Document:

ex10_98.htm

Exhibit 10.98

 

FORM OF

RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT

THIS RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of the _____ day of ____________, 20__ by and between CHROMCRAFT REVINGTON, INC. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, and _______________ (the “Director”),

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, the Company maintains a Directors’ Stock Plan, as currently in effect or as may hereafter be amended (the “Plan”), pursuant to which non-employee directors of the Company receive awards of restricted stock or stock options as determined by the Company’s Compensation Committee; and

WHEREAS, the Director was re-elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders held on ____________ and, accordingly, the Director is entitled to receive an award of ______ shares of restricted common stock of the Company under the Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Plan provides that such award of restricted common stock shall be evidenced by a written award agreement and shall be restricted in accordance with the terms of the Plan and this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals, the issuance of restricted common stock of the Company to the Director, the respective covenants, agreements and obligations contained in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Director hereby agree as follows:

1.           Capitalized Terms.  All capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the same meaning ascribed to such terms in the Plan.

2.           Award of Restricted Stock.  Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, the Company hereby grants an Award to the Director of _______________ shares of common stock of the Company, which shares shall be issued under the Plan and shall be restricted in accordance with the Plan and this Agreement (the “Restricted Stock”).

3.           Award Date.  The Award Date for the Award of the Restricted Stock is ____________ (the “Award Date”).

4.           Period of Restriction; Vesting of Restricted Stock.  Subject to Section 11 hereof, the Period of Restriction with respect to the Award of Restricted Stock shall begin on _____________ and shall end and lapse on the day immediately preceding the [next] annual meeting of stockholders of the Company (the “Period of Restriction”), provided that the shares of Restricted Stock shall vest only so long as the Director is still serving as a member of the Board of Directors on the day preceding such annual meeting.  Upon the end or lapse of the Period of
Restriction, the Award of Restricted Stock shall automatically and without the need for any determination or further action by the Board of Directors (or any committee thereof) become fully vested.  There shall be no other conditions or performance measures, targets or goals or any other requirement that must be satisfied or achieved in order for the shares of Restricted Stock to become vested.  Shares of Restricted Stock that have not become vested by the end of the Period of Restriction shall be forfeited and revert back to the Company, and the Director (and any party claiming by or through the Director) shall have no rights or claims to such shares.

 

  

  

  

5.           Dividend, Voting and Other Rights.  During the Period of Restriction and until the shares of Restricted Stock shall become vested or have been forfeited, the shares of Restricted Stock shall be issued and outstanding for all corporate purposes and the Director shall be entitled to (a) receive all dividends and distributions, if any, paid with respect to the shares of Restricted Stock, (b) exercise all voting rights with respect to the shares of Restricted Stock, and (c) exercise and possess all other rights and attributes of
ownership of the shares of Restricted Stock, except with respect to the transferability of such shares and as provided in the Plan and this Agreement.

6.           Certain Agreements of the Director.  The Director hereby understands and agrees as follows:

(a)         none of the shares of Restricted Stock have been registered or qualified under any federal or state securities laws and are being issued by the Company in reliance upon certain exemptions from registration or qualification under such laws;

(b)         because the shares of Restricted Stock have not been registered or qualified under any federal or state securities laws and because the Director may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Company under the federal securities laws, such shares are subject to restrictions on resale and transfer imposed by applicable federal and state law in addition to the restrictions set forth in the Plan and this Agreement;

(c)         the Director is (and his heirs, executors, administrators and representatives are) bound by, and the shares of Restricted Stock are subject to, the terms, conditions and restrictions set forth in the Plan and this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws and applicable law (all as currently or hereafter in effect);

(d)         there is no obligation of the Company to continue to have the shares of the Company’s common stock (including the shares of Restricted Stock if and when they may become vested) listed, traded or quoted on any securities exchange or on any quotation system or other established trading market;

(e)         no representations, promises or commitments have been made to the Director relating to (i) the repurchase by the Company of any shares of Restricted Stock (whether before or after such shares may become vested), or (ii) the amount of dividends or distributions, the percentage of profit or the return on investment, if any, that he might expect to receive as a result of owning the shares of Restricted Stock (whether before or after such shares may become vested); and

 

  

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(f)          the shares of Restricted Stock shall be held by the Director for his own account and not for another person and not with a view to resale, distribution, subdivision or fractionalization of such shares.

7.           Non-transferability.  Except in the event of the Director’s death or Disability (and then only in the manner set forth in the Plan), until the Period of Restriction shall have ended or lapsed and the shares of Restricted Stock shall have become vested, the unvested shares of Restricted Stock (a) cannot be sold, transferred, assigned, margined, encumbered, bequeathed, gifted, alienated, hypothecated, pledged or otherwise disposed of, nor can a lien, security interest or option be placed thereon, whether by operation of law, whether voluntarily or involuntarily,
or otherwise, and (b) are not subject to execution, attachment or similar process or otherwise available to the creditors of the Director.  After the Period of Restriction shall have ended or lapsed and the shares of Restricted Stock shall have become vested, the shares of Restricted Stock may be sold, transferred, gifted or otherwise disposed of in accordance with applicable law and the requirements then in effect of the principal securities exchange or market (or of any quotation system or other established trading market) on which the Company’s shares of common stock are then listed or traded, if any.  Any attempted or purported sale, transfer, disposition, gift, bequest, pledge or other act in breach of or contrary to this Section 7 shall be null and void and of no force or effect whatsoever.

8.           Issuance of Shares.  Promptly following the execution of this Agreement, the Company shall issue (or purchase in the open market or in privately-negotiated transactions) the shares necessary to satisfy the Award of Restricted Stock and thereafter until vesting or forfeiture (a) the Company shall maintain the unvested shares only in book-entry form in the name or for the benefit of the Director, (b) the Company shall not issue any certificate representing unvested shares in the name of the Director, and (c) the Director shall not be entitled to hold such unvested
shares in “street name.”  Upon request by the Director following the date on which the Period of Restriction shall have ended or lapsed and the shares of Restricted Stock shall have become vested, the Company shall release such vested shares to the Director and shall, based upon the instructions of the Director, either cause such shares to be placed in “street name” with a broker designated by the Director or issue a stock certificate representing such vested shares in the name of the Director with a legend in substantially the following form imprinted thereon:

 

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER

The securities represented by this Certificate have not been registered or qualified under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state securities laws and may not be sold, transferred, gifted, pledged or otherwise disposed of in the absence of such registration or qualification or an exemption therefrom under the Act and any applicable state securities laws.

