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UNITED STATES

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

Washington, D.C. 20549

____________________________________________________________

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

___________________________________________________________________

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  March 30, 2023

 

AULT ALLIANCE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   001-12711   94-1721931
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (Commission File Number)   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 240, Las Vegas, NV 89141

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

(949) 444-5464

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class  

Trading

Symbol(s)

  Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.001 par value   AULT   NYSE American
13.00% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share   AULT PRD   NYSE American

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company o

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

 

 

   
 

 

Item 1.01Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

On March 28, 2023, Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors (the “Investors”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell, in a private placement (the “Offering”), an aggregate of 100,000 shares of its preferred stock, with each such share having a stated value of $100.00 and consisting of (i) 83,000 shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series E Preferred Stock”), (ii) 1,000 shares of Series F Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series F Preferred Stock”) and (iii) 16,000 shares of Series G Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series G Preferred Stock” and collectively, the “Preferred Shares”). The Preferred Shares will be convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), at the option of the holders and, in certain circumstances, by the Company. The Preferred Shares were issued in reliance upon the exemption from the securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Each share of Series E Preferred Stock and Series F Preferred Stock had a purchase price of $100.00, equal to each such share’s stated value. The purchase price of the Series E Preferred Stock and the Series F Preferred Stock was paid for by the Investors’ canceling outstanding secured promissory notes in the principal amount of $8.4 million, whereas the purchase price of the shares of Series G Preferred Stock consisted of accrued but unpaid interest on these notes, as well as for other good and valuable consideration. Each Preferred Share is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Common Stock”) at a conversion price equal to 85% of the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the trading day prior to the date of conversion, subject to a floor price of $0.10. The Preferred Shares are convertible at the option of the holder at any time following the Company’s receipt of stockholder approval of the Reverse Split (as defined below).

 

The Purchase Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements by the Company and customary conditions to closing. The Offering closed on March 30, 2023.

 

The Company intends to call a special meeting of stockholders to consider an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, to authorize a reverse split of the Common Stock (the “Reverse Split”). The Investors have agreed in the Purchase Agreement to not transfer, offer, sell, contract to sell, hypothecate, pledge or otherwise dispose of the Preferred Shares until after the Reverse Split. Pursuant to the certificate of designation of the Series E Preferred Stock, the shares of Series E Preferred Stock have the right to vote on such Amendment on an as converted to Common Stock basis. In addition, pursuant to the certificate of designation of the Series F Preferred Stock, the shares of Series F Preferred Stock have the right to vote on such Amendment. Each Investor has separately agreed pursuant to a side letter (the “Side Letter”) entered into in conjunction with the Purchase Agreement to vote the shares of the Series E Preferred Stock in favor of the Amendment and that the shares of the Series F Preferred Stock shall automatically be voted in a manner that “mirrors” the proportions on which the shares of Common Stock (excluding any shares of Common Stock that are not voted) and Series E Preferred Stock are voted on the Amendment. The Amendment requires the approval of the majority of the votes associated with the Company’s outstanding stock entitled to vote on the proposal. Because the Series F Preferred Stock will automatically and without further action of the purchaser be voted in a manner that “mirrors” the proportions on which the shares of Common Stock (excluding any shares of Common Stock that are not voted) and Series E Preferred Stock are voted on the Reverse Split, abstentions by common stockholders will not have any effect on the votes cast by the holders of the Series F Preferred Stock. The Series G Preferred Stock does not carry any voting rights, except as required by law or expressly provided by its certificate of designation.

 

Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, on March 28, 2023, the Company filed certificates of designation (the “Certificates of Designation”) with the Delaware Secretary of State designating the rights, preferences and limitations of the Preferred Shares, which provide, in particular, that the Preferred Shares will have no voting rights other than the right to vote on the Amendment and as a class on certain other specified matters, and, with respect to the Series F Certificate of Designation, the right to cast 100,000 votes per share of Series F Preferred Stock on the Reverse Split proposal.

 

Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, for a period of 90 days after the first conversion of Preferred Shares, each Investor shall have the right to purchase a convertible note in the principal face amount of $4.95 million from the Company for $4.2 million, which notes will be convertible into Common Stock at a conversion price equal to 85% of the prior day’s closing trading price.

 

Under the Purchase Agreement, to the extent any Preferred Shares are outstanding, for a period of 60 days from the date of the Purchase Agreement, the Company is prohibited from issuing or entering into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of common stock or common stock equivalents, and provided further that for a period of 60 days from the date of the Purchase Agreement, the Company is prohibited from issuing or entering into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of preferred stock senior to or pari passu with the Preferred Shares.

 

Further, from the date of the Purchase Agreement until the earlier of (A) the date of which all Preferred Shares are redeemed in accordance with their terms and (B) the date that is 60 days following the Reverse Split, the Company is prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction, as defined in the Purchase Agreement. The above limitations on issuances of stock under the Purchase Agreement do not apply to Exempt Issuances as defined in the Purchase Agreement.

 

 -2- 
 

 

The foregoing summaries of the Purchase Agreement, the Side Letter and Certificates of Designation do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by, forms of such documents attached as Exhibits 10.1, 10.2, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K, which are incorporated herein by reference.

 

The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Purchase Agreement were made only for purposes of such agreement and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to the agreements and are subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties. Accordingly, the Purchase Agreement is incorporated herein by reference only to provide investors with information regarding the terms of the Purchase Agreement and not to provide investors with any other factual information regarding the Company or its business and should be read in conjunction with the disclosures in the Company’s periodic reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Item 3.02Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

 

The disclosure required by this Item and included in Item 1.01 of this Current Report is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 3.03Material Modifications to Rights of Security Holders.

 

The disclosure required by this Item and included in Item 1.01 of this Current Report is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.03Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

 

The disclosure required by this Item and included in Item 1.01 of this Current Report is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)Exhibits:

 

Exhibit No.    Description
3.1   Certificate of Designation of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock
     
3.2   Certificate of Designation of Series F Convertible Preferred Stock
     
3.3   Certificate of Designation of Series G Convertible Preferred Stock
     
10.1   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement among the registrant and the Investors, dated March 28, 2023
     
10.2   Form of Side Letter among the registrant and the Investors, dated March 28, 2023
     
101   Pursuant to Rule 406 of Regulation S-T, the cover page is formatted in Inline XBRL (Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language).
     
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document and included in Exhibit 101).

 

 -3- 
 

 

SIGNATURE

 

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

 

 

  AULT ALLIANCE, INC.
   
   
Dated: March 30, 2023 /s/ Henry Nisser  
  Henry Nisser
  President and General Counsel

 

 

-4-

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.1

 

AULT ALLIANCE, INC.

 

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES, RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS

 

OF

 

SERIES E CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 151 OF THE

delaware GENERAL CORPORATION LAW

 

The undersigned, William B. Horne, does hereby certify that:

 

  1.

He is the Chief Executive Officer of Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”).

 

  2.

The Corporation is authorized to issue 25,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, 3,500,000 shares of which have been previously designated.

 

  3. The following resolutions were duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”):

 

WHEREAS, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), provides for a class of its authorized stock known as preferred stock, consisting of 25,000,000 shares, $0.001 par value per share, issuable from time to time in one or more series;

 

WHEREAS, the Board is authorized by resolution to provide for the issuance of preferred stock in one or more series, and to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the designation, powers, privileges, preferences and relative participating, optional or other rights, if any, of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof; and

 

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Board, pursuant to its authority as described above, to fix the rights, preferences, restrictions and other matters relating to a series of the preferred stock, which shall consist of 83,000 shares of preferred stock which the Corporation has the authority to issue.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board does hereby provide for the issuance of a series of preferred stock to be designated “Series E Convertible Preferred Stock” and does hereby fix and determine the designation, powers, privileges, preferences and relative participating, optional or other rights, if any, of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof as follows:

 

Section 1.            Definitions. For the purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

Alternate Consideration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

 

Amendment” means the amendment to the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation to, after the date hereof, effect the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Authorized Stockholder Approval” means approval of the Amendment by the holders of a majority in voting power of the then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the Amendment.

 

Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).

 

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

 

Buy-In” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c)(iv).

 

Certificate of Designation” means this Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series E Convertible Preferred Stock.

 

   
 

 

Change of Control Transaction” means the occurrence after the date hereof of any of (a) an acquisition by an individual or legal entity or “group” (as described in Rule 13d-5(b)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of effective control (whether through legal or beneficial ownership of capital stock of the Corporation, by contract or otherwise) of in excess of 50% of the voting securities of the Corporation (other than by means of the issuance, sale, conversion or exercise of Series E Preferred Stock, Series F Preferred Stock or Series G Preferred Stock), (b) the Corporation merges into or consolidates with any other Person, or any Person merges into or consolidates with the Corporation and, after giving effect to such transaction, the stockholders of the Corporation immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the Corporation or the successor entity of such transaction, (c) the Corporation (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole) sells or transfers all or substantially all of its assets to another Person and the stockholders of the Corporation immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the acquiring entity immediately after the transaction, (d) a replacement at one time or within a one year period of more than one-half of the members of the Board which is not approved by a majority of those individuals who are members of the Board on the Original Issue Date (or by those individuals who are serving as members of the Board on any date whose nomination to the Board was approved by a majority of the members of the Board who are members on the Original Issue Date), or (e) the execution by the Corporation of an agreement to which the Corporation is a party or by which it is bound, providing for any of the events set forth in clauses (a) through (d) above, provided, however, that no transaction with an Affiliate of the Corporation shall be deemed a Change of Control Transaction.

 

Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Series E Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Purchase Agreement.

 

Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto and all conditions precedent to (i) each Holder’s obligations to pay the Purchase Price and (ii) the Corporation’s obligations to deliver the Series E Preferred Stock have been satisfied or waived.

 

Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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

 

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

 

Conversion Amount” means the Stated Value at issue.

 

Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

 

Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).

 

Conversion Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of Series E Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

Equity Conditions” means, during the period in question, (a) the Corporation shall have paid all liquidated damages and other amounts owing to the applicable Holder in respect of the Series E Preferred Stock, (b)(i) there is an effective registration statement pursuant to which either (A) the Corporation may issue Conversion Shares or (B) the Holders are permitted to utilize the prospectus thereunder to resell all of the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents (and the Corporation believes, in good faith, that such effectiveness will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), or (ii) all of the Conversion Shares issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents (and shares issuable in lieu of cash payments of dividends) may be resold pursuant to Rule 144 without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or current public information requirements as determined by the counsel to the Corporation as set forth in a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed and reasonably acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holder, (c) the Common Stock is trading on a Trading Market and all of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock are listed or quoted for trading on such Trading Market (and the Corporation believes, in good faith, that trading of the Common Stock on a Trading Market will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), (d) there is a sufficient number of authorized, but unissued and otherwise unreserved, shares of Common Stock for the issuance of all of the shares then issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents, (e) Authorized Stockholder Approval shall have been received and be effective, (f) the issuance of the shares in question to the applicable Holder would not violate the limitations set forth in Section 6(d) herein, (g) there has been no public announcement of a pending or proposed Fundamental Transaction or Change of Control Transaction that has not been consummated, (h) the applicable Holder is not in possession of any information provided by the Corporation, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their officers, directors, employees, agents or Affiliates, that constitutes, or may constitute, material non-public information and (i) the Corporation shall have duly honored all conversions scheduled to occur or occurring by virtue of one or more Notices of Conversion of the applicable Holder on or prior to the dates so requested or required, if any.

 

- 2 - 
 

 

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

 

Forced Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

 

Forced Conversion Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

 

Forced Conversion Notice Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

 

Fundamental Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

 

GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Holder” shall have the meaning given such term in Section 2.

 

Liquidation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.

 

Mandatory Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).

 

Mandatory Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).

 

Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

 

Original Issue Date” means the date of the first issuance of any shares of the Series E Preferred Stock regardless of the number of transfers of any particular shares of Series E Preferred Stock and regardless of the number of certificates which may be issued to evidence such Series E Preferred Stock.

 

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

 

Purchase Agreement” means the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of March __, 2023, among the Corporation and the original Holders, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

 

Purchase Price” means, as to each Holder, the aggregate dollar amount to be paid for the Series E Preferred Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

 

Reverse Stock Split” means the reverse stock split of the Corporation’s Common Stock that is effected by the Corporation’s filing of the Amendment with and acceptance by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

 

Reverse Stock Split Date” means the date on which the Amendment to effectuate the Reverse Stock Split is filed with and accepted by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, which Amendment shall become effective upon filing.

 

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

 

Series E Preferred Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.

 

Series F Preferred Stock” means the Company’s Series F Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share and stated value of $100.00 per share.

 

Series F Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation” means the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series F Convertible Preferred Stock of the Corporation, dated as of the date hereof.

 

Series G Preferred Stock” means the Company’s Series G Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share and stated value of $100.00 per share.

 

- 3 - 
 

 

Series G Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation” means the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series G Convertible Preferred Stock of the Corporation, dated as of the date hereof.

 

Share Delivery Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).

 

Stated Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.

 

Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Corporation as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a) of the Purchase Agreement and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation formed or acquired after the date of the Purchase Agreement.

 

Successor Entity” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

 

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

 

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

 

Transaction Documents” means this Certificate of Designation, the Series F Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation, the Series G Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation, the Purchase Agreement, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, in each case as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

 

Transfer Agent” means Computershare, and any successor transfer agent of the Corporation.

 

Section 2.            Designation, Amount and Par Value. The series of preferred stock shall be designated as “Series E Convertible Preferred Stock” (the “Series E Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares of such series shall be 83,000 (which shall not be subject to increase without the written consent of the holders (each, a “Holder” and collectively, the “Holders”) of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series E Preferred Stock). Each share of Series E Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.001 per share and a stated value equal to $100.00 (the “Stated Value”).

 

Section 3.           Dividends. Except for stock dividends or distributions for which adjustments are to be made pursuant to Section 7, Holders shall be entitled to receive, and the Corporation shall pay, dividends on shares of Series E Preferred Stock equal (on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis, disregarding for such purpose any conversion limitations hereunder) to and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of the Common Stock when, as and if such dividends are paid on shares of the Common Stock. No other dividends shall be paid on shares of Series E Preferred Stock. The Corporation shall not pay any dividends on the Common Stock unless the Corporation simultaneously complies with this provision.

 

Section 4.            Voting Rights.

 

(a)            For purposes of determining the presence of a quorum at any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation at which the shares of Series E Preferred Stock are entitled to vote and the voting power of the shares of Series E Preferred Stock, each Holder of outstanding shares of Series E Preferred Stock shall be entitled to a number of votes equal to the number of shares of Common Stock into which such shares of Series E Preferred Stock are then convertible, disregarding, for such purposes, any limitations on conversion set forth herein, provided, however, that solely for purposes of this Section 4(a), the Floor Price (as defined in Section 6(b) herein) shall be subject to adjustment as a result of the Reverse Stock Split and provided, further, that for purposes of this Section 4(a), the Floor Price shall not be lower than the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the execution date of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(b)            Except as otherwise required by the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Certificate of Incorporation (including this Certificate of Designation), the Series E Preferred Stock shall be entitled to vote only with respect to the Amendment and the Reverse Stock Split, and, except as and to the extent set forth in the last sentence of this Section 4(b), the Series E Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any other matter submitted to a vote of the stockholders generally and shall vote together with the Common Stock and any other class or series of capital stock entitled to vote thereon as a single class and on an as converted to Common Stock basis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in addition, as long as any shares of Series E Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series E Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, (a) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights of the Series E Preferred Stock or alter or amend this Certificate of Designation; provided, that, in no event may the terms and conditions of Section 6(d) of this Certificate of Designation be altered or amended, (b) amend the Certificate of Incorporation or other charter documents in a manner adverse to the Holders, (c) increase the number of authorized shares of Series E Preferred Stock, or (d) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.

 

- 4 - 
 

 

Section 5.           Liquidation. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary (a “Liquidation”), prior and in preference to the Common Stock, the Holders shall be entitled to receive out of the assets available for distribution to stockholders an amount in cash equal to 100% of the Stated Value, and no more, unless the Holder or Holders of the Preferred Shares elect to convert any or all of such Holder's Preferred Shares. The preference set forth in this Section 5 with respect to distributions to the Series E Preferred Stock upon a Liquidation shall apply mutatis mutandis to any distributions to be made upon the consummation of a Fundamental Transaction or Change of Control Transaction. The Corporation shall mail written notice of any such Liquidation, Fundamental Transaction or Change of Control Transaction not less than 30 days prior to the payment date stated therein, to each Holder.

 

Section 6.            Conversion.

