Document:

Exhibit 10.3

 

  February 17, 2016

Mr. W. John Short

Chief Executive Officer

RiceBran Technologies

6720 Scottsdale Road, Suite 390

Scottsdale, AZ 85253

Dear Mr. Short:

This letter (the “Agreement”) constitutes the agreement between Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim” or the “Placement Agent”) and RiceBran Technologies, a California corporation (the “Company”), that Maxim shall serve as the placement agent for the Company, on a “reasonable best efforts” basis, in connection with the proposed placement (the “Placement”) of an aggregate of 3,000 shares of Series F Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”) and warrants to purchase 133% of the shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”) issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock, at an exercise price equal to $2.00 per share (each a “Warrant” and collectively, the “Warrants”). The Preferred Stock and the Warrants are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Securities.” The terms of the Placement and the Securities shall be mutually agreed upon by the Company and the purchasers (each, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”) and nothing herein constitutes that Maxim would have the power or authority to bind the Company or any Purchaser or an obligation for the Company to issue any Securities or complete the Placement. This Agreement and the documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Purchasers in connection with the Placement, including but not limited to the Purchase Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Certificate of Determination and the Warrants, shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.” The date of the closing of the Placement shall be referred to herein as the “Closing Date.” The Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that Maxim’s obligations hereunder are on a reasonable best efforts basis only and that the execution of this Agreement does not constitute a commitment by Maxim to purchase the Securities and does not ensure the successful placement of the Securities or any portion thereof or the success of Maxim with respect to securing any other financing on behalf of the Company. The Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected-dealers on its behalf in connection with the Placement.  The sale of the Securities to any Purchaser will be evidenced by a purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) between the Company and such Purchaser in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company and Maxim.  Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Purchase Agreement.  Prior to the signing of any Purchase Agreement, officers of the Company will be available to answer inquiries from prospective Purchasers.

SECTION 1.            REGISTRATION STATEMENT.

The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Placement Agent that:

 

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(a)            The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-196541), and amendments thereto, and related preliminary prospectuses, for the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the Preferred Stock, which registration statement, as so amended (including post-effective amendments, if any) became effective on June 17, 2014, for the registration under the Securities Act of the Preferred Stock.  At the time of such filing, the Company met the requirements of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. Such registration statement meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Securities Act and complies with said Rule. The Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission promulgated thereunder, a supplement to the form of prospectus included in such registration statement relating to the placement of the Preferred Stock and the plan of distribution thereof and has advised the Placement Agent of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein. Such registration statement, including the exhibits thereto, as amended at the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement”; such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement is hereinafter called the “Base Prospectus”; and the supplemented form of prospectus, in the form in which it will be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented) is hereinafter called the “Prospectus Supplement.” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”) pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on or before the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be; and any reference in this Agreement to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “described,” “referenced,” “set forth” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement has been issued, and no proceeding for any such purpose is pending or has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened by the Commission. For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act and the “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus, if any, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, used in connection with the Placement, including any documents incorporated by reference therein.

(b)            The Registration Statement (and any further documents to be filed with the Commission) contains all exhibits and schedules as required by the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and did not and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will 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 not misleading. The Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, each as of its respective date, comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations. Each of the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, as amended or supplemented, did not and will not contain as of the date thereof any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations, and none of such documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (with respect to Incorporated Documents incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement), in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or events arising after the date thereof which represent, individually or in the aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required to be filed with the Commission. There are no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby that (x) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which (x) have not been described or filed as required or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period.

 

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(c)            The Company is eligible to use free writing prospectuses in connection with the Placement pursuant to Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Company will not, without the prior consent of the Placement Agent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

(d)            The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements or other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, during the three years preceding the date hereof (the foregoing materials filed during such three-year period, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension; as of their respective filing or amendment dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder; and as of their respective filing or amendment dates, the SEC Reports did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(e)            The Company has delivered, or will as promptly as practicable deliver, to the Placement Agent complete conformed copies of the Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts, as applicable, filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits), the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Placement Agent reasonably requests. Placement Agent acknowledges that all such materials as exist on the date of this letter are available on EDGAR. Neither the Company nor any of its directors and officers has distributed and none of them will distribute, prior to the Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares pursuant to the Placement other than the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Registration Statement, copies of the documents incorporated by reference therein and any other materials permitted by the Securities Act.