The securities represented by this Certificate are subject to the terms of a Restricted Stock Award Agreement and the Directors’ Stock Plan of the Company, which contain restrictions on the sale, transfer, gift, pledge and other disposition of, and other matters relating to, these securities, copies of which agreement and plan are on file with the Secretary of the Company.

 

  

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9.           Effect of the Plan; Continuation in Office; Certain Conflicts.  The Award of Restricted Stock is made under and is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, and the Director agrees that he shall comply with the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement.

Neither this Agreement nor the Award of Restricted Stock (a) constitutes an agreement, understanding or commitment relating to the continued service, nomination or re-election of the Director as a director of the Company, or gives the Director any right to be retained, nominated or re-elected as a director of the Company, (b) affects or limits the ability of the Director to resign or retire, or the possibility of the Director being removed, from office at any time, including during the Period of Restriction.

In the event of any conflict between the Plan and this Agreement, then this Agreement shall control; provided however, that in the event that this Agreement is silent with respect to a particular matter relating to the Award of Restricted Stock, then the Plan shall control with respect to such matter.

10.         Income Taxes.  All federal, state and local income taxes (and all interest and penalties thereon) that arise or are imposed by virtue of the vesting of the shares of Restricted Stock shall be the sole responsibility of and paid by the Director.

11.         Effect of Change in Control, Death or Disability.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, in the event of a Change in Control (as defined in the Plan) or the Disability (as defined in the Plan) or death of the Director during the Period of Restriction, all shares of Restricted Stock that have not yet become vested as of the time of such event shall vest and be treated in accordance with and as required by the Plan.

12.         Miscellaneous.

(a)         Binding Effect; Assignment.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company and the Director and their respective heirs, executors, representatives, successors and assigns; provided, however that neither party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party hereto except that the Company may, without the consent of the Director, assign this Agreement in connection with any merger, consolidation, share exchange, combination, sale of stock or assets or similar transaction involving the Company or any transaction or series of
transactions constituting a Change in Control.  In the event of any such permitted assignment by the Company of this Agreement, all references to the “Company” shall thereafter mean and refer to the successor or assignee of the Company.

(b)         Waiver.  Either party hereto may, by a writing signed by the waiving party, waive the performance by the other party of any of the covenants or agreements to be performed by such other party under this Agreement or any breach of or noncompliance with any provision of this Agreement.  The waiver by either party hereto shall not operate or be construed as a continuing or subsequent waiver or a waiver of any other or subsequent failure of performance, breach or noncompliance hereunder.  The failure or delay of either party at any time to insist upon the strict
performance of any provision of this Agreement or to enforce its rights or remedies under this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of the right to insist upon strict performance of such provision, or to pursue any of its rights or remedies for any breach hereof, at a future time.

 

  

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(c)         Amendment.  This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented only by a written agreement executed by both of the parties hereto.

(d)         Headings.  The headings in this Agreement have been inserted solely for ease of reference and shall not be considered in the interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

(e)         Severability.  In case any one or more of the provisions (or any portion thereof) contained in this Agreement shall, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, but this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision or provisions (or portion thereof) had never been contained herein.

(f)          Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same agreement.

(g)         Construction.  This Agreement shall be deemed to have been drafted by both parties hereto.  This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the fair meaning of its provisions and its language shall not be strictly construed against, nor shall ambiguities be resolved against, either party.  This Agreement shall be an Award Agreement for purposes of the Plan.

(h)         Entire Agreement.  This Agreement and the Plan constitute the entire understanding and agreement (and supersede all other prior agreements, understandings, commitments and representations), whether oral or written, between the parties hereto relating to the shares of Restricted Stock.

(i)          Governing Law.  Because the Company maintains its principal office in Indiana, this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana, without reference to any choice of law provisions, principles or rules thereof (whether of the State of Indiana or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of any laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Indiana.

(j)          Recitals.  The first paragraph and the recitals and “Whereas” clauses contained on page 1 of this Agreement are expressly incorporated into and made a part of this Agreement.

 

  

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(k)         Review and Consultation.  The Director hereby acknowledges and agrees that he (i) has read and is familiar with this Agreement and the Plan, (ii) understands the provisions and effects of this Agreement and the Plan, and (iii) has consulted with such of his attorneys, accountants and other advisors as he has deemed advisable prior to executing this Agreement.  THE DIRECTOR HEREBY FURTHER UNDERSTANDS, ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT HE HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY ADVICE, COUNSEL OR RECOMMENDATION WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE
PLAN FROM ANY DIRECTOR, OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE OF, OR ANY ATTORNEY OR REPRESENTATIVE FOR, THE COMPANY.

(l)          Certain Approvals Required.  Any amendment, modification or supplement of, or any waiver under, this Agreement on behalf of the Company may be made and shall be effective only upon the approval thereof by the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

 

[Remainder of this Page Intentionally Left Blank.  Signature Page Follows this Page]

 

  

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Director have made, entered into, executed and delivered this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

	 	 	 
	 	[Name of Director]	 
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 
	 	CHROMCRAFT REVINGTON, INC.	 
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 
	
 

	
By: 

	 	 
	 	 	[Signature and Title of Officer]	 

 

 

 7ex4_1.htm

Exhibit 4.1

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

This REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of August 16, 2011, is by and between EMCORE Corporation, a New Jersey corporation (the “Company”), and Commerce Court Small Cap Value Fund, Ltd., a business company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (the “Investor”).

 

RECITALS

 

A.         The Company and the Investor have entered into that certain Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company may issue, from time to time, to the Investor up to the lesser of (i) $50,000,000 of newly issued shares of the Company’s common stock, no par value (“Common Stock”), and (ii) the Trading Market Limit (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) (except to the extent the Trading Market Limit shall be inapplicable as expressly provided in the Purchase Agreement), as provided for therein.

 

B.          Pursuant to the terms of, and in consideration for the Investor entering into, the Purchase Agreement, the Company has issued to the Investor the Commitment Shares (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement.

 

C.          Pursuant to the terms of, and in consideration for the Investor entering into, the Purchase Agreement, and to induce the Investor to execute and deliver the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide the Investor with certain registration rights with respect to the Registrable Securities (as defined herein) as set forth herein.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained herein and in the Purchase Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, intending to be legally bound hereby, the Company and the Investor hereby agree as follows:

 

	
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Definitions.

