Exhibit 10.10
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of August 19, 2024, between Fluent, 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 each Purchaser is 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”).
B. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, wishes to purchase, and the Company wishes to sell, upon the terms and conditions stated in this Agreement, such securities of the Company as more fully described in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:
“Action” means any action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding (including any partial proceeding such as a deposition) or investigation pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened in writing against the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties or any officer, director or employee of the Company or any Subsidiary acting in his or her capacity as an officer, director or employee before or by any federal, state, county, local or foreign court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency, regulatory authority, stock market, stock exchange or trading facility.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act. For the avoidance of doubt, with respect to any Purchaser that is an investment fund or other investment vehicle, such Purchaser shall be deemed not to be an Affiliate of (i) any portfolio company of such Purchaser or its Affiliates or (ii) any limited partner of any such Purchaser or its Affiliates.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.
“Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
“Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Purchase Price and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than two Trading Days following the date hereof.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.0005 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 any Subsidiary 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 exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock or other securities that entitle the holder to receive, directly or indirectly, Common Stock.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Company Counsel” means Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP with offices located at 12275 El Camino Real, Suite 100, San Diego, California 92130.
“Company Covered Person” means, with respect to the Company as an “issuer” for purposes of Rule 506 promulgated under the Securities Act, any Person listed in the first paragraph of Rule 506(d)(1).
“Company Intellectual Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(p)(i).
“Company’s Knowledge” means with respect to any statement made to the Company’s Knowledge, that the statement is based upon the actual or constructive knowledge of any director and executive officer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) of the Company, after due inquiry.
“Control” (including the terms “controls,” “controlling,” “controlled by” or “under common control with”) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Conversion Shares” means the shares of Common Stock into which the Notes may be converted as set forth in Section 4 (Conversion) of the Notes.
“Disclosure Materials” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(h).
“Disclosure Schedules” means the Disclosure Schedules of the Company delivered concurrently herewith.
“DTC” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(c).
“Environmental Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(bb).
“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, or any successor statute, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“GAAP” means U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, as applied by the Company.
“Liens” means any lien, charge, claim, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“Material Adverse Effect” means any event, occurrence, fact, condition or change that is, or would reasonably be expected to become, individually or in the aggregate, materially adverse to the business, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or assets of the Company; provided, however, that “Material Adverse Effect” shall not include any event, occurrence, fact, condition or change, directly or indirectly, arising out of or attributable to: (i) general economic or political conditions; (ii) conditions generally affecting the industries in which the Company operates; (iii) any changes in financial or securities markets in general; (iv) acts of war (whether or not declared), armed hostilities or terrorism, or the escalation or worsening thereof; (v) any action required or permitted by this Agreement; (vi) any changes in applicable laws or accounting rules, including GAAP; (vii) the public announcement, pendency or completion of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (viii) any natural or mad-made disaster or acts of God; or (ix) any failure by the Company to meet any internal or published projections, forecasts or revenue or earnings predictions (provided that the underlying causes of such failures (subject to the other provisions of this definition) shall not be excluded).
“Material Contract” means any contract of the Company that has been filed or was required to have been filed as an exhibit to the SEC Reports pursuant to Item 601(b)(4) or Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K.
“Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“Net Short Sale” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.11.
“Note” and “Notes” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Section 2.1.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, sole proprietorship, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
“Purchaser” or “Purchasers” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Purchase Price” means, as to each Purchaser, the amount to be paid for the Note purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Purchase Price,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.7.
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended 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.
“Sanctioned Country” means, at any time, a country, region or territory which is itself subject or target of any Sanctions (at the time of this Agreement, Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the so-called People’s Republic of Donetsk, the so-called People’s Republic of Luhansk, and the Crimea, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine).
“Sanctioned Person” means, at any time, (a) any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons, (b) any Person operating, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country, (c) any Person owned or controlled by any such Person or Persons described in the foregoing clauses (a) or (b), or (d) any Person otherwise the subject or target of any Sanctions.
“Sanctions” means all economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by (a) the U.S. government, including those administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State or (b) the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the Notes and the Conversion Shares.
“Securities Act” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Senior Lender” means Crystal Financial LLC d/b/a SLR Credit Solutions, a Delaware limited liability company, as administrative agent for the lenders named in that certain Credit Agreement dated as of April 2, 2024, as amended, under which multiple Subsidiaries of the Company are borrowers and/or guarantors.
“Senior Lender Approval” means that certain Second Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated on or about August 19, 2024 (the “Credit Agreement Amendment”), by and among the lenders identified therein, Crystal Financial LLC d/b/a SLR Credit Solutions, a Delaware limited liability company, as administrative agent for such lenders, Fluent, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, the Company, and each of the guarantors identified on the signature pages thereto..
“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).
“Staff” means the staff of the Commission.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth in the SEC Reports, and shall, where applicable, include any subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.
“Subordination Agreement” means that certain subordination agreement between Senior Lender and each of the Purchasers, the form of which is attached hereto as Exhibit D.