 

(a)       Conversions at Option of Holder. Subject to Section 6(d), each share of Series E Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at any time and from time to time only after the date of the stockholder meeting at which the Reverse Stock Split was approved, at the option of the Holder thereof, into that number of shares of Common Stock determined by dividing the Stated Value of such share of Series E Preferred Stock by the Conversion Price. Holders shall effect conversions by delivering to the Corporation and the Holder Representative a conversion notice in the form attached hereto as Annex A (a “Notice of Conversion”). Each Notice of Conversion shall specify the number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock to be converted, the number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock owned prior to the conversion at issue, the number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock owned subsequent to the conversion at issue and the date on which such conversion is to be effected, which date may not be prior to the date the applicable Holder delivers such Notice of Conversion to the Corporation (such date, the “Conversion Date”). If no Conversion Date is specified in a Notice of Conversion, the Conversion Date shall be as of the close of business on the Business Day that such Notice of Conversion is delivered to the Corporation, or if such day is not a Business Day or if the Notice of Conversion is delivered after regular business hours, the next Business Day. No ink-original Notice of Conversion shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Conversion form be required. The calculations and entries set forth in the Notice of Conversion shall control in the absence of manifest or mathematical error. From and after the Conversion Date, until presented for transfer or exchange, certificates that previously represented shares of Series E Preferred Stock shall represent, in lieu of the number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock previously represented by such certificate, the number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock, if any, previously represented by such certificate that were not converted pursuant to the Notice of Conversion, plus the number of shares of Conversion Shares into which the shares of Series E Preferred Stock previously represented by such certificate were converted. To effect conversions of shares of Series E Preferred Stock, a Holder shall not be required to surrender the certificate(s), if any, representing the shares of Series E Preferred Stock to the Corporation unless all of the shares of Series E Preferred Stock represented thereby are so converted, in which case such Holder shall deliver the certificate representing such shares of Series E Preferred Stock promptly following the Conversion Date at issue. Shares of Series E Preferred Stock converted into Common Stock shall be canceled and shall not be reissued.

 

(b)       Conversion Price. The conversion price for the Series E Preferred Stock shall be the price equal to 85% of the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the trading day prior to the date of conversion, subject to a floor price of $0.10 (the “Floor Price”), which floor price will not, other than as set forth in Section 4(a) hereof, be adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Split, provided, that for the purpose of voting at the stockholder meeting at which Reverse Stock Split will be voted upon, the conversion price shall be the price equal to 85% of the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the trading day prior to the date of such meeting.

 

(c)       Mechanics of Conversion.

 

(i)      Delivery of Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. Not later than the earlier of (i) three (3) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined below) after each Conversion Date (the “Share Delivery Date”), the Corporation shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the converting Holder the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock, which Conversion Shares shall be free of restrictive legends and trading restrictions so long as either (A) there is an effective registration statement to cover the resale of the Conversion Shares or (B) if the Conversion Shares may be resold under Rule 144. The Corporation shall use its reasonable best efforts to deliver the Conversion Shares required to be delivered by the Corporation under this Section 6 electronically through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Corporation’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Conversion.

 

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(ii)      Failure to Deliver Conversion Shares. If, in the case of any Notice of Conversion, such Conversion Shares are not delivered to or as directed by the applicable Holder by the Share Delivery Date, the Holder shall be entitled to elect by written notice to the Corporation at any time on or before its receipt of such Conversion Shares, to rescind such Conversion, in which event the Corporation shall promptly return to the Holder any original Series E Preferred Stock certificate delivered to the Corporation and the Holder shall promptly return to the Corporation the Conversion Shares issued to such Holder pursuant to the rescinded Notice of Conversion.

 

(iii)      Obligation Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. Subject to Section 6(d), the Corporation’s obligation to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of Series E Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by a Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by such Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Corporation or any violation or alleged violation of law by such Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance, which might otherwise limit such obligation of the Corporation to such Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by the Corporation of any such action that the Corporation may have against such Holder. In the event a Holder shall elect to convert any or all of the Stated Value of its Series E Preferred Stock, the Corporation may not refuse conversion based on any claim that such Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with such Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, other than pursuant to Section 6(d), unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and/or enjoining conversion of all or part of the Series E Preferred Stock of such Holder shall have been sought and obtained, and the Corporation posts a surety bond for the benefit of such Holder in the amount of 100% of the Stated Value of the Series E Preferred Stock which is subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to such Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, subject to Section 6(d), the Corporation shall issue Conversion Shares and, if applicable, cash, upon a properly noticed conversion. If the Corporation fails to deliver to a Holder such Conversion Shares pursuant to Section 6(c)(i) by the Share Delivery Date applicable to such conversion, other than pursuant to Section 6(d), the Corporation shall pay to such Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $5,000 of Stated Value of Series E Preferred Stock being converted, $50 per Trading Day (increasing to $100 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date) for each Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date until such Conversion Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such conversion. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue actual damages for the Corporation’s failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified herein and such Holder shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief. The exercise of any such rights shall not prohibit a Holder from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.

 

(iv)      Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Corporation fails for any reason to deliver to a Holder the applicable Conversion Shares by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 6(c)(i), and if after such Share Delivery Date such Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Holder of the Conversion Shares which such Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a “Buy-In”), then the Corporation shall (A) pay in cash to such Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by such Holder) the amount, if any, by which (x) such Holder’s total purchase price (including any brokerage commissions) for the Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the product of (1) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that such Holder was entitled to receive from the conversion at issue multiplied by (2) the actual sale price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (including any brokerage commissions) and (B) at the option of such Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) the shares of Series E Preferred Stock equal to the number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock submitted for conversion (in which case, such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Corporation had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 6(c)(i). For example, if a Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted conversion of shares of Series E Preferred Stock with respect to which the actual sale price of the Conversion Shares (including any brokerage commissions) giving rise to such purchase obligation was a total of $10,000 under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Corporation shall be required to pay such Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Corporation written notice indicating the amounts payable to such Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Corporation, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Corporation’s failure to timely deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of the shares of Series E Preferred Stock as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

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(v)      Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. From and after the Reverse Stock Split Date and until no shares of Series E Preferred Stock remain outstanding, the Corporation covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock as herein provided, free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of Persons other than the Holder (and the other holders of the Series E Preferred Stock), not less than the aggregate number of shares of the Common Stock as shall (subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement) be issuable (taking into account any adjustments under Section 7) upon the conversion of the then outstanding shares of Series E Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

(vi)      Fractional Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such conversion, the Corporation shall at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Conversion Price or round up to the next whole share. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, but consistent with the provisions of this subsection with respect to fractional Conversion Shares, nothing shall prevent any Holder from converting fractional shares of Series E Preferred Stock.

 

(vii)      Transfer Taxes and Expenses. The issuance of Conversion Shares on conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock shall be made without charge to any Holder for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such Conversion Shares, provided that the Corporation shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any such Conversion Shares upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holders of such shares of Series E Preferred Stock and the Corporation shall not be required to issue or deliver such Conversion Shares unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to the Corporation the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of the Corporation that such tax has been paid. The Corporation shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Conversion and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Conversion Shares.

 

(d)       Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Corporation shall not effect any conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of the Series E Preferred Stock, to the extent that, after giving effect to the conversion set forth on the applicable Notice of Conversion, such Holder (together with such Holder’s Affiliates, and any Persons acting as a group together with such Holder or any of such Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)) would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Preferred Stock with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which are issuable upon (i) conversion of the remaining, unconverted Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Corporation subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein (including, without limitation, the Preferred Stock) beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 6(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 6(d) applies, the determination of whether the Series E Preferred Stock is convertible (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of how many shares of Series E Preferred Stock are convertible shall be in the sole discretion of such Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Conversion shall be deemed to be such Holder’s determination of whether the shares of Series E Preferred Stock may be converted (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and how many shares of the Series E Preferred Stock are convertible, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. To ensure compliance with this restriction, each Holder will be deemed to represent to the Corporation each time it delivers a Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this Section 6(d) and the Corporation shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 6(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (i) the Corporation’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (ii) a more recent public announcement by the Corporation or (iii) a more recent written notice by the Corporation or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request (which may be via email) of a Holder, the Corporation shall within one (1) Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Corporation, including the Series E Preferred Stock, by such Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any shares of Series E Preferred Stock, 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Series E Preferred Stock held by the applicable Holder. A Holder, upon notice to the Corporation, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 6(d) applicable to its Series E Preferred Stock; provided, that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall not in any event exceed 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 6(d) shall continue to apply. Any such increase will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Corporation and shall only apply to such Holder and no other Holder. The Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall not be waived or amended by the Corporation or the Holder and upon issuance of the Series E Preferred Stock by the Corporation, and the purchase thereof by the Holder, in accordance with the Purchase Agreement, each of the Corporation and the Purchaser shall be deemed to acknowledge such limitation and to agree not to waive it. The provisions of this Section 6(d) shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 6(d) to correct this Section (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation contained herein or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this Section shall apply to a successor holder of Series E Preferred Stock.

 

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Section 7.            Certain Adjustments.

 

(a)       Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If the Corporation, at any time while the Series E Preferred Stock is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions that is payable in shares of Common Stock on shares of Common Stock or any other Common Stock Equivalents (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Corporation upon conversion of, or payment of a dividend on, the Series E Preferred Stock), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of a reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues, in the event of a reclassification of shares of the Common Stock, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation, then the Conversion Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) outstanding immediately before such event, and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 7(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification. Notwithstanding the foregoing in no event shall the Conversion Price be less than the Floor Price.

 

(b)       Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 7(a) above, if at any time the Corporation grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of Common Stock or any class thereof (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of such Holder’s Series E Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

(c)       Distributions. During such time as the Series E Preferred Stock is outstanding, if the Corporation declares or makes any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on conversion hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

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(d)       Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while the Series E Preferred Stock is outstanding, (i) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another Person (other than for a transaction the sole purpose of which is changing the name or the domicile of the Company), (ii) the Corporation (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Corporation or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Common Stock, or (iv) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Conversion Share that would have been issuable upon such conversion immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 6(d) on the conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Corporation, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which the Series E Preferred Stock is convertible immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 6(d) on the conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock). For purposes of any such conversion, the determination of the Conversion Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Corporation shall apportion the Conversion Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock following such Fundamental Transaction. To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Corporation or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall file a new Certificate of Designation with the same terms and conditions and issue to the Holders new preferred stock consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holders’ right to convert such preferred stock into Alternate Consideration. The Corporation shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Corporation is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7(d) pursuant to written agreements in customary form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for the Series E Preferred Stock a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to the Series E Preferred Stock which is convertible for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on the conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with a conversion price which applies the conversion price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such conversion price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of the Series E Preferred Stock immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Corporation” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Corporation and shall assume all of the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Corporation herein.

 

(e)       Calculations. All calculations under this Section 7 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 7, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) issued and outstanding.

 

(f)       Notice of Holders.

 

(i)       Adjustment to Conversion Price. Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 7, the Corporation shall promptly deliver to each Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Conversion Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

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(ii)       Notice to Allow Conversion by Holder. If (A) the Corporation shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Corporation shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Corporation shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Corporation shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Corporation is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property or (E) the Corporation shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, then, in each case, the Corporation shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock, and shall cause to be delivered by email to each Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the stock books of the Corporation, at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange, provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries, the Corporation shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to convert the Conversion Amount of the Series E Preferred Stock (or any part hereof) during the 10-day period commencing on the date of such notice through the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

Section 8.            Mandatory Conversion and Forced Conversion.

 

(a)      Mandatory Conversion. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on or after the sixty-first (61st) day after the Reverse Stock Split Date or, if all of the Equity Conditions are not satisfied on such date, on the first such date thereafter that all of the Equity Conditions are satisfied (unless waived in writing by a Holder with respect to such Holder) (the “Mandatory Conversion Date”), the Corporation may deliver written notice of the Mandatory Conversion to all Holders and the Holder Representative on the Mandatory Conversion Date and, on the tenth (10th) business date after such Mandatory Conversion Date, the Corporation shall convert all of each Holder’s shares of Series E Preferred Stock (the “Mandatory Conversion”) into Conversion Shares at the then effective Conversion Price on the Mandatory Conversion Date, it being agreed that the “Conversion Date” for purposes of Section 6 herein shall be deemed to be the Mandatory Conversion Date. The Mandatory Conversion hereunder shall not be effective unless all of the Equity Conditions are met (unless waived in writing by a Holder with respect to such Holder) on the Mandatory Conversion Date through and including the Share Delivery Date and the actual delivery of all of the Conversion Shares to the Holders. For purposes of clarification, a Mandatory Conversion shall be subject to all of the provisions of Section 6, including, without limitation, Section 6(d) and the provision requiring payment of liquidated damages. If any of the Equity Conditions shall cease to be satisfied at any time on or after the Mandatory Conversion Date through and including the actual delivery of all of the Conversion Shares to the Holders, a Holder may elect to nullify the Mandatory Conversion as to such Holder by notice to the Corporation within three (3) Trading Days after the first day on which any such Equity Condition has not been satisfied (provided that if, by a provision of the Transaction Documents, the Corporation is obligated to notify the Holders of the non-existence of an Equity Condition, such notice period shall be extended to the second Trading Day after proper notice from the Corporation) in which case the Mandatory Conversion shall be null and void, ab initio. Subject to the other terms hereof, the Corporation covenants and agrees that the Corporation will honor all Notices of Conversion that are tendered by the Holder on or after the Mandatory Conversion Date.

 

(b)       Forced Conversion. At any time after 120 days following the Mandatory Conversion Date, the Corporation may deliver a written notice to all Holders and the Holder Representative (a “Forced Conversion Notice” and the date such notice is delivered to all Holders, the “Forced Conversion Notice Date”) to cause each Holder to convert all or part of such Holder’s Series E Preferred Stock (as specified in such Forced Conversion Notice) pursuant to Section 6 (a “Forced Conversion”), it being agreed that the “Conversion Date” for purposes of Section 6 shall be deemed to be the Forced Conversion Notice Date (such date, the “Forced Conversion Date”), provided that the Corporation shall not deliver a Forced Conversion Notice more than once in any 60 day period. The Corporation may not deliver a Forced Conversion Notice, and any Forced Conversion Notice delivered by the Corporation shall not be effective unless all of the Equity Conditions have been met on the Forced Conversion Notice Date through and including the later of the Forced Conversion Date and the Trading Day after the date that the Conversion Shares issuable pursuant to such conversion are actually delivered to the Holders pursuant to the Forced Conversion Notice. Any Forced Conversion Notices shall be applied ratably to all of the Holders based on each Holder’s initial purchases of Series E Preferred Stock hereunder, provided that any voluntary conversions by a Holder shall be applied against such Holder’s pro rata allocation, thereby decreasing the aggregate amount forcibly converted hereunder if less than all shares of the Series E Preferred Stock are forcibly converted. For purposes of clarification, a Forced Conversion shall be subject to all of the provisions of Section 6, including, without limitation, the provisions requiring payment of liquidated damages and Section 6(d) on Beneficial Ownership Limitation on conversion.

 

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Section 9.            Covenants. The Holders (i) may not transfer, offer, sell, contract to sell, hypothecate, pledge or otherwise dispose of the Series E Preferred Shares until the earlier of the date that the Reverse Stock Split is approved or April 30, 2023 (which may be extended to June 30, 2023 if the Reverse Split has not then been obtained) and (ii) must vote the shares of the Series E Preferred Stock in favor of the Stockholder Items (as such term is defined in the Purchase Agreement).

 

Section 10.          Ranking. The shares of Series E Preferred Stock shall be junior in rank to the Corporation’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and pari passu with the Corporation’s Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, its Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, its Series F Preferred Stock and its Series G Preferred Stock with respect to the preferences as to dividends, redemption, or distribution of assets and payments upon the liquidation, dissolution and winding up of the Corporation.

 

Section 11.            Miscellaneous.

 

(a)       Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Conversion, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile or email attachment, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Corporation, at11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 240, Las Vegas, NV 89141, Attention: William B. Horne, Chief Executive Officer, email address: Will@ault.com, or such other email address or address as the Corporation may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders delivered in accordance with this Section 11. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Corporation hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by email attachment, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the email address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Corporation, or if no such email address or address appears on the books of the Corporation, at the principal place of business of such Holder, as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email attachment at the email address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email attachment at the email address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.

 

(b)       Lost or Mutilated Preferred Stock Certificate. If a Holder’s Series E Preferred Stock certificate shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Corporation shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated certificate, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, a new certificate for the shares of Series E Preferred Stock so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such certificate, and of the ownership hereof reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation (which shall not include the posting of any bond).

 

(c)       Severability. If any provision of this Certificate of Designation is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Certificate of Designation shall remain in effect, and if any provision is inapplicable to any Person or circumstance, it shall nevertheless remain applicable to all other Persons and circumstances.

 

(d)       Next Business Day. Whenever any payment or other obligation hereunder shall be due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

(e)       Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Certificate of Designation and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

 

(f)       Status of Converted or Redeemed Preferred Stock. Shares of Series E Preferred Stock may only be issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. If any shares of Series E Preferred Stock shall be converted, redeemed or reacquired by the Corporation, such shares may not be reissued and shall automatically be retired and cancelled and shall resume the status of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock.

 

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

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate this ___ day of _________ 2023.

 

  /s/ William B. Horne
  Name: William B. Horne
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

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ANNEX A

NOTICE OF CONVERSION



The undersigned hereby elects to convert the number of shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock indicated below into shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), according to the conditions hereof, as of the date written below. If shares of Common Stock are to be issued in the name of a Person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all transfer taxes payable with respect thereto. No fee will be charged to the Holders for any conversion, except for any such transfer taxes.

 

Conversion calculations:

 

Date to Effect Conversion: _________________________________________________
Number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock owned prior to Conversion: __________________
Number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock to be Converted: __________________________
Stated Value of shares of Series E Preferred Stock to be Converted: ______________________
Number of shares of Common Stock to be Issued: ___________________________
Applicable Conversion Price:____________________________________________
Number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock subsequent to Conversion: ________________
Address for Delivery: ______________________
Or
DWAC Instructions:
Broker no: _________
Account no: ___________

 

  HOLDER
   
  By:  
    Name:
    Title:
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.2

 

AULT ALLIANCE, INC.

 

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES, RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS

 

OF

 

SERIES F CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 151 OF THE

delaware GENERAL CORPORATION LAW

 

The undersigned, William B. Horne, does hereby certify that:

 

  1.

