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(a)The Company is duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Louisiana, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as currently conducted as disclosed in the SEC Documents. The Company is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted by it 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 reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
2.2 Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents, to consummate the Transactions and to issue the Shares in accordance with the terms hereof. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the Transactions have been duly authorized by the Companys Board of Directors (or a duly appointed and authorized committee thereof) and no further consent or authorization of the Company, its Board of Directors, or its stockholders is required. The Transaction Documents have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, or moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors and contracting parties rights generally and except as enforceability may be subject to general principles of equity and except as rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by state or federal securities laws or public policy underlying such laws.
2.4Issuance of Securities. The offer and sale of the Shares have been duly and validly authorized, and the Shares, when issued and paid for by the Purchasers in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will not be subject to preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or any other Person.
(a)The Company and each Subsidiary are, and since January 1, 2016, have been in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations (including, without limitation, all applicable regulations and orders of, or agreements with, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, all other applicable fair lending laws or other laws relating to discrimination, the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended (the Bank Secrecy Act), Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the USA PATRIOT Act), and the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency or body), except where failure to be so in compliance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)The Company and the Bank have no knowledge of any facts and circumstances, and have no reason to believe that any facts or circumstances exist, that could cause the Bank (i) to be deemed not to be in satisfactory compliance with the CRA and the regulations promulgated thereunder or to be assigned a CRA rating of lower than satisfactory, (ii) to be deemed to be operating in violation, in any material respect, of the Bank Secrecy Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, or any order issued with respect to the Money Laundering Laws, or (iii) to be deemed not to be in satisfactory compliance, in all material respects, with all applicable privacy of customer information requirements contained in any federal and state privacy laws and regulations as well as the provisions of all information security programs adopted by the Bank.
(c)Since December 31, 2012, each of the Company and the Bank and each of their respective Subsidiaries has filed all material reports, registrations and statements, together with any required amendments thereto, that it was required to file with the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, and any other applicable federal or state securities or banking authorities. All such reports and statements filed with any such regulatory body or authority are collectively referred to herein as the Company Reports. As of their respective dates, the Company Reports complied in all material respects with all the rules and regulations promulgated by the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, and any other applicable federal or state securities or banking authorities, as the case may be.
(e)None of the Company, the Bank or any of their respective Subsidiaries is a party or subject to any formal or informal agreement, memorandum of understanding, consent decree, cease-and-desist order, order of prohibition or suspension, written commitment, supervisory agreement or other written statement as described under 12 U.S.C. 1818(u) with, or order issued by, or has adopted any board resolutions at the request of, the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, or any other bank regulatory authority that imposes any restrictions or requirements not generally applicable to bank holding companies or commercial banks, nor has the Company, the Bank or any of their respective Subsidiaries been advised by any bank regulatory authority that it is considering issuing, initiating, ordering, or requesting any such agreement, memorandum of understanding, consent decree, cease-and-desist order, order of prohibition or suspension, written commitment, supervisory agreement or other written statement.
(g)The deposit accounts of the Bank are insured by the FDIC up to the legal maximum, the Bank has paid all premiums and assessments required by the FDIC and the regulations thereunder and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(a)The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the Transactions will not (i) conflict with or result in a violation of any provision of its Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws or the organizational documents of any of its Subsidiaries or require the approval of the Companys stockholders, (ii) violate or conflict with, or result in a breach of any provision of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including, without limitation, United States federal and state securities laws and regulations and regulations of any self-regulatory organizations to which the Company or its securities are subject) applicable to the Company, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) only, for such conflicts, breaches, defaults, and violations as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(d)The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have all franchises, permits, licenses, and any similar authority (collectively, Permits) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as now being conducted and as currently proposed to be conducted as disclosed in the SEC Documents, except for such franchise, permit, license or similar authority, the lack of which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and each Subsidiary is in material compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Permits and all such Permits are valid and in full force and effect. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any actual notice of any proceeding relating to revocation or modification of any such franchise, permit, license, or similar authority except where such revocation or modification would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
2.7SEC Documents, Financial Statements. The Company has timely filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it with the SEC since the Companys initial registration of certain shares of its Common Stock with the SEC, pursuant to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act (all of the foregoing filed prior to the date hereof and all exhibits included therein and financial statements and schedules thereto and documents (other than exhibits) incorporated by reference therein, being hereinafter referred to herein as the SEC Documents), except where failure to timely file such SEC Document would not adversely impact the ability of the Holders to resell Common Stock pursuant to Rule 144. The Company is eligible to register its Common Stock for resale using Form S-1 promulgated under the Securities Act. True and complete copies of the SEC Documents are available through the SECs website at www.sec.gov. As of their respective dates, the SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, as the case may be, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder applicable to the SEC Documents, and none of the SEC Documents, at the time they were filed with the SEC, 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. The financial statements and the related notes included in the SEC Documents (the Financial Statements) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), consistently applied, during the periods involved (except (i) as may be otherwise indicated in the Financial Statements or the notes thereto, or (ii) in the case of unaudited interim statements, to the extent they may not include footnotes, may be condensed or summary statements or may conform to the SECs rules and instructions for Reports on Form 10-Q) and fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company as of the dates thereof and the consolidated results of its operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal and recurring year-end audit adjustments). All disclosures contained in the SEC Documents that constitute non-GAAP financial measures (as defined under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act) comply in all material respects with Regulation G and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K, as applicable. To the Companys knowledge, no person who has been suspended or barred from being associated with a registered public accounting firm, or who has failed to comply with any sanction pursuant to Rule 5300 promulgated by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, has participated in or otherwise aided the preparation of, or audited, the financial statements, supporting schedules or other financial data filed with the SEC as a part of the SEC Documents. All Material Agreement to which the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company is a party, or the property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company are subject, have been filed as exhibits to the SEC Documents (other than the final and executed definitive agreement and plan of reorganization with respect to the Companys proposed acquisition of Minden Bancorp, Inc. and MBL Bank (the Minden Acquisition and such agreement the Minden Acquisition Agreement)), the material terms of which are reflected in the Investor Presentation (as defined in Section 2.33), which such definitive agreement will be filed by the Company with the SEC within the time period prescribed by Form 8-K). All Material Agreements are valid and enforceable against the Company and/or a Subsidiary of the Company, as applicable in accordance with their respective terms, except (i) as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, or moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors and contracting parties rights generally, and (ii) as enforceability may be subject to general principles of equity and except as rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by state or federal securities laws or public policy underlying such laws. The Company is not in breach of or default under any of the Material Agreements, and to the Companys knowledge, no other party to a Material Agreement is in breach of or default under such Material Agreement, except in each case, for such breaches or defaults as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received a notice of termination nor is the Company otherwise aware of any threat to terminate any of the Material Agreements.
