnitee.

 

 8.3. The Company hereby agrees to fully indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee from any claims for contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or employees of the Company other than Indemnitee who may be jointly liable with Indemnitee.

 

9. EXCLUSIONS .

 

Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnification, advance expenses, hold harmless or exoneration payment in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:  

 

(a) for which payment has actually been received by or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount actually received under any insurance policy, contract, agreement, other indemnity provision or otherwise;

 

(b) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or

 

(c) except as otherwise provided in  Sections 14.5  and  14.6  hereof, prior to a Change in Control, in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation or (ii) the Company provides the indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payment, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law.

 

10. ADVANCES OF EXPENSES; DEFENSE OF CLAIM .

  

10.1. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary except for Section 27, and to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law, the Company shall pay the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee (or reasonably expected by Indemnitee to be incurred by Indemnitee within three months) in connection with any Proceeding within ten (10) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, prior to the final disposition of any Proceeding. Advances shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be unsecured and interest free. Advances shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the Expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to be indemnified, held harmless or exonerated under the other provisions of this Agreement. Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing a Proceeding to enforce this right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Company to support the advances claimed. To the fullest extent required by applicable law, such payments of Expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon the Company’s receipt of an undertaking, by or on behalf of Indemnitee, to repay the advance to the extent that it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company under the provisions of this Agreement, the Charter, the Bylaws of the Company, applicable law or otherwise. This  Section 10.1  shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which an indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payment is excluded pursuant to  Section 9 .

 

10.2. The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.

 

10.3. The Company shall not settle any action, claim or Proceeding (in whole or in part) which would impose any Expense, judgment, fine, penalty or limitation on Indemnitee without Indemnitee’s prior written consent.

  

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11. PROCEDURE FOR NOTIFICATION AND APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION .

 

11.1. Indemnitee agrees to notify promptly the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding claim, issue or matter therein which may be subject to indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights, or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement, or otherwise.

 

11.2. Indemnitee may deliver to the Company a written application to indemnify, hold harmless or exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with this Agreement. Such application(s) may be delivered from time to time and at such time(s) as Indemnitee deems appropriate in his or her sole discretion. Following such a written application for indemnification by Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification shall be determined according to  Section 12.1  of this Agreement.

 

12. PROCEDURE UPON APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION .

  

12.1. A determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification shall be made in the specific case by one of the following methods, which shall be at the election of Indemnitee: (i) by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board, (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, (iii) if there are no Disinterested Directors or if such directors so direct, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee; or (iv) by vote of the shareholders. The Company promptly will advise Indemnitee in writing with respect to any determination that Indemnitee is or is not entitled to indemnification, including a description of any reason or basis for which indemnification has been denied. If it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall reasonably cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any costs or Expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.

  

12.2. In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to  Section 12.1  hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 12.2 . The Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board), and Indemnitee shall give written notice to the Company advising it of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in  Section 2  of this Agreement. If the Independent Counsel is selected by the Board, the Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising him of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in  Section 2  of this Agreement. In either event, Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within ten (10) days after such written notice of selection shall have been received, deliver to the Company or to Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in  Section 2  of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20) days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to  Section 11.2  hereof, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Marshall Islands Court for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company or Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the Marshall Islands Court, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under  Section 12.1  hereof. Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to  Section 14.1  of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).

 

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12.3. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel and to fully indemnify and hold harmless such Independent Counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

13. PRESUMPTIONS AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS .

 

13.1. In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person, persons or entity making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with  Section 11.2  of this Agreement, and the Company shall have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption in connection with the making by any person, persons or entity of any determination contrary to that presumption. Neither the failure of the Company (including by the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by the Disinterested Directors or Independent Counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

  

13.2. If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under  Section 12  of this Agreement to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a final judicial determination that any or all such indemnification is expressly prohibited under applicable law; provided, however, that such 30-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) days, if the person, persons or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto.

  

13.3. The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

 

13.4. For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the directors, manager, or officers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager, or managing member, or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member, by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected by the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member. The provisions of this  Section 13.4  shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which Indemnitee may be deemed or found to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.

  

13.5. The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any other director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement. 

  

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14. REMEDIES OF INDEMNITEE .

 

14.1. In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to  Section 12  of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, is not timely made pursuant to  Section 10  of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to  Section 12.1  of this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to  Sections 5 6 7  or the last sentence of  Section 12.1  of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, (v) a contribution payment is not made in a timely manner pursuant to  Section 8  of this Agreement, (vi) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 3  or  4  of this Agreement is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, or (vii) payment to Indemnitee pursuant to any hold harmless or exoneration rights under this Agreement or otherwise is not made in accordance with this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by the Marshall Islands Court to such indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, contribution or advancement rights. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Except as set forth herein, the provisions of Marshall Islands law (without regard to its conflict of laws rules) shall apply to any such arbitration. The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.