SECTION 2.            REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. Each of the representations and warranties (together with any related disclosure schedules thereto) made by the Company to the Purchasers in that certain Purchase Agreement dated as of February 17, 2016, between the Company and each Purchaser, is hereby incorporated herein by reference (as though fully restated herein) and is, as of the date of this Agreement, hereby made to, and in favor of, the Placement Agent.

 

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SECTION 3.           REPRESENTATIONS OF MAXIM. Maxim represents and warrants that it (i) is a member in good standing of FINRA, (ii) is registered as a broker/dealer under the Exchange Act, (iii) is licensed as a broker/dealer under the laws of the States applicable to the offers and sales of Preferred Stock and Warrants by Maxim, (iv) is and will be a body corporate validly existing under the laws of its place of incorporation, and (v) has full power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. Maxim will immediately notify the Company in writing of any change in its status as such. Maxim covenants that it will use its reasonable best efforts to conduct the Transaction hereunder in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement and the requirements of applicable law.

SECTION 4.            COMPENSATION.

In consideration of the services to be provided for hereunder, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent or their respective designees their pro rata portion (based on the Securities placed) of the following compensation with respect to the Securities which they are placing:

(a)            A cash fee (the “Cash Fee”) equal to an aggregate of eight percent (8%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Offering.  An advance (the “Advance”) of $25,000 has been received by Placement Agreement, which amount will be applied towards the Cash Fee at closing. The Cash Fee, minus an expense advance (the “Advance”) of $25,000 previously received by the Placement Agent, shall be paid at the Closing of the Placement through a third party escrow agent from the gross proceeds of Offering.

(b)            Subject to compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(D), the Company also agrees to reimburse Maxim for all travel and other out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees of legal counsel, in an amount not to exceed $75,000.  The Company will reimburse Maxim directly out of the Closing of the Placement.  In the event this Agreement shall terminate prior to the consummation of the Placement, Maxim shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses; provided, however, such expenses shall not exceed $75,000.  Additionally, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(C), in the event this Agreement is terminated prior to consummation of the Placement, any portion of the Advance will be returned to the extent such out-of-pocket accountable expenses are not actually incurred.

(c)            The Placement Agent reserves the right to reduce any item of compensation or adjust the terms thereof as specified herein in the event that a determination shall be made by FINRA to the effect that the Placement Agent’s aggregate compensation is in excess of FINRA Rules or that the terms thereof require adjustment.

SECTION 5.            INDEMNIFICATION. The Company agrees to the indemnification and other agreements set forth in the Indemnification Provisions (the “Indemnification”) attached hereto as Addendum A, the provisions of which are incorporated herein by reference and shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

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SECTION 6.            ENGAGEMENT TERM. Maxim’s engagement hereunder will be until the earlier of (i) August 1, 2016 and (ii) the completion of the Placement. The engagement may be terminated by either the Company or Maxim at any time upon 10 days’ written notice. The engagement may be terminated by either the Company or Maxim at any time upon 30 days’ written notice. If the Company elects to terminate the engagement pursuant to this Section even though the Placement Agent was prepared to proceed with the Placement and, if within twelve (12) months following such termination, the Company completes any financing of equity, equity-linked or debt or other capital raising activity with any of the investors contacted by Maxim during the term of its engagement, then the Company will pay to Maxim upon the closing of such financing the compensation set forth in Section 4(a) hereof. Upon such termination, Maxim shall deliver to the Company a list of all investors contacted by Maxim during the term of its engagement.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning the Company’s obligation to pay any fees actually earned pursuant to Section 4 hereof and which are permitted to be reimbursed under FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(D), and the confidentiality, indemnification and contribution provisions contained herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the Indemnification Provisions will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning the Company’s obligation to pay any fees actually earned pursuant to Section 4 hereof which are permitted to be reimbursed under FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(D), and the confidentiality, indemnification and contribution provisions contained herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the Indemnification Provisions will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement.