 

Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

(a)         “Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed.

 

(b)         “Closing Date” shall mean the date of this Agreement.

 

(c)         “Effective Date” means the date that the applicable Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC.

 

  

  

  

(d)         “Effectiveness Deadline” means (i) with respect to the initial Registration Statement required to be filed to pursuant to Section 2(a), the earlier of (A) the 120th calendar day after the Closing Date (or the 180th calendar day after the Closing Date if such Registration Statement is subject to review by the SEC) and (B) the fifth Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that such Registration Statement will not be reviewed or will not be subject to further review and (ii) with respect to any additional Registration Statements that may be required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the earlier of (A) the 120th calendar day following the date on which the Company was required to file such additional Registration Statement (or the 180th calendar day after such date if such Registration Statement is subject to review by the SEC) and (B) the fifth Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that such Registration Statement will not be reviewed or will not be subject to further review.

 

(e)         “Filing Deadline” means (i) with respect to the initial Registration Statement required to be filed to pursuant to Section 2(a), the 60th calendar day after the Closing Date and (ii) with respect to any additional Registration Statements that may be required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the later of (A) the 60th calendar day following the sale of substantially all of the Registrable Securities included in the initial Registration Statement or the most recent prior additional Registration Statement, as applicable, and (B) six months following the Effective Date of the initial Registration Statement or the most recent prior additional Registration Statement, as applicable, or such earlier date as permitted by the SEC.

 

(f)         “Person” means any person or entity, whether a natural person, trustee, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated organization, business association, firm, joint venture, governmental agency or authority.

 

(g)        “register,” “registered,” and “registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing one or more Registration Statements in compliance with the Securities Act and pursuant to Rule 415 and the declaration of effectiveness of such Registration Statement(s) by the SEC.

 

(h)        “Registrable Securities” means (i) 18,517,820 Shares, (ii) the Commitment Shares and (iii) any capital stock of the Company issued or issuable with respect to such Shares or Commitment Shares, including, without limitation, (1) as a result of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, exchange or similar event or otherwise and (2) shares of capital stock of the Company into which the shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged and shares of capital stock of a successor entity into which the shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged.

 

(i)         “Registration Statement” means a registration statement or registration statements of the Company filed under the Securities Act covering the resale by the Investor of Registrable Securities, as such registration statement or registration statements may be amended and supplemented from time to time (including pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act), including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein.

 

  

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(j)         “Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, or any other similar or successor rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit the Investor to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration.

 

(k)        “Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, or any other similar or successor rule or regulation of the SEC providing for offering securities on a delayed or continuous basis.

 

(l)         “SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor entity.

 

	
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Registration.

 

(a)         Mandatory Registration.  The Company shall prepare and, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than the Filing Deadline, file with the SEC an initial Registration Statement on Form S-1, Form S-3 (if the Company is eligible to file a Registration Statement on Form S-3), or such other form reasonably acceptable to the Investor and Legal Counsel, covering the resale by the Investor of Registrable Securities in an amount equal to 18,628,767 shares of Common Stock. Such initial Registration Statement shall contain (except if otherwise directed by the Investor) the “Selling Stockholder” and “Plan of Distribution” sections in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have such initial Registration Statement, and each other Registration Statement required to be filed pursuant to the terms hereof, declared effective by the SEC as soon as practicable, but in no event later than the applicable Effectiveness Deadline.

 

(b)         Legal Counsel.  Subject to Section 5 hereof, the Investor shall have the right to select one legal counsel to review and oversee, solely on its behalf, any registration pursuant to this Section 2 (“Legal Counsel”), which shall be Greenberg Traurig, LLP or such other counsel as thereafter designated by the Investor. Except as provided under Section 10.1(i) of the Purchase Agreement, the Company shall have no obligation to reimburse the Investor for any and all legal fees and expenses of the Legal Counsel incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(c)         Reserved.

 

(d)         Sufficient Number of Shares Registered. If at any time all Registrable Securities are not covered by the initial Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2(a) as a result of Section 2(h) or otherwise, the Company shall file with the SEC one or more additional Registration Statements (on the short form available therefor, if applicable), so as to cover all of the Registrable Securities not covered by such initial Registration Statement, in each case, as soon as practicable (taking into account any Staff position with respect to date on which the Staff will permit such additional Registration Statement(s) to be filed with the SEC), but in no event later than the applicable Filing Deadline for such additional Registration Statement(s). The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such additional Registration Statement(s) to become effective as soon as practicable following the filing thereof with the SEC, but in no event later than the applicable Effectiveness Deadline for such Registration Statement.

 

  

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(e)          Piggyback Registrations. Without limiting any of the Company’s obligations hereunder or under the Purchase Agreement, if there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement relating to an offering for its own account or the account of others under the Securities Act of any of its equity securities (other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the Securities Act) or their then equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in connection with the Company’s stock option or other employee benefit plans), then the Company shall deliver to the Investor a written notice of such determination and, if within five (5) days after the date of the delivery of such notice, the Investor shall so request in writing, the Company shall include in such registration statement all or any part of such Registrable Securities the offer and sale of which the Investor requests to be registered; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to register the offer and sale of any Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 2(e) that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 without restriction (including, without limitation, volume restrictions) and without the need for current public information required by Rule 144(c)(1) (or Rule 144(i)(2), if applicable) or that are the subject of a then-effective Registration Statement.

 

(f)          No Inclusion of Other Securities. In no event shall the Company include any securities other than Registrable Securities on any Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2(a) or 2(d) without the prior written consent of the Investor; provided, however, that the Company may, at its election, include on any such Registration Statement the securities issuable pursuant to those certain warrants issued by the Company to the Investor pursuant to that certain Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated October 1, 2009, by and between the Investor and the Company. Subject to the proviso in Section 2(e), in connection with any offering involving an underwriting of shares, the Company shall not be required under this Section 2 or otherwise to include the Registrable Securities of any Investor therein unless such Investor accepts and agrees to the terms of the underwriting, which shall be reasonable and customary, as agreed upon between the Company and the underwriters selected by the Company.