He is the Chief Executive Officer of Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”).

 

  2.

The Corporation is authorized to issue 25,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, 3,500,000 shares of which have been previously designated.

 

  3. The following resolutions were duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”):

 

WHEREAS, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), provides for a class of its authorized stock known as preferred stock, consisting of 25,000,000 shares, $0.001 par value per share, issuable from time to time in one or more series;

 

WHEREAS, the Board is authorized by resolution to provide for the issuance of preferred stock in one or more series, and to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the designation, powers, privileges, preferences and relative participating, optional or other rights, if any, of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof; and

 

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Board, pursuant to its authority as described above, to fix the rights, preferences, restrictions and other matters relating to a series of the preferred stock, which shall consist of 1,000 shares of the preferred stock which the Corporation has the authority to issue.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board does hereby provide for the issuance of a series of preferred stock to be designated “Series F Convertible Preferred Stock” and does hereby fix and determine the designation, powers, privileges, preferences and relative participating, optional or other rights, if any, of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof as follows:

 

Section 1.            Definitions. For the purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

Alternate Consideration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

 

Amendment” means the amendment to the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation to, after the date hereof, effect the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Authorized Stockholder Approval” means approval of the Amendment by the holders of a majority in voting power of the then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the Amendment.

 

Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).

 

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

 

Buy-In” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c)(iv).

 

Certificate of Designation” means this Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series F Convertible Preferred Stock.

 

   
 

 

Change of Control Transaction” means the occurrence after the date hereof of any of (a) an acquisition by an individual or legal entity or “group” (as described in Rule 13d-5(b)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of effective control (whether through legal or beneficial ownership of capital stock of the Corporation, by contract or otherwise) of in excess of 50% of the voting securities of the Corporation (other than by means of the issuance, sale, conversion or exercise of Series E Preferred Stock, Series F Preferred Stock or Series G Preferred Stock), (b) the Corporation merges into or consolidates with any other Person, or any Person merges into or consolidates with the Corporation and, after giving effect to such transaction, the stockholders of the Corporation immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the Corporation or the successor entity of such transaction, (c) the Corporation (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole) sells or transfers all or substantially all of its assets to another Person and the stockholders of the Corporation immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the acquiring entity immediately after the transaction, (d) a replacement at one time or within a one year period of more than one-half of the members of the Board which is not approved by a majority of those individuals who are members of the Board on the Original Issue Date (or by those individuals who are serving as members of the Board on any date whose nomination to the Board was approved by a majority of the members of the Board who are members on the Original Issue Date), or (e) the execution by the Corporation of an agreement to which the Corporation is a party or by which it is bound, providing for any of the events set forth in clauses (a) through (d) above, provided, however, that no transaction with an Affiliate of the Corporation shall be deemed a Change of Control Transaction.

 

Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Series F Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Purchase Agreement.

 

Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto and all conditions precedent to (i) each Holder’s obligations to pay the Purchase Price and (ii) the Corporation’s obligations to deliver the Series F Preferred Stock have been satisfied or waived.

 

Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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

 

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

 

Conversion Amount” means the Stated Value at issue.

 

Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

 

Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).

 

Conversion Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of Series F Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

Equity Conditions” means, during the period in question, (a) the Corporation shall have paid all liquidated damages and other amounts owing to the applicable Holder in respect of the Series F Preferred Stock, (b)(i) there is an effective registration statement pursuant to which either (A) the Corporation may issue Conversion Shares or (B) the Holders are permitted to utilize the prospectus thereunder to resell all of the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents (and the Corporation believes, in good faith, that such effectiveness will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), (ii) all of the Conversion Shares issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents (and shares issuable in lieu of cash payments of dividends) may be resold pursuant to Rule 144 without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or current public information requirements as determined by the counsel to the Corporation as set forth in a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed and reasonably acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holder, (c) the Common Stock is trading on a Trading Market and all of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock are listed or quoted for trading on such Trading Market (and the Corporation believes, in good faith, that trading of the Common Stock on a Trading Market will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), (d) there is a sufficient number of authorized, but unissued and otherwise unreserved, shares of Common Stock for the issuance of all of the shares then issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents, (e) Authorized Stockholder Approval shall have been received and be effective, (f) the issuance of the shares in question to the applicable Holder would not violate the limitations set forth in Section 6(d) herein, (g) there has been no public announcement of a pending or proposed Fundamental Transaction or Change of Control Transaction that has not been consummated, (h) the applicable Holder is not in possession of any information provided by the Corporation, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their officers, directors, employees, agents or Affiliates, that constitutes, or may constitute, material non-public information and (i) the Corporation shall have duly honored all conversions scheduled to occur or occurring by virtue of one or more Notices of Conversion of the applicable Holder on or prior to the dates so requested or required, if any.

 

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

 

Forced Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

 

Forced Conversion Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

 

Forced Conversion Notice Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

 

Fundamental Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

 

GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Holder” shall have the meaning given such term in Section 2.

 

Liquidation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.

 

Mandatory Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).

 

Mandatory Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).

 

Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

 

Original Issue Date” means the date of the first issuance of any shares of the Series F Preferred Stock regardless of the number of transfers of any particular shares of Series F Preferred Stock and regardless of the number of certificates which may be issued to evidence such Series F Preferred Stock.

 

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

 

Purchase Agreement” means the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of March __, 2023, among the Corporation and the original Holders, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

 

Purchase Price” means, as to each Holder, the aggregate dollar amount to be paid for the Series E Preferred Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

 

Reverse Stock Split” means the reverse stock split of the Corporation’s Common Stock that is effected by the Corporation’s filing of the Amendment with and acceptance by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

 

Reverse Stock Split Date” means the date on which the Amendment to effectuate the Reverse Stock Split is filed with and accepted by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, which Amendment shall become effective upon filing.

 

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

 

Series E Preferred Stock” means the Company’s Series E Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share and stated value of $100.00 per share.

 

Series E Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation” means the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series E Convertible Preferred Stock of the Corporation, dated as of the date hereof.

 

Series F Preferred Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.

 

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Series G Preferred Stock” means the Company’s Series G Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share and stated value of $100.00 per share.

 

Series G Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation” means the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series G Convertible Preferred Stock of the Corporation, dated as of the date hereof.

 

Share Delivery Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).

 

Stated Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.

 

Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Corporation as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a) of the Purchase Agreement and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation formed or acquired after the date of the Purchase Agreement.

 

Successor Entity” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

 

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

 

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

 

Transaction Documents” means this Certificate of Designation, the Series E Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation, the Series G Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation, the Purchase Agreement, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, in each case as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

 

Transfer Agent” means Computershare, and any successor transfer agent of the Corporation.

 

Section 2.            Designation, Amount and Par Value. The series of preferred stock shall be designated as “Series F Convertible Preferred Stock” (the “Series F Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares of such series shall be 1,000 (which shall not be subject to increase without the written consent of the holders (each, a “Holder” and collectively, the “Holders”) of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series F Preferred Stock). Each share of Series F Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.001 per share and a stated value equal to $100.00 (the “Stated Value”).

 

Section 3.           Dividends. Except for stock dividends or distributions for which adjustments are to be made pursuant to Section 7, Holders shall be entitled to receive, and the Corporation shall pay, dividends on shares of Series F Preferred Stock equal (on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis, disregarding for such purpose any conversion limitations hereunder) to and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of the Common Stock when, as and if such dividends are paid on shares of the Common Stock. No other dividends shall be paid on shares of Series F Preferred Stock. The Corporation shall not pay any dividends on the Common Stock unless the Corporation simultaneously complies with this provision.

 

Section 4.            Voting Rights.

 

(a)            For purposes of determining the presence of a quorum at any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation at which the shares of Series F Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, the number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock and votes represented by such shares shall be counted on an as converted to Common Stock basis, disregarding, for such purposes, any limitations on conversion set forth herein.

 

(b)            Each share of Series F Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof (a) to vote only with respect to the Amendment and the Reverse Stock Split and, except as and to the extent set forth in the last sentence of this Section 4(b), the Series F Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any other matter except to the extent required under the Delaware General Corporation Law or provided herein, and (b) with respect to the Amendment and the Reverse Stock Split, to 100,000 votes per each share of Series F Preferred Stock and shall vote together with the Common Stock and any other issued and outstanding shares of preferred stock of the Corporation that are entitled to vote thereon, as a single class; provided, that if any share of Series F Preferred Stock is voted by the Holder thereof with regard to any proposal for the approval of the Amendment and the Reverse Stock Split, then all shares of Series F Preferred Stock then held by such Holder, shall be voted, without any further action of such Holder, in the same proportion as shares of Common Stock and any other shares of capital stock that are entitled to vote thereon are voted (excluding any shares of Common Stock or any other shares of capital stock that are entitled to vote thereon that are not voted on the Amendment and Reverse Stock Split). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in addition, as long as any shares of Series F Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series F Preferred Stock, (a) alter or change the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series F Preferred Stock or alter or amend this Certificate of Designation so as to affect them adversely; provided, that, in no event may the terms and conditions of Section 6(d) of this Certificate of Designation be altered or amended, (b) amend its certificate of incorporation or other charter documents in a manner adverse to the Holders, (c) increase the number of authorized shares of Series F Preferred Stock, or (d) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.

 

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Section 5.           Liquidation. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary (a “Liquidation”), prior and in preference to the Common Stock, the Holders shall be entitled to receive out of the assets available for distribution to stockholders an amount in cash equal to 100% of the Stated Value, and no more, unless the Holder or Holders of the Preferred Shares elect to convert any or all of such Holder's Preferred Shares. The preference set forth in this Section 5 with respect to distributions to the Series F Preferred Stock upon a Liquidation shall apply mutatis mutandis to any distributions to be made upon the consummation of a Fundamental Transaction or Change of Control Transaction. The Corporation shall mail written notice of any such Liquidation, Fundamental Transaction or Change of Control Transaction not less than 30 days prior to the payment date stated therein, to each Holder.

 

Section 6.            Conversion.

 

(a)       Conversions at Option of Holder. Subject to Section 6(d), each share of Series F Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at any time and from time to time only after the date of the stockholder meeting at which the Reverse Stock Split was approved, at the option of the Holder thereof, into that number of shares of Common Stock determined by dividing the Stated Value of such share of Series F Preferred Stock by the Conversion Price. Holders shall effect conversions by delivering to the Corporation and the Holder Representative a conversion notice in the form attached hereto as Annex A (a “Notice of Conversion”). Each Notice of Conversion shall specify the number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock to be converted, the number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock owned prior to the conversion at issue, the number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock owned subsequent to the conversion at issue and the date on which such conversion is to be effected, which date may not be prior to the date the applicable Holder delivers such Notice of Conversion to the Corporation (such date, the “Conversion Date”). If no Conversion Date is specified in a Notice of Conversion, the Conversion Date shall be as of the close of business on the Business Day that such Notice of Conversion is delivered to the Corporation, or if such day is not a Business Day or if the Notice of Conversion is delivered after regular business hours, the next Business Day. No ink-original Notice of Conversion shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Conversion form be required. The calculations and entries set forth in the Notice of Conversion shall control in the absence of manifest or mathematical error. From and after the Conversion Date, until presented for transfer or exchange, certificates that previously represented shares of Series F Preferred Stock shall represent, in lieu of the number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock previously represented by such certificate, the number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock, if any, previously represented by such certificate that were not converted pursuant to the Notice of Conversion, plus the number of shares of Conversion Shares into which the shares of Series F Preferred Stock previously represented by such certificate were converted. To effect conversions of shares of Series F Preferred Stock, a Holder shall not be required to surrender the certificate(s), if any, representing the shares of Series F Preferred Stock to the Corporation unless all of the shares of Series F Preferred Stock represented thereby are so converted, in which case such Holder shall deliver the certificate representing such shares of Series F Preferred Stock promptly following the Conversion Date at issue. Shares of Series F Preferred Stock converted into Common Stock shall be canceled and shall not be reissued.

 

(b)       Conversion Price. The conversion price for the Series F Preferred Stock shall be the price equal to 85% of the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the trading day prior to the date of conversion, subject to a floor price of $0.10 (the “Floor Price”), which floor price will not be adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Split.

 

(c)       Mechanics of Conversion.

 

(i)      Delivery of Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. Not later than the earlier of (i) three (3) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined below) after each Conversion Date (the “Share Delivery Date”), the Corporation shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the converting Holder the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock, which Conversion Shares shall be free of restrictive legends and trading restrictions so long as either (A) there is an effective registration statement to cover the resale of the Conversion Shares or (B) if the Conversion Shares may be resold under Rule 144. The Corporation shall use its reasonable best efforts to deliver the Conversion Shares required to be delivered by the Corporation under this Section 6 electronically through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Corporation’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Conversion.

 

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(ii)      Failure to Deliver Conversion Shares. If, in the case of any Notice of Conversion, such Conversion Shares are not delivered to or as directed by the applicable Holder by the Share Delivery Date, the Holder shall be entitled to elect by written notice to the Corporation at any time on or before its receipt of such Conversion Shares, to rescind such Conversion, in which event the Corporation shall promptly return to the Holder any original Series F Preferred Stock certificate delivered to the Corporation and the Holder shall promptly return to the Corporation the Conversion Shares issued to such Holder pursuant to the rescinded Notice of Conversion.

 

(iii)      Obligation Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. Subject to Section 6(d), the Corporation’s obligation to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of Series F Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by a Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by such Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Corporation or any violation or alleged violation of law by such Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance, which might otherwise limit such obligation of the Corporation to such Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by the Corporation of any such action that the Corporation may have against such Holder. In the event a Holder shall elect to convert any or all of the Stated Value of its Series F Preferred Stock, the Corporation may not refuse conversion based on any claim that such Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with such Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, other than pursuant to Section 6(d), unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and/or enjoining conversion of all or part of the Series F Preferred Stock of such Holder shall have been sought and obtained, and the Corporation posts a surety bond for the benefit of such Holder in the amount of 100% of the Stated Value of the Series F Preferred Stock which is subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to such Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, subject to Section 6(d), the Corporation shall issue Conversion Shares and, if applicable, cash, upon a properly noticed conversion. If the Corporation fails to deliver to a Holder such Conversion Shares pursuant to Section 6(c)(i) by the Share Delivery Date applicable to such conversion, other than pursuant to Section 6(d), the Corporation shall pay to such Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $5,000 of Stated Value of Series F Preferred Stock being converted, $50 per Trading Day (increasing to $100 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date for each Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date until such Conversion Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such conversion). Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue actual damages for the Corporation’s failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified herein and such Holder shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief. The exercise of any such rights shall not prohibit a Holder from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.

 

(iv)      Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Corporation fails for any reason to deliver to a Holder the applicable Conversion Shares by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 6(c)(i), and if after such Share Delivery Date such Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise, or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Holder of the Conversion Shares which such Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a “Buy-In”), then the Corporation shall (A) pay in cash to such Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by such Holder) the amount, if any, by which (x) such Holder’s total purchase price (including any brokerage commissions) for the Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the product of (1) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that such Holder was entitled to receive from the conversion at issue multiplied by (2) the actual sale price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (including any brokerage commissions) and (B) at the option of such Holder, either reissue (if surrendered the shares of Series F Preferred Stock equal to the number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock submitted for conversion (in which case, such conversion shall be deemed rescinded or deliver to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Corporation had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 6(c)(i). For example, if a Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted conversion of shares of Series F Preferred Stock with respect to which the actual sale price of the Conversion Shares (including any brokerage commissions) giving rise to such purchase obligation was a total of $10,000 under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Corporation shall be required to pay such Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Corporation written notice indicating the amounts payable to such Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Corporation, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Corporation’s failure to timely deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of the shares of Series F Preferred Stock as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

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(v)      Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. From and after the Reverse Stock Split Date and until no shares of Series F Preferred Stock remain outstanding, the Corporation covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock as herein provided, free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of Persons other than the Holder (and the other holders of the Series F Preferred Stock), not less than the aggregate number of shares of the Common Stock as shall (subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement) be issuable (taking into account any adjustments under Section 7) upon the conversion of the then outstanding shares of Series F Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

(vi)      Fractional Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such conversion, the Corporation shall at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Conversion Price or round up to the next whole share. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, but consistent with the provisions of this subsection with respect to fractional Conversion Shares, nothing shall prevent any Holder from converting fractional shares of Series F Preferred Stock.

 

(vii)      Transfer Taxes and Expenses. The issuance of Conversion Shares on conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock shall be made without charge to any Holder for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such Conversion Shares, provided that the Corporation shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any such Conversion Shares upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holders of such shares of Series F Preferred Stock and the Corporation shall not be required to issue or deliver such Conversion Shares unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to the Corporation the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of the Corporation that such tax has been paid. The Corporation shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Conversion and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Conversion Shares.