  

14.2. In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to  Section 12.1  of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this  Section 14  shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this  Section 14 , Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to be indemnified, held harmless, exonerated to receive advancement of Expenses under this Agreement and the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, held harmless, exonerated and to receive advancement of Expenses, as the case may be, and the Company may not refer to or introduce into evidence any determination pursuant to  Section 12.1  of this Agreement adverse to Indemnitee for any purpose. If Indemnitee commences a judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to this  Section 14 , Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any advances pursuant to  Section 10  until a final determination is made with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification (as to which all rights of appeal have been exhausted or lapsed).

  

14.3. If a determination shall have been made pursuant to  Section 12.1  of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this  Section 14 , absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

  

14.4. The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this  Section 14  that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.

 

14.5. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law against all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after the Company’s receipt of such written request) pay to Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, such Expenses which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any judicial proceeding or arbitration brought by Indemnitee (i) to enforce his rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement or any other indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement or contribution agreement or provision of the Charter, or the Bylaws now or hereafter in effect; or (ii) for recovery or advances under any insurance policy maintained by any person for the benefit of Indemnitee, regardless of the outcome and whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration right, advancement, contribution or insurance recovery, as the case may be (unless such judicial proceeding or arbitration was not brought by Indemnitee in good faith).

  

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14.6. Interest shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee at the legal rate under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands for amounts which the Company indemnifies, holds harmless or exonerates, or advances, or is obliged to indemnify, hold harmless or exonerate or advance for the period commencing with the date on which Indemnitee requests indemnification, to be held harmless, exonerated, contribution, reimbursement or advancement of any Expenses and ending with the date on which such payment is made to Indemnitee by the Company.

 

15. SECURITY .

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary except for Section 27, to the extent requested by Indemnitee and approved by the Board, the Company may at any time and from time to time provide security to Indemnitee for the Company’s obligations hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral. Any such security, once provided to Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior written consent of Indemnitee.

 

16. NON-EXCLUSIVITY; SURVIVAL OF RIGHTS; INSURANCE; SUBROGATION .

 

16.1. The rights of Indemnitee as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Charter, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of shareholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any Proceeding (regardless of when such Proceeding is first threatened, commenced or completed) or claim, issue or matter therein arising out of, or related to, any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in applicable law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Charter, the Bylaws or this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

 

16.2. The BCA, the Charter and the Bylaws permit the Company to purchase and maintain insurance or furnish similar protection or make other arrangements including, but not limited to, providing a trust fund, letter of credit, or surety bond (“ Indemnification Arrangements ”) on behalf of Indemnitee against any liability asserted against him or incurred by or on behalf of him or in such capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of this Agreement or under the BCA, as it may then be in effect. The purchase, establishment, and maintenance of any such Indemnification Arrangement shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or of Indemnitee under this Agreement except as expressly provided herein, and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and Indemnitee shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or the other party or parties thereto under any such Indemnification Arrangement.

  

16.3. To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, trustees, partners, managers, managing members, fiduciaries, employees, or agents of the Company or of any other Enterprise which such person serves at the request of the Company, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, trustee, partner, managers, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent under such policy or policies. If, at the time the Company receives notice from any source of a Proceeding as to which Indemnitee is a party or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise), the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of such Proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

  

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16.4. In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company, to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

   

16.5. The Company’s obligation to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, partner, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payments or advancement of expenses from such Enterprise. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary except for Section 27, (i) Indemnitee shall have no obligation to reduce, offset, allocate, pursue or apportion any indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement, contribution or insurance coverage among multiple parties possessing such duties to Indemnitee prior to the Company’s satisfaction and performance of all its obligations under this Agreement, and (ii) the Company shall perform fully its obligations under this Agreement without regard to whether Indemnitee holds, may pursue or has pursued any indemnification, advancement, hold harmless, exoneration, contribution or insurance coverage rights against any person or entity other than the Company.

 

17. DURATION OF AGREEMENT .

 

All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee serves as a director or officer of the Company or as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other Enterprise which Indemnitee serves at the request of the Company and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible Proceeding (including any rights of appeal thereto and any Proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to  Section 14  of this Agreement) by reason of his Corporate Status, whether or not he is acting in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification or advancement can be provided under this Agreement.

  

18. SEVERABILITY .

 

If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.

  

19. ENFORCEMENT AND BINDING EFFECT .

  

19.1. The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director, officer or key employee of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director, officer or key employee of the Company.

 

19.2. Without limiting any of the rights of Indemnitee under the Charter or Bylaws of the Company as they may be amended from time to time, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

  

19.3. The indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration and advancement of expenses rights provided by or granted pursuant to this Agreement shall be binding upon and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company), shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise at the Company’s request, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and his spouse, assigns, heirs, devisees, executors and administrators and other legal representatives.