SECTION 7.           MAXIM INFORMATION. The Company agrees that any information or advice rendered by Maxim in connection with this engagement is for the confidential use of the Company only in their evaluation of the Placement and, except as otherwise required by law, the Company will not disclose or otherwise refer to the advice or information in any manner without Maxim’s prior written consent.

SECTION 8.           NO FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP. This Agreement does not create, and shall not be construed as creating rights enforceable by any person or entity not a party hereto, except those entitled hereto by virtue of the Indemnification Provisions hereof. The Company acknowledges and agrees that Maxim is not and shall not be construed as a fiduciary of the Company and shall have no duties or liabilities to the equity holders or the creditors of the Company or any other person by virtue of this Agreement or the retention of Maxim hereunder, all of which are hereby expressly waived.

SECTION 9.           CLOSING. The obligations of the Placement Agent, and the closing of the sale of the Preferred Stock and Warrants hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and on the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company and its Subsidiaries contained herein and in the Purchase Agreement, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and its Subsidiaries of their obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

(A)       No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Placement Agent.

(B)       The Placement Agent shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to the Closing Date that the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Placement Agent, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(C)       All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form, execution, delivery and validity of each of this Agreement, the Securities, the shares of Common Stock underlying the Preferred Stock and Warrants, the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Placement Agent, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

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(D)       The Placement Agent shall have received as of the Closing Date the favorable opinions of legal counsel to the Company identified in the Purchase Agreement, dated as of such Closing Date, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter from U.S. counsel, addressed to the Placement Agent in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.

(E)        (i) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited or unaudited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus, any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, terrorist act or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth in or contemplated by the Base Prospectus and (ii) since such date there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth in or contemplated by the Base Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is, in the judgment of the Placement Agent, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Preferred Stock and Warrants on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement.

(F)        The Common Stock is registered under the Exchange Act and, as of the Closing Date, the Common Stock shall be listed, admitted and authorized for trading on the NASDAQ Stock Market and satisfactory evidence of such action shall have been provided to the Placement Agent. The Company shall have taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Common Stock from the NASDAQ Stock Market, nor has the Company received any information suggesting that the Commission or the NASDAQ Stock Market is contemplating terminating such registration.

(G)        Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and up to the Closing Date, there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) trading in securities generally on the Nasdaq Stock Market shall have been suspended or minimum or maximum prices or maximum ranges for prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission or by such exchange or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or state authorities or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, (iii) the United States and/or Brazil shall have become engaged in hostilities in which it is not currently engaged, the subject of an act of terrorism, there shall have been an escalation in hostilities involving the United States, or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States, or (iv) there shall have occurred any other calamity or crisis or any change in general economic, political or financial conditions in the United States, Brazil or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event in clause (iii) or (iv) makes it, in the sole judgment of the Placement Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Preferred Stock and Warrants on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Purchase Agreement.

 

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(H)       No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Preferred Stock or Warrants or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Preferred Stock or Warrants or materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.

(I)        The Company shall have prepared and filed with the Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K with respect to the Placement, including as an exhibit thereto this Agreement.

(J)        The Company shall have entered into a Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement with each of the Purchasers and such agreements shall be in full force and effect and shall contain representations, warranties and covenants of the Company as agreed between the Company and the Purchasers.

(K)       FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements of this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, make or authorize Placement Agent’s counsel to make on the Company’s behalf, an Issuer Filing with FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 with respect to the Registration Statement and pay all filing fees required in connection therewith.

(L)        On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Placement Agent such further information, certificates and documents as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.

 

(M)      The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a nationally recognized independent PCAOB registered public accounting firm for a period of three (3) years after the Closing Date.

(N)       The Company shall engage and, for a period of three (3) years after the Closing Date, shall maintain, at its expense, a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of its incorporation or the rules of any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock will be listed, a registrar (which, if permitted by applicable laws and rules may be the same entity as the transfer agent) for the Common Stock, which transfer agent and/or registrar is reasonably acceptable to the Placement Agent.

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 9 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement, or if any of the certificates, opinions, written statements or letters furnished to the Placement Agent or to Placement Agent’s counsel pursuant to this Section 9 shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Placement Agent and to Placement Agent’s counsel, all obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder may be cancelled by the Placement Agent at, or at any time prior to, the consummation of the Closing. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or orally. Any such oral notice shall be confirmed promptly thereafter in writing.