 

(d)       Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Corporation shall not effect any conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of the Series F Preferred Stock, to the extent that, after giving effect to the conversion set forth on the applicable Notice of Conversion, such Holder (together with such Holder’s Affiliates, and any Persons acting as a group together with such Holder or any of such Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)) would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Preferred Stock with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which are issuable upon (i) conversion of the remaining, unconverted Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Corporation subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein (including, without limitation, the Preferred Stock) beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 6(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 6(d) applies, the determination of whether the Series F Preferred Stock is convertible (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of how many shares of Series F Preferred Stock are convertible shall be in the sole discretion of such Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Conversion shall be deemed to be such Holder’s determination of whether the shares of Series F Preferred Stock may be converted (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and how many shares of the Series F Preferred Stock are convertible, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. To ensure compliance with this restriction, each Holder will be deemed to represent to the Corporation each time it delivers a Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this Section 6(d) and the Corporation shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 6(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (i) the Corporation’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (ii) a more recent public announcement by the Corporation or (iii) a more recent written notice by the Corporation or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request (which may be via email) of a Holder, the Corporation shall within one (1) Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Corporation, including the Series F Preferred Stock, by such Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any shares of Series F Preferred Stock, 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Series F Preferred Stock held by the applicable Holder. A Holder, upon notice to the Corporation, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 6(d) applicable to its Series F Preferred Stock; provided, that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall not in any event exceed 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 6(d) shall continue to apply. Any such increase will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Corporation and shall only apply to such Holder and no other Holder. The Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall not be waived or amended by the Corporation or the Holder and upon issuance of the Series F Preferred Stock by the Corporation, and the purchase thereof by the Holder, in accordance with the Purchase Agreement, each of the Corporation and the Purchaser shall be deemed to acknowledge such limitation and to agree not to waive it. The provisions of this Section 6(d) shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 6(d) to correct this Section (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation contained herein or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this Section shall apply to a successor holder of Series F Preferred Stock.

 

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Section 7.            Certain Adjustments.

 

(a)       Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If the Corporation, at any time while the Series F Preferred Stock is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions that is payable in shares of Common Stock on shares of Common Stock or any other Common Stock Equivalents (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Corporation upon conversion of, or payment of a dividend on, the Series F Preferred Stock), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of a reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues, in the event of a reclassification of shares of the Common Stock, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation, then the Conversion Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) outstanding immediately before such event, and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 7(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification. Notwithstanding the foregoing in no event shall the Conversion Price be less than the Floor Price.

 

(b)       Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 7(a) above, if at any time the Corporation grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of Common Stock or any class thereof (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of such Holder’s Series F Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

(c)       Distributions. During such time as the Series F Preferred Stock is outstanding, if the Corporation declares or makes any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on conversion hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

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(d)       Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while the Series F Preferred Stock is outstanding, (i) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another Person (other than for a transaction the sole purpose of which is changing the name or the domicile of the Company), (ii) the Corporation (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Corporation or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Common Stock, or (iv) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Conversion Share that would have been issuable upon such conversion immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 6(d) on the conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Corporation, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which the Series F Preferred Stock is convertible immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 6(d) on the conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock). For purposes of any such conversion, the determination of the Conversion Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Corporation shall apportion the Conversion Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock following such Fundamental Transaction. To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Corporation or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall file a new Certificate of Designation with the same terms and conditions and issue to the Holders new preferred stock consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holders’ right to convert such preferred stock into Alternate Consideration. The Corporation shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Corporation is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7(d) pursuant to written agreements in customary form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for the Series F Preferred Stock a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to the Series F Preferred Stock which is convertible for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on the conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with a conversion price which applies the conversion price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such conversion price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of the Series F Preferred Stock immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Corporation” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Corporation and shall assume all of the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Corporation herein.

 

(e)       Calculations. All calculations under this Section 7 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 7, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) issued and outstanding.

 

(f)       Notice of Holders.

 

(i)       Adjustment to Conversion Price. Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 7, the Corporation shall promptly deliver to each Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Conversion Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

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(ii)       Notice to Allow Conversion by Holder. If (A) the Corporation shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Corporation shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Corporation shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Corporation shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Corporation is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property or (E) the Corporation shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, then, in each case, the Corporation shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock, and shall cause to be delivered by email to each Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the stock books of the Corporation, at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange, provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries, the Corporation shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to convert the Conversion Amount of the Series F Preferred Stock (or any part hereof) during the 10-day period commencing on the date of such notice through the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

Section 8.            Mandatory Conversion and Forced Conversion.

 

(a)      Mandatory Conversion. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on or after the sixty-first (61st) day after the Reverse Stock Split Date or, if all of the Equity Conditions are not satisfied on such date, on the first such date thereafter that all of the Equity Conditions are satisfied (unless waived in writing by a Holder with respect to such Holder) (the “Mandatory Conversion Date”), the Corporation may deliver written notice of the Mandatory Conversion to all Holders and the Holder Representative on the Mandatory Conversion Date and, on the tenth (10th) business date after such Mandatory Conversion Date, the Corporation shall convert all of each Holder’s shares of Series F Preferred Stock (the “Mandatory Conversion”) into Conversion Shares at the then effective Conversion Price on the Mandatory Conversion Date, it being agreed that the “Conversion Date” for purposes of Section 6 herein shall be deemed to be the Mandatory Conversion Date. The Mandatory Conversion hereunder shall not be effective, unless all of the Equity Conditions are met (unless waived in writing by a Holder with respect to such Holder) on the Mandatory Conversion Date through and including the Share Delivery Date and the actual delivery of all of the Conversion Shares to the Holders. For purposes of clarification, a Mandatory Conversion shall be subject to all of the provisions of Section 6, including, without limitation, Section 6(d) and the provision requiring payment of liquidated damages. If any of the Equity Conditions shall cease to be satisfied at any time on or after the Mandatory Conversion Date through and including the actual delivery of all of the Conversion Shares to the Holders, a Holder may elect to nullify the Mandatory Conversion as to such Holder by notice to the Corporation within three (3) Trading Days after the first day on which any such Equity Condition has not been satisfied (provided that if, by a provision of the Transaction Documents, the Corporation is obligated to notify the Holders of the non-existence of an Equity Condition, such notice period shall be extended to the second Trading Day after proper notice from the Corporation) in which case the Mandatory Conversion shall be null and void, ab initio. Subject to the other terms hereof, the Corporation covenants and agrees that the Corporation will honor all Notices of Conversion that are tendered by the Holder on or after the Mandatory Conversion Date.

 

(b)       Forced Conversion. At any time after 120 days following the Mandatory Conversion Date, the Corporation may deliver a written notice to all Holders and Holder Representative (a “Forced Conversion Notice” and the date such notice is delivered to all Holders, the “Forced Conversion Notice Date”) to cause each Holder to convert all or part of such Holder’s Series F Preferred Stock (as specified in such Forced Conversion Notice) pursuant to Section 6 (a “Forced Conversion”), it being agreed that the “Conversion Date” for purposes of Section 6 shall be deemed to be the Forced Conversion Notice Date (such date, the “Forced Conversion Date”), provided that the Corporation shall not deliver a Forced Conversion Notice more than once in any 60 day period. The Corporation may not deliver a Forced Conversion Notice, and any Forced Conversion Notice delivered by the Corporation shall not be effective, unless all of the Equity Conditions have been met on the Forced Conversion Notice Date through and including the later of the Forced Conversion Date and the Trading Day after the date that the Conversion Shares issuable pursuant to such conversion are actually delivered to the Holders pursuant to the Forced Conversion Notice. Any Forced Conversion Notices shall be applied ratably to all of the Holders based on each Holder’s initial purchases of Series F Preferred Stock hereunder, provided that any voluntary conversions by a Holder shall be applied against such Holder’s pro rata allocation, thereby decreasing the aggregate amount forcibly converted hereunder if less than all shares of the Series F Preferred Stock are forcibly converted. For purposes of clarification, a Forced Conversion shall be subject to all of the provisions of Section 6, including, without limitation, the provisions requiring payment of liquidated damages and Section 6(d) on Beneficial Ownership Limitation on conversion.

 

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Section 9.            Covenants. The Holders (i) may not transfer, offer, sell, contract to sell, hypothecate, pledge or otherwise dispose of the Series F Preferred Shares until the earlier of the date that the Reverse Stock Split is approved or April 30, 2023 (which may be extended to June 30, 2023 if the Reverse Split has not then been obtained), and (ii) must vote the shares of the Series F Preferred Stock in a manner that “mirrors” the proportions on which the shares of Common Stock (excluding any shares of Common Stock that are not voted) and Series E Preferred Stock are voted on the Stockholder Items.

 

Section 10.          Ranking. The shares of Series F Preferred Stock shall be junior in rank to the Corporation’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and pari passu with the Corporation’s Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, its Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, its Series E Preferred Stock and its Series G Preferred Stock with respect to the preferences as to dividends, redemption, or distribution of assets and payments upon the liquidation, dissolution and winding up of the Corporation.

 

Section 11.            Miscellaneous.

 

(a)       Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Conversion, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile or email attachment, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Corporation, at11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 240, Las Vegas, NV 89141, Attention: William B. Horne, Chief Executive Officer, email address: Will@ault.com, or such other email address or address as the Corporation may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders delivered in accordance with this Section 11. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Corporation hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by email attachment, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the email address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Corporation, or if no such email address or address appears on the books of the Corporation, at the principal place of business of such Holder, as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email attachment at the email address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email attachment at the email address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.

 

(b)       Lost or Mutilated Preferred Stock Certificate. If a Holder’s Series F Preferred Stock certificate shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Corporation shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated certificate, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, a new certificate for the shares of Series F Preferred Stock so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such certificate, and of the ownership hereof reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation (which shall not include the posting of any bond).

 

(c)       Severability. If any provision of this Certificate of Designation is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Certificate of Designation shall remain in effect, and if any provision is inapplicable to any Person or circumstance, it shall nevertheless remain applicable to all other Persons and circumstances.

 

(d)       Next Business Day. Whenever any payment or other obligation hereunder shall be due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

(e)       Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Certificate of Designation and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

 

(f)       Status of Converted or Redeemed Preferred Stock. Shares of Series F Preferred Stock may only be issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. If any shares of Series F Preferred Stock shall be converted, redeemed or reacquired by the Corporation, such shares may not be reissued and shall automatically be retired and cancelled and shall resume the status of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock.

 

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

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate this ___ day of _________ 2023.

 

  /s/ William B. Horne
  Name: William B. Horne
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

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ANNEX A

NOTICE OF CONVERSION



The undersigned hereby elects to convert the number of shares of Series F Convertible Preferred Stock indicated below into shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), according to the conditions hereof, as of the date written below. If shares of Common Stock are to be issued in the name of a Person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all transfer taxes payable with respect thereto. No fee will be charged to the Holders for any conversion, except for any such transfer taxes.

 

Conversion calculations:

 

Date to Effect Conversion: _________________________________________________
Number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock owned prior to Conversion: __________________
Number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock to be Converted: __________________________
Stated Value of shares of Series F Preferred Stock to be Converted: ______________________
Number of shares of Common Stock to be Issued: ___________________________
Applicable Conversion Price:____________________________________________
Number of shares of Series F Preferred Stock subsequent to Conversion: ________________
Address for Delivery: ______________________
Or
DWAC Instructions:
Broker no: _________
Account no: ___________

 

  HOLDER
   
  By:  
    Name:
    Title:
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.3

 

AULT ALLIANCE, INC.

 

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES, RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS

 

OF

 

SERIES G CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 151 OF THE

delaware GENERAL CORPORATION LAW

 

The undersigned, William B. Horne, does hereby certify that:

 

  1.

He is the Chief Executive Officer of Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”).

 

  2.

The Corporation is authorized to issue 25,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, 3,500,000 shares of which have been previously designated.

 

  3. The following resolutions were duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”):

 

WHEREAS, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), provides for a class of its authorized stock known as preferred stock, consisting of 25,000,000 shares, $0.001 par value per share, issuable from time to time in one or more series;

 

WHEREAS, the Board is authorized by resolution to provide for the issuance of preferred stock in one or more series, and to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the designation, powers, privileges, preferences and relative participating, optional or other rights, if any, of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof; and

 

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Board, pursuant to its authority as described above, to fix the rights, preferences, restrictions and other matters relating to a series of the preferred stock, which shall consist of 16,000 shares of preferred stock which the Corporation has the authority to issue.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board does hereby provide for the issuance of a series of preferred stock to be designated “Series G Convertible Preferred Stock” and does hereby fix and determine the designation, powers, privileges, preferences and relative participating, optional or other rights, if any, of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof as follows:

 

Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

Alternate Consideration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

 

Amendment” means the amendment to the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation to, after the date hereof, effect the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Authorized Stockholder Approval” means approval of the Amendment by the holders of a majority in voting power of the then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the Amendment.

 

Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).

 

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

 

Buy-In” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c)(iv).

 

Certificate of Designation” means this Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series G Convertible Preferred Stock.

 

   
 

 

Change of Control Transaction” means the occurrence after the date hereof of any of (a) an acquisition by an individual or legal entity or “group” (as described in Rule 13d-5(b)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of effective control (whether through legal or beneficial ownership of capital stock of the Corporation, by contract or otherwise) of in excess of 50% of the voting securities of the Corporation (other than by means of the issuance, sale, conversion or exercise of Series E Preferred Stock, Series F Preferred Stock or Series G Preferred Stock), (b) the Corporation merges into or consolidates with any other Person, or any Person merges into or consolidates with the Corporation and, after giving effect to such transaction, the stockholders of the Corporation immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the Corporation or the successor entity of such transaction, (c) the Corporation (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole) sells or transfers all or substantially all of its assets to another Person and the stockholders of the Corporation immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the acquiring entity immediately after the transaction, (d) a replacement at one time or within a one year period of more than one-half of the members of the Board which is not approved by a majority of those individuals who are members of the Board on the Original Issue Date (or by those individuals who are serving as members of the Board on any date whose nomination to the Board was approved by a majority of the members of the Board who are members on the Original Issue Date), or (e) the execution by the Corporation of an agreement to which the Corporation is a party or by which it is bound, providing for any of the events set forth in clauses (a) through (d) above, provided, however, that no transaction with an Affiliate of the Corporation shall be deemed a Change of Control Transaction.

 

Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Series G Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Purchase Agreement.

 

Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto and all conditions precedent to (i) each Holder’s obligations to pay the Purchase Price and (ii) the Corporation’s obligations to deliver the Series G Preferred Stock have been satisfied or waived.

 

Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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

 

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

 

Conversion Amount” means the Stated Value at issue.

 

Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

 

Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).

 

Conversion Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of Series G Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

Equity Conditions” means, during the period in question, (a) the Corporation shall have paid all liquidated damages and other amounts owing to the applicable Holder in respect of the Series G Preferred Stock, (b)(i) there is an effective registration statement pursuant to which either (A) the Corporation may issue Conversion Shares or (B) the Holders are permitted to utilize the prospectus thereunder to resell all of the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents (and the Corporation believes, in good faith, that such effectiveness will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), or (ii) all of the Conversion Shares issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents (and shares issuable in lieu of cash payments of dividends) may be resold pursuant to Rule 144 without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or current public information requirements as determined by the counsel to the Corporation as set forth in a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed and reasonably acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holder, (c) the Common Stock is trading on a Trading Market and all of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock are listed or quoted for trading on such Trading Market (and the Corporation believes, in good faith, that trading of the Common Stock on a Trading Market will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), (d) there is a sufficient number of authorized, but unissued and otherwise unreserved, shares of Common Stock for the issuance of all of the shares then issuable pursuant to the Transaction Documents, (e) Authorized Stockholder Approval shall have been received and be effective, (f) the issuance of the shares in question to the applicable Holder would not violate the limitations set forth in Section 6(d) herein, (g) there has been no public announcement of a pending or proposed Fundamental Transaction or Change of Control Transaction that has not been consummated, (h) the applicable Holder is not in possession of any information provided by the Corporation, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their officers, directors, employees, agents or Affiliates, that constitutes, or may constitute, material non-public information and (i) the Corporation shall have duly honored all conversions scheduled to occur or occurring by virtue of one or more Notices of Conversion of the applicable Holder on or prior to the dates so requested or required, if any.

 

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

 

Forced Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

 

Forced Conversion Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

 

Forced Conversion Notice Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(b).

 

Fundamental Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

 

GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Holder” shall have the meaning given such term in Section 2.

 

Liquidation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.

 

Mandatory Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).

 

Mandatory Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).

 

Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

 

Original Issue Date” means the date of the first issuance of any shares of the Series G Preferred Stock regardless of the number of transfers of any particular shares of Series G Preferred Stock and regardless of the number of certificates which may be issued to evidence such Series G Preferred Stock.

 

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

 

Preferred Stock” means the Series E Preferred Stock, the Series F Preferred Stock and the Series G Preferred Stock.

 

Purchase Agreement” means the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of March __, 2023, among the Corporation and the original Holders, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

 

Purchase Price” means, as to each Holder, the aggregate dollar amount to be paid for the Series G Preferred Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

 

Reverse Stock Split” means the reverse stock split of the Corporation’s Common Stock that is effected by the Corporation’s filing of the Amendment with and acceptance by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

 

Reverse Stock Split Date” means the date on which the Amendment to effectuate the Reverse Stock Split is filed with and accepted by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, which Amendment shall become effective upon filing.

 

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

 

Series E Preferred Stock” means the Company’s Series E Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share and stated value of $100.00 per share.

 

Series E Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation” means the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series E Convertible Preferred Stock of the Corporation, dated as of the date hereof.

 

Series F Preferred Stock” means the Company’s Series F Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share and stated value of $100.00 per share.

 

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Series F Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation” means the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series F Convertible Preferred Stock of the Corporation, dated as of the date hereof.

 

Series G Preferred Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.

 

Share Delivery Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).

 

Stated Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.

 

Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Corporation as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a) of the Purchase Agreement and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation formed or acquired after the date of the Purchase Agreement.

 

Successor Entity” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

 

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

 

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

 

Transaction Documents” means this Certificate of Designation, the Series F Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation, the Series G Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation, the Purchase Agreement, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, in each case as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

 

Transfer Agent” means Computershare, and any successor transfer agent of the Corporation.