“Stockholder Approval” means such approval as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Trading Market from the Company’s stockholders with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents including the conversion features of the Notes and issuance of the Conversion Shares.
“Trading Affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(g).
“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, the OTCQB or the OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Notes, the Subordination Agreement, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 1 State Street, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10004, and a phone number of (212) 509-4000, or any successor transfer agent for 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, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to issue and sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, convertible subordinated promissory notes in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (each, a “Note” and, collectively, the “Notes”) with an aggregate principal amount of $2,050,000. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Note 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 take place remotely by electronic transfer of the Closing documentation.
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date (except as indicated below), the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) the Company shall have provided each Purchaser with the Company’s wire instructions, on Company letterhead and executed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;
(iii) a Note issued to such Purchaser with a principal amount equal to the Purchase Price paid by such Purchaser as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the Purchaser’s signature page to this Agreement;
(iv) evidence that the Company has obtained Senior Lender Approval;
(v) the Subordination Agreement duly executed by Senior Lender; and
(vi) evidence that the Company has filed with The Nasdaq Capital Market the listing of additional shares application for the Securities.
(b) On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;
(ii) the Subordination Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;
(iii) such Purchaser’s Purchase Price, which shall be made available for “Delivery Versus Payment” settlement with the Company or its designee; and
(iv) a fully completed and duly executed Accredited Investor Questionnaire, satisfactory to the Company in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.
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) 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 in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality, in all respects) as of such date);
(ii) Senior Lender Approval shall have been obtained;
(iii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and
(iv) 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 in all respects or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) 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; and
(iii) the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement.
ARTICLE III. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except (i) as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation or otherwise made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in the corresponding section of the Disclosure Schedules, or (ii) disclosed in the Company’s SEC Reports the Company hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and the Closing Date (except for the representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be made as of such date), to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(a), the Company has no direct or indirect Subsidiaries. Except as set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports, the Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or comparable equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any and all Liens, and all the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or comparable equity interest 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. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization (as applicable), with the requisite corporate power and authority to own or lease and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation or default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and no Proceeding has been instituted, is pending, or, to the Company’s Knowledge, has been threatened in writing in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(c) Authorization; Enforcement; Validity. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The Company’s execution and delivery of each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, but not limited to, the sale, issuance and delivery of the Notes and the issuance of the Conversion Shares upon conversion of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Notes) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and no further corporate action is required by the Company, its Board of Directors or its stockholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. Each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and is, or when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by other equitable principles of general application, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Securities) do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provisions of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws or otherwise result in a violation of the organizational documents of the Company, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would result in a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any Material Contract, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations and the rules and regulations, assuming the correctness of the representations and warranties made by the Purchasers herein, of any self-regulatory organization to which the Company or its securities are subject, including all applicable Trading Markets), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) such as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) filings required by applicable state securities laws, (iii) an application to the applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Conversion Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, (v) Senior Lender Approval, and (vi) the filing with the Commission of a preliminary and definitive proxy statement in respect of the Stockholder Approval (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
(f) Issuance of the Conversion Shares. The Conversion Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Notes, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Notes. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers in this Agreement, the Conversion Shares will be issued in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws.
(g) Capitalization. The number of shares and type of all authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock, options and other securities of the Company (whether or not presently convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company) is set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports. The Company has not issued any capital stock since the date of its most recently filed SEC Report other than to reflect stock option and warrant exercises that do not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material effect on the issued and outstanding capital stock, options and other securities. 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 that have not been effectively waived as of the Closing Date. Except as set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports or a result of the purchase and sale of the Notes, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire any shares of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Notes will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all 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. Subject to 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 Securities. Except as set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports, there are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the Company’s Knowledge, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Disclosure Materials. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it under the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”, and the SEC Reports, together with the Disclosure Schedules, being collectively referred to as the “Disclosure Materials”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension, except where the failure to file on a timely basis would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. As of their respective filing dates, or to the extent corrected by a subsequent restatement, the Company’s SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, and none of the Company’s SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Except as set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports, the Company has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act. Each of the Material Contracts to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or to which the property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are subject has been filed as an exhibit to the Company’s SEC Reports.
(i) Financial Statements. The financial statements of the Company included in the Company’s SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing (or to the extent corrected by a subsequent restatement). Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved, except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries taken as a whole 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.
(j) Material Changes. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the Company’s SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, (i) there have been no events, occurrences or developments that have had or would reasonably be expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, 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 materially its method of accounting or the manner in which it keeps its accounting books and records, (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 (other than in connection with repurchases of unvested stock issued to employees of the Company), and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except Common Stock issued in the ordinary course as dividends on outstanding preferred stock or issued pursuant to existing Company stock option or stock purchase plans or executive and director compensation arrangements disclosed in the Company’s SEC Reports.