SECTION 10.        DELIVERY OF COLD COMFORT LETTER. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received a “comfort” letter from Marcum LLP as of each such date, addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to the Placement Agent and Placement Agent’s counsel.

 

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SECTION 11.        GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely in such State. This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any right to trial by jury with respect to any dispute arising under this Agreement or any transaction or conduct in connection herewith is waived. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company: (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted exclusively in New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (ii) waives any objection which it may have or hereafter to the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in any such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company, in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon the Placement Agent mailed by certified mail to the Placement Agent’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service process upon the Placement Agent, in any such suit, action or proceeding.  Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of a Transaction Document, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorneys fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

SECTION 12.        ENTIRE AGREEMENT/MISC. This Agreement (including the attached Indemnification Provisions) embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, relating to the subject matter hereof. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such determination will not affect such provision in any other respect or any other provision of this Agreement, which will remain in full force and effect. This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or waived except by an instrument in writing signed by both Maxim and the Company. The representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained herein shall survive the closing of the Placement and delivery and/or exercise of the Preferred Stock and Warrants, as applicable. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or a .pdf format file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or .pdf signature page were an original thereof. The Company agrees that the Placement Agent may rely upon, and is a third party beneficiary of, the representations and warranties, and applicable covenants set forth in any such purchase, subscription or other agreement with the Purchasers in the Placement.  All amounts stated in this Agreement are in US dollars unless expressly stated.

SECTION 13.         NOTICES. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address specified on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a business day, (b) the next business day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a business day or later than 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any business day, (c) the third business day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. internationally recognized air courier service, or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages hereto.

 

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Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth our agreement by signing and returning to Maxim the enclosed copy of this Agreement.

	 	
Very truly yours,

	 	 
	 	
MAXIM GROUP LLC

 

	
 

	
By:  

	
 /s/ Clifford A. Teller

	
 

	
 

	
Name:  

	
Clifford A. Teller

	
 

	
 

	
Title:  

	
Executive Managing Director,

	 	 	 	
Investment Banking

 

	
 

	
Address for notice:

	
 

	
405 Lexington Avenue

	
 

	
New York, NY 10174

	
 

	
Attention: James Siegel, General Counsel

	
 

	
Email: jsiegel@maximgrp.com

Accepted and Agreed to as of

the date first written above:

 

RICEBRAN TECHNOLOGIES

 

	
By:  

	 /s/ W. John Short	 
	 	
Name:  

	W. John Short	 
	 	
Title:  

	Chief Executive Officer	 

Address for notice:

6720 Scottsdale Road, Suite 390

Scottsdale, AZ 85253

Attn: W. John Short

Email: jshort@ricebrantech.com7

[Sig Page to Placement Agency Agreement

between RiceBran Technologies and Maxim Group LLC]

 

ADDENDUM A

 

INDEMNIFICATION PROVISIONS

In connection with the engagement of Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim”) by RiceBran Technologies (the “Company”) pursuant to a letter agreement dated February 17, 2016 between the Company and Maxim, as it may be amended from time to time in writing (the “Agreement”), the Company hereby agrees as follows:

1.                   The Company hereby agrees to indemnify and hold Maxim, its officers, directors, principals, employees, affiliates, and stockholders, and their successors and assigns, harmless from and against any and all loss, claim, damage, liability, deficiencies, actions, suits, proceedings, costs and legal expenses or expense whatsoever (including, but not limited to, reasonable legal fees and other expenses and reasonable disbursements incurred in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any action, suit or proceeding, including any inquiry or investigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, or in appearing or preparing for appearance as witness in any proceeding, including any pretrial proceeding such as a deposition) (collectively the “Losses”) arising out of, based upon, or in any way related or attributed to, (i) any breach of a representation, warranty or covenant by the Company contained in this Agreement; or (ii) any activities or services performed hereunder by Maxim, unless it is finally judicially determined in a court of competent jurisdiction that such Losses were the primary and direct result of the willful misconduct, gross negligence or bad faith of Maxim in performing the services hereunder.