2.9Accounting Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have made and keeps books, records and accounts, which, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents, the Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
2.10Absence of Litigation. As of the date hereof, other than as disclosed in the SEC Documents, there is no action, suit, proceeding or investigation before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, 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 relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries other than as disclosed in the SEC Documents. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the SEC of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any current or former director or officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act and, to the Companys knowledge, the SEC has not issued any such order.
2.11Intellectual Property Rights. Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted, and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any respect with any such rights of others. The Company and its Subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim of infringement, misappropriation or conflict with any such rights of others in connection with its patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights and know-how.
2.12Placement Agent. The Company has taken no action that would give rise to any claim by any Person for brokerage commissions, placement agents fees or similar payments relating to this Agreement or the Transactions, except for dealings with the Placement Agent, whose commissions and fees will be paid by the Company.
2.14No Material Adverse Change. Since June 30, 2017, other than as disclosed in the Investor Presentation, and except as described or referred to in the SEC Documents on or prior to the date hereof and except for cash expenditures in the ordinary course of business, there has not been any change in the assets, business, properties, financial condition or results of operations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as described in the SEC Documents, since June 30, 2017, (i) there has not been any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, (ii) the Company has not sustained any material loss or interference with the Companys business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, and (iii) other than as disclosed in the Investor Presentation with respect to the Minden Acquisition, there have been no transactions entered into by, and no obligations or liabilities, contingent or otherwise, incurred by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, which are material to the Company and the Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.
2.16Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as the Company believes are prudent and customary for a company (i) in the businesses and location in which the Company or such Subsidiary is engaged, (ii) with the resources of the Company or such Subsidiary, and (iii) at a similar stage of development as the Company or such Subsidiary. Neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has received any written notice that the Company or such Subsidiary will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires. The Company believes it and each of its Subsidiaries will be able to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
2.17Labor Disputes. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists, or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent. The Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any such Subsidiarys principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, individually or in the aggregate, would be reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the Companys knowledge, no executive officer of the Company is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of a third party, and to the Companys knowledge, the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any material liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters.
2.18Foreign Corrupt Practices; Anti-Money Laundering. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor to the Companys knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or other Person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any such Subsidiary (i) used any corporate funds of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to give, agree, offer or promise to give any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) directly or indirectly given, agreed, offered or promised to give any unlawful gift, contribution, payment, rebate, payoff, influence payment, bribe or kickback to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of in any material respect any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the FCPA), the UK Bribery Act 2010, Laws enacted to comply with the UN Convention Against Corruption and the OECD Anti- Bribery Convention, or any other anti-corruption or anti-bribery Law or requirement applicable to the Company and each of its Subsidiaries; (iv) directly, or indirectly through a third party, made, offered, paid, authorized, facilitated, or promised any payment, contribution, gift, entertainment, bribe, rebate, kickback, financial or other advantage, or anything else of value, regardless of form or amount, for the purpose of securing an improper advantage for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (v) established or maintained any unlawful fund of monies or other assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (vi) made any fraudulent entry on the books and records of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (vii) been under administrative, civil, or criminal investigation, indictment, suspension, debarment, or audit (other than a routine contract audit) by any party, in connection with alleged or possible violations of any Law that prohibits bribery, corruption, fraud or other improper payments; or (viii) violated or is in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act, the USA PATRIOT ACT, the money laundering Laws of any jurisdiction and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental or regulatory authority (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any governmental or regulatory authority or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries and Affiliates have in all material respects conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(b)Neither the Company nor, to the Companys knowledge, any Person acting on its behalf has engaged or will engage in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act) in connection with any offer or sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents.
(c)The Company has exercised reasonable care, in accordance with SEC rules and guidance, and has conducted a factual inquiry including the procurement of relevant questionnaires from each Covered Person or other means, the nature and scope of which reflect reasonable care under the relevant facts and circumstances, to determine whether any Covered Person is subject to any of the "bad actor" disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the Securities Act (Disqualification Events). To the Companys knowledge, after conducting such sufficiently diligent factual inquiries, no Covered Person is subject to a Disqualification Event, except for a Disqualification Event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3) under the Securities Act. The Company has complied, to the extent applicable, with any disclosure obligations under Rule 506(e) under the Securities Act. Covered Persons are those persons specified in Rule 506(d)(1) under the Securities Act, including the Company, any predecessor or affiliate of the Company, any director, executive officer, other officer participating in the offering, general partner or managing member of the Company, any beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Company's outstanding voting equity securities, calculated on the basis of voting power, any promoter (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) connected with the Company in any capacity at the time of the sale of the Securities, and any Person that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with the sale of the Shares (a Solicitor), any general partner or managing member of any Solicitor, and any director, executive officer or other officer participating in the offering of any Solicitor or general partner or managing member of any Solicitor.
2.20No Registration Rights. No Person has the right to (i) prohibit the Company from filing a Registration Statement or (ii) except as set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement, require the Company to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of a Registration Statement. The granting and performance of the registration rights under the Registration Rights Agreement will not violate or conflict with, or result in a breach of any provision of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company is a party.
2.21Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof, except with respect to any taxes that are currently being contested in good faith and with respect to which appropriate reserves have been made in accordance with GAAP or as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and its Subsidiaries have set aside on their books provisions reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which the above referenced returns apply; and except as otherwise disclosed in the SEC Documents, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or would reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets, except for tax deficiencies that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
2.22Real and Personal Property. The Company has good and marketable title to, or has valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all material items of real and personal property owned by it, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that do not materially interfere with the use or proposed use of such property by the Company. Any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are held 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 or any such Subsidiary.