(k) Litigation. There is no Action which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) except as specifically disclosed in the Company’s SEC Reports, would, if there were an unfavorable decision, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the Company’s Knowledge 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 Company’s Knowledge 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 of its Subsidiaries under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(l) Employment Matters. No material labor dispute exists or, to the Company’s Knowledge, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company which would have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and each Subsidiary believes that its relationship with its employees is good. No executive officer of the Company (as defined in Rule 501(f) under the Securities Act) has notified the Company or any such Subsidiary that such officer intends to leave the Company or any such Subsidiary or otherwise terminate such officer's employment with the Company or any such Subsidiary. To the Company’s Knowledge, no executive officer, to the Company’s Knowledge, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any term 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 a third party, and to the Company’s Knowledge, the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any Subsidiary to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Compliance. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (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 of its Subsidiaries under), nor has the Company or any of its Subsidiaries received written notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any Material Contract (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company or its properties or assets, or (iii) is in violation of, or in receipt of written notice that it is in violation of, any statute, rule or regulation of any governmental authority applicable to the Company, except in each case as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) Regulatory Permits. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct its respective business as currently conducted and as described in the Company’s SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits, individually or in the aggregate, has not and would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of Proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Material Permits.
(o) Title to Assets. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to any real property owned by them. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all tangible personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as whole, in each case free and clear of all Liens except such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(p) Intellectual Property.
(i) To the Company’s Knowledge, the Company and the Subsidiaries own, possess, license or have other rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark applications and registrations, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses, technology, know-how and other intellectual property rights and similar rights described in the Company’s SEC Reports as necessary or material for use in connection with their respective businesses and which the failure to so have would have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Company Intellectual Property”). Except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(p), neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any Subsidiary violates or infringes upon the rights of any Person. There is no pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any Person that the Company’s business as now conducted infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of another. To the Company’s Knowledge, there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights that would have or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their Intellectual Property Rights, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) To the Company’s Knowledge, all Company Intellectual Property is valid and enforceable and all maintenance/annuities fees have been timely paid. The Company has complied with its duty of disclosure under 37 CFR 1.56(c). The validity and/or enforceability of the Company Intellectual Property has not been challenged in any jurisdiction, and the Company is not aware of any facts that would give rise to such a challenge.
(q) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company and, to the Company’s Knowledge, none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act.
(r) Internal Accounting Controls. Except as set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports, the Company maintains 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 and liability accountability, (iii) access to assets or incurrence of liabilities is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets and liabilities is compared with the existing assets and liabilities at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(s) Sarbanes-Oxley; Disclosure Controls. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all of the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, which are applicable to it as of the Closing Date. The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) for the Company and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by the Company’s most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(t) Certain Fees. No person or entity will have, as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, any valid right, interest or claim against or upon the Company or a Purchaser for any commission, fee or other compensation pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into by or on behalf of the Company with respect to the offer and sale of the Securities. The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this paragraph (t) that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Company shall indemnify, pay, and hold each Purchaser harmless against, any liability, loss or expense (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees and out-of-pocket expenses) arising in connection with any such right, interest or claim.
(u) Private Placement. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2 of this Agreement and the accuracy of the information disclosed in the Accredited Investor Questionnaires provided by the Purchasers, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Securities by the Company to the Purchasers under the Transaction Documents. The issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market.
(v) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Notes, 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.
(w) Registration Rights. Other than as set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports, no Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company other than those securities which are currently registered on an effective registration statement on file with the Commission.
(x) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Company’s Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to terminate 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 set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports, the Company has not, in the twelve (12) months preceding the date hereof, received written notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is 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 set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports, the Company is in compliance with all listing and maintenance requirements of the principal Trading Market on the date hereof.
(y) Disclosure. Except to the extent that a Purchaser or any of such Purchaser’s representatives or agents is an officer, director or employee of the Company and such information was provided to such Person in the course of performance of such Person’s duties and responsibilities to the Company, the Company confirms that it has not provided, and to the Company’s Knowledge, none of its officers or directors nor any other Person acting on its or their behalf has provided, any Purchaser or its respective agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes material, non-public information except insofar as the existence, provisions and terms of the Transaction Documents and the proposed transactions hereunder may constitute such information, all of which will be disclosed by the Company in a Current Report on Form 8-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as contemplated by Section 4.4 hereof. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representations in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
(z) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, none of the Company, its Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any of its Affiliates or any Person acting on its behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any Company security or solicited any offers to buy any security under circumstances that would cause the offering of the Securities pursuant to the Transaction Documents to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable law, regulation or stockholder approval provisions, including, without limitation, under the rules and regulations of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(aa) Tax Matters. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i) has accurately and timely prepared and filed all foreign, federal and state income and all other 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, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith, with respect to which adequate reserves have been set aside on the books of the Company and (iii) has set aside on its books provisions reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii) above, where the failure to so pay or file any such tax, assessment, charge or return would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction.