  

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19.4. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.

 

19.5. The Company and Indemnitee agree herein that a monetary remedy for breach of this Agreement, at some later date, may be inadequate, impracticable and difficult of proof, and further agree that such breach may cause Indemnitee irreparable harm. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree that Indemnitee may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, enforce this Agreement by seeking, among other things, injunctive relief and/or specific performance hereof, without any necessity of showing actual damage or irreparable harm and that by seeking injunctive relief and/or specific performance, Indemnitee shall not be precluded from seeking or obtaining any other relief to which he may be entitled. The Company and Indemnitee further agree that Indemnitee shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be entitled to such specific performance and injunctive relief, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and permanent injunctions, without the necessity of posting bonds or other undertaking in connection therewith. The Company acknowledges that in the absence of a waiver, a bond or undertaking may be required of Indemnitee by a court of competent jurisdiction, and the Company hereby waives any such requirement of such a bond or undertaking to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

20. MODIFICATION AND WAIVER .

 

No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the Company and Indemnitee parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

21. NOTICES .

 

All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, or (ii) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third (3rd) business day after the date on which it is so mailed:

 

(a) If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement, or such other address as Indemnitee shall provide in writing to the Company.

 

(b) If to the Company, to:

 

Stellar Acquisition III Inc.

90 Kifissias Avenue

Maroussi 15125

Athens, Greece

Attn: Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis

Chief Executive Officer

 

With a copy, which shall not constitute notice, to:

 

Ellenoff Grossman& Schole LLP

1345 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10105

Attn: Stuart Neuhauser, Esq.

Fax No.: (212) 370-7889

 

or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee in writing by the Company.

 

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22. APPLICABLE LAW AND CONSENT TO JURISDICTION .

 

This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of Republic of the Marshall Islands, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to  Section 14.1  of this Agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally: (a) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Marshall Islands Court and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country; (b) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Marshall Islands Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement; (c) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Marshall Islands Court; and (d) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Marshall Islands Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum, or is subject (in whole or in part) to a jury trial. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the parties hereby agree that the mailing of process and other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided by Section 21 or in such other manner as may be permitted by law, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof. 

 

23. IDENTICAL COUNTERPARTS .

 

This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

 

24. MISCELLANEOUS .

 

Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

  

25. PERIOD OF LIMITATIONS .

 

No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two-year period; provided, however, that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action such shorter period shall govern.

 

26. ADDITIONAL ACTS .

 

If for the validation of any of the provisions in this Agreement any act, resolution, approval or other procedure is required to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company undertakes to cause such act, resolution, approval or other procedure to be affected or adopted in a manner that will enable the Company to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.

 

27. WAIVER OF CLAIMS TO TRUST ACCOUNT .

 

Indemnitee hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind (each, a “Claim”) in or to any monies in the trust account established in connection with the Company’s initial public offering for the benefit of the Company and holders of shares issued in such offering, and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to the Company and will not seek recourse against such trust account for any reason whatsoever.

 

28. MAINTENANCE OF INSURANCE.

 

The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain in effect during the entire period for which the Company is obligated to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement, one or more policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies to provide the officers/directors of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts and omissions and to ensure the Company’s performance of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement.  The Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director or officer under such policy or policies.  In all such insurance policies, the Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide the Indemnitee with the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors and officers.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

STELLAR ACQUISITION III INC.

 

  By:
    Name:  Prokopios (Akis) Tsirigakis
    Title:    Chief Executive Officer

 

  INDEMNITEE
  Name:    
  Address:   
     
     

 

 

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Exhibit 99.3

 

Consent OF DIRECTOR NOMINEE

 

As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named as a Director Nominee in the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Stellar Acquisition III Inc. (the “Company”), originally filed on June 30, 2016, and any and all amendments thereto, registering securities for issuance in the Company’s initial public offering.

 

Dated: August 2, 2016

 

  /s/ Alexandros Argyros
  Alexandros Argyros


 

Exhibit 99.4

 

Consent OF DIRECTOR NOMINEE

 

As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named as a Director Nominee in the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Stellar Acquisition III Inc. (the “Company”), originally filed on June 30, 2016, and any and all amendments thereto, registering securities for issuance in the Company’s initial public offering.

 

Dated: August 2, 2016

 

  /s/ Tiziano Paravagna
  Tiziano Paravagna


 

Exhibit 99.5

 

Consent OF DIRECTOR NOMINEE

 

As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named as a Director Nominee in the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Stellar Acquisition III Inc. (the “Company”), originally filed on June 30, 2016, and any and all amendments thereto, registering securities for issuance in the Company’s initial public offering.

 

Dated: August 2, 2016

 

  /s/ Eleonora (Liona) Bacha
  Eleonora (Liona) Bacha