2.25Related Party Transactions. Except with respect to transactions (i) that are not required to be disclosed and (ii) contemplated hereby to the extent an Affiliate of any director purchases Shares hereunder, all transactions that have occurred between or among the Company, on the one hand, and any of its officers or directors, or any Affiliate or Affiliates of any such officer or director, on the other hand, prior to the date hereof required to be disclosed by applicable SEC rules and regulations have been disclosed in the SEC Documents.
2.26Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds of the sale of the Shares hereunder to fund the payment of a portion of the purchase price for the Minden Acquisition as set forth in the Investor Presentation, if the Minden Acquisition is consummated, and any remainder for general corporate purposes and, if the Minden Acquisition is not consummated, the net proceeds shall be used for general corporate purposes.
2.27FINRA. All of the information provided to the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent by the Company, its counsel, its officers and directors and the holders of any securities (debt or equity) or options to acquire any securities of the Company in connection with the offering of the Shares is true, complete, correct and compliant with FINRAs rules, and any letters, filings or other supplemental information, if any, provided to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) pursuant to FINRA rules is true, complete and correct.
2.28Environmental Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any statute or any rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, production, 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), owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to any Environmental Laws, is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any Environmental Laws, or is subject to any claim relating to any Environmental Laws, which violation, contamination, liability or claim, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which might lead to such a claim.
2.29ERISA. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), for which the Company would reasonably be expected to have any liability (each, a Plan) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) no reportable event (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that has had a Material Adverse Effect; (iv) neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to an employee benefit plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of an employee benefit plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (including a multiemployer plan, within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (v) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan. ERISA Affiliate means, with respect to the Company, any member of any group of organizations described in Section 414 of the Code of which the Company is a member.
2.30Sanctions. None of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any officer or director of either the Company or any such Subsidiary, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or has been (i) engaged in any services (including financial services), transfers of goods, software, or technology, or any other business activity related to (A) Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria or the Crimea region of Ukraine claimed by Russia (Sanctioned Countries), (B) the government of any Sanctioned Country, (C) any Person located in, resident in, formed under the laws of, or owned or controlled by the government of, any Sanctioned Country, or (D) any Person made subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the list of Specially Designated Nationals of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (OFAC), or by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majestys Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, Sanctions) and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any of its Subsidiaries, or any joint venture partner or other Person, for the purpose of financing the activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that currently is the subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transaction whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC; (ii) engaged in any transfers of goods, technologies or services (including financial services) that may assist the governments of Sanctioned Countries or facilitate money laundering or other activities proscribed by United States Law; (iii) is a Person currently the subject of any Sanctions; or (iv) located, organized or resident in any Sanctioned Country.
2.31Bank Holding Company Act. The Company is a bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the BHC Act), and meets in all material respects the applicable requirements for qualification as such. The activities of the Subsidiaries are permitted of subsidiaries of a bank holding company under applicable law and the rules and regulations of the Federal Reserve set forth in Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The Bank has been duly chartered and is validly existing as a Louisiana state banking association. The Bank is the only depository institution that is a Subsidiary of the Company and the Bank is a member in good standing of the Federal Home Loan Bank System.
2.32Investor Presentation. The investor presentation dated September 13, 2017 (the Investor Presentation) provided to the Purchaser pertaining to the offering and sale of Shares hereunder, the Company and the Minden Acquisition does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading in light of the circumstances in which they are made, subject to the forward-looking statements disclaimer and risks described therein.
(a)The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has complied with, and all documentation in connection with the origination, processing, underwriting and credit approval of any mortgage loan originated, purchased or serviced by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries satisfied, (A)all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations with respect to the origination, insuring, purchase, sale, pooling, servicing, subservicing, or filing of claims in connection with mortgage loans, including all laws relating to real estate settlement procedures, consumer credit protection, truth in lending laws, usury limitations, fair housing, transfers of servicing, collection practices, equal credit opportunity and adjustable rate mortgages, (B) the responsibilities and obligations relating to mortgage loans set forth in any agreement between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and any Agency, Loan Investor or Insurer, (C) the applicable rules, regulations, guidelines, handbooks and other requirements of any Agency, Loan Investor or Insurer and (D) the terms and provisions of any mortgage or other collateral documents and other loan documents with respect to each mortgage loan; and
2.36Risk Management Instruments. The Company and its Subsidiaries have in place risk management policies and procedures designed to protect against risks of the type and in amounts reasonably expected to be incurred by companies of similar size and in similar lines of business as the Company and its Subsidiaries. Except as has not had or would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, since January 1, 2015, all derivative instruments, including, swaps, caps, floors and option agreements, whether entered into for the Companys own account, or for the account of one or more of the Subsidiaries, were entered into (a) only in the ordinary course of business, (b) in accordance with prudent practices and in all respects with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and regulatory policies and (c) with counterparties believed to be financially responsible at the time; and each of them constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of the Company or one of the Subsidiaries, enforceable in accordance with its terms. Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, is in breach of any of its obligations under any such agreement or arrangement.
3.1Organization and Qualification. Purchaser is an entity, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization with the requisite power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by Purchaser, and the performance by Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of Purchaser. This Agreement has been duly executed by Purchaser, and assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company, constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except (i) as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, 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. If the Purchaser is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other organization, (i) each individual executing this Agreement on behalf of the Purchaser has the full power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement for the Purchaser and (ii) the Purchaser has the full right, power and authority to perform its obligations hereunder.
3.2No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by Purchaser of this Agreement and the consummation by Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not (i)conflict with or result in a violation of the constituent documents of 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 any other Person any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which 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 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 materially impair Purchasers ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
3.3Investment Purpose. The Purchaser is purchasing the number of Shares set forth opposite such Purchasers name on Exhibit A attached hereto for its own account and not with a present view toward the public sale or distribution thereof and has no intention or present plan to sell or distribute any of such Shares or any arrangement or understanding with any other Persons regarding the sale or distribution of such Shares. Purchaser understands that the Purchased Shares are restricted securities and have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities Laws. The Purchaser agrees and represents that it will not sell, assign, pledge or otherwise dispose of the Purchased Shares or any portion thereof other than in compliance with applicable state and federal securities Laws and, then, only to the extent that the same may be legally sold or disposed of without registration or qualification under the applicable state or federal securities Laws, or in accordance with the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement.