(bb) Environmental Matters. Except as set forth in the Company’s SEC Reports, to the Company’s Knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) is in violation of any statute, rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is in violation of any Environmental Laws, (iii) is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any Environmental Laws, or (iv) is subject to any claim relating to any Environmental Laws; which violation, contamination, liability or claim has had or would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and there is no pending investigation or, to the Company’s Knowledge, investigation threatened in writing that might lead to such a claim.
(cc) No General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Notes by any form of general solicitation or general advertising.
(dd) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, 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) taken any action that would reasonably be expected to subject the Company to any damage or penalty in any criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding under any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
(ee) Off Balance Sheet Arrangements. There is no transaction, arrangement, or other relationship between the Company (or any Subsidiary) and an unconsolidated or other off balance sheet entity that is required to be disclosed by the Company in SEC Reports and is not so disclosed and would have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ff) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.
(gg) 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 Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the securities of the Company or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company.
(hh) Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee, Affiliate or Person acting on behalf 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; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person or entity, for the purpose of financing or facilitating any activities, business or transaction with any Sanctioned Person or in any Sanctioned Country or in any manner that would result in the violation of any Sanctions applicable to any party hereto.
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 validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization with the requisite corporate or partnership power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the applicable Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents by such Purchaser and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or, if such Purchaser is not a corporation, such partnership, limited liability company or other applicable like action, on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by other equitable principles of general application.
(b) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by such Purchaser of the Transaction Documents and the consummation by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (i) result in a violation of the organizational documents of such Purchaser, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which such Purchaser is a party, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws) applicable to such Purchaser, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for such conflicts, defaults, rights or violations which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of such Purchaser to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder.
(c) Investment Intent. Such Purchaser understands that the Securities are “restricted securities” and have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account and not with a view to, or for distributing or reselling such Securities or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws, provided, however, that by making the representations herein, such Purchaser does not agree to hold any of the Securities for any minimum period of time and reserves the right, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, at all times to sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of such Securities pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or under an exemption from such registration and in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws. Such Purchaser does not presently have any agreement, plan or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any Person to distribute or effect any distribution of any of the Securities (or any securities which are derivatives thereof) to or through any person or entity; such Purchaser is not a registered broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Exchange Act or an entity engaged in a business that would require it to be so registered as a broker-dealer.
(d) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Notes (unless it has specifically identified in the Accredited Investor Questionnaire that it was not such) it was, and at the date hereof it is, an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act. Purchaser (i) has such substantial knowledge, sophistication and experience in financial and business matters in general, and in investments of a similar nature to the Notes in particular, that Purchaser is capable of reading and understanding information about the Company and evaluating the merits and risks of the purchase of the Notes and the suitability thereof for Purchaser, (ii) is aware that an investment in the Securities is a speculative investment that has limited liquidity and is subject to the risk of complete loss, and (iii) is able to bear the economic risk associated with the purchase of the Notes and could afford a complete loss of an investment in the Securities.
(e) General Solicitation. Such Purchaser is not purchasing the Securities as a result of any advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or presented at any seminar or any other general advertisement.
(f) Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it 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 Securities and the merits and risks of investing in the Securities; (ii) access to information about the Company and the Subsidiaries and their respective 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. Neither such inquiries nor any other investigation conducted by or on behalf of such Purchaser or its representatives or counsel shall modify, amend or affect such Purchaser's right to rely on the truth, accuracy and completeness of the Disclosure Materials and the Company's representations and warranties contained in the Transaction Documents. Such Purchaser has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed decision with respect to its acquisition of the Securities.
(g) Certain Trading Activities. Other than with respect to the transactions contemplated herein, since the time that such Purchaser was first contacted by the Company or any other Person regarding the transactions contemplated hereby, neither the Purchaser nor any Affiliate of such Purchaser which (x) had knowledge of the transactions contemplated hereby, (y) has or shares discretion relating to such Purchaser’s investments or trading or information concerning such Purchaser’s investments, including in respect of the Securities, and (z) is subject to such Purchaser’s review or input concerning such Affiliate’s investments or trading (collectively, “Trading Affiliates”) has directly or indirectly, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser or Trading Affiliate, effected or agreed to effect any purchases or sales of the securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any Short Sales involving the Company’s securities). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser and/or Trading Affiliate that is, individually or collectively, a multi-managed investment bank or vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser's or Trading Affiliate’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 or Trading Affiliate’s assets, the representation set forth above shall apply only with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that have knowledge about the financing transaction contemplated by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to the identification of the availability of, or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
(h) Brokers and Finders. No Person will have, as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, any valid right, interest or claim against or upon the Company or any Purchaser for any commission, fee or other compensation pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into by or on behalf of the Purchaser.