 

(g)         Offering. If the staff of the SEC (the “Staff”) or the SEC seeks to characterize any offering pursuant to a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement as constituting an offering of securities that does not permit such Registration Statement to become effective and be used for resales by the Investor on a delayed or continuous basis under Rule 415 at then-prevailing market prices (and not fixed prices) (or as otherwise may be acceptable to the Investor), or if after the filing of the initial Registration Statement with the SEC pursuant to Section 2(a), the Company is otherwise required by the Staff or the SEC to reduce the number of Registrable Securities included in such initial Registration Statement, then the Company shall reduce the number of Registrable Securities to be included in such Registration Statement (with the prior consent of the Investor and Legal Counsel as to the specific Registrable Securities to be removed therefrom) until such time as the Staff and the SEC shall so permit such Registration Statement to become effective and be used as aforesaid. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if after giving effect to the actions referred to in the immediately preceding sentence, the Staff or the SEC does not permit such Registration Statement to become effective and be used for resales by the Investor on a delayed or continuous basis under Rule 415 at then-prevailing market prices (and not fixed prices) (or as otherwise may be acceptable to the Investor), the Company shall not request acceleration of the Effective Date of such Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly (but in no event later than 48 hours) request the withdrawal of such Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 477 under the Securities Act, and the Effectiveness Deadline shall automatically be deemed to have elapsed with respect to such Registration Statement at such time as the Staff or the SEC has made a final and non-appealable determination that the SEC will not permit such Registration Statement to be so utilized (unless prior to such time the Company and the Investor have received assurances from the Staff or the SEC reasonably acceptable to Legal Counsel that a new Registration Statement filed by the Company with the SEC promptly thereafter may be so utilized). In the event of any reduction in Registrable Securities pursuant to this paragraph, the Company shall file additional Registration Statements in accordance with Section 2(d) until such time as all Registrable Securities have been included in Registration Statements that have been declared effective and the prospectus contained therein is available for use by the Investor.

 

  

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3.

	
Related Obligations.

 

The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof, and, pursuant thereto, the Company shall have the following obligations:

 

(a)         The Company shall promptly prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement with respect to the Registrable Securities (but in no event later than the applicable Filing Deadline) and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing (but in no event later than the applicable Effectiveness Deadline). Subject to Allowable Grace Periods, the Company shall keep each Registration Statement effective (and the prospectus contained therein available for use) pursuant to Rule 415 for resales by the Investor on a delayed or continuous basis at then-prevailing market prices (and not fixed prices) at all times until the earlier of (i) the date as of which the Investor may sell all of the Registrable Securities required to be covered by such Registration Statement (disregarding any reduction pursuant to Section 2(g)) without restriction pursuant to Rule 144 and without the need for current public information as required by Rule 144(c)(1) (or Rule 144(i)(2), if applicable) and (ii) the date on which the Investor shall have sold all of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement (the “Registration Period”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement (but subject to the provisions of Section 3(q) hereof), the Company shall ensure that, when filed and at all times while effective, each Registration Statement (including, without limitation, all amendments and supplements thereto) and the prospectus (including, without limitation, all amendments and supplements thereto) used in connection with such Registration Statement shall not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of prospectuses, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made) not misleading. The Company shall submit to the SEC, within two (2) Business Days after the later of the date that (i) the Company learns that no review of a particular Registration Statement will be made by the Staff or that the Staff has no further comments on a particular Registration Statement (as the case may be) and (ii) the approval of Legal Counsel is obtained pursuant to Section 3(c) (which approval shall be promptly sought), a request for acceleration of effectiveness of such Registration Statement to a time and date not later than forty-eight (48) hours after the submission of such request.

 

  

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(b)         Subject to Section 3(q) of this Agreement, the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC such amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) and supplements to each Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection with each such Registration Statement, which prospectus is to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 promulgated under the Securities Act, as may be necessary to keep each such Registration Statement effective (and the prospectus contained therein current and available for use) at all times during the Registration Period for such Registration Statement, and, during such period, comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities of the Company required to be covered by such Registration Statement until such time as all of such Registrable Securities shall have been disposed of in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the seller or sellers thereof as set forth in such Registration Statement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company covenants and agrees that (i) at or before 8:30 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following each Effective Date, the Company shall file with the SEC in accordance with Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act the final prospectus to be used in connection with sales pursuant to the applicable Registration Statement, and (ii) if the transactions contemplated by any Fixed Request (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) are material to the Company (individually or collectively with all other prior Fixed Requests, the consummation of which have not previously been reported in any prospectus supplement filed with the SEC under Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act or in any periodic report filed by the Company with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), or if otherwise required under the Securities Act, in each case as reasonably determined by the Company or the Investor, then, on the first Trading Day immediately following the last Trading Day of the Pricing Period with respect to such Fixed Request, the Company shall file with the SEC a prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act with respect to the applicable Fixed Request(s), disclosing the total Fixed Amount Requested or the Alternative Fixed Amount Requested (as applicable) pursuant to such Fixed Request(s), the total number of Shares that have been (or are to be) issued and sold to the Investor pursuant to such Fixed Request(s), the total purchase price for the Shares subject to such Fixed Request(s), the applicable Discount Price(s) for such Shares and the net proceeds that have been (or are to be) received by the Company from the sale of such Shares. To the extent not previously disclosed in the prospectus or a prospectus supplement, the Company shall disclose in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in its Annual Reports on Form 10-K the information described in the immediately preceding sentence relating to any Fixed Request(s) consummated during the relevant fiscal quarter. In the case of amendments and supplements to any Registration Statement or prospectus which are required to be filed pursuant to this Agreement (including, without limitation, pursuant to this Section 3(b)) by reason of the Company filing a report on Form 8-K, Form 10-Q or Form 10-K or any analogous report under the Exchange Act, the Company shall have incorporated such report by reference into such Registration Statement and prospectus, if applicable, or shall file such amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or prospectus with the SEC on the same day on which the Exchange Act report is filed which created the requirement for the Company to amend or supplement such Registration Statement or prospectus, for the purpose of including or incorporating such report into such Registration Statement and prospectus. The Company consents to the use of the prospectus (including, without limitation, any supplement thereto) included in each Registration Statement in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act and with the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the jurisdictions in which the Registrable Securities may be sold by the Investor, in connection with the resale of the Registrable Securities and for such period of time thereafter as such prospectus (including, without limitation, any supplement thereto) (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with resales of Registrable Securities.