3.4Information. The Purchaser has been furnished with all materials that have been requested by the Purchaser and the Purchaser has had the opportunity to review the SEC Documents. The Purchaser has been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of, and request information from, management of the Company. 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 Purchasers right to rely on the truth, accuracy and completeness of the SEC Documents and the Companys representations and warranties contained in the Agreement. The Purchaser is not purchasing the Shares as a result of any advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Shares published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media, broadcast over television or radio. presented at any seminar or any other general advertisement.
(a)The Purchaser acknowledges and understands that its investment in the Shares involves a significant degree of risk, including, without limitation, (i) an investment in the Company is speculative, and only Purchasers who can afford the loss of their entire investment should consider investing in the Company and the Shares; (ii) the Purchaser may not be able to liquidate its investment; (iii) transferability of the Shares is extremely limited; and (iv) in the event of a disposition of the Shares, the Purchaser could sustain the loss of its entire investment. Such risks are more fully set forth in the SEC Documents;
(c)The Purchaser has, in connection with the Purchasers decision to purchase Shares, not relied upon any representations or other information (whether oral or written) other than as set forth in the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, the Investor Presentation, and the information disclosed in the SEC Documents, and the Purchaser has, with respect to all matters relating to this Agreement and the offer and sale of the Shares, relied solely upon the advice of such Purchasers own counsel and, except as explicitly provided for herein, has not relied upon or consulted any counsel to the Placement Agent or counsel to the Company; and
(d)In addition to the foregoing, the Purchaser hereby acknowledges and understands that (i) the offering of the Shares pursuant hereto is not conditioned on the closing of the Minden Acquisition and that the closing of the Minden Acquisition remains subject to the satisfaction of numerous closing conditions, including without limitation, receipt of all required regulatory approvals and approval of the shareholders of Minden Bancorp, Inc.; and (ii) if the Minden Acquisition is not consummated, the Company will have broad discretion in the use of proceeds from the sale of the Shares pursuant hereto and the Company shall have no obligation to return the aggregate Purchase Price for the Shares to the Purchasers.
(a)the Shares have not been and are not being registered under the Securities Act (other than as contemplated in the Registration Rights Agreement) or any applicable state securities laws and, consequently, the Purchaser may have to bear the risk of owning the Shares for an indefinite period of time because the Shares may not be transferred unless (i) the resale of the Shares is registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, as contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement; (ii) the Purchaser has delivered to the Company an opinion of counsel (in form, substance and scope customary for opinions of counsel in comparable transactions) to the effect that the Shares to be sold or transferred may be sold or transferred pursuant to an exemption from such registration; (iii) the Shares are sold or transferred pursuant to Rule 144; or (iv) the Shares are transferred to an Affiliate of the Purchaser and such Affiliate agrees to the same representations, warranties, covenants and other restrictions set forth herein;
(b)any sale of the Shares made in reliance on Rule 144 may be made only in accordance with the terms of Rule 144 and, if Rule 144 is not applicable, any resale of the Shares under circumstances in which the seller (or the Person through whom the sale is made) may be deemed to be an underwriter (as that term is defined in the Securities Act) may require compliance with some other exemption under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder; and
THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SHARES MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SHARES UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS, UNLESS OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR TRANSFERRED PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THOSE LAWS. THE COMPANY SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REQUIRE AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH OPINION IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THAT CERTAIN SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT UNDER WHICH THE SHARES WERE ISSUED.
(b)To the extent the resale of the Shares is registered under the Securities Act pursuant to an effective Registration Statement, the Company agrees to promptly (i) authorize the removal of the legend set forth in Section 3.8(a) and any other legend not required by applicable law from such Shares and (ii) cause its transfer agent to issue such Shares without such legends to the holders thereof by electronic delivery at the applicable balance account at the Depository Trust Company upon surrender of any stock certificates evidencing such Shares. With respect to any Shares for which restrictive legends are removed pursuant to this Section 3.8(b), the holder thereof agrees to only sell such Shares when and as permitted by the effective Registration Statement covering such resale and in accordance with applicable securities laws and regulations. Any fees (with respect to the Companys transfer agent, counsel or otherwise) associated with the removal of such legend(s) shall be borne by the Company.
(c)The Purchaser may request that the Company remove, and the Company agrees to authorize the removal of any legend from the Shares (i) following any sale of such Shares pursuant to Rule 144, or (ii) if such Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144 following the expiration of the six-month holding requirement under subparagraphs (b)(1)(i) and (d) thereof. Following the time a legend is no longer required for the Shares under this Section 3.8(c), the Company will, no later than three Business Days following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company or the Companys transfer agent of a legended certificate representing such securities, deliver or cause to be delivered to such Purchaser a certificate representing such securities that is free from all restrictive and other legends.
3.9Authorization; Enforcement. The Purchaser has the requisite power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions. The Purchaser has taken all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. Upon the execution and delivery of this Agreement, this Agreement shall constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Purchaser enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors and contracting parties rights generally and except as enforceability may be subject to general principles of equity and except as rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by state or federal securities laws or public policy underlying such laws.
(a)The Purchaser acknowledges that the Placement Agent is acting as placement agent on a best efforts basis for the Shares being offered hereby and will be compensated by the Company for acting in such capacity. The Purchaser represents that (i) the Purchaser was contacted regarding the sale of the Shares by the Placement Agent or the Company (or an authorized agent or representative thereof) with whom the Purchaser entered into a verbal or written confidentiality agreement and (ii) no Shares were offered or sold to it by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising as such terms are used in Regulation D of the Securities Act.
(b)The 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 Placement Agent in connection with the Transactions. The Purchaser acknowledges that the Placement Agent has not made, and will not make, any representations and warranties with respect to the Company or the Transactions, and the Purchaser will not rely on any statements made by the Placement Agent, orally or in writing, to the contrary.