(i) Independent Investment Decision. Such Purchaser has independently evaluated the merits of its decision to purchase Securities pursuant to the Transaction Documents, and such Purchaser confirms that it has not relied on the advice of any other Purchaser’s business and/or legal counsel in making such decision. Such Purchaser understands that nothing in this Agreement or any other materials presented by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchaser in connection with the purchase of the Securities constitutes legal, tax or investment advice. Such Purchaser has consulted such legal, tax and investment advisors as it, in its sole discretion, has deemed necessary or appropriate in connection with its purchase of the Securities. Such Purchaser confirms that none of such Persons has made any representations or warranties to such Purchaser in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(j) Reliance on Exemptions. Such Purchaser understands that the Securities being offered and sold to it in reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying in part upon the truth and accuracy of, and such Purchaser’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements and understandings of such Purchaser set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of such Purchaser to acquire the Securities.
(k) Residency. Such Purchaser’s residence (if an individual) or offices in which its investment decision with respect to the Securities was made (if an entity) are located at the address immediately below such Purchaser’s name on its signature page hereto.
The Company and each of the Purchasers acknowledge and agree that no party to this Agreement has made or makes any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in this Article III and the Transaction Documents.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Transfer Restrictions.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article IV, each Purchaser covenants that the Securities may be disposed of only pursuant to an effective registration statement under, and in compliance with the requirements of, the Securities Act, or pursuant to an available exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in compliance with any applicable state and federal securities laws. In connection with any transfer of the Securities other than (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement, (ii) to the Company, or (iii) pursuant to Rule 144 (provided that the Purchaser provides the Company with reasonable assurances (in the form of seller and, if applicable, broker representation letters) that the Securities may be sold pursuant to such rule), 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 a transfer other than pursuant to (i) through (iii) above, any such transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and shall have the rights of a Purchaser under this Agreement with respect to such transferred Securities.
(b) Legends. Certificates evidencing the Securities shall bear any legend as required by the “blue sky” laws of any state and a restrictive legend in substantially the following form, until such time as they are not required under Section 4.1(c):
THIS NOTE AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON THE CONVERSION HEREOF HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ACT”), OR UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF CERTAIN STATES. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED EXCEPT AS PERMITTED UNDER THE ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM. THE ISSUER OF THESE SECURITIES MAY REQUIRE AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE ISSUER THAT SUCH OFFER, SALE OR TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR HYPOTHECATION OTHERWISE COMPLIES WITH THE ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
(c) Removal of Legends. The legend set forth in Section 4.1(b) above shall be removed and the Company shall issue a certificate without such legend or any other legend to the holder of the applicable Securities upon which it is stamped or issue to such holder by electronic delivery at the applicable balance account at the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), if (i) such Securities are sold or transferred pursuant to the effective registration statement registering the Securities for resale (during such time that such registration statement is effective and not withdrawn or suspended, and only as permitted by such registration statement) or Rule 144 (if the transferor is not an Affiliate of the Company), or (ii) such Securities are eligible for sale under Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Securities and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions. Following the earliest of (x) one year from the Closing Date, (y) Rule 144 becoming available for the resale of Securities, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Securities and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and (z) the date, if any, that the registration statement covering the resale of the Securities has been declared effective by the Commission, the Company shall cause Company Counsel to issue to the Transfer Agent a legal opinion. Any fees (with respect to the Transfer Agent, Company Counsel or otherwise) associated with the issuance of such opinion or the removal of such legend shall be borne by the Company. Following such time as a legend is no longer required for certain Securities, the Company will, no later than two (2) Trading Days, in each case following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company or to the Transfer Agent (with notice to the Company) of a legended certificate (or book entry certificate) representing Securities (endorsed or with stock powers attached, signatures guaranteed, and otherwise in form necessary to affect the reissuance and/or transfer), deliver or cause to be delivered to such Purchaser a certificate representing such Securities 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 4.1(c). Certificates for Securities subject to legend removal hereunder may be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Purchasers by crediting the account of the Purchaser’s prime broker with DTC as directed by such Purchaser.
(d) Acknowledgement. Each Purchaser hereunder acknowledges its primary responsibilities under the Securities Act and accordingly will not sell or otherwise transfer the Securities or any interest therein without complying with the requirements of the Securities Act.
4.2 Furnishing of Information. In order to enable the Purchasers to sell the Securities under Rule 144, until such time as the Purchasers may sell the Securities without limitation under Rule 144, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act and, if during such period, the Company is not required to file reports pursuant to the Exchange Act, it will prepare and furnish to the Purchasers and make publicly available in accordance with Rule 144(c) such information as is required for the Purchasers to sell the Securities under Rule 144.
4.3 Integration. Except for the offering contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require stockholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless such stockholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.
4.4 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. Within four (4) Business Days following the execution of this Agreement, the Company will file a Current Report on Form 8-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q with the Commission describing the terms of the Transaction Documents (and including as exhibits to such Current Report on Form 8-K or Quarterly Report on 10-Q the material Transaction Documents (including, without limitation, this Agreement). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser or an Affiliate of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser or an Affiliate of any Purchaser in any press release or filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, except (i) as required by federal securities law in connection with (A) any registration statement registering the resale of the Securities and (B) the filing of final Transaction Documents (including signature pages thereto) with the Commission and (ii) to the extent such disclosure is required by law, request of the Staff or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior written notice of such disclosure permitted under this subclause (ii). From and after the filing of the Current Report on Form 8-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q disclosing the terms of the Transaction Documents, no Purchaser shall be in possession of any material, non-public information received from the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents, that is not disclosed in the Current Report on Form 8-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q unless a Purchaser shall have executed a written agreement regarding the confidentiality and use of such information. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are required to be publicly disclosed by the Company as described in this Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction).