 

  

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(c)         The Company shall (A) permit Legal Counsel to review and comment upon (i) each Registration Statement at least five (5) Business Days prior to its filing with the SEC (or such shorter period as may be agreed to by the Investor and Legal Counsel) and (ii) all amendments and supplements to each Registration Statement (including, without limitation, the prospectus contained therein) (except for Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and any similar or successor reports or prospectus supplements the contents of which is limited to that set forth in such reports) within a reasonable number of days prior to their filing with the SEC, and (B) not file any Registration Statement or amendment or supplement thereto or to any prospectus contained therein in a form to which Legal Counsel reasonably objects. The Company shall not submit a request for acceleration of the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto without the prior consent of Legal Counsel, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company shall promptly furnish to Legal Counsel, without charge, (i) electronic copies of any correspondence from the SEC or the Staff to the Company or its representatives relating to each Registration Statement (which correspondence shall be redacted to exclude any material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries), (ii) after the same is prepared and filed with the SEC, one (1) electronic copy of each Registration Statement and any amendment(s) and supplement(s) thereto, including, without limitation, financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated therein by reference, if requested by the Investor, and all exhibits and (iii) upon the effectiveness of each Registration Statement, one (1) electronic copy of the prospectus included in such Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto. The Company shall reasonably cooperate with Legal Counsel in performing the Company’s obligations pursuant to this Section 3.

 

(d)         Without limiting any obligation of the Company under the Purchase Agreement, the Company shall promptly furnish to the Investor, without charge, (i) after the same is prepared and filed with the SEC, at least one (1) electronic copy of each Registration Statement and any amendment(s) and supplement(s) thereto, including, without limitation, financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated therein by reference, if requested by the Investor, all exhibits and each preliminary prospectus, (ii) upon the effectiveness of each Registration Statement, one (1) electronic copy of the prospectus included in such Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto (or such other number of copies as the Investor may reasonably request from time to time) and (iii) such other documents, including, without limitation, copies of any preliminary or final prospectus, as the Investor may reasonably request from time to time in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by the Investor.

 

(e)         The Company shall take such action as is necessary to (i) register and qualify, unless an exemption from registration and qualification applies, the resale by the Investor of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement under such other securities or “Blue Sky” laws of all applicable jurisdictions in the United States, (ii) prepare and file in those jurisdictions, such amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registrations and qualifications as may be necessary to maintain the effectiveness thereof during the Registration Period, (iii) take such other actions as may be necessary to maintain such registrations and qualifications in effect at all times during the Registration Period, and (iv) take all other actions reasonably necessary or advisable to qualify the Registrable Securities for sale in such jurisdictions; provided, however, the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (x) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this Section 3(e), (y) subject itself to general taxation in any such jurisdiction, or (z) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.  The Company shall promptly notify Legal Counsel and the Investor of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the registration or qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale under the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of any jurisdiction in the United States or its receipt of actual notice of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.

 

  

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(f)          The Company shall notify Legal Counsel and the Investor in writing of the happening of any event, as promptly as practicable after becoming aware of such event, as a result of which the prospectus included in a Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (provided that in no event shall such notice contain any material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries), and, subject to Section 3(q), promptly prepare a supplement or amendment to such Registration Statement and such prospectus contained therein to correct such untrue statement or omission and deliver one (1) electronic copy of such supplement or amendment to Legal Counsel and the Investor (or such other number of copies as Legal Counsel or the Investor may reasonably request). The Company shall also promptly notify Legal Counsel and the Investor in writing (i) when a prospectus or any prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment has been filed, when a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment has become effective (notification of such effectiveness shall be delivered to Legal Counsel and the Investor by facsimile or e-mail on the same day of such effectiveness and by overnight mail), and when the Company receives written notice from the SEC that a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment will be reviewed by the SEC, (ii) of any request by the SEC for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or related prospectus or related information, (iii) of the Company’s reasonable determination that a post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement would be appropriate and (iv) of the receipt of any request by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority for any additional information relating to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto or any related prospectus.  The Company shall respond as promptly as practicable to any comments received from the SEC with respect to a Registration Statement or any amendment thereto. Nothing in this Section 3(f) shall limit any obligation of the Company under the Purchase Agreement.

 

(g)         The Company shall (i) use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness of a Registration Statement or the use of any prospectus contained therein, or the suspension of the qualification, or the loss of an exemption from qualification, of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction and, if such an order or suspension is issued, to obtain the withdrawal of such order or suspension at the earliest possible time and (ii) notify Legal Counsel and the Investor of the issuance of such order and the resolution thereof or its receipt of actual notice of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for such purpose.

 

  

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(h)         Upon the written request of the Investor, the Company shall make available for inspection during normal business hours by (i) the Investor, (ii) legal counsel for the Investor and (iii) one (1) firm of accountants or other agents retained by such Investor (collectively, the “Inspectors”), all pertinent financial and other records, and pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company (collectively, the “Records”), as shall be reasonably deemed necessary by each Inspector, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information which any Inspector may reasonably request; provided, however, each Inspector shall agree in writing to hold in strict confidence and not to make any disclosure (except to the Investor) or use of any Record or other information which the Company’s board of directors determines in good faith to be confidential, and of which determination the Inspectors are so notified, unless (a) the disclosure of such Records is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement or is otherwise required under the Securities Act, (b) the release of such Records is ordered pursuant to a final, non-appealable subpoena or order from a court or government body of competent jurisdiction, or (c) the information in such Records has been made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document (as defined in the Purchase Agreement). The Investor agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such Records is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt notice to the Company and allow the Company, at its expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, the Records deemed confidential. Nothing herein (or in any other confidentiality agreement between the Company and the Investor, if any) shall be deemed to limit the Investor’s ability to sell Registrable Securities in a manner which is otherwise consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

 

(i)          The Company shall hold in confidence and not make any disclosure of information concerning the Investor provided to the Company unless (i) disclosure of such information is necessary to comply with federal or state securities laws, (ii) the disclosure of such information is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement or is otherwise required to be disclosed in such Registration Statement pursuant to the Securities Act, (iii) the release of such information is ordered pursuant to a subpoena or other final, non-appealable order from a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction, or (iv) such information has been made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document. The Company agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such information concerning the Investor is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt written notice to the Investor and allow the Investor, at the Investor’s expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, such information.