3.15Regulatory Matters. The Purchaser understands and acknowledges that: (i) the Company is a registered bank holding company under the BHC Act, and is subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve; (ii) acquisitions of interests in bank holding companies are subject to the BHC Act and the Change in Bank Control Act of 1978, as amended (the CIBC Act) and may be reviewed by the Federal Reserve to determine the circumstances under which such acquisitions of interests will result in Purchaser becoming subject to the BHC Act or subject to the prior notice requirements of the CIBC Act. The Purchaser represents that neither it nor its Affiliates (i) own or control any shares of any class of voting securities of the Company or (ii) otherwise control the Company or any Bank as such term is defined for purposes of the BHC Act or CIBC Act. The Purchaser is not participating and has not participated with any other investor in the offering of the Shares other than its Affiliates in any joint activity or parallel action towards a common goal between or among such investors of acquiring control of the Company.
3.16Foreign Corrupt Practices; Anti-Money Laundering. Neither the Purchaser nor any of its Affiliates, nor to the Purchasers knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or other Person acting on behalf of the Purchaser or any of its Affiliates has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Purchaser and such Affiliate (i) used any corporate funds of the Purchase or any of its Affiliates to give, agree, offer or promise to give any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) directly or indirectly given, agreed, offered or promised to give any unlawful gift, contribution, payment, rebate, payoff, influence payment, bribe or kickback to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of in any material respect any provision of the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act 2010, Laws enacted to comply with the UN Convention Against Corruption and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, or any other anti-corruption or anti-bribery Law or requirement applicable to the Purchaser and each of its Affiliates; (iv) directly, or indirectly through a third party, made, offered, paid, authorized, facilitated, or promised any payment, contribution, gift, entertainment, bribe, rebate, kickback, financial or other advantage, or anything else of value, regardless of form or amount, for the purpose of securing an improper advantage for the Purchaser or any of its Affiliates; (v) established or maintained any unlawful fund of monies or other assets of the Purchaser or any of its Affiliates; (vi) made any fraudulent entry on the books and records of the Purchaser or any of its Affiliates; (vii) been under administrative, civil, or criminal investigation, indictment, suspension, debarment, or audit (other than a routine contract audit) by any party, in connection with alleged or possible violations of any Law that prohibits bribery, corruption, fraud or other improper payments; or (viii) violated or is in violation of Money Laundering Laws and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any governmental or regulatory authority or any arbitrator involving the Purchaser or any of its Affiliates with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Purchaser, threatened. the Purchaser or any of its Affiliates have in all material respects conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
4.1Reporting Status. The Companys Common Stock is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. From the date hereof to the end of the Registration Period (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement), the Company will timely file all documents required to be filed under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with the SEC, and the Company will not terminate its status as an issuer required to file reports under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act even if the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder would permit such termination.
4.3Financial Information. The financial statements of the Company to be included in any documents filed with the SEC will be prepared in accordance with GAAP, consistently applied (except (i) as may be otherwise indicated in such financial statements or the notes thereto, or (ii) in the case of unaudited interim statements, to the extent they may not include footnotes, may be condensed or summary statements or may conform to the SECs rules and instructions for Reports on Form 10-Q), and will fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and consolidated results of its operations and cash flows as of, and for the periods covered by, such financial statements (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal and recurring year-end audit adjustments).
4.5Sales by Purchasers. No Purchaser will sell any Shares held by it except in compliance with applicable prospectus delivery requirements, if any, or otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. No Purchaser will make any sale, transfer or other disposition of the Shares in violation of federal or state securities laws.
(a)Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties made by the Company in Article 2 shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date, except to the extent that such representations and warranties are qualified by the term material, or contain terms such as Material Adverse Effect in which case such representations and warranties (as so written, including the term material or Material Adverse Effect) shall be true and correct in all respects as of the Closing Date.
6.34Material Adverse Effect means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, operations, assets, results of operations or financial condition of the Company, taken as a whole, or (b) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations pursuant to the Transactions; provided, however, that in no event shall any of the following, alone or in combination, be deemed to constitute, nor shall any of the following be taken into account in determining whether there has been or shall be, a Material Adverse Effect: any event, change, occurrence, or effect (a) resulting from the announcement of the execution and delivery of this Agreement or compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement; (b) resulting from the announcement of the execution and delivery of the definitive agreement and plan of reorganization relating to the Minden Acquisition or compliance with the terms and conditions thereof; (c) affecting the industry in which the Company operates generally or the United States economy generally (including changes generally in prevailing interest rates, credit availability and liquidity, currency exchange rates and price levels or trading volumes in the United States or foreign securities or credit markets); (d) changes in securities, banking and other laws, of general applicability or related policies or interpretations of any governmental authority; or (e) that results from changes affecting general economic or financial conditions; except, with respect to clauses (b), (c), (d) and (e), to the extent the effects of such changes have a disproportionate impact on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, relative to other similarly situated holding companies and banks.
6.48Registration Statement means any one or more registration statements of the Company filed under the Securities Act that covers the resale of any of the Shares pursuant to the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement (including without limitation the Initial Registration Statement, the New Registration Statement, Form S-3 Registration Statement, and any Remainder Registration Statements) and amendments and supplements to such Registration Statements, including post-effective amendments.
6.57Subsidiary of any Person shall mean any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other legal entity of which such Person (either alone or through or together with any other subsidiary) owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the stock or other equity interests the holders of which are generally entitled to vote for the election of the board of directors or other governing body of such corporation or other legal entity.
7.2Counterparts; Signatures by Facsimile. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which are considered one and the same agreement and will become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other parties. This Agreement, once executed by a party, may be delivered to the other parties hereto by facsimile or e-mail transmission of a copy of this Agreement bearing the signature of the party so delivering this Agreement.
7.5Entire Agreement; Amendments. The Transaction Documents (including all schedules and exhibits thereto) constitute the entire agreement among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein. The Transaction Documents supersede all prior agreements and understandings among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. No provision of this Agreement may be waived or amended other than by an instrument in writing signed by the party to be charged with enforcement. Any amendment or waiver by a party effected in accordance with this Section 7.5 shall be binding upon such party, including with respect to any Shares purchased under this Agreement at the time outstanding and held by such party (including securities into which such Shares are convertible and for which such Shares are exercisable) and each future holder of all such securities.