4.5 Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, including this Agreement, or as expressly required by any applicable securities law, 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 regarding the Company that the Company believes constitutes material non-public information without the express written consent of such Purchaser, unless (a) prior thereto such Purchaser shall have executed a written agreement regarding the confidentiality and use of such information or (b) such Purchaser or representative or agent of such Purchaser is an officer, director or employee of the Company and providing such information to such Person is reasonably necessary or advisable for such Person to perform such Person’s work for and/or duties and responsibilities to the Company. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. Other than information provided pursuant to the foregoing clause (a) or clause (b), 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 or any of its officers, directors, agents, employees, Subsidiaries or Affiliates, or a duty to the Company or any of its officers, directors, agents, employees, Subsidiaries or Affiliates not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4.6 Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital and general corporate purposes.
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, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against 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 solely 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 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. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue Conversion Shares pursuant to any conversion of the Notes pursuant to the terms and conditions thereof.
4.9 Listing of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Conversion Shares on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the Conversion Shares on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Conversion Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Conversion Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Common Stock for electronic transfer through DTC or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to DTC or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.
4.10 Blue Sky. The Company, on or before the Closing Date, shall take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for or to qualify the Securities for sale to the Purchasers under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States (or to obtain an exemption from such qualification) and shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon the written request of any Purchaser.
4.11 Short Sales and Confidentiality After The Date Hereof. Such Purchaser shall not, and shall cause its Trading Affiliates not to, engage, directly or indirectly, in any transactions in the Company’s securities (including, without limitation, any Short Sales involving the Company’s securities) during the period from the date hereof until the earlier of such time as (i) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced as required by and described in Section 4.4 or (ii) this Agreement is terminated in full pursuant to Section 5.19. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company as described in Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in the Transaction Documents and Disclosure Schedules. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in Short Sales in the securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced as described in Section 4.4; provided, however, each Purchaser agrees, severally and not jointly with any Purchasers, that they will not enter into any Net Short Sales (as hereinafter defined) from the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on the earliest of (x) the effective date, if any, of a registration statement covering the resale of the Securities, (y) the twenty-four (24) month anniversary of the Closing Date or (z) the date that such Purchaser no longer holds any Securities. For purposes of this Section 4.11, a “Net Short Sale” by any Purchaser shall mean a sale of Common Stock by such Purchaser that is marked as a short sale and that is made at a time when there is no equivalent offsetting long position in Common Stock held by such Purchaser. For purposes of determining whether there is an equivalent offsetting position in Common Stock held by the Purchaser, the amount of shares of Common Stock held in a long position shall be any shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents otherwise then held by such Purchaser. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that a Purchaser 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 apply only with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that have knowledge about the financing transaction contemplated by this Agreement.
4.12 Stockholder Approval. To the extent Stockholder Approval is required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Trading Market prior to conversion of any portion of the Notes in accordance with the terms thereof, the Company shall use reasonable efforts to seek to obtain, and the Board of Directors shall recommend that the Company’s stockholders vote in favor of the Company’s proposal to obtain, Stockholder Approval at the Company’s next annual meeting of stockholders following the Closing Date. No Purchaser shall be entitled to vote any Conversion Shares issued and outstanding as of the record date for such annual meeting, if any, on such Company proposal to obtain Stockholder Approval.
4.13 Conversion Procedures. The form of Notice of Conversion included in the Notes sets forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to convert the Notes into Conversion Shares. Subject to the limitations set forth in Section 4(e) (Principal Market Regulation) of the Notes, no additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to convert their Notes. Without limiting the preceding sentences, 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 in order to convert the Notes. Subject to the limitations set forth in Section 4(e) (Principal Market Regulation) of the Notes, the Company shall honor conversions of the Notes and shall deliver Conversion Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.
4.14 Acknowledgements Regarding Investment Decision. Each Purchaser represents that it is making this investment based on the results of its own due diligence investigation of the Company, and has not relied on any information or advice furnished by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. Each Purchaser acknowledges that the Company has not made, and will not make, any representations and warranties with respect to the Company or the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Purchaser will not rely on any statements made by the Company, orally or in writing, to the contrary.
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Fees and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees, stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
5.2 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, understandings, discussions and representations, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules. At or after the Closing, and without further consideration, the Company and the Purchasers will execute and deliver to the other such further documents as may be reasonably requested in order to give practical effect to the intention of the parties under the Transaction Documents.