 

(j)          Without limiting any obligation of the Company under the Purchase Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts either to (i) cause all of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement to be listed on each securities exchange on which securities of the same class or series issued by the Company are then listed, if any, if the listing of such Registrable Securities is then permitted under the rules of such exchange or (ii) secure designation and quotation of all of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement on the OTC Bulletin Board, or (iii) if, despite the Company’s reasonable best efforts to satisfy the preceding clauses (i) or (ii) the Company is unsuccessful in satisfying the preceding clauses (i) or (ii), without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for at least two market makers to register with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (f/k/a the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.) (“FINRA”) as such with respect to such Registrable Securities. In addition, the Company shall cooperate with the Investor and any Broker-Dealer through which the Investor proposes to sell its Registrable Securities in effecting a filing with FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 as requested by the Investor. The Company shall pay all fees and expenses in connection with satisfying its obligation under this Section 3(j).

 

  

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(k)          The Company shall cooperate with the Investor and, to the extent applicable, facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates (not bearing any restrictive legend) representing the Registrable Securities to be offered pursuant to a Registration Statement and enable such certificates to be in such denominations or amounts (as the case may be) as the Investor may reasonably request from time to time and registered in such names as the Investor may request.  Certificates for Registrable Securities free from all restrictive legends may be transmitted by the transfer agent to the Investor by crediting an account at DTC as directed by the Investor.

 

(l)          If requested by the Investor, the Company shall as soon as practicable after receipt of notice from the Investor and subject to Section 3(q) hereof, (i) incorporate in a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information as the Investor reasonably requests to be included therein relating to the sale and distribution of Registrable Securities, including, without limitation, information with respect to the number of Registrable Securities being offered or sold, the purchase price being paid therefor and any other terms of the offering of the Registrable Securities to be sold in such offering; (ii) make all required filings of such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment after being notified of the matters to be incorporated in such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment; and (iii) supplement or make amendments to any Registration Statement or prospectus contained therein if reasonably requested by the Investor.

 

(m)        The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities.

 

(n)         The Company shall make generally available to its security holders as soon as practical, but not later than ninety (90) days after the close of the period covered thereby, an earnings statement (in form complying with, and in the manner provided by, the provisions of Rule 158 under the Securities Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the Company’s fiscal quarter next following the applicable Effective Date of each Registration Statement.

 

  

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(o)         The Company shall otherwise use its reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC in connection with any registration hereunder.

 

(p)         Within one (1) Business Day after each Registration Statement which covers Registrable Securities is declared effective by the SEC, the Company shall deliver, and shall cause legal counsel for the Company to deliver, to the transfer agent for such Registrable Securities (with copies to the Investor) confirmation that such Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.

 

(q)         Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein (but subject to the last sentence of this Section 3(q)), at any time after the Effective Date of a particular Registration Statement, the Company may delay the disclosure of material, non-public information concerning the Company or any of its Subsidiaries the disclosure of which at the time is not, in the good faith opinion of the board of directors of the Company, in the best interest of the Company and, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, otherwise required (a “Grace Period”), provided that the Company shall promptly, but in no event later than 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) on the second Trading Day immediately prior to the commencement of any Grace Period (except for such case where it is impossible to provide such two-Trading Day advance notice, in which case the Company shall provide such notice as soon as possible), notify the Investor in writing of the (i) existence of material, non-public information giving rise to a Grace Period (provided that in each such notice the Company shall not disclose the content of such material, non-public information to the Investor) and the date on which such Grace Period will begin and (ii) date on which such Grace Period ends, provided further that (I) no Grace Period shall exceed 20 consecutive Trading Days and during any 365-day period all such Grace Periods shall not exceed an aggregate of 60 Trading Days; provided, further, that the Company shall not register any securities for the account of itself or any other stockholder during any such Grace Period (other than pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-4 or S-8), (II) the first day of any Grace Period must be at least three Trading Days (or such shorter period as may be agreed by the parties) after the last day of any prior Grace Period and (III) no Grace Period may exist during (A) the first 10 consecutive Trading Days after the Effective Date of the particular Registration Statement or (B) the five-Trading Day period following each Settlement Date (each, an “Allowable Grace Period”). For purposes of determining the length of a Grace Period above, such Grace Period shall begin on and include the date set forth in the notice referred to in clause (i) above, provided that such notice is received by the Investor not later than 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) on the second Trading Day immediately prior to such commencement date (except for such case where it is impossible to provide such two-Trading Day advance notice, in which case the Company shall provide such notice as soon as possible) and shall end on and include the later of the date the Investor receives the notice referred to in clause (ii) above and the date referred to in such notice. The provisions of Section 3(l) hereof shall not be applicable during the period of any Allowable Grace Period. Upon expiration of each Grace Period, the Company shall again be bound by the first sentence of Section 3(f) with respect to the information giving rise thereto unless such material, non-public information is no longer applicable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 3(q), the Company shall cause its transfer agent to deliver unlegended shares of Common Stock to a transferee of the Investor in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement in connection with any sale of Registrable Securities with respect to which the Investor has entered into a contract for sale, and delivered a copy of the prospectus included as part of the particular Registration Statement to the extent applicable, prior to the Investor’s receipt of the notice of a Grace Period and for which the Investor has not yet settled.

 

  

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(r)          The Company shall take all other reasonable actions necessary to expedite and facilitate disposition by the Investor of its Registrable Securities pursuant to each Registration Statement.

 

	
4.

	
Obligations of the Investor.

 

(a)          At least five Business Days prior to the first anticipated filing date of each Registration Statement (or such shorter period to which the parties agree), the Company shall notify the Investor in writing of the information the Company requires from the Investor with respect to such Registration Statement. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to complete the registration pursuant to this Agreement with respect to the Registrable Securities of the Investor that the Investor shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it, as shall be reasonably required to effect and maintain the effectiveness of the registration of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request.

 

(b)         The Investor, by its acceptance of the Registrable Securities, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of each Registration Statement hereunder, unless the Investor has notified the Company in writing of the Investor’s election to exclude all of the Investor’s Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.

 

(c)         The Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(g) or the first sentence of 3(f), the Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement(s) covering such Registrable Securities until the Investor’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3(g) or the first sentence of Section 3(f) or receipt of notice that no supplement or amendment is required.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4(c), the Company shall cause its transfer agent to deliver unlegended shares of Common Stock to a transferee of the Investor in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement in connection with any sale of Registrable Securities with respect to which the Investor has entered into a contract for sale prior to the Investor’s receipt of a notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(g) or the first sentence of Section 3(f) and for which the Investor has not yet settled.