7.6Notices. All notices required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given: (a) upon personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) when sent by confirmed email, telex or facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, if not, then on the next Business Day, (c) five days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (d) one Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, specifying next day delivery, with written verification of receipt. The addresses for such communications are:
7.7Successors and Assigns. This Agreement is binding upon and inures to the benefit of the parties and their successors and assigns. The Company will not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Purchasers, and no Purchaser may assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Company.
7.9Further Assurances. Each party will do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and will execute and deliver all other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as another party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the Transactions.
7.11Equitable Relief. The Company recognizes that, if it fails to perform or discharge any of its obligations under this Agreement, any remedy at law may prove to be inadequate relief to the Purchasers. The Company therefore agrees that the Purchasers are entitled to seek temporary and permanent injunctive relief in any such case. Each Purchaser also recognizes that, if it fails to perform or discharge any of its obligations under this Agreement, any remedy at law may prove to be inadequate relief to the Company. Each Purchaser therefore agrees that the Company is entitled to seek temporary and permanent injunctive relief in any such case.
7.13Independent Nature of Purchasers Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under this Agreement are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under this Agreement. The decision of each Purchaser to purchase Shares pursuant to this Agreement has been made by such Purchaser independently of any other Purchaser and independently of any information, materials, statements or opinions as to the business, affairs, operations, assets, properties, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which may have been made or given by any other Purchaser or by any agent or employee of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser and none of its agents or employees shall have any liability to any other Purchaser (or any other Person) relating to or arising from any such information, materials, statements or opinions. Nothing contained herein and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant 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, or are deemed affiliates with respect to such obligations or the Transactions. Each Purchaser acknowledges that no other Purchaser has acted as agent for such Purchaser in connection with making its investment hereunder and that no Purchaser will be acting as agent of such Purchaser in connection with monitoring its investment in the Shares or enforcing its rights under this Agreement. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.
The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the issuance of the Shares pursuant to the Agreement do not violate any provision of the Companys Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, and do not constitute a default under or a material breach of any Material Agreement, and do not violate any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, determination or award which has been entered against the Company and of which we are aware, in each case to the extent the violation of which would materially and adversely affect the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. ---|---
Commitment Period shall mean the period commencing on the Execution Date and ending on the earlier of (i) the date on which the Investor shall have purchased Put Shares pursuant to this Agreement equal to the Maximum Commitment Amount, (ii) September 15, 2019, or (iii) written notice of termination by the Company to the Investor upon a material breach of this Agreement by Investor.
Common Stock Equivalents means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
DWAC Eligible shall mean that (a) the Common Stock is eligible at DTC for full services pursuant to DTCs Operational Arrangements, including, without limitation, transfer through DTCs DWAC system, (b) the Company has been approved (without revocation) by the DTCs underwriting department, (c) the Transfer Agent is approved as an agent in the DTC/FAST Program, (d) the Put Shares are otherwise eligible for delivery via DWAC, and (e) the Transfer Agent does not have a policy prohibiting or limiting delivery of the Put Shares, as applicable, via DWAC.
DWAC Shares means shares of Common Stock that are (i) issued in electronic form, (ii) freely tradable and transferable and without restriction on resale and (iii) timely credited by the Company to the Investors or its designees specified DWAC account with DTC under the DTC/FAST Program, or any similar program hereafter adopted by DTC performing substantially the same function.
Material Adverse Effect shall mean any effect on the business, operations, properties, or financial condition of the Company and the Subsidiaries that is material and adverse to the Company and the Subsidiaries and/or any condition, circumstance, or situation that would prohibit or otherwise materially interfere with the ability of the Company to enter into and perform its obligations under any Transaction Document.
Section 2.1 PUTS. Upon the terms and conditions set forth herein (including, without limitation, the provisions of Article VII), the Company shall have the right, but not the obligation, to direct the Investor, by its delivery to the Investor of a Put Notice from time to time, to purchase Put Shares in a minimum amount not less than $25,000.00; provided that such minimum amount of Put Shares may be decreased, maximum amount of Put Shares may be increased, and the Minimum Pricing (as defined herein) may be decreased subject to the Investors approval; and provided further that the amount of Put Shares shall not exceed the Beneficial Ownership Limitation set forth in Section 7.1(g).
(b) DATE OF DELIVERY OF PUT NOTICE. A Put Notice shall be deemed delivered on (i) the Trading Day it is received by email by the Investor if such notice is received on or prior to 8:30 a.m. New York time or (ii) the immediately succeeding Trading Day if it is received by email after 8:30 a.m. New York time on a Trading Day or at any time on a day which is not a Trading Day. The Company shall not deliver another Put Notice to the Investor within ten (10) Trading Days of a prior Put Notice, without the consent of Investor.
Section 2.3 CLOSINGS. If the value of the Put Shares delivered to the Investor causes the Company to exceed the Maximum Commitment Amount, then the Investor shall return to the Company the surplus amount of Put Shares associated with such Put and the Purchase Price with respect to such Put shall be reduced by any Clearing Costs related to the return of such Put Shares. The Closing of a Put shall occur within two (2) Trading Days following the end of the respective Valuation Period, whereby the Investor shall deliver the Investment Amount by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated by the Company. In addition, on or prior to such Closing, each of the Company and the Investor shall deliver to each other all documents, instruments and writings required to be delivered or reasonably requested by either of them pursuant to this Agreement in order to implement and effect the transactions contemplated herein.
Section 3.2 NO LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE COMPANY. The Investor acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement with its own legal counsel and investment and tax advisors. The Investor is relying solely on such counsel and advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its representatives or agents for legal, tax or investment advice with respect to this investment, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the securities laws of any jurisdiction.
Section 3.3 ACCREDITED INVESTOR. The Investor is an accredited investor as defined in Rule 501(a)(3) of Regulation D, and the Investor has such experience in business and financial matters that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Securities. The Investor acknowledges that an investment in the Securities is speculative and involves a high degree of risk.
Section 3.4 AUTHORITY. The Investor has the requisite power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action and no further consent or authorization of the Investor is required. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by the Investor, and when delivered by the Investor in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Investor enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors rights and remedies or by other equitable principles of general application.