5.3 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 electronic mail at the e-mail address specified in this Section 5.3 prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via electronic mail at the e-mail address specified in this Section 5.3 on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on any Trading Day, (c) the Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service with next day delivery specified, 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 follows:
| | If to the Company: | Fluent, Inc. |
| | | 300 Vesey Street, 9th Floor |
| | | New York, New York 10282 |
| | | Attention: Ryan Perfit, Chief Financial Officer |
| | | E-mail: rperfit@fluentco.com |
| | | |
| | With a copy to: | Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP |
| | | 12275 El Camino Real, Suite 100 |
| | | San Diego, California 92130 |
| | | Attention: John Tishler, Esq. |
| | | E-mail: jtishler@sheppardmullin.com |
| | | |
| | If to a Purchaser: | To the address set forth under such Purchaser’s name on the signature page hereof; or such other address as may be designated in writing hereafter, in the same manner, by such Person. |
| | | |
5.4 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed (a) in the case of an amendment, supplement or modification, by the Company and (i) if prior to the Closing, all of the Purchasers, and (ii) if after the Closing, Purchasers holding two-thirds or more of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Notes or, (b) in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought, provided that, in any case, 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. Any proposed amendment or waiver that disproportionately, materially and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Purchaser relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Purchasers shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Purchaser. Any amendment effected in accordance with this Section 5.4 shall be binding upon each Purchaser and holder of Securities and the Company.
5.5 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Purchaser to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of any Transaction Document unless the same consideration is also offered to all Purchasers who then hold Securities. 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 the Securities or otherwise.
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. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party. This Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of this Agreement or any of the Transaction Documents.
5.7 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”
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 set forth in Sections 4.7 and 5.19.
5.9 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all 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, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery 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 Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such Delaware Court, or that such Proceeding has been commenced in an improper or inconvenient forum. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such 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 manner permitted by law. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
5.10 Survival. Subject to applicable statute of limitations, the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities.
5.11 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to 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 e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file (including any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com), 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 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.14 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any Action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
5.15 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.
5.16 Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any Proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any of the Purchasers. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.
5.17 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
5.18 Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel 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 prices of the Securities in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations, and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
5.19 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated and the sale and purchase of the Securities abandoned at any time prior to the Closing by either the Company or any Purchaser (with respect to itself only) upon written notice to the other, if the Closing has not been consummated on or prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on August 19, 2024; provided, however, that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 5.19 shall not be available to any Person whose failure to comply with its obligations under this Agreement has been the cause of or resulted in the failure of the Closing to occur on or before such time. Nothing in this Section 5.19 shall be deemed to release any party from any liability for any breach by such party of the terms and provisions of this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents or to impair the right of any party to compel specific performance by any other party of its obligations under this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents. In the event of a termination pursuant to this Section 5.19, the Company shall promptly notify all non-terminating Purchasers. Upon a termination in accordance with this Section 5.19, the Company and the terminating Purchaser(s) shall not have any further obligation or liability (including arising from such termination) to the other, and no Purchaser will have any liability to any other Purchaser under the Transaction Documents as a result therefrom.
(Signature Pages Follow)
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.
FLUENT, INC. | |
| | |
| | |
| By: | | |
| | Name: | |
| | Title: | |
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO FLNT SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
Name of Purchaser: ________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser: _________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: _______________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________________
Email Address of Authorized Signatory:_________________________________________
Address for Notice to Purchaser:
Address for Delivery of Securities to Purchaser (if not same as address for notice):
Purchase Price: $_________________
EIN Number: ____________________
SSN Number: ____________________
[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]
INSTRUCTION SHEET
(to be read in conjunction with the entire Securities Purchase Agreement)
A. Complete the following items in the Securities Purchase Agreement:
| | 1. | Provide the information regarding the Purchaser requested on the signature page. The Securities Purchase Agreement must be executed by an individual authorized to bind the Purchaser. |
| | 2. | Exhibit B – Accredited Investor Questionnaire: |
| | | Provide the information requested by the Accredited Investor Questionnaire |
B. Instructions regarding the transfer of funds for the purchase of Notes is set forth on Exhibit C to the Securities Purchase Agreement.
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF NOTE
EXHIBIT B
ACCREDITED INVESTOR QUESTIONNAIRE
(ALL INFORMATION WILL BE TREATED CONFIDENTIALLY)
To: Fluent, Inc.
This Investor Questionnaire (“Questionnaire”) must be completed by each potential investor in connection with the offer and sale of convertible subordinated promissory notes (the “Securities”), of Fluent, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”). The Securities are being offered and sold by the Corporation without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the securities laws of certain states, in reliance on the exemption afforded by Section 4(2) of the Act and in reliance on similar exemptions under applicable state laws. The Corporation must determine that a potential investor meets certain suitability requirements before offering or selling Securities to such investor. The purpose of this Questionnaire is to assure the Corporation that each investor will meet the applicable suitability requirements. The information supplied by you will be used in determining whether you meet such criteria, and reliance upon the private offering exemptions from registration is based in part on the information herein supplied.