 

(d)         The Investor covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery and other requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement.

 

	
5.

	
Expenses of Registration.

 

All reasonable expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, incurred in connection with registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Sections 2 and 3, including, without limitation, all registration, listing and qualifications fees, printers and accounting fees, FINRA filing fees (if any) and fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company shall be paid by the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall not be responsible for any fees of counsel to the Investor, except as explicitly set forth in Article IX and Section 10.01 of the Purchase Agreement and Section 6 hereof.

 

  

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6.

	
Indemnification.

 

(a)         In the event any Registrable Securities are included in any Registration Statement under this Agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company will, and hereby does, indemnify, hold harmless and defend the Investor, each of its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees, agents, advisors, representatives (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding the lack of such title or any other title) and each Person, if any, who controls the Investor within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act and each of the directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees, agents, advisors, representatives (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding the lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling Persons (each, an “Investor Party” and collectively, the “Investor Parties”), against any losses, obligations, claims, damages, liabilities, contingencies, judgments, fines, penalties, charges, costs (including, without limitation, court costs, reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs of defense and investigation), amounts paid in settlement or expenses, joint or several, (collectively, “Claims”) incurred in investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim, suit, inquiry, proceeding, investigation or appeal taken from the foregoing by or before any court or governmental, administrative or other regulatory agency, body or the SEC, whether pending or threatened, whether or not an Investor Party is or may be a party thereto (“Indemnified Damages”), to which any of them may become subject insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact in a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or in any filing made in connection with the qualification of the offering under the securities or other “Blue Sky” laws of any jurisdiction in which Registrable Securities are offered (“Blue Sky Filing”), or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any prospectus (as amended or supplemented) or in any prospectus supplement or the omission or alleged omission to state therein any material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which the statements therein were made, not misleading (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being, collectively, “Violations”). Subject to Section 6(c), the Company shall reimburse the Investor Parties, promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any legal fees or other reasonable expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a): (i) shall not apply to a Claim by an Investor Party arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such Investor Party for such Investor Party expressly for use in connection with the preparation of such Registration Statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto; (ii) shall not be available to the Investor to the extent such Claim is based on a failure of the Investor to deliver or to cause to be delivered the prospectus (as amended or supplemented) made available by the Company (to the extent applicable), including, without limitation, a corrected prospectus, if such prospectus (as amended or supplemented) or corrected prospectus was timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(d) and then only if, and to the extent that, following the receipt of the corrected prospectus no grounds for such Claim would have existed; and (iii) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Investor Party and shall survive the transfer of any of the Registrable Securities by the Investor pursuant to Section 9.

 

  

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(b)         In connection with any Registration Statement in which the Investor is participating, the Investor agrees to severally and not jointly indemnify, hold harmless and defend, to the same extent and in the same manner as is set forth in Section 6(a), the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (each, an “Company Party”), against any Claim or Indemnified Damages to which any of them may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Claim or Indemnified Damages arise out of or are based upon any Violation, in each case, to the extent, and only to the extent, that such Violation occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to the Investor furnished to the Company by the Investor expressly for use in connection with such Registration Statement; and, subject to Section 6(c) and the below provisos in this Section 6(b), the Investor will reimburse a Company Party any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Company Party in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim; provided, however, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 6(b) and the agreement with respect to contribution contained in Section 7 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Investor, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, provided further that the Investor shall be liable under this Section 6(b) for only that amount of a Claim or Indemnified Damages as does not exceed the net proceeds to the Investor as a result of the applicable sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Company Party and shall survive the transfer of any of the Registrable Securities by the Investor pursuant to Section 9.

 

  

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(c)         Promptly after receipt by an Investor Party or Company Party (as the case may be) under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including, without limitation, any governmental action or proceeding) involving a Claim, such Investor Party or Company Party (as the case may be) shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof, and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the indemnifying party and the Investor Party or the Company Party (as the case may be); provided, however, an Investor Party or Company Party (as the case may be) shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the fees and expenses of such counsel to be paid by the indemnifying party if: (i) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses; (ii) the indemnifying party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Claim and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Investor Party or Company Party (as the case may be) in any such Claim; or (iii) the named parties to any such Claim (including, without limitation, any impleaded parties) include both such Investor Party or Company Party (as the case may be) and the indemnifying party, and such Investor Party or such Company Party (as the case may be) shall have been advised by counsel that a conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Investor Party or such Company Party and the indemnifying party (in which case, if such Investor Party or such Company Party (as the case may be) notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, then the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof on behalf of the indemnified party and such counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party, provided further that in the case of clause (iii) above the indemnifying party shall not be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one (1) separate legal counsel for all Investor Parties or Company Parties (as the case may be). The Company Party or Investor Party (as the case may be) shall reasonably cooperate with the indemnifying party in connection with any negotiation or defense of any such action or Claim by the indemnifying party and shall furnish to the indemnifying party all information reasonably available to the Company Party or Investor Party (as the case may be) which relates to such action or Claim. The indemnifying party shall keep the Company Party or Investor Party (as the case may be) reasonably apprised at all times as to the status of the defense or any settlement negotiations with respect thereto. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without its prior written consent; provided, however, the indemnifying party shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the Company Party or Investor Party (as the case may be), consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or other compromise which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such Company Party or Investor Party (as the case may be) of a release from all liability in respect to such Claim or litigation, and such settlement shall not include any admission as to fault on the part of the Company Party. For the avoidance of doubt, the immediately preceding sentence shall apply to Sections 6(a) and 6(b) hereof. Following indemnification as provided for hereunder, the indemnifying party shall be subrogated to all rights of the Company Party or Investor Party (as the case may be) with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating to the matter for which indemnification has been made. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the Investor Party or Company Party (as the case may be) under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is materially and adversely prejudiced in its ability to defend such action.

 

(d)         No Person involved in the sale of Registrable Securities who is guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) in connection with such sale shall be entitled to indemnification from any Person involved in such sale of Registrable Securities who is not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

(e)         The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or Indemnified Damages are incurred; provided that the Investor shall promptly reimburse the Company for all such payments to the extent a court of competent jurisdiction determines that any Investor Party was not entitled to such payments.