Section 3.6 ORGANIZATION AND STANDING. The Investor is an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents.
Section 3.7 ABSENCE OF CONFLICTS. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and compliance with the requirements hereof and thereof, will not (a) violate any law, rule, regulation, order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree or award binding on the Investor, (b) violate any provision of any indenture, instrument or agreement to which the Investor is a party or is subject, or by which the Investor or any of its assets is bound, or conflict with or constitute a material default thereunder, (c) result in the creation or imposition of any lien pursuant to the terms of any such indenture, instrument or agreement, or constitute a breach of any fiduciary duty owed by the Investor to any third party, or (d) require the approval of any third-party (that has not been obtained) pursuant to any material contract, instrument, agreement, relationship or legal obligation to which the Investor is subject or to which any of its assets, operations or management may be subject.
Section 4.1 ORGANIZATION OF THE COMPANY. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and no proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
Section 4.4 LISTING AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the SEC is contemplating terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the twelve (12) months preceding the date hereof, received notice from the Principal Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Principal Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements.
Section 4.5 SEC DOCUMENTS; DISCLOSURE. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.5, the Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the one (1) year 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 Documents) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Documents prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and other federal laws, rules and regulations applicable to such SEC Documents, and none of the SEC Documents when filed contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Documents comply as to form and substance in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations of the SEC or other applicable rules and regulations with respect thereto. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (except (a) as may be otherwise indicated in such financial statements or the notes thereto or (b) in the case of unaudited interim statements, to the extent they may not include footnotes or may be condensed or summary statements) and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company as of the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments). Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided the Investor or its agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information. The Company understands and confirms that the Investor will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
Section 4.6 VALID ISSUANCES. The Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company other than restrictions on transfer provided for in the Transaction Documents.
Section 4.9 LITIGATION AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents or as set forth on Schedule 4.9, there are no actions, suits, investigations, inquiries or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties, nor has the Company received any written or oral notice of any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, which would have a Material Adverse Effect. No judgment, order, writ, injunction or decree or award has been issued by or, to the knowledge of the Company, requested of any court, arbitrator or governmental agency which would have a Material Adverse Effect. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the SEC involving the Company, any Subsidiary or any current or former director or officer of the Company or any Subsidiary.
Section 5.2 SHORT SALES AND CONFIDENTIALITY. Neither the Investor, nor any affiliate of the Investor acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it, will execute any Short Sales during the period from the date hereof to the end of the Commitment Period. For the purposes hereof, and in accordance with Regulation SHO, the sale after delivery of a Put Notice of such number of shares of Common Stock reasonably expected to be purchased under a Put Notice shall not be deemed a Short Sale. The Investor shall, until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in the Transaction Documents.
Section 6.1 RESERVATION OF COMMON STOCK. The Company shall maintain a reserve from its duly authorized shares of Common Stock equal to ___ shares to satisfy its obligation to issue the Put Shares and the Underlying Shares in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Commitment Note and the Investment Notes.
Section 6.3 OTHER EQUITY LINES AND CONVERTIBLE NOTES. So long as this Agreement remains in effect, the Company covenants and agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of the Investor, enter into any other equity line of credit agreement with any other party or issue any promissory note convertible into common stock to any other party. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained in the Transaction Documents shall restrict, or require the Investors consent for, any agreement providing for the issuance or distribution of any equity securities of the Company pursuant to any agreement or arrangement that is not covered in this Section 6.3.
Section 6.4 FILING OF CURRENT REPORT AND REGISTRATION STATEMENT. The Company agrees that it shall file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the SEC within the time required by the Exchange Act, relating to the transactions contemplated by, and describing the material terms and conditions of, the Transaction Documents (the Current Report). The Company shall permit the Investor to review and comment upon the final pre-filing draft version of the Current Report at least two (2) Trading Days prior to its filing with the SEC, and the Company shall give reasonable consideration to all such comments. The Investor shall use its reasonable best efforts to comment upon the final pre-filing draft version of the Current Report within one (1) Trading Day from the date the Investor receives it from the Company. The Company shall also file with the SEC, within thirty (30) calendar days from the date hereof, a new registration statement (the Registration Statement) covering only the resale of the Put Shares.
(c) PRINCIPAL MARKET REGULATION. The Company shall not issue any Put Shares, and the Investor shall not have the right to receive any Put Shares, if the issuance of such Put Shares would exceed the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock which the Company may issue without breaching the Companys obligations under the rules or regulations of the Principal Market (the Exchange Cap).
(a) EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT. The Registration Statement, and any amendment or supplement thereto, shall remain effective for the resale by the Investor of the Put Shares and the Underlying Shares and (i) neither the Company nor the Investor shall have received notice that the SEC has issued or intends to issue a stop order with respect to such Registration Statement or that the SEC otherwise has suspended or withdrawn the effectiveness of such Registration Statement, either temporarily or permanently, or intends or has threatened to do so and (ii) no other suspension of the use of, or withdrawal of the effectiveness of, such Registration Statement or related prospectus shall exist.
(b) ACCURACY OF THE COMPANYS REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The representations and warranties of the Company shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date of this Agreement and as of the date of each Closing (except for representations and warranties specifically made as of a particular date).
(d) NO INJUNCTION. No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or adopted by any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction that prohibits or directly and materially adversely affects any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, and no proceeding shall have been commenced that may have the effect of prohibiting or materially adversely affecting any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(i) NO KNOWLEDGE. The Company shall have no knowledge of any event more likely than not to have the effect of causing the Registration Statement to be suspended or otherwise ineffective (which event is more likely than not to occur within the fifteen (15) Trading Days following the Trading Day on which such Put Notice is deemed delivered).
(k) OFFICERS CERTIFICATE. On the date of delivery of each Put Notice, the Investor shall have received the Closing Certificate executed by an executive officer of the Company and to the effect that all the conditions to such Closing shall have been satisfied as of the date of each such certificate.
(m) SEC DOCUMENTS. All reports, schedules, registrations, forms, statements, information and other documents required to have been filed by the Company with the SEC pursuant to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act shall have been filed with the SEC within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under the Exchange Act.