This Questionnaire does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Your answers will be kept strictly confidential. However, by signing this Questionnaire, you will be authorizing the Corporation to provide a completed copy of this Questionnaire to such parties as the Corporation deems appropriate in order to ensure that the offer and sale of the Securities will not result in a violation of the Act or the securities laws of any state and that you otherwise satisfy the suitability standards applicable to purchasers of the Securities. All potential investors must answer all applicable questions and complete, date and sign this Questionnaire. Please print or type your responses and attach additional sheets of paper if necessary to complete your answers to any item.
PART A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Name of Beneficial Owner of the Securities:
| Business Address: | |
| | (Number and Street) |
If a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity:
State of formation:________________________ Approximate Date of formation: ________________________
Were you formed for the purpose of investing in the Securities?
Yes ____ No ____
If an individual:
| Residence Address: | |
| | (Number and Street) |
| Age: __________ | Citizenship: ____________ | Where registered to vote: _______________ |
Set forth in the space provided below the state(s), if any, in the United States in which you maintained your residence during the past two years and the dates during which you resided in each state:
Are you a director or executive officer of the Corporation?
Yes ____ No ____
| Social Security or Taxpayer Identification No. | |
PART B. ACCREDITED INVESTOR QUESTIONNAIRE
In order for the Company to offer and sell the Securities in conformance with state and federal securities laws, the following information must be obtained regarding your investor status. Please initial each category applicable to you as a purchaser of securities of the Company.
| | __ (1) | A bank as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act, or any savings and loan association or other institution as defined in Section 3(a)(5)(A) of the Securities Act whether acting in its individual or fiduciary capacity; |
| | __ (2) | A broker or dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; |
| | __ (3) | An insurance company as defined in Section 2(13) of the Securities Act; |
| | __ (4) | An investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or a business development company as defined in Section 2(a)(48) of that Act; |
| | __ (5) | A Small Business Investment Company licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration; |
| | __ (6) | A Rural Business Investment Company as defined in Section 384A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972, as amended; |
| | __ (7) | A plan established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions, for the benefit of its employees, if such plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000; |
| | __ (8) | An employee benefit plan within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, if the investment decision is made by a plan fiduciary, as defined in Section 3(21) of such act, which is either a bank, savings and loan association, insurance company, or registered investment adviser, or if the employee benefit plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000 or, if a self-directed plan, with investment decisions made solely by persons that are accredited investors; |
| | __ (9) | A private business development company as defined in Section 202(a)(22) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; |
| | __ (10) | A tax-exempt organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, a corporation, Massachusetts or similar business trust, partnership or limited liability company, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Securities, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000; |
| | __ (11) | A trust, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Securities, whose purchase is directed by a sophisticated person who has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that such person is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of investing in the Company; |
| | __ (12) | A revocable trust (including a revocable trust formed for the specific purpose of acquiring an interest in the Company) and the grantor or settlor of such trust is an Accredited Investor; |
| | __ (13) | A “family office” as defined in Rule 202(a)(11)(G)-1 under the Advisers Act, (a) with assets under management in excess of $5,000,000, (b) that was not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring interests in the Company, and (c) whose prospective investment in the Company is directed by a person who has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that such family office is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Company (such a family office, a “Qualified Family Office”); |
| | __ (14) | A “family client,” as defined in Rule 202(a)(11)(G)-1 under the Advisers Act, whose prospective investment in the Company is directed by its Qualified Family Office; |
| | __ (15) | A natural person whose individual net worth, or joint net worth with that person’s spouse (excluding primary residence), at the time of his purchase exceeds $1,000,000; |
| | __ (16) | A natural person who had an individual income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years, or joint income with that person’s spouse in excess of $300,000, in each of those years, and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year; |
| | __ (17) | A natural person who holds in good standing one or more of the following professional certifications: General Securities Representative license (Series 7), Private Securities Offerings Representative license (Series 82), or Investment Adviser Representative license (Series 65); |
| | __ (18) | A “family client,” as defined in Rule 202(a)(11)(G)-1 under the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, whose prospective investment in the Company is directed by that person’s Qualified Family Office; |
| | __ (19) | An entity in which all of the equity owners qualify under any of the above subparagraphs. If the undersigned belongs to this investor category only, list the equity owners of the undersigned, and the investor category which each such equity owner satisfies. |
| | __ (20) | None of the above (i.e., the undersigned is not an “accredited investor”). |
A. FOR EXECUTION BY AN INDIVIDUAL:
B. FOR EXECUTION BY AN ENTITY:
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C. ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES (if required by partnership, corporation or trust document):
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EXHIBIT C
WIRE INSTRUCTIONS
COMPANY NAME AND ADDRESS
FLUENT, INC.
300 Vesey Street, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10282
ACCOUNT #
4021279201
ABA/ACH Routing #
021313103
BANK NAME AND ADDRESS
Citizens Bank
1 Citizens Dr. ROP-480
Riverside, RI 02915
EXHIBIT D
SUBORDINATION AGREEMENT