2.                   If Maxim receives written notice of the commencement of any legal action, suit or proceeding with respect to which the Company is or may be obligated to provide indemnification pursuant to this Section 2, Maxim shall, within twenty (20) days of the receipt of such written notice, give the Company written notice thereof (a “Claim Notice”). Failure to give such Claim Notice within such twenty (20) day period shall not constitute a waiver by Maxim of its right to indemnity hereunder with respect to such action, suit or proceeding; provided, however, the indemnification hereunder may be limited by any such failure to provide a Claim Notice to the Company that materially prejudices the Company. Upon receipt by the Company of a Claim Notice from Maxim with respect to any claim for indemnification which is based upon a claim made by a third party (“Third Party Claim”), the Company may assume the defense of the Third Party Claim with counsel of its own choosing, as described below. Maxim shall cooperate in the defense of the Third Party Claim and shall furnish such records, information and testimony and attend all such conferences, discovery proceedings, hearings, trial and appeals as may be reasonably required in connection therewith. Maxim shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action which shall be at the Company’s expense if (i) the Company and Maxim shall have mutually agreed in writing to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the Company shall have failed in a timely manner to assume the defense and employ counsel or experts reasonably satisfactory to Maxim in such litigation or proceeding or (iii) the named parties to any such litigation or proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include the Company and Maxim and representation of the Company and Maxim by the same counsel or experts would, in the reasonable opinion of Maxim, be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between the Company and Maxim. The Company shall not satisfy or settle any Third Party Claim for which indemnification has been sought and is available hereunder, without the prior written consent of Maxim, which consent shall not be delayed and which shall not be required if Maxim is granted a release in connection therewith. The indemnification provisions hereunder shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

3.                   The Company further agrees, upon demand by Maxim, to promptly reimburse Maxim for, or pay, any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense as to which Maxim has been indemnified herein with such reimbursement to be made currently as any loss, damage, liability or expense is incurred by Maxim. Notwithstanding the provisions of the aforementioned Indemnification, any such reimbursement or payment by the Company of fees, expenses, or disbursements incurred by Maxim shall be repaid by Maxim in the event of any proceeding in which a final judgment (after all appeals or the expiration of time to appeal) is entered in a court of competent jurisdiction against Maxim based solely upon its gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties hereunder, and provided further, that the Company shall not be required to make reimbursement or payment for any settlement effected without the Company’s prior written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

4.                   If for any reason the foregoing indemnification is unavailable or is insufficient to hold such indemnified party harmless, the Company agrees to contribute the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as to reflect not only the relative benefits received by the Company, as the case may be, on the one hand, and Maxim, on the other hand, but also the relative fault of the Company and Maxim as well as any relevant equitable considerations. In no event shall Maxim contribute in excess of the fees actually received by it pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

5.                   For purposes of this Agreement, each officer, director, stockholder, and employee or affiliate of Maxim and each person, if any, who controls Maxim (or any affiliate) within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, shall have the same rights as Maxim with respect to matters of indemnification by the Company hereunder.

	 	
MAXIM GROUP LLC

	 	
	 	
By:  

	 /s/ Clifford A. Teller
	 	 	
Name:  

	Clifford A. Teller
	 	 	
Title:  

	Executive Managing Director,
	 	 	 	
Investment Banking

Accepted and Agreed to as of

the date first written above:

 

RICEBRAN TECHNOLOGIES

 

	
By:  

	 /s/ W. John Short	 
	 	
Name:  

	W. John Short	 
	 	
Title:  

	Chief Executive Officer	 

 [Sig Page to Indemnification Provisions

Pursuant to Placement Agency Agreement

between RiceBran Technologies and Maxim Group LLC]EX-4.17

 Exhibit 4.17 

THIRTEENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of December 31, 2015, among CHS/COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEMS,
INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”), each of the parties identified as a New Subsidiary Guarantor on the signature pages hereto (each, a “New Subsidiary Guarantor” and collectively, the “New
Subsidiary Guarantors”) and REGIONS BANK, as successor Trustee under the Indenture (the “Trustee”). 
 W I T N E S
S E T H: 
 WHEREAS, each of the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee have heretofore executed and delivered an Indenture as amended,
supplemented, waived or otherwise modified (the “Indenture”), dated as of November 22, 2011, providing for the issuance of the 8.000% Senior Notes due 2019 (the “Securities”); 