Section 9.1 NOTICES. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals, and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be (a) personally served, (b) deposited in the mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (c) delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or (d) transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, or email as a PDF, addressed as set forth below or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice given in accordance herewith. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be deemed effective (i) upon hand delivery or delivery by email at the address designated below (if delivered on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or the first business day following such delivery (if delivered other than on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received) or (ii) on the second business day following the date of mailing by express courier service or on the fifth business day after deposited in the mail, in each case, fully prepaid, addressed to such address, or upon actual receipt of such mailing, whichever shall first occur.
Section 9.2 INDEMNIFICATION. Each party (an Indemnifying Party) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the other party along with its officers, directors, employees, and authorized agents, and each Person or entity, if any, who controls such party within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (an Indemnified Party) from and against any Damages, joint or several, and any action in respect thereof to which the Indemnified Party becomes subject to, resulting from, arising out of or relating to (i) any misrepresentation, breach of warranty or nonfulfillment of or failure to perform any covenant or agreement on the part of the Indemnifying Party contained in this Agreement, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus or contained in the final prospectus (as amended or supplemented, if the Company files any amendment thereof or supplement thereto with the SEC) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein any material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which the statements therein were made, not misleading, or (iv) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities law or any rule or regulation under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, as such Damages are incurred, except to the extent such Damages result primarily from the Indemnified Partys failure to perform any covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement or the Indemnified Partys negligence, recklessness or bad faith in performing its obligations under this Agreement; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any Damages of an Indemnified Party to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made by an Indemnifying Party in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Indemnifying Party by the Indemnified Party expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus (as amended or supplemented).
(a) In the event any claim or demand in respect of which an Indemnified Party might seek indemnity under Section 9.2 is asserted against or sought to be collected from such Indemnified Party by a Person other than a party hereto or an affiliate thereof (a Third Party Claim), the Indemnified Party shall deliver a written notification, enclosing a copy of all papers served, if any, and specifying the nature of and basis for such Third Party Claim and for the Indemnified Partys claim for indemnification that is being asserted under any provision of Section 9.2 against an Indemnifying Party, together with the amount or, if not then reasonably ascertainable, the estimated amount, determined in good faith, of such Third Party Claim (a Claim Notice) with reasonable promptness to the Indemnifying Party. If the Indemnified Party fails to provide the Claim Notice with reasonable promptness after the Indemnified Party receives notice of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnifying Party shall not be obligated to indemnify the Indemnified Party with respect to such Third Party Claim to the extent that the Indemnifying Partys ability to defend has been prejudiced by such failure of the Indemnified Party. The Indemnifying Party shall notify the Indemnified Party as soon as practicable within the period ending thirty (30) calendar days following receipt by the Indemnifying Party of either a Claim Notice or an Indemnity Notice (as defined below) (the Dispute Period) whether the Indemnifying Party disputes its liability or the amount of its liability to the Indemnified Party under Section 9.2 and whether the Indemnifying Party desires, at its sole cost and expense, to defend the Indemnified Party against such Third Party Claim.
(ii) If the Indemnifying Party fails to notify the Indemnified Party within the Dispute Period that the Indemnifying Party desires to defend the Third Party Claim pursuant to Section 9.3(a), or if the Indemnifying Party gives such notice but fails to prosecute vigorously and diligently or settle the Third Party Claim, or if the Indemnifying Party fails to give any notice whatsoever within the Dispute Period, then the Indemnified Party shall have the right to defend, at the sole cost and expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Third Party Claim by all appropriate proceedings, which proceedings shall be prosecuted by the Indemnified Party in a reasonable manner and in good faith or will be settled at the discretion of the Indemnified Party(with the consent of the Indemnifying Party, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld). The Indemnified Party will have full control of such defense and proceedings, including any compromise or settlement thereof; provided, however, that if requested by the Indemnified Party, the Indemnifying Party will, at the sole cost and expense of the Indemnifying Party, provide reasonable cooperation to the Indemnified Party and its counsel in contesting any Third Party Claim which the Indemnified Party is contesting. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this clause (ii), if the Indemnifying Party has notified the Indemnified Party within the Dispute Period that the Indemnifying Party disputes its liability or the amount of its liability hereunder to the Indemnified Party with respect to such Third Party Claim and if such dispute is resolved in favor of the Indemnifying Party in the manner provided in clause (iii) below, the Indemnifying Party will not be required to bear the costs and expenses of the Indemnified Partys defense pursuant to this clause (ii) or of the Indemnifying Partys participation therein at the Indemnified Partys request, and the Indemnified Party shall reimburse the Indemnifying Party in full for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Indemnifying Party in connection with such litigation. The Indemnifying Party may participate in, but not control, any defense or settlement controlled by the Indemnified Party pursuant to this clause (ii), and the Indemnifying Party shall bear its own costs and expenses with respect to such participation.
(b) In the event any Indemnified Party should have a claim under Section 9.2 against the Indemnifying Party that does not involve a Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Party shall deliver a written notification of a claim for indemnity under Section 9.2 specifying the nature of and basis for such claim, together with the amount or, if not then reasonably ascertainable, the estimated amount, determined in good faith, of such claim (an Indemnity Notice) with reasonable promptness to the Indemnifying Party. The failure by any Indemnified Party to give the Indemnity Notice shall not impair such partys rights hereunder except to the extent that the Indemnifying Party demonstrates that it has been irreparably prejudiced thereby. If the Indemnifying Party notifies the Indemnified Party that it does not dispute the claim or the amount of the claim described in such Indemnity Notice or fails to notify the Indemnified Party within the Dispute Period whether the Indemnifying Party disputes the claim or the amount of the claim described in such Indemnity Notice, the amount of Damages specified in the Indemnity Notice will be conclusively deemed a liability of the Indemnifying Party under Section 9.2 and the Indemnifying Party shall pay the amount of such Damages to the Indemnified Party on demand. If the Indemnifying Party has timely disputed its liability or the amount of its liability with respect to such claim, the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party shall proceed in good faith to negotiate a resolution of such dispute; provided, however, that if the dispute is not resolved within thirty (30) days after the Claim Notice, the Indemnifying Party shall be entitled to institute such legal action as it deems appropriate.