 

Section 2.            Designation, Amount and Par Value. The series of preferred stock shall be designated as “Series G Convertible Preferred Stock” (the “Series G Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares of such series shall be 16,000 (which shall not be subject to increase without the written consent of the holders (each, a “Holder” and collectively, the “Holders”) of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series G Preferred Stock). Each share of Series G Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.001 per share and a stated value equal to $100.00 (the “Stated Value”).

 

Section 3.           Dividends. Except for stock dividends or distributions for which adjustments are to be made pursuant to Section 7, Holders shall be entitled to receive, and the Corporation shall pay, dividends on shares of Series G Preferred Stock equal (on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis, disregarding for such purpose any conversion limitations hereunder) to and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of the Common Stock when, as and if such dividends are paid on shares of the Common Stock. No other dividends shall be paid on shares of Series G Preferred Stock. The Corporation shall not pay any dividends on the Common Stock unless the Corporation simultaneously complies with this provision.

 

Section 4.          Voting Rights. Except as otherwise required by the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Certificate of Incorporation (including this Certificate of Designation), the Series G Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any matter submitted to a vote of the stockholders generally. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in addition, as long as any shares of Series G Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series G Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, (a) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights of the Series G Preferred Stock or alter or amend this Certificate of Designation; provided, that, in no event may the terms and conditions of Section 6(d) of this Certificate of Designation be altered or amended, (b) amend the Certificate of Incorporation or other charter documents in a manner adverse to the Holders, (c) increase the number of authorized shares of Series G Preferred Stock, or (d) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.

 

Section 5.           Liquidation. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary (a “Liquidation”), prior and in preference to the Common Stock, the Holders shall be entitled to receive out of the assets available for distribution to stockholders an amount in cash equal to 100% of the Stated Value, and no more, unless the Holder or Holders of the Preferred Shares elect to convert any or all of such Holder's Preferred Shares. The preference set forth in this Section 5 with respect to distributions to the Series G Preferred Stock upon a Liquidation shall apply mutatis mutandis to any distributions to be made upon the consummation of a Fundamental Transaction or Change of Control Transaction. The Corporation shall mail written notice of any such Liquidation, Fundamental Transaction or Change of Control Transaction not less than 30 days prior to the payment date stated therein, to each Holder.

 

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Section 6.            Conversion.

 

(a)       Conversions at Option of Holder. Subject to Section 6(d), each share of Series G Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at any time and from time to time only after the date of the stockholder meeting at which the Reverse Stock Split was approved, at the option of the Holder thereof, into that number of shares of Common Stock determined by dividing the Stated Value of such share of Series G Preferred Stock by the Conversion Price. Holders shall effect conversions by delivering to the Corporation and the Holder Representative a conversion notice in the form attached hereto as Annex A (a “Notice of Conversion”). Each Notice of Conversion shall specify the number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock to be converted, the number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock owned prior to the conversion at issue, the number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock owned subsequent to the conversion at issue and the date on which such conversion is to be effected, which date may not be prior to the date the applicable Holder delivers such Notice of Conversion to the Corporation (such date, the “Conversion Date”). If no Conversion Date is specified in a Notice of Conversion, the Conversion Date shall be as of the close of business on the Business Day that such Notice of Conversion is delivered to the Corporation, or if such day is not a Business Day or if the Notice of Conversion is delivered after regular business hours, the next Business Day. No ink-original Notice of Conversion shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Conversion form be required. The calculations and entries set forth in the Notice of Conversion shall control in the absence of manifest or mathematical error. From and after the Conversion Date, until presented for transfer or exchange, certificates that previously represented shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall represent, in lieu of the number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock previously represented by such certificate, the number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock, if any, previously represented by such certificate that were not converted pursuant to the Notice of Conversion, plus the number of shares of Conversion Shares into which the shares of Series G Preferred Stock previously represented by such certificate were converted. To effect conversions of shares of Series G Preferred Stock, a Holder shall not be required to surrender the certificate(s), if any, representing the shares of Series G Preferred Stock to the Corporation unless all of the shares of Series G Preferred Stock represented thereby are so converted, in which case such Holder shall deliver the certificate representing such shares of Series G Preferred Stock promptly following the Conversion Date at issue. Shares of Series G Preferred Stock converted into Common Stock shall be canceled and shall not be reissued.

 

(b)       Conversion Price. The conversion price for the Series G Preferred Stock shall be the price equal to 85% of the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the trading day prior to the date of conversion, subject to a floor price of $0.10 (the “Floor Price”), which floor price will not be adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Split, provided, that for the purpose of voting at the stockholder meeting at which Reverse Stock Split will be voted upon, the conversion price shall be the price equal to 85% of the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the trading day prior to the date of such meeting.

 

(c)       Mechanics of Conversion.

 

(i)      Delivery of Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. Not later than the earlier of (i) three (3) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined below) after each Conversion Date (the “Share Delivery Date”), the Corporation shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the converting Holder the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock, which Conversion Shares shall be free of restrictive legends and trading restrictions so long as either (A) there is an effective registration statement to cover the resale of the Conversion Shares or (B) if the Conversion Shares may be resold under Rule 144. The Corporation shall use its reasonable best efforts to deliver the Conversion Shares required to be delivered by the Corporation under this Section 6 electronically through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Corporation’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Conversion.

 

(ii)      Failure to Deliver Conversion Shares. If, in the case of any Notice of Conversion, such Conversion Shares are not delivered to or as directed by the applicable Holder by the Share Delivery Date, the Holder shall be entitled to elect by written notice to the Corporation at any time on or before its receipt of such Conversion Shares, to rescind such Conversion, in which event the Corporation shall promptly return to the Holder any original Series G Preferred Stock certificate delivered to the Corporation and the Holder shall promptly return to the Corporation the Conversion Shares issued to such Holder pursuant to the rescinded Notice of Conversion.

 

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(iii)      Obligation Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. Subject to Section 6(d), the Corporation’s obligation to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of Series G Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by a Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by such Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Corporation or any violation or alleged violation of law by such Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance, which might otherwise limit such obligation of the Corporation to such Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by the Corporation of any such action that the Corporation may have against such Holder. In the event a Holder shall elect to convert any or all of the Stated Value of its Series G Preferred Stock, the Corporation may not refuse conversion based on any claim that such Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with such Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, other than pursuant to Section 6(d), unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and/or enjoining conversion of all or part of the Series G Preferred Stock of such Holder shall have been sought and obtained, and the Corporation posts a surety bond for the benefit of such Holder in the amount of 100% of the Stated Value of the Series G Preferred Stock which is subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to such Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, subject to Section 6(d), the Corporation shall issue Conversion Shares and, if applicable, cash, upon a properly noticed conversion. If the Corporation fails to deliver to a Holder such Conversion Shares pursuant to Section 6(c)(i) by the Share Delivery Date applicable to such conversion, other than pursuant to Section 6(d), the Corporation shall pay to such Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $5,000 of Stated Value of Series G Preferred Stock being converted, $50 per Trading Day (increasing to $100 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date) for each Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date until such Conversion Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such conversion. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue actual damages for the Corporation’s failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified herein and such Holder shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief. The exercise of any such rights shall not prohibit a Holder from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.

 

(iv)      Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Corporation fails for any reason to deliver to a Holder the applicable Conversion Shares by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 6(c)(i), and if after such Share Delivery Date such Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Holder of the Conversion Shares which such Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a “Buy-In”), then the Corporation shall (A) pay in cash to such Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by such Holder) the amount, if any, by which (x) such Holder’s total purchase price (including any brokerage commissions) for the Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the product of (1) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that such Holder was entitled to receive from the conversion at issue multiplied by (2) the actual sale price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (including any brokerage commissions) and (B) at the option of such Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) the shares of Series G Preferred Stock equal to the number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock submitted for conversion (in which case, such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Corporation had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 6(c)(i). For example, if a Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted conversion of shares of Series G Preferred Stock with respect to which the actual sale price of the Conversion Shares (including any brokerage commissions) giving rise to such purchase obligation was a total of $10,000 under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Corporation shall be required to pay such Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Corporation written notice indicating the amounts payable to such Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Corporation, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Corporation’s failure to timely deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of the shares of Series G Preferred Stock as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

(v)      Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. From and after the Reverse Stock Split Date and until no shares of Series G Preferred Stock remain outstanding, the Corporation covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock as herein provided, free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of Persons other than the Holder (and the other holders of the Series G Preferred Stock), not less than the aggregate number of shares of the Common Stock as shall (subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement) be issuable (taking into account any adjustments under Section 7) upon the conversion of the then outstanding shares of Series G Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

(vi)      Fractional Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such conversion, the Corporation shall at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Conversion Price or round up to the next whole share. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, but consistent with the provisions of this subsection with respect to fractional Conversion Shares, nothing shall prevent any Holder from converting fractional shares of Series G Preferred Stock.

 

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(vii)      Transfer Taxes and Expenses. The issuance of Conversion Shares on conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock shall be made without charge to any Holder for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such Conversion Shares, provided that the Corporation shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any such Conversion Shares upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holders of such shares of Series G Preferred Stock and the Corporation shall not be required to issue or deliver such Conversion Shares unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to the Corporation the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of the Corporation that such tax has been paid. The Corporation shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Conversion and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Conversion Shares.

 

(d)       Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Corporation shall not effect any conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of the Series G Preferred Stock, to the extent that, after giving effect to the conversion set forth on the applicable Notice of Conversion, such Holder (together with such Holder’s Affiliates, and any Persons acting as a group together with such Holder or any of such Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)) would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Preferred Stock with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which are issuable upon (i) conversion of the remaining, unconverted Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Corporation subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein (including, without limitation, the Preferred Stock) beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 6(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 6(d) applies, the determination of whether the Series G Preferred Stock is convertible (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of how many shares of Series G Preferred Stock are convertible shall be in the sole discretion of such Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Conversion shall be deemed to be such Holder’s determination of whether the shares of Series G Preferred Stock may be converted (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and how many shares of the Series G Preferred Stock are convertible, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. To ensure compliance with this restriction, each Holder will be deemed to represent to the Corporation each time it delivers a Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this Section 6(d) and the Corporation shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 6(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (i) the Corporation’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (ii) a more recent public announcement by the Corporation or (iii) a more recent written notice by the Corporation or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request (which may be via email) of a Holder, the Corporation shall within one (1) Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Corporation, including the Series G Preferred Stock, by such Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any shares of Series G Preferred Stock, 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Series G Preferred Stock held by the applicable Holder. A Holder, upon notice to the Corporation, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 6(d) applicable to its Series G Preferred Stock; provided, that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall not in any event exceed 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 6(d) shall continue to apply. Any such increase will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Corporation and shall only apply to such Holder and no other Holder. The Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall not be waived or amended by the Corporation or the Holder and upon issuance of the Series G Preferred Stock by the Corporation, and the purchase thereof by the Holder, in accordance with the Purchase Agreement, each of the Corporation and the Purchaser shall be deemed to acknowledge such limitation and to agree not to waive it. The provisions of this Section 6(d) shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 6(d) to correct this Section (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation contained herein or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this Section shall apply to a successor holder of Series G Preferred Stock.

 

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Section 7.            Certain Adjustments.

 

(a)       Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If the Corporation, at any time while the Series G Preferred Stock is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions that is payable in shares of Common Stock on shares of Common Stock or any other Common Stock Equivalents (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Corporation upon conversion of, or payment of a dividend on, the Series G Preferred Stock), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of a reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues, in the event of a reclassification of shares of the Common Stock, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation, then the Conversion Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) outstanding immediately before such event, and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 7(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification. Notwithstanding the foregoing in no event shall the Conversion Price be less than the Floor Price.

 

(b)       Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 7(a) above, if at any time the Corporation grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of Common Stock or any class thereof (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of such Holder’s Series G Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

(c)       Distributions. During such time as the Series G Preferred Stock is outstanding, if the Corporation declares or makes any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on conversion hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

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(d)       Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while the Series G Preferred Stock is outstanding, (i) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another Person (other than for a transaction the sole purpose of which is changing the name or the domicile of the Company), (ii) the Corporation (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Corporation or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Common Stock, or (iv) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Conversion Share that would have been issuable upon such conversion immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 6(d) on the conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Corporation, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which the Series G Preferred Stock is convertible immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 6(d) on the conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock). For purposes of any such conversion, the determination of the Conversion Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Corporation shall apportion the Conversion Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock following such Fundamental Transaction. To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Corporation or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall file a new Certificate of Designation with the same terms and conditions and issue to the Holders new preferred stock consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holders’ right to convert such preferred stock into Alternate Consideration. The Corporation shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Corporation is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7(d) pursuant to written agreements in customary form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for the Series G Preferred Stock a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to the Series G Preferred Stock which is convertible for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on the conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with a conversion price which applies the conversion price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such conversion price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of the Series G Preferred Stock immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Corporation” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Corporation and shall assume all of the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Corporation herein.

 

(e)       Calculations. All calculations under this Section 7 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 7, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) issued and outstanding.

 

(f)       Notice of Holders.

 

(i)       Adjustment to Conversion Price. Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 7, the Corporation shall promptly deliver to each Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Conversion Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

(ii)       Notice to Allow Conversion by Holder. If (A) the Corporation shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Corporation shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Corporation shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Corporation shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Corporation is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation (and all of its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property or (E) the Corporation shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, then, in each case, the Corporation shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of the Series G Preferred Stock, and shall cause to be delivered by email to each Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the stock books of the Corporation, at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange, provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries, the Corporation shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to convert the Conversion Amount of the Series G Preferred Stock (or any part hereof) during the 10-day period commencing on the date of such notice through the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

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Section 8.            Mandatory Conversion and Forced Conversion.

 

(a)      Mandatory Conversion. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on or after the sixty-first (61st) day after the Reverse Stock Split Date or, if all of the Equity Conditions are not satisfied on such date, on the first such date thereafter that all of the Equity Conditions are satisfied (unless waived in writing by a Holder with respect to such Holder) (the “Mandatory Conversion Date”), the Corporation may deliver written notice of the Mandatory Conversion to all Holders and the Holder Representative on the Mandatory Conversion Date and, on the tenth (10th) business date after such Mandatory Conversion Date, the Corporation shall convert all of each Holder’s shares of Series G Preferred Stock (the “Mandatory Conversion”) into Conversion Shares at the then effective Conversion Price on the Mandatory Conversion Date, it being agreed that the “Conversion Date” for purposes of Section 6 herein shall be deemed to be the Mandatory Conversion Date. The Mandatory Conversion hereunder shall not be effective unless all of the Equity Conditions are met (unless waived in writing by a Holder with respect to such Holder) on the Mandatory Conversion Date through and including the Share Delivery Date and the actual delivery of all of the Conversion Shares to the Holders. For purposes of clarification, a Mandatory Conversion shall be subject to all of the provisions of Section 6, including, without limitation, Section 6(d) and the provision requiring payment of liquidated damages. If any of the Equity Conditions shall cease to be satisfied at any time on or after the Mandatory Conversion Date through and including the actual delivery of all of the Conversion Shares to the Holders, a Holder may elect to nullify the Mandatory Conversion as to such Holder by notice to the Corporation within three (3) Trading Days after the first day on which any such Equity Condition has not been satisfied (provided that if, by a provision of the Transaction Documents, the Corporation is obligated to notify the Holders of the non-existence of an Equity Condition, such notice period shall be extended to the second Trading Day after proper notice from the Corporation) in which case the Mandatory Conversion shall be null and void, ab initio. Subject to the other terms hereof, the Corporation covenants and agrees that the Corporation will honor all Notices of Conversion that are tendered by the Holder on or after the Mandatory Conversion Date.

 

(b)       Forced Conversion. At any time after 120 days following the Mandatory Conversion Date, the Corporation may deliver a written notice to all Holders and the Holder Representative (a “Forced Conversion Notice” and the date such notice is delivered to all Holders, the “Forced Conversion Notice Date”) to cause each Holder to convert all or part of such Holder’s Series G Preferred Stock (as specified in such Forced Conversion Notice) pursuant to Section 6 (a “Forced Conversion”), it being agreed that the “Conversion Date” for purposes of Section 6 shall be deemed to be the Forced Conversion Notice Date (such date, the “Forced Conversion Date”), provided that the Corporation shall not deliver a Forced Conversion Notice more than once in any 60 day period. The Corporation may not deliver a Forced Conversion Notice, and any Forced Conversion Notice delivered by the Corporation shall not be effective unless all of the Equity Conditions have been met on the Forced Conversion Notice Date through and including the later of the Forced Conversion Date and the Trading Day after the date that the Conversion Shares issuable pursuant to such conversion are actually delivered to the Holders pursuant to the Forced Conversion Notice. Any Forced Conversion Notices shall be applied ratably to all of the Holders based on each Holder’s initial purchases of Series G Preferred Stock hereunder, provided that any voluntary conversions by a Holder shall be applied against such Holder’s pro rata allocation, thereby decreasing the aggregate amount forcibly converted hereunder if less than all shares of the Series G Preferred Stock are forcibly converted. For purposes of clarification, a Forced Conversion shall be subject to all of the provisions of Section 6, including, without limitation, the provisions requiring payment of liquidated damages and Section 6(d) on Beneficial Ownership Limitation on conversion.

 

Section 9.            Covenants. The Holders may not transfer, offer, sell, contract to sell, hypothecate, pledge or otherwise dispose of the Series G Preferred Shares until the earlier of the date that the Reverse Stock Split is approved or April 30, 2023 (which may be extended to June 30, 2023 if the Reverse Split has not then been obtained).