 

  

15

  

(f)          The indemnity and contribution agreements contained herein shall be in addition to (i) any cause of action or similar right of the Company Party or Investor Party against the indemnifying party or others, and (ii) any liabilities the indemnifying party may be subject to pursuant to the law.

 

	
7.

	
Contribution.

 

To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however: (i) no contribution shall be made under circumstances where the maker would not have been liable for indemnification under the fault standards set forth in Section 6 of this Agreement, (ii) no Person involved in the sale of Registrable Securities which Person is guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) in connection with such sale shall be entitled to contribution from any Person involved in such sale of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation; and (iii) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in amount to the amount of net proceeds received by such seller from the applicable sale of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, the Investor shall not be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds actually received by the Investor from the applicable sale of the Registrable Securities subject to the Claim exceeds the amount of any damages that the Investor has otherwise been required to pay, or would otherwise be required to pay under Section 6(b), by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

	
8.

	
Reports Under the Exchange Act.

 

With a view to making available to the Investor the benefits of Rule 144, the Company agrees to:

 

(a)         use its reasonable best efforts to make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144;

 

(b)         use its reasonable best efforts to file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so long as the Company remains subject to such requirements (it being understood that nothing herein shall limit any of the Company’s obligations under the Purchase Agreement) and the filing of such reports and other documents is required for the applicable provisions of Rule 144;

 

(c)         furnish to the Investor so long as the Investor owns Registrable Securities, promptly upon request, (i) a written statement by the Company, if true, that it has complied with the reporting, submission and posting requirements of Rule 144 and the Exchange Act, (ii) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents so filed by the Company with the SEC if such reports are not publicly available via EDGAR, and (iii) such other information as may be reasonably requested to permit the Investor to sell such securities pursuant to Rule 144 without registration; and

 

  

16

  

(d)         take such additional action as is reasonably requested by the Investor to enable the Investor to sell the Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 144, including, without limitation, delivering all such legal opinions, consents, certificates, resolutions and instructions to the Company’s Transfer Agent as may be reasonably requested from time to time by the Investor and otherwise fully cooperate with Investor and Investor’s broker to effect such sale of securities pursuant to Rule 144.

 

	
9.

	
Assignment of Registration Rights.

 

All or any portion of the rights under this Agreement shall be automatically assignable by the Investor to any transferee or assignee of all or any portion of the Investor’s Registrable Securities if: (i) the Investor agrees in writing with such transferee or assignee to assign all or any portion of such rights, and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the Company within a reasonable time after such assignment; (ii) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with written notice of (a) the name and address of such transferee or assignee, and (b) the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned; (iii) immediately following such transfer or assignment the further disposition of such securities by such transferee or assignee is restricted under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws if so required; (iv) at or before the time the Company receives the written notice contemplated by clause (ii) of this sentence such transferee or assignee agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein; (v) such transfer or assignment shall have been made in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Purchase Agreement; and (vi) such transfer or assignment shall have been conducted in accordance with all applicable federal and state securities laws. The term “Investor” in this Agreement shall also include all such transferees and assignees.

 

	
10.

	
Amendment of Registration Rights.

 

Provisions of this Agreement may be amended and the observance thereof may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and the Investor, provided that the Investor may give a waiver in writing as to itself. Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this Section 10 shall be binding upon the Investor and the Company. No such amendment or waiver (unless given pursuant to the foregoing proviso in the case of a waiver) shall be effective to the extent that it applies to less than all of the holders of the Registrable Securities. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration also is offered to all of the parties to this Agreement.

 

	
11.

	
Miscellaneous.

 

(a)         Solely for purposes of this Agreement, a Person is deemed to be a holder of Registrable Securities whenever such Person owns or is deemed to own of record such Registrable Securities.  If the Company receives conflicting instructions, notices or elections from two or more Persons with respect to the same Registrable Securities, the Company shall act upon the basis of instructions, notice or election received from such record owner of such Registrable Securities.

 

  

17

  

(b)         Any notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement shall be given in accordance with Section 10.4 of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(c)         Failure of any party to exercise any right or remedy under this Agreement or otherwise, or delay by a party in exercising such right or remedy, shall not operate as a waiver thereof.  The Company and the Investor acknowledge and agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that either party shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent or cure breaches of the provisions of this Agreement by the other party and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof (without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required), this being in addition to any other remedy to which either party may be entitled by law or equity.

 

(d)         All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal courts sitting in The City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. If any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or the validity or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

(e)         The Transaction Documents set forth the entire agreement and understanding of the parties solely with respect to the subject matter thereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, negotiations and understandings between the parties, both oral and written, solely with respect to such matters. There are no promises, undertakings, representations or warranties by either party relative to subject matter hereof not expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary and without implication that the contrary would otherwise be true, nothing contained in this Agreement shall limit, modify or affect in any manner whatsoever (i) the conditions precedent to a Fixed Request contained in Article VII of the Purchase Agreement, including, without limitation, the condition precedent contained in Section 7.2(iii) thereof or (ii) any of the Company’s obligations under the Purchase Agreement.

 

  

18

  

(f)          Subject to compliance with Section 9, this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the permitted successors and assigns of each of the parties hereto. This Agreement is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any Person, other than the parties hereto, their respective permitted successors and assigns and the Persons referred to in Sections 6 and 7 hereof.

 

(g)         The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, each pronoun herein shall be deemed to include the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular and plural forms thereof. The terms “including,” “includes,” “include” and words of like import shall be construed broadly as if followed by the words “without limitation.” The terms “herein,” “hereunder,” “hereof” and words of like import refer to this entire Agreement instead of just the provision in which they are found.

 

(h)         This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. If any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by an e-mail which contains a portable document format (.pdf) file of an executed signature page, such signature page shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.

 

(i)          Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents as any other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(j)          The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party.

 

[signature pages follow]

 

  

 19 

  

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Investor and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

	  	
COMPANY:

	 	 
	  	
EMCORE CORPORATION

	 	 
	  	
By:

	
/s/ Hong Hou  

	 	 	Name: Hong Hou
	 	 	Title: CEO

  

  

  

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Investor and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

	  	
INVESTOR:

	 	 
	  	
COMMERCE COURT SMALL CAP VALUE FUND, LTD.

	  	  
	  	
By: /s/ Peter W. Poole

	 	Its: Director

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