WHEREAS, each of the undersigned New Subsidiary Guarantors has deemed it advisable and in its best interest to execute and deliver this
Supplemental Indenture, and to become a New Subsidiary Guarantor under the Indenture; 
 WHEREAS, following the merger of the existing
Subsidiary Guarantor listed on Schedule 1 hereto, with and into Triad Healthcare, LLC, Triad Healthcare, LLC is entering into this Supplemental Indenture pursuant to Section 4.12 of the Indenture; 

WHEREAS, the entity listed on Schedule 1 hereto (i) has been merged into Triad Healthcare, LLC, (ii) such entity has
therefore ceased to exist, and (iii) such entity will no longer be a Subsidiary Guarantor under the Indenture; 
 WHEREAS, the
Subsidiary Guarantor listed on Schedule 2 hereto has been converted into a Delaware limited liability company; and 
 WHEREAS,
pursuant to Section 9.01(4) of the Indenture, the Trustee, the Issuer and the New Subsidiary Guarantors are authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture. 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the
Issuer, the New Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities as follows: 

SECTION 1. Capitalized Terms. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

 SECTION 2. Guaranties. Each New Subsidiary Guarantor hereby agrees to guarantee the Issuer’s obligations under the Securities
on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in Article 10 of the Indenture and to be bound by all other applicable provisions of the Indenture as a Subsidiary Guarantor. 

SECTION 3. Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indentures Part of Indenture. Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is
in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes, shall inure to the benefit of the
Trustee and every Holder of Securities heretofore or hereafter authenticated and the Issuer, the Trustee and every Holder of Securities heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby. 

SECTION 4. Governing Law. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE
OF NEW YORK.  
 SECTION 5. Trustee Makes No Representation. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or
sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture. 

  
 1 

 SECTION 6. Counterparts. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental
Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or other electronic transmission shall constitute
effective execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or other electronic
transmission shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes. 
 SECTION 7. Effect of Headings. The Section headings
herein are for convenience only and shall not effect the construction of this Supplemental Indenture. 
 [Signature page follows] 

  
 2 

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of this 31st day of December, 2015. 
  

			
	 CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc.,

a Delaware corporation

		
	By:	 	 /s/ James W. Doucette
		 	 James W. Doucette

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

  

			
	 Blue Ridge Georgia Holdings, LLC,

a Delaware limited liability company

		
	By:	 	 /s/ James W. Doucette
		 	 James W. Doucette

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

  

					
	 Crestwood Healthcare, L.P.,

a Delaware limited partnership

	
	 By: Crestwood Hospital, LLC, its general partner

			
		 	By:	 	 /s/ James W. Doucette

		 		 	 James W. Doucette

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

  

			
	 HMA-TRI Holdings, LLC,

a Delaware limited liability company

		
	By:	 	 /s/ James W. Doucette
		 	 James W. Doucette

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

  

			
	 Quorum Health Investment Company, LLC,

a Delaware limited liability company

		
	By:	 	 /s/ James W. Doucette
		 	 James W. Doucette

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

  

			
	 Triad Healthcare, LLC,

a Delaware limited liability company

		
	By:	 	 /s/ James W. Doucette
		 	 James W. Doucette

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

  
 3 

 
			
	 Pasco Regional Medical Center, LLC,

a Florida limited liability company

		
	By:	 	 /s/ James W. Doucette
		 	 James W. Doucette

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

  
 4 

 
			
	 Regions Bank, as Trustee

		
	By:	 	 /s/ Wallace Duke
		 	 Wallace Duke

Vice President

  
 5 

 Schedule 1 

Subsidiary Guarantor that no longer exists and 

is no longer a Subsidiary Guarantor under the Indenture 

Triad Healthcare Corporation, a Delaware corporation 

  
 6 

 Schedule 2 

Subsidiary Guarantor converted into Delaware Limited Liability Company 

Health Management Associates, Inc., a Delaware corporation, becomes 

Health Management Associates, LLC 

  
 7

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