 

Section 10.          Ranking. The shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall be junior in rank to the Corporation’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and pari passu with the Corporation’s Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, its Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, its Series E Preferred Stock and its Series F Preferred Stock with respect to the preferences as to dividends, redemption, or distribution of assets and payments upon the liquidation, dissolution and winding up of the Corporation.

 

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Section 11.            Miscellaneous.

 

(a)       Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Conversion, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile or email attachment, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Corporation, at 11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 240, Las Vegas, NV 89141, Attention: William B. Horne, Chief Executive Officer, email address: Will@ault.com, or such other email address or address as the Corporation may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders delivered in accordance with this Section 11. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Corporation hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by email attachment, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the email address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Corporation, or if no such email address or address appears on the books of the Corporation, at the principal place of business of such Holder, as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email attachment at the email address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email attachment at the email address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.

 

(b)       Lost or Mutilated Preferred Stock Certificate. If a Holder’s Series G Preferred Stock certificate shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Corporation shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated certificate, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, a new certificate for the shares of Series G Preferred Stock so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such certificate, and of the ownership hereof reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation (which shall not include the posting of any bond).

 

(c)       Severability. If any provision of this Certificate of Designation is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Certificate of Designation shall remain in effect, and if any provision is inapplicable to any Person or circumstance, it shall nevertheless remain applicable to all other Persons and circumstances.

 

(d)       Next Business Day. Whenever any payment or other obligation hereunder shall be due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

(e)       Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Certificate of Designation and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

 

(f)       Status of Converted or Redeemed Preferred Stock. Shares of Series G Preferred Stock may only be issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. If any shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall be converted, redeemed or reacquired by the Corporation, such shares may not be reissued and shall automatically be retired and cancelled and shall resume the status of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock.

 

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

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate this ___ day of _________ 2023.

 

  /s/ William B. Horne
  Name: William B. Horne
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

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ANNEX A

NOTICE OF CONVERSION



The undersigned hereby elects to convert the number of shares of Series G Convertible Preferred Stock indicated below into shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), according to the conditions hereof, as of the date written below. If shares of Common Stock are to be issued in the name of a Person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all transfer taxes payable with respect thereto. No fee will be charged to the Holders for any conversion, except for any such transfer taxes.

 

Conversion calculations:

 

Date to Effect Conversion: _________________________________________________
Number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock owned prior to Conversion: __________________
Number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock to be Converted: __________________________
Stated Value of shares of Series G Preferred Stock to be Converted: ______________________
Number of shares of Common Stock to be Issued: ___________________________
Applicable Conversion Price:____________________________________________
Number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock subsequent to Conversion: ________________
Address for Delivery: ______________________
 
Or
 
DWAC Instructions:
Broker no: _________
Account no: ___________

 

  HOLDER
   
  By:  
    Name:
    Title:
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of March 28, 2023, by and between Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively the “Purchasers”).

 

Recitals

 

A.       The Company and the Purchasers are executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and/or Rule 506 of Regulation D as promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Act;

 

B.       The Purchasers wish to purchase from the Company, and the Company wishes to sell and issue to the Purchasers, upon the terms and subject to the conditions stated in this Agreement, shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), that are convertible into shares (the “Conversion Shares”) of the Company’s Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”); and

 

C.        Subject to SEC Guidance each Purchaser may sell the Registrable Shares (each as defined below) pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-260618) (the “Registration Statement”), which Registration Statement was declared effective on November 12, 2021 by the Commission (as defined below) in accordance with the Securities Act.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises made herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS

 

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

 

Acquiring Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.4.

 

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

 

Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Shares, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date hereof.

 

Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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

 

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

 

   
 

 

Conversion Shares” means the shares of Common Stock into which the Shares may be converted pursuant to the Series E Certificate of Designation, the Series F Certificate of Designation and the Series G Certificate of Designation, respectively.

 

Convertible Note” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 4.20.

 

Disclosure Schedules” means the disclosure schedules of the Company delivered concurrently herewith.

 

Disclosure Time” means, (i) if this Agreement is signed on a day that is not a Trading Day or after 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) and before midnight (New York City time) on any Trading Day, 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, and (ii) if this Agreement is signed between midnight (New York City time) and 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof.

 

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

 

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

 

Exchange Approval” means approval of the issuance of the Conversion Shares and/or the Note Conversion Shares and the True-Up Shares contemplated by this Agreement by the Principal Market.

 

Exchange Cap” shall mean that number of shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents pursuant to this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to the extent that after giving effect thereto, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that would be issued as well as permitted to vote pursuant to this Agreement and such Transaction Documents would not exceed 19.99% of the Company’s outstanding shares of Common Stock as of the date hereof.

 

Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (i) shares of Common Stock, restricted stock units or stock options (and Common Stock issued upon exercise of such securities) to employees, officers, consultants, advisors or directors of the Company in consideration of services to the Company pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted for such purpose by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of directors established for such purpose, (ii) the Securities issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise, exchange or conversion price of such securities; (iii) shares of Common Stock issued upon any anti-dilution adjustment to Common Stock and Common Stock Equivalents held by current unaffiliated security holders as of the date of this Agreement; (iv) securities issued to any underwriter, placement agent or other registered broker-dealer as reasonable commissions or fees in connection with any financing transactions; (v) securities issued pursuant to any merger, acquisition, asset purchase or similar transaction approved by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof, provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person or Persons (or to the equity holders of a Person or Persons) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall have received the express prior written consent of the Purchaser, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities; and (vi) securities issued pursuant to any purchase money equipment loan, capital leasing arrangement or debt financing from a commercial bank or similar financial institution.

 

FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.

 

FDA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(gg).

 

FDCA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(gg).

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Issuable Shares” means the Shares, the Conversion Shares, the Note Conversion Shares and the True-Up Shares.

 

   
 

 

Issuer Covered Person” means the Company, any of its predecessors, any affiliated issuer, nor, to its knowledge, any director, executive officer, other officer of the Company participating in the offering hereunder, any beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Company’s outstanding voting equity securities, calculated on the basis of voting power, nor any promoter (as that term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) connected with the Company in any capacity at the time of sale.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Notes” means those 10% Secured OID Promissory Notes held by the Purchasers (collectively, the “Notes”) having a principal amount, plus accrued but unpaid interest less amortization payments made by the Company on such Notes, in the amount of $8,437,138 on the Closing Date.

 

Note Conversion Shares” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.20.

 

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

 

Preferred Stock” means the Series E Stock, Series F Stock and Series G Stock of the Company, each with a par value $0.001 per share.

 

Principal Market” means the national securities exchange on which the Common Stock shall be listed for trading, and shall consist of any one of the NYSE American, the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Capital Market, the NASDAQ Global Market or the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

 

Principal Market Rules” means the rules and regulations of the Company’s then Principal Market.

 

Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition) pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened in writing against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign).

 

Prospectus” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(c).

 

Prospectus Supplement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(c).

 

Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.7.

 

Registrable Shares” means the Conversion Shares, not to exceed 19.99% of the shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding as of the Effective Date unless stockholder approval is obtained in accordance with the Principal Market Rules.

 

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

 

Required Minimum” means, as of any date, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock then issued or potentially issuable in the future pursuant to the Transaction Documents, including the conversion in full of all shares of Preferred Stock, ignoring any conversion or exercise limits set forth therein.

 

Reverse Stock Split” means a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of Common Stock that is effected by the Company’s filing of an amendment to its certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and the acceptance thereof, with the terms of such Reverse Stock Split incorporating the Stockholder Items.

 

Reverse Stock Split Amendment” means the amendment to the Company’s certificate of incorporation that effects the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Reverse Stock Split Date” means the date on which the Reverse Stock Split Amendment is filed with the State of Delaware and the Reverse Stock Split is consummated and deemed effective by the State of Delaware.

 

   
 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Securities” means the Issuable Shares and the Convertible Notes.

 

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

 

Series E Certificate of Designation” means the certificate of designation for the Series E Stock to be filed with the State of Delaware, a form of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A.

 

Series E Purchase Price” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate dollar amount to be paid for shares of Series E Stock purchased hereunder, which shall be such share’s stated value, or $100.00 per such share, for an aggregate payment of $8,300,000 in United States dollars, which Series E Purchase Price shall be paid by the surrender and extinguishment of the Notes.

 

Series E Stock” means the Company’s Series E Convertible Preferred Stock, stated value $100.00 per share.

 

Series F Certificate of Designation” means the certificate of designation for the Series F Stock to be filed with the State of Delaware, a form of which is attached hereto as Exhibit B.

 

Series F Purchase Price” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate dollar amount to be paid for shares of Series F Stock purchased hereunder, which shall be such share’s stated value, or $100.00 per such share, for an aggregate payment of $100,000 in United States dollars, which Series G Purchase Price shall be paid by the surrender and extinguishment of the Notes.

 

Series F Stock” means the Company’s Series F Convertible Preferred Stock, stated value $100.00 per share.

 

Series G Certificate of Designation” means the certificate of designation for the Series G Stock to be filed with the State of Delaware, a form of which is attached hereto as Exhibit C.

 

Series G Purchase Price” means, as to each Purchaser, (i) the aggregate dollar amount to be paid for shares of Series G Stock purchased hereunder, consisting of accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes, which Series G Purchase Price shall be paid by the surrender and extinguishment of the Notes, in addition to (ii) such other good and valuable consideration that each Purchaser has provided hereunder.

 

Series G Stock” means the Company’s Series G Convertible Preferred Stock, stated value $100.00 per share.

 

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

 

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

 

Stockholder Approval” means the Company’s stockholder approval of the Reverse Stock Split Amendment pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

   
 

 

Stockholder Items” means the proposals that will be placed before the Company’s stockholders at a special meeting called therefor, consisting of the following: (i) granting discretionary authority to the Board of Directors to (A) amend the certificate of incorporation of the Company to effect one or more consolidations of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, pursuant to which the shares of Common Stock would be combined and reclassified into one share of Common Stock at a ratio within the range from 1-for-10 up to 1-for-300 and (B) determine whether to arrange for the disposition of fractional interests by stockholders entitled thereto, to pay in cash the fair value of fractions of a share of Common Stock as of the time when those entitled to receive such fractions are determined, or to entitle the stockholders to receive from the Company’s transfer agent, in lieu of any fractional share, the number of shares of Common Stock rounded up to the next whole number, provided that, (X) that the Company shall not effect reverse stock splits that, in the aggregate, exceed 1-for-300, and (Y) any Reverse Stock Split is completed no later than the first anniversary of the date of the special meeting of stockholders and (ii) any proposal to adjourn any meeting of stockholders called for the purpose of voting on the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Subsequent Stockholder Approval” means the Company’s stockholder approval of any other proposal, at a subsequent meeting, for any matter required to be approved by the Company’s stockholders pursuant to the terms of this Agreement pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law in accordance with the Exchange Cap.

 

Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate dollar amount for the Shares purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount.”

 

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

 

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

 

Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the NASDAQ Capital Market, the NASDAQ Global Market, the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, OTCQB, OTCQX, or the OTC Pink (or any successors to any of the foregoing). Notwithstanding the foregoing, term “Trading Market” shall only include the OTC Pink for any interim period of time required upon the Company’s delisting from any other Trading Market provided that the Company shall be required to list its Common Stock for trading or quotation on another Trading Market (excluding the OTC Pink) promptly upon such delisting and the failure to do so shall constitute a default under the terms of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents.

 

Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Series E Certificate of Designation, the Series F Certificate of Designation, the Series G Certificate of Designation and all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

Transfer Agent” means Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 150 Royall Street, Canton, MA 02021, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

True-Up Shares” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.21.

 

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

 

ARTICLE II
PURCHASE AND SALE

 

2.1           Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to issue and sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, 83,000 shares of Series E Stock, 1,000 shares of Series F Stock and 16,000 shares of Series G Stock. The Purchase Price as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by each Purchaser shall be made through the surrender of the Purchasers by its respective Note for cancellation and extinguishment, after which surrender such Notes shall be of no further force or effect. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its Shares as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur at the offices of the Company or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree. On the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Shares registered in the Purchasers’ names and addresses and released by the Company directly to the account(s) identified by each Purchaser.

 

   
 

 

2.2          Deliveries.

 

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

 

(i)       this Agreement duly executed by the Company;

 

(ii)           a certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Purchasers;

 

(iii)         a certificate executed by the Secretary of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Purchasers;

 

(iv)        at the Purchaser’s election, (a) a stock certificate in the name of the Purchaser representing the Shares or (b) a certified copy of the Company’s book entry ledger containing entries showing the Purchaser is recorded as the owner of the Shares; and

 

(v)          evidence of the filing with the State of Delaware of the Series E Certificate of Designation, the Series F Certificate of Designation and the Series G Certificate of Designation.

 

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

 

(i)       this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and

 

(ii)           such Purchaser’s Purchase Price by physical surrender of the Notes, stamped “CANCELLED.”

 

2.3       Closing Conditions.

 

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

 

(i)       the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(i)       the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);

 

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

 

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

 

(iv)          the Company shall have filed with the State of Delaware, and the State of Delaware shall have provided evidence of acceptance of, the Series E Certificate of Designation, the Series F Certificate of Designation and the Series G Certificate of Designation;

 

   
 

 

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

 

(vi)       the Company shall have obtained the approval of the principal Trading Market for this Agreement as well as any required regulatory and third-party approvals as to which the Company and the Purchasers shall agree; and

 

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

 

ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(c)       Authorization; Enforcement; Registration Statement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder, subject to the Required Approvals. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s shareholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals and the filing with the Commission of the prospectus supplement required by the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (the “Prospectus Supplement”) supplementing the base prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”).

 

   
 

 

This Agreement and each other Transaction Documents to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies; and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law. Following the filing of the Prospectus Supplement the sale by the Purchaser of the Registrable Shares will be registered under the Securities Act, and all of the Registrable Shares will be freely transferable and freely tradable by the Purchaser without restriction, whether by way of registration or some exemption therefrom. The Registration Statement is effective and subject to SEC Guidance is available for the sale of the Registrable Shares and the Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to issue a stop-order with respect to the Registration Statement or that the Commission otherwise has suspended or withdrawn the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, either temporarily or permanently, or intends or has threatened in writing to do so. The “Plan of Distribution” section under the Registration Statement permits the issuance and sale of the Registrable Shares and as contemplated by the other Transaction Documents. Upon receipt of the Securities, the Purchaser will have good and marketable title to the Securities. The Registration Statement and any prospectus included therein, including the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder and all other applicable laws and regulations. At the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the date of this Agreement and at each deemed effective date thereof pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the Securities Act, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto (including, without limitation the Prospectus Supplement), at the time the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date, complied, and will comply, in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and did not, and will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company meets all of the requirements for the use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act for the offering and sale of the Registrable Shares contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents, and the Commission has not notified the Company of any objection to the use of the form of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 401(g)(1) under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Securities Act. At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) relating to any of the Securities, the Company was not and is not an “Ineligible Issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act). The Company (i) has not distributed any offering material in connection with the offer or sale of any of the Securities and (ii) until the Purchaser does not hold any of the Securities, shall not distribute any offering material in connection with the offer or sale of any of the Securities to, or by, the Purchaser (if required), in each case, other than the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement.

 

(d)       No Conflicts. Subject to the Stockholder Approval and, if applicable, the Subsequent Stockholder Approval, if necessary, the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, anti-dilution or similar adjustments, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals (as defined below), conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(e)       Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filing of the Series E Certificate of Designation, the Series F Certificate of Designation and the Series G Certificate of Designation, (ii) filings pursuant to applicable state and federal securities laws, and (iii) the notice and/or application(s) to the Principal Market, and the receipt of Stockholder Approval and, if applicable, the Subsequent Stockholder Approval required for the issuance and sale of the Securities and the listing of the Issuable Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby (the “Required Approvals”).

 

   
 

 

(f)       Issuance of the Shares. The Shares have been duly authorized and when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company, except for restrictions on transfer set forth in the Transaction Documents or imposed by applicable securities laws. Subject to the Stockholder Approval and the consummation of the Reverse Stock Split, the Company has reserved or will reserve as applicable, from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Agreement. The Company is eligible to use Form S-3 under the Securities Act, and it meets the transaction requirements as set forth in General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3. If, after the filing of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the Company no longer meets the transaction requirements as set forth in General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3, it will meet the transaction requirements of General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3.

 

(g)       Capitalization. The Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as of the date hereof as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), which schedule shall also include the number of shares of Common Stock owned beneficially, and of record, by Affiliates of the Company as of the date hereof. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company Stock Plans (as defined below). The shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Except as described in Schedule 3.1(g), there are no options, warrants, agreements, contracts, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, any shares of the capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or contracts, commitments, understandings, or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents or capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary, subject to the grant of options consistent with past practices. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements (the “Company Stock Plans”), and the options (the “Options”) or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the SEC Reports accurately and fairly presents in all material respects the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights. Each grant of an Option (A) was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Option was by its terms to be effective by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto and (B) was made in accordance with the terms of the applicable Company Stock Plan, and all applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including all applicable federal securities laws. The issuance and sale of the Shares will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary with any provision that adjusts the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of such security or instrument upon an issuance of securities by the Company or any Subsidiary. There are not outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. Except for the Required Approvals, no further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Shares. There are no stockholder agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the Company’s knowledge, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.

 

   
 

 

(h)       SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of such extension. At the time of filing thereof, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. In addition, any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference to the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading. The Company has never been a shell corporation as defined in Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments. The agreements and documents described in the SEC Reports conform in all material aspects to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder to be described in the SEC Reports, 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 it is or may be bound or affected and that is referred to in the SEC Reports and is material to the Company’s business (each, a “Material Agreement”), has been duly authorized 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 therefore may be brought. No Material Agreement has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in 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 default thereunder that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of the Material Agreements will not result in a 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. The other financial and statistical information included in the SEC Reports present fairly, in all material respects, the information included therein and have been prepared on a basis consistent with that of the financial statements that are included in the SEC Reports and the books and records of the respective entities presented therein.

 

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

 

(j)       Litigation. Except as disclosed in Schedule 3.1(j), there is no material action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”). None of the Actions set forth in the SEC Reports adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Shares or would, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.

 

   
 

 

(k)       Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement. To the Company’s knowledge, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(l)        Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any applicable statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(m)           Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in material compliance with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands, or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations, issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply would be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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

 

(o)       Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries, and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance, except where the failure to be in compliance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

   
 

 

(p)       Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have would have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). As of the date hereof, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a written notice that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as would not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all of the Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and, as of the date hereof, there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any facts that would preclude it from having valid license rights or clear title to the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company has no knowledge that it lacks or will be unable to obtain any rights or licenses to use all Intellectual Property Rights that are necessary to conduct its business.

 

(q)       Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as the Board of Directors of the Company has determined, in its good faith business judgment to be necessary or prudent for the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are currently engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage.

 

(r)       Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. None of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the Company’s knowledge, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the Company’s knowledge, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.

 

(s)       Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. Except as disclosed in the SEC reports, the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

(t)        Intentionally Omitted.

 

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

 

(v)       Registration Rights. Except as described in Schedule 3.1(v), no Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

   
 

 

(w)           Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. Except as described in Schedule 3.1(w), the Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. Except as disclosed in Schedule 3.1(w), the Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

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

 

(y)       Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, nonpublic information which is not otherwise disclosed in the SEC Reports on or prior to the Closing Date. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct in all material respects and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made and when made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.

 

(z)       No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Shares to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.

 

(aa)          Tax Status. The Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, whether or not shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.

 

(bb)         Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of FCPA.

 

(cc)          Accountants. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is set forth in the SEC Reports. To the Company’s knowledge, such accounting firm (i) is an independent public registered accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

 

   
 

 

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

 

(ee)          Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(e) and 4.14 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Shares for any specified term; (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Stock; and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities (in material compliance with applicable laws) at various times during the period that the Shares are outstanding, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders’ equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.

 

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

 

(gg)         Intentionally Omitted.

 

(hh)         Stock Option Plans. Each stock option granted by the Company under the Company’s stock option plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date such stock option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Company’s stock option plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.

 

(ii)       Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).

 

(jj)       Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any of its Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”), and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge an of its, Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.

 

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

 

   
 

 

(ll)       Other Covered Persons. The Company is not aware of any person (other than any Issuer Covered Person) that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with the sale of any Shares.

 

(mm)        Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. Schedule 3.1(mm) sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $100,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $100,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.

 

(nn)         Except as disclosed on Schedule 3.1(nn), (i) there has been no security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of its respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of it), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and the Company and the Subsidiaries have not been notified of, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable safeguards to maintain and protect its material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and Data; and (iv) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.

 

(oo)          Subsidiary Rights. The Company has the unrestricted right to vote, and (subject to limitations imposed by applicable law) to receive dividends and distributions on, all capital securities of its Subsidiaries owned by the Company.

 

(pp)         Promotional Stock Activities. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company and none of their respective officers, directors, managers, affiliates or agents have engaged in any stock promotional activity that could give rise to a complaint, inquiry, or trading suspension by the SEC alleging (i) a violation of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws, (ii) violations of the anti-touting provisions, (iii) improper “gun-jumping; or (iv) promotion without proper disclosure of compensation.

 

   
 

 

3.2           Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate as of such date):

 

(a)       Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.

 

(b)       Understandings or Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Shares as principal for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Shares (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Shares or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). Such Purchaser is acquiring such Shares as principal for his, her or its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, has no present intention of distributing any of such Shares in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Shares in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell such Shares pursuant to a registration statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).

 

(c)       Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Shares, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, either: (i) an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7) or (a)(8) under the Securities Act or (ii) a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A(a) under the Securities Act.

 

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

 

(e)       Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including all exhibits and schedules thereto) and the SEC Reports and has been afforded, (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Shares and the merits and risks of investing in the Shares; (ii) access to information about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment. Such Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that neither the Company nor any Affiliate of the Company has provided such Purchaser with any information or advice with respect to the Shares nor is such information or advice necessary or desired. Neither the Company nor any Affiliate has made or makes any representation as to the Company or the quality of the Shares and the Company and any Affiliate may have non-public information with respect to the Company which such Purchaser agrees need not be provided to it. In connection with the issuance of the Shares to such Purchaser, neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates has acted as a financial advisor or fiduciary to such Purchaser.

 

(f)       Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Shares covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement or to such Purchaser’s representatives, including, without limitation, its officers, directors, partners, legal and other advisors, employees, agents and Affiliates, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty against, or a prohibition of, any actions with respect to the borrowing of, arrangement to borrow, identification of the availability of, and/or securing of, securities of the Company in order for such Purchaser (or its broker or other financial representative) to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.

 

   
 

 

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

 

(h)       No Government Recommendation or Approval. Such Purchaser understands that no United States federal or state agency, or similar agency of any other country, has reviewed, approved, passed upon, or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Company or the purchase of the Shares.

 

(i)       No Intent to Effect a Change of Control; Ownership. Such Purchaser has no present intent to effect a “change of control” of the Company as such term is understood under the rules promulgated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(j)       No Rule 506 Disqualifying Activities. Such Purchaser has not taken any of the actions set forth in, and is not subject to, the disqualification provisions of Rule 506(d)(1) of the Securities Act.

 

(k)       Residency. Such Purchaser is a resident of the jurisdiction specified below its address on the signature pages hereto.

 

(l)       Restricted Securities. Such Purchaser understands that the Shares are characterized as “restricted securities” under the U.S. federal securities laws inasmuch as they are being acquired from the Company in a transaction not involving a public offering and that under such laws and applicable regulations such securities may be resold without registration under the Securities Act only in certain limited circumstances.

 

(m)       Legends. It is understood that, except as provided below, certificates or book entry accounts evidencing the Shares may bear the following or any similar legend:

 

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED UNLESS (I) SUCH SECURITIES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED FOR SALE PURSUANT TO THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, (II) SUCH SECURITIES MAY BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144, OR (III) THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH TRANSFER MAY LAWFULLY BE MADE WITHOUT REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.”

 

If required by the authorities of any state in connection with the issuance of sale of the Shares, the legend required by such state authority.

 

(n)       The Purchaser has taken no action that would give rise to any claim by any person for brokerage commissions, finders’ fees or the like relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(o)       The Purchaser is not relying on the Company or any of its employees, agents, or advisors with respect to the legal, tax, economic and related considerations of an investment in the Securities, and the Purchaser has relied on the advice of, or has consulted with, only its own Advisors.

 

(p)       No oral or written representations have been made, or oral or written information furnished, to the Purchaser or its Advisors, if any, in connection with the Transaction that are in any way inconsistent with the information contained herein.

 

The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.

 

   
 

 

ARTICLE IV
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES

 

4.1        Transfer Restrictions.

 

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

 

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

 

“NEITHER THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES ARE CONVERTIBLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED (I) IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR (B) AN OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE HOLDER (IF REQUESTED BY THE COMPANY), IN A FORM REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY, THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER SAID ACT OR (II) UNLESS SOLD OR ELIGIBLE TO BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OR RULE 144A UNDER SAID ACT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.”

 

The Company acknowledges and agrees that, the Purchaser may from time to time pledge pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement with a registered broker-dealer or grant a security interest in some or all of the Securities to a financial institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and who agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement and the other applicable Transaction Documents and, if required under the terms of such arrangement, the Purchaser may transfer pledged or secured Securities into the name of the pledgees or secured parties, in their respective capacities as such. Such a pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval of the Company and no legal opinion of legal counsel of the pledgee, secured party or pledgor shall be required in connection therewith. Further, no notice shall be required of such pledge. At the appropriate Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Securities.

 

(c)       Certificates evidencing the Conversion Shares shall not contain any legend (including the legend set forth in Section 4.1(b) hereof): (i) while a registration statement covering the resale of any such securities are effective under the Securities Act; (ii) following any sale of such Conversion Shares pursuant to Rule 144; if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission). The Company shall upon request of the Purchaser and at the Company’s sole expense cause its counsel (or at the Purchaser’s option, counsel selected by the Purchaser) to issue a legal opinion reasonably satisfactory to the Company to the Transfer Agent promptly after any of the events described in (i)-(ii) in the preceding sentence if required by the Transfer Agent to effect the removal of the legend hereunder (with a copy to the applicable Purchaser and its broker). If all or any portion of any Shares is converted, at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the resale of the Conversion Shares, or if such Conversion Shares may be sold under Rule 144 or if such legend is not otherwise required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission) then such Conversion Shares shall be issued free of all legends. The Company agrees that following such time as such legend is no longer required under this Section 4.1(c), it will, no later than 9:00 AM the next Trading Day following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company or the Transfer Agent of a certificate representing Conversion Shares, issued with a restrictive legend (such Trading Day, the “Legend Removal Date”), instruct the Transfer Agent to deliver or cause to be delivered to the Purchaser a certificate representing such shares of Common Stock that is free from all restrictive and other legends. The Company may not make any notation on its records or give instructions to the Transfer Agent that enlarge the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section 4. Certificates for the Conversion Shares that are subject to legend removal hereunder shall be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Purchaser by crediting the account of the Purchaser’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company System as directed by the Purchaser.

 

   
 

 

(d)       In lieu of delivering physical certificates representing the unlegended shares, upon request of the Purchaser, so long as the certificates therefor do not bear a legend and the Purchaser is not obligated to return such certificate for the placement of a legend thereon and provided it is commercially reasonable for the Company to do so, the Company shall cause its transfer agent to electronically transmit the unlegended shares by crediting the account of Purchaser’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company through its DWAC system, provided that the Company’s Common Stock is DTC eligible and the Company’s transfer agent participates in the Deposit Withdrawal at Custodian system and such Securities are Conversion Shares. Such delivery must be made on or before the Legend Removal Date.

 

(e)       In the event the Purchaser shall request delivery of unlegended shares as described in this Section 4.1 and the Company is required to deliver such unlegended shares, the Company may not refuse to deliver unlegended shares based on any claim that the Purchaser or anyone associated or affiliated with the Purchaser has not complied with Purchaser’s obligations under the Transaction Documents, or for any other reason, unless, an injunction or temporary restraining order from a court, on notice, restraining and or enjoining delivery of such unlegended shares shall have been sought and obtained by the Company and the Company has posted a surety bond for the benefit of the Purchaser in the amount of the greater of (i) 100% of the amount of the aggregate stated value of the Conversion Shares which is subject to the injunction or temporary restraining order, or (ii) the VWAP of the Common Stock on the trading day before the issue date of the injunction multiplied by the number of unlegended shares to be subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to the Purchaser to the extent Purchaser obtains judgment in Purchaser’s favor.

 

4.2           Integration. The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Shares for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.

 

4.3          Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall (a) by the Disclosure Time issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the Commission within the time required by the Exchange Act. From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company represents to the Purchasers that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. In addition, effective upon the issuance of such press release, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates on the one hand, and any of the Purchasers or any of their Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents with the Commission and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b).

 

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

 

   
 

 

4.5          Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules hereto, which shall be disclosed pursuant to Section 4.3, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf, will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have consented to the receipt of such information and agreed with the Company to keep such information confidential. The Company understands and confirms that any Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company delivers any material, non-public information to a Purchaser without such Purchaser’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Purchaser shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates, or a duty to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such material non-public information with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.

 

4.6        Certain Limitations. Notwithstanding anything contained in any Transaction Document to the contrary, the parties covenant and agree that the Purchaser shall not convert any Shares, or to sell any Conversion Shares, unless and until the Company obtains Exchange Approval and, if applicable, Stockholder Approval of such transactions in accordance with the Principal Market Rules. The Purchaser further covenants and agrees not to vote any of its Securities at the meeting of the shareholders held for the purpose of obtaining such Stockholder Approval, other than in favor of the Reverse Stock Split. The Purchasers further agree not to vote (i) any Conversion Shares received upon conversion of the Series G Stock, (ii) more than eighty-five percent (85%) of any Note Conversion Shares, or (iii) any of the True-Up Shares.

 

4.7       Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.7, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, managers, advisors, brokers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, managers, advisers, brokers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and reasonable expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents, (b) the administration, performance or enforcement by the Purchasers of any of the Transaction Documents or consummation of any transaction described therein, (c) additionally, if any taxes (excluding taxes imposed upon or measured solely by the net income of the recipient of any payment made under any Transaction Document, but including any intangibles tax, stamp tax, recording tax or franchise tax) shall be imposed on the Company or any Purchaser Party, whether or not lawfully payable, on account of the execution or delivery of this Agreement, or the execution, delivery, issuance or recording of any of the other Transaction Documents, or the creation or repayment of any of obligations hereunder, by reason of any applicable regulations now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall pay (or shall promptly reimburse such Purchaser Party for the payment of) all such taxes, including any interest, penalties, expenses and other losses with respect thereto), and will indemnify and hold the Purchaser Parties harmless from and against all interest, penalties, expenses and losses arising therefrom or in connection therewith, (d) any action instituted against the Purchaser Parties in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is based upon a material breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which is finally judicially determined to constitute fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct). If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (x) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (y) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (z) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (1) for any settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of judgement in, any action, claim or proceeding by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (2) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents. The indemnification required by this Section 4.7 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.

 

   
 

 

4.8       Reservation of Common Stock. Subject to the receipt of Stockholder Approval and the consummation of the Reverse Stock Split, from and after the consummation of the Reverse Stock Split, the Company shall reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue Conversion Shares pursuant to this Agreement.

 

4.9       Listing of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use best efforts to maintain the listing of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is currently listed. The Company will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. For so long as the Company maintains a listing or quotation of the Common Stock on a Trading Market, the Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Common Stock for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

4.10         Reservation and Listing of Securities.

 

(a)       On and after the Reverse Stock Split Date, the Company shall maintain a reserve, free of any preemptive rights, from its duly authorized shares of Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Transaction Documents, which reservation shall initially consist of no less than 100% of the number of Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion of all Preferred Stock at the floor price of $0.10, which calculation will not be adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. If, at any date after the Reverse Stock Split Date, the number of authorized but unissued (and otherwise unreserved) shares of Common Stock is less than the Required Minimum on such date, then the Board of Directors shall use commercially reasonable efforts to amend the Company’s certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to at least the Required Minimum at such time, as soon as possible, and in any event not later than the 90th day after such date.

 

(b)       As soon as reasonably possible and, in any event, within ten (10) business days of the Closing Date, the Company will file a preliminary proxy statement (the “PRE 14A”) with the Commission for purposes of holding a special meeting of stockholders to approve the Reverse Stock Split. Thereafter, unless the Company has received comments from the Commission to the PRE 14A, the Company shall file a definitive proxy statement for such purposes within twenty (20) days of the date on which the PRE 14A was filed. In the event the Company receives comments to the PRE 14A from the Commission, the Company shall promptly and diligently respond to and use commercially reasonable efforts to resolve such comments. The Company shall keep the Purchasers reasonably informed of any such comments and responses. As long as the Company has Shares outstanding, the Company shall hold a special meeting of stockholders (which may also be at the annual meeting of stockholders) on or prior to June 30, 2023, for the purpose of obtaining the Stockholder Approval with the recommendation of the Company’s Board of Directors that such proposals be approved, and the Company shall solicit proxies from its stockholders in connection therewith in the same manner as all other management proposals in such proxy statement and all management-appointed proxyholders shall vote their proxies in favor of such proposals. The Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the Stockholder Approval. If the Company does not obtain Stockholder Approval at the first meeting, the Company shall call a meeting at least every one hundred twenty (120) days thereafter to seek the Stockholder Approval until the date on which the Stockholder Approval is obtained. When the Company obtains the Stockholder Approval, the Company shall file the Reverse Stock Split Amendment with the State of Delaware, and cause the Reverse Stock Split to become effective, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than five (5) Business Days following the Stockholder Approval. No later than three (3) Business Days following the Reverse Stock Split Date, the Company shall file a Form 8-K disclosing that the Reverse Stock Split Amendment has been filed with and accepted by the State of Delaware and that the Reverse Stock Split has become effective.

 

(c)       The Company shall, if applicable: (i) in the time and manner required by the principal Trading Market, prepare and file with such Trading Market a Supplemental Listing Application covering a number of shares of Common Stock at least equal to the Required Minimum on the date of such application, (ii) take all steps necessary to cause such shares of Common Stock to be approved for listing on such Trading Market as soon as possible thereafter, (iii) provide to the Purchasers evidence of such listing and (iv) maintain for one (1) year the listing of such Common Stock on any date at least equal to the Required Minimum on such date on such Trading Market or another Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain for one (1) year the eligibility of the Common Stock for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

4.11       Subsequent Equity Sales.

 

(a)       Except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.11 or as set forth on Schedule 4.11, to the extent shares of Preferred Stock are outstanding, from the date hereof until sixty (60) days thereafter, the Company shall not issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, except that the Company shall not be restricted from selling shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents pursuant to an at-the-market offering or an equity line of credit transaction. In addition, except as set forth on Schedule 4.11, to the extent shares of Preferred Stock are outstanding, from the Closing Date until sixty (60) days thereafter, the Company shall not issue any shares of preferred stock or other securities having rights senior to the Preferred Stock.

 

   
 

 

(b)       Except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.11 or as set forth on Schedule 4.11, from the date hereof until the earlier of (A) the date on which all Shares are redeemed in accordance with their terms and (B) the date that is sixty (60) days following the Reverse Stock Split Date, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive, additional shares of Common Stock either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon, and/or varies with, the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price. A Variable Rate Transaction shall not include any sales pursuant to an at-the-market offering or an equity line of credit.

 

(c)        Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.11 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.

 

4.12         Restrictions on Conversion of Shares. From the date hereof up to and including the date of the special meeting of the stockholders at which the Reverse Stock Split is approved, each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that such Purchaser will not convert any Shares and, from the date hereof up to and including the later of (i) that date of the special meeting of the stockholders at which the Reverse Stock Split is approved; or (ii) April 30, 2023 (which may be extended to June 30, 2023 if the obligations under Section 4.10(b) continue to be satisfied), such Purchaser will not transfer, offer, sell, contract to sell, hypothecate, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise)) any Shares.

 

4.13         Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of any Transaction Document) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to such Transaction Documents. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of Shares or otherwise.

 

4.14         Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.3. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.3, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in the Disclosure Schedules. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary (including Section 4.12), the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.3, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.3 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality or duty not to trade in the securities of the Company to the Company or its Subsidiaries after the issuance of the initial press release as described in Section 4.3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and except as set forth in Section 4.12, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.

 

   
 

 

4.15         Maintenance of Registration Statement. Subject to SEC Guidance, for so long as any of the Shares are outstanding, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement for the sale thereunder of the Registrable Shares, and the Company shall promptly amend the Registration Statement on such other form as may be necessary to maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement for this purpose. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale of the Registrable Shares any prospectus contained therein is not available for use, the Company shall immediately notify the Purchaser in writing that the Registration Statement is not then effective or a prospectus contained therein is not available for use and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the Registration Statement is effective again and available for the sale of the Registrable Shares or such prospectus is again available for use.

 

4.16       Amendments to the Registration Statement; Prospectus Supplements; Free Writing Prospectuses.

 

(a) Except as provided in this Agreement and other than periodic reports required to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act, the Company shall not file with the Commission any amendment to the Registration Statement that relates to the Purchaser, this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or file with the Commission any Prospectus Supplement that relates to the Purchaser, this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby with respect to which (a) the Purchaser shall not previously have been advised, (b) the Company shall not have given due consideration to any comments thereon received from the Purchaser or its counsel, or (c) the Purchaser shall reasonably object after being so advised, unless the Company reasonably has determined that it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement or make any supplement to the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or any other applicable law or regulation, in which case the Company shall promptly (but in no event later than twenty-four (24) hours) so inform the Purchaser, the Purchaser shall be provided with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment upon any disclosure relating to the Purchaser and the Company shall expeditiously furnish to the Purchaser an electronic copy thereof. In addition, for so long as, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Purchaser, the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required to be delivered in connection with any acquisition or sale of the Registrable Shares by the Purchaser, the Company shall not file any Prospectus Supplement with respect to such securities without delivering or making available a copy of such Prospectus Supplement, together with the Prospectus, to the Purchaser promptly.

 

(b) The Company has not made, and agrees that unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Purchaser it will not make, an offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 promulgated under the Securities Act (an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act (a “Free Writing Prospectus”) required to be filed by the Company or the Purchaser with the Commission or retained by the Company or the Purchaser under Rule 433 under the Securities Act. The Purchaser has not made, and agrees that unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company it will not make, an offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a Free Writing Prospectus required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 under the Securities Act. Any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other Free Writing Prospectus consented to by the Purchaser or the Company is referred to in this Agreement as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”. The Company agrees that (x) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (y) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.

 

4.17       Prospectus Delivery. No later than five (5) days following the date that the Company has obtained Stockholder Approval, the Company shall file a Prospectus Supplement with respect to the Registrable Shares, as required under, and in conformity with, the Securities Act, including Rule 424(b) thereunder, subject to SEC Guidance. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus (and of any Prospectus Supplements thereto) in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act and with the securities or “blue sky” laws of the jurisdictions in which the Registrable Shares may be sold by the Purchaser, in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Shares and for such period of time thereafter as the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Registrable Shares. If during such period of time any event shall occur that in the judgment of the Company and its counsel is required to be set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or should be set forth therein in order to make the statements made therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or if it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement or amend the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or any other applicable law or regulation, the Company shall forthwith prepare and, subject to Section 4(b) above, file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or Prospectus Supplement to the Prospectus (or supplement to the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus) and shall expeditiously furnish or make available to the Purchaser an electronic copy thereof.

 

   
 

 

If the Prospectus Supplement is not available to the Purchasers for resale of the Conversion Shares after the 90th calendar day following the entry into this Agreement, then the Purchasers, at their option, may either (1) exercise a Required Reissuance Option (as hereinafter defined); or (2) in exchange for a cash payment of five percent (5%) of the Stated Value of the Shares then issued and outstanding (an “Extension Payment”), grant the Company an additional 30 calendar days to comply with this registration right (after the expiration of which the Purchasers’ option under (1) and (2) shall be exercisable again)(the latest date, after giving effect to each Extension Payment, shall be referred to herein as, the “Extension Date”).

 

4.18       Stop Orders. The Company shall advise the Purchaser promptly (but in no event later than twenty-four (24) hours) and shall confirm such advice in writing: (i) of the Company’s receipt of notice of any request by the Commission for amendment of or a supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or for any additional information; (ii) of the Company’s receipt of notice of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, or of the suspension of qualification of the Registrable Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or contemplated initiation of any proceeding for such purpose; (iii) of the Company becoming aware of the happening of any event, which makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus untrue or which requires the making of any additions to or changes to the statements then made in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in order to state a material fact required by the Securities Act to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements then made therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or of the necessity to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or any other law or (iv) if at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale of the Registrable Shares or any Prospectus contained therein is not available for use for any other reason. The Company shall not be required to disclose to the Purchaser the substance or specific reasons of any of the events set forth in clauses (i) through (iv) of the immediately preceding sentence, but rather, shall only be required to disclose that the event has occurred. Thereafter, the Company shall promptly notify such holders when the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and/or any amendment or supplement thereto, as applicable, is effective and available for the sale of the Registrable Shares. If at any time the Commission shall issue any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible time.

 

4.19       No Registration Statements; Subsequent Transactions. The Company shall not file a new registration statement with the Commission that registers any securities of the Company for a period of ninety (90) days commencing on the filing date of the Prospectus Supplement. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else contained in any Transaction Document to the contrary, the Company may enter into, engage in and effect the agreements and transactions described on Schedule 4.19 (the “Subsequent Transactions”).

 

4.20       Reissuance of Secured Notes upon the Occurrence of Certain Events. In the event that (i) the Common Stock is no longer listed on a national securities exchange, or (ii) the Reverse Stock Split Date does not occur by the later of (x) the 90th calendar day following the entry into this Agreement; or (y) if an Extension Payment was or Extension Payments were actually paid, the Extension Date, the Investor shall have a Required Reissuance Option. For purposes hereof, a “Required Reissuance Option” shall mean an option to require the Company to cause its wholly owned subsidiary BitNile, Inc. (“BNI”) to issue newly issued secured notes (the “Secured Notes”) in the principal amount of the Stated Value of all Shares then issued and outstanding, which Secured Notes shall be identical as to form as the Notes originally issued by BNI to the Purchasers pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement dated August 10, 2022, including the other transaction documents referred to therein (except that references to the “Parent” shall mean the Company). Further, any amounts that would have been owing pursuant to the terms of the Notes between the date of purchasing the Shares and the date of issuance of the Secured Notes is due within 5 days of closing of the Secured Notes.

 

4.20        Issuance of Convertible Note. Subject to the Company having obtained Subsequent Stockholder Approval and Exchange Approval therefor, for a period of 90 days after a Purchaser’s first conversion of Preferred Stock, each Purchaser shall have an option to purchase a convertible note (the “Convertible Note”) in a principal amount up to $4,950,000 for a purchase price of $4,200,000, which Convertible Note shall be convertible into Note Conversion Shares at a conversion price equal to a fifteen percent (15%) discount of the prior Trading Day’s closing market price. The Purchasers, by their respective signatures hereto, hereby agree not to vote more than righty-five percent (85%) of any such Note Conversion Shares on any matter placed before the Stockholders.

 

4.21       True-Up. For a period of thirty (30) days after the last conversion of Shares, each Purchaser, in its sole discretion, may provide the Company with a true up notice (the “True Up Notice”) setting forth an aggregate trading report of all such Purchaser’s sales of Conversion Shares and a demand for true-up for the difference between the gross proceeds of all such trading activity and Eleven Million Dollars ($11,000,000) (the “True-Up Amount”), then the Company shall, at the Purchaser’s discretion, but subject in the case of 4.21(i) to the Company having obtained Subsequent Stockholder Approval and Exchange Approval therefor, either (i) issue additional shares of Common Stock equal to the True-Up Amount (the “True-Up Shares”), which True-Up Shares shall be priced at the then-applicable Conversion Price; or (ii) make a cash payment in the True-Up Amount. For purposes of this Section 4.21, the “Conversion Price” means the price equal to 85% of the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the trading day prior to the date of conversion, subject to a floor price of $0.10, which floor price will not be adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. The Purchasers, by their respective signatures hereto, hereby agree not to vote any such True-Up Shares on any matter placed before the Stockholders.

 

   
 

 

ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS

 

5.1           Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, by written notice to the Company, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before the fifth (5th) Trading Day following the date hereof.

 

5.2           Fees and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company and any exercise notice delivered by a Purchaser), stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Shares to the Purchasers.

 

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

 

5.4           Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth below at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth below on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth below. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Documents constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

If to the Company:

 

Ault Alliance, Inc.
11411 Southern Highlands Pkwy #240

Las Vegas, NV 89141
Attn: William B. Horne
Chief Executive Officer
Email: Will@ault.com

 

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

 

Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP
1325 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 100019
Attn: Kenneth Schlesinger
Email: KSchlesinger@olshanlaw.com

 

If to the Purchasers:

 

to the addresses set forth on the signature pages hereto.

 

5.5           Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment prior to Closing by all of the Purchasers, and after Closing, by the Company and Purchasers which purchased a majority in interest of the Shares based on the initial Subscription Amounts hereunder or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought, provided that if any amendment, modification or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Purchaser (or group of Purchasers), the consent of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or group of Purchasers) shall also be required. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.

 

   
 

 

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

 

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

 

5.8           No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.7 and this Section 5.8.

 

5.9           Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such Proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If any party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.7, the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

5.10        Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall not survive the Closing.

 

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

 

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

 

5.13         Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights.

 

   
 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

5.17         Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The Purchasers have been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents.

 

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

 

5.19         Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and shares of Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.

 

5.20       WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.

 

(Signature Pages Follow)

 

   
 

 

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

 

 

AULT ALLIANCE, INC.  
By:                 
Name: William B. Horne  
Title: Chief Executive Officer  

 

 

 

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS
]

 

   
 

 

[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]

 

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

 

Name of Purchaser: Helios Funds LLC 

 

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser:    
   
Name of Authorized Signatory:  
   
Title of Authorized Signatory:  
   
Email Address of Authorized Signatory:  
   
Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory:  
   
Address for Notice to Purchaser:  
   
DWAC for Shares:  
   
EIN Number:  

 

   
 

 

[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]

 

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

 

Name of Purchaser: Oree Lending Company, LLC

 

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser:    
   
Name of Authorized Signatory:  
   
Title of Authorized Signatory:  
   
Email Address of Authorized Signatory:  
   
Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory:  
   
Address for Notice to Purchaser:  
   
DWAC for Shares:  
   
EIN Number:  

 

   
 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Form of Series E Certificate of Designation

 

   
 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

Form of Series F Certificate of Designation

 

   
 

 

EXHIBIT C

 

Form of Series G Certificate of Designation

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

Ault Alliance, Inc.
11411 Southern Highlands Pkwy #240

Las Vegas, NV 89141

March 28, 2023

HELIOS FUNDS, LLC
45 Broadway

New York, NY 10006

Attn: John D. Lowry

Email: jlowry@spartancapital.com

 

OREE LENDING COMPANY, LLC 

80 Shunpike Road, PO Box 3

Cromwell, CT 06416

Attn: William Coons

Email: wcoons@spartancapital.com

Re: Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of March 28, 2023 (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”), by and among Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and the undersigned purchasers (the “Purchasers”).

Gentlemen:

This letter agreement (this “Letter Agreement”) is being entered into in connection with, and as a condition to, the parties’ execution and delivery of the Securities Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which the Purchasers agreed to purchase from the Company, and the Company agreed to sell and issue to the Purchaser, upon the terms and subject to the conditions stated in the Securities Purchase Agreement, shares of the Company’s Preferred Stock. Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meaning given to such terms in the Securities Purchase Agreement. 

To induce the parties to enter into the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Purchaser and the Company hereby agree as follows:

1.       Voting of Preferred Stock. 

(a)       The Purchaser shall (i) vote, and shall cause its Affiliates to vote, all shares of Series E Preferred Stock and Series F Preferred Stock owned by such Purchaser or its Affiliates, as applicable, on any resolution presented to the stockholders of the Company for the purpose of obtaining the Stockholder Approval of the Reverse Stock Split, and (ii) promptly upon request by the Company, grant the Company (or its designee) an irrevocable proxy, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Purchaser, to vote all shares of Series E Preferred Stock and Series F Preferred Stock in accordance with clause (i) above, in each case, in accordance with the provisions of the Series E Certificate of Designations or the Series F Certificate of Designations, as applicable.

(b)       The Purchaser shall also (i) vote, and shall cause its Affiliates to vote, all shares of Series E Preferred Stock and Series F Preferred Stock owned by such Purchaser or its Affiliates, as applicable, on any resolution presented to the stockholders of the Company for purposes of obtaining the Stockholder Approval of the Reverse Stock Split and agrees that such shares of Series E Preferred Stock and Series F Preferred Stock shall automatically and without further action of the Purchaser be voted in a manner that “mirrors” the proportions on which the shares of Common Stock (excluding any shares of Common Stock that are not voted) and Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”) are voted on the Reverse Stock Split Amendment, as set forth in the Series E Certificate of Designations or the Series F Certificate of Designations, as applicable; and (ii) promptly upon request by the Company, grant the Company (or its designee) an irrevocable proxy to vote all shares of Series E Preferred Stock and Series F Preferred Stock in accordance with clause (i) above. For the avoidance of doubt, and for illustrative purposes only, if 30% of the aggregate votes cast by Common Stock and Series B Preferred Stock voting in connection with the Reverse Stock Split Amendment are voted against such resolutions and 70% of the aggregate votes cast by Common Stock and Series B Preferred Stock voting in connection with the Reverse Stock Split Amendment are voted in favor thereof, then 30% of the votes cast by the shares of Series E Preferred Stock and Series F Preferred Stock voting in connection with the Reverse Stock Split Amendment shall vote against the approval of the Reverse Stock Split Amendment and 70% of such votes shall be cast in favor of such Reverse Stock Split Amendment, in each case, in accordance with the provisions of the Series E Certificate of Designations or the Series F Certificate of Designations, as applicable.

2.       No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Letter Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person.  

 

   
 

 

3.       Miscellaneous.

 

(a)        This Letter Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall constitute an original but which together shall constitute one instrument. This Letter Agreement may only be amended by an instrument in writing executed by each of the parties hereto. 

(b)       This Letter Agreement shall be considered a Transaction Document as such term is defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement.

(c)       This Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.

(d)       By executing this Letter Agreement, each party represents and warrants to the other party that (i) the representing party has duly authorized the execution, delivery, and performance of this Letter Agreement; (ii) the terms of this Letter Agreement are binding upon and in full force and effect against, the representing party, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally, to general principles of equity and to principles of sovereign immunity; and (iii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Letter Agreement by such representing party does not and will not violate any agreement or arrangement to which it is a party or by which it may be bound, or any order or decree to which such party is subject.

(e)       No party hereto waives any right under this Letter Agreement by failure or delay in its exercise. A single or partial exercise of any rights does not preclude the later exercise of such right or any other right. The rights and remedies of this Letter Agreement are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies available pursuant to applicable law.

(f)       This Letter Agreement will be binding upon, and will inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by, the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

(g)       Notwithstanding any provision of the Securities Purchase Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that any provision of the Securities Purchase Agreement conflicts with the terms of this Letter Agreement, the terms of this Letter Agreement shall control.

[Signatures follow on the next page.]

 

   
 

 

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

COMPANY:
Ault Alliance, Inc., a Delaware corporation
By:            
Name: William B. Horne
Title: Chief Executive Officer: 

  

Acknowledged and Agreed as of March 28, 2023

PURCHASERS:

 

HELIOS FUNDS, LLC

 

By:                                                                
Name: John D. Lowry                    
Title: Manager                               

 

 

OREE LENDING COMPANY, LLC 

 

By:                                                                
Name: William Coons             
Title: Manager