Document:

Exhibit

TUPPERWARE BRANDS CORPORATION 
2019 INCENTIVE PLAN 

Adopted by Board of Directors on February 21, 2019
Approved by Stockholders on May 22, 2019
		
	ARTICLE 1.
	Establishment, Purpose, and Duration 

1.1Establishment of the Plan. Tupperware Brands Corporation, a Delaware corporation (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”), hereby establishes an incentive compensation plan to be known as the “Tupperware Brands Corporation 2019 Incentive Plan” (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”), as set forth in this document. The Plan permits the grant of Non-Qualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards and other stock-based and non-stock-based awards. The Plan shall become effective as of the Effective Date, and shall remain in effect as provided in Section 1.3 herein. 

1.2Purpose of the Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to promote the success and enhance the value of the Company by linking the personal interests of Participants to those of the Company’s stockholders and by providing Participants with an incentive for outstanding performance of the Company’s objectives and strategies while undertaking an appropriate level of risk. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of Participants upon whose judgment, interest, and special efforts the successful conduct of its operations largely is dependent. 

1.3Duration of the Plan. The Plan shall commence on the Effective Date and shall remain in effect for ten (10) years thereafter, subject to the right of the Board of Directors to terminate, amend or modify the Plan at any time pursuant to Article 16 herein, except that any awards issued and outstanding under the Plan shall remain effective beyond the expiration of the Plan in accordance with their terms. 

		
	ARTICLE 2.
	Definitions

Whenever used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below and, when the meaning is intended, the initial letter of the word is capitalized: 
(a)“Award” means, individually or collectively, a grant under this Plan of Non-Qualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards or other stock-based awards as specified in Article 11. 

(b)“Award Agreement” means a written or electronic agreement entered into by each Participant and the Company, setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to Awards granted to Participants under this Plan. 

(c)“Beneficial Owner” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. 

(d)“Beneficiary” means a person who may be designated by a Participant pursuant to Article 12 and to whom any benefit under the Plan is to be paid in case of the Participant’s death or physical or mental incapacity, as determined by the Committee, before he or she receives any or all of such benefit. 

(e)“Board” or “Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company. 

(f)“Cause” means (i) “Cause” as defined in any employment, consulting or similar agreement between the Participant and the Company or one of its Subsidiaries or affiliates (an “Individual Agreement”), or (ii) if there is no such Individual Agreement or if it does not define Cause, (A) conviction of a Participant for committing a felony under federal law or the laws of the jurisdiction in which such action occurred, (B) dishonesty in the course of fulfilling a Participant’s employment duties, (C) willful and deliberate failure on the part of a Participant to perform his employment duties in any material respect, including compliance with the Company’s Code of Conduct or Codes of Ethics for Financial Executives, or (D) before a Change of Control, such other events as shall be determined by the Committee. Before a Change of Control, the Committee shall, unless otherwise provided in an Individual Agreement, have the sole discretion to determine whether “Cause” exists with respect to subclauses (A), (B), (C) or (D) above, and its determination shall be final. 

(g)“Change of Control” of the Company means: 

i.    An acquisition by any Person of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 35 percent or more of either (1) the then outstanding Shares (the “Outstanding Company Common Stock”) or (2) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of Directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); excluding, however, the following: (1) any acquisition directly from the Company, other than an acquisition by virtue of the exercise of a conversion privilege unless the security being so converted was itself acquired from the Company, (2) any acquisition by the Company, (3) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any corporation controlled by the Company or (4) any acquisition by any Person pursuant to a transaction which complies with clauses (1), (2) and (3) of subsection (iii) of this definition; or 

ii.    A change in the composition of the Board such that the individuals who, as of the Effective Date of the Plan, constitute the Board (such Board shall be hereinafter referred to as the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, for purposes of this definition, that any individual who becomes a member of the Board subsequent to such Effective Date, whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of those individuals who are members of the Board and who were also members of the Incumbent Board (or deemed to be such pursuant to this proviso) shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board; but, provided further, that any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a person or legal entity other than the Board shall not be so considered as a member of the Incumbent Board; or 

iii.    The consummation of a reorganization, merger, statutory share exchange or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or other similar transactions (“Corporate Transaction”), in each case unless, following such Corporate Transaction, (1) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the Beneficial Owners, respectively, of the Outstanding Company Common Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50 percent of, respectively, the common stock and the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such Corporate Transaction (including, without limitation, an entity which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction, of the Outstanding Company Common Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities, as the case may be, (2) no Person (other than the Company, any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any corporation controlled by the Company or such entity resulting from such Corporate Transaction) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 20 percent or more of, respectively, the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the corporation resulting from such Corporate Transaction or the combined voting power of the outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of Directors except to the extent that such ownership existed with respect to the Company prior to the Corporate Transaction and (3) individuals who were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement or of the action of the Board providing for such Corporate Transaction constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the corporation resulting from such Corporate Transaction; or 

iv.    The approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company. 

(h)“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and corresponding treasury regulations, and administrative decisions including Revenue Rulings and Revenue Procedures. 

(i)“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor agency. 

(j)“Committee” means the committee described in Article 3 or (unless otherwise stated) its designee pursuant to a delegation by the Committee as contemplated by Section 3.3. 

(k)“Common Stock” shall mean the common stock of the Company, par value $.01 per share. 

(l)“Company” means Tupperware Brands Corporation, a Delaware corporation, or any successor thereto as provided in Article 18 herein. 

(m)“Director” means any individual who is a non-employee member or prospective member of the Board of Directors of the Company. 

(n)“Disability” means the inability of an Employee to perform the material duties of his or her occupation as determined by the Committee. 

(o)“Effective Date” means the date the Plan is approved by the stockholders of the Company. 

(p)“Employee” means any nonunion employee or prospective employee of the Company or of the Company’s Subsidiaries or affiliates. Directors who are not otherwise employed by the Company shall not be considered Employees under this Plan. 

(q)“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor act thereto. 

(r)“Fair Market Value” means, as of any given date, the value of a Share determined as follows:
 
(i)    If the Common Stock is listed, quoted or traded on any (1) established securities exchange (such as the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Global Market or the NASDAQ Global Select Market), (2) national market system or (3) automated quotation system, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for a Share as quoted on such exchange or system on which the Shares are principally listed, quoted or traded for such date or, if there is no closing sales price for a Share on the date in question, the closing sales price for a Share on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; 

(ii)    If the Common Stock is not listed on an established securities exchange, national market system or automated quotation system, but the Common Stock is regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer, its Fair Market Value shall be the mean of the high bid and low asked prices for such date or, if there are no high bid and low asked prices for a Share on such date, the high bid and low asked prices for a Share on the last preceding date for which such information exists, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; or 

(iii)    If the Common Stock is neither listed on an established securities exchange, national market system or automated quotation system nor regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer, its Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Committee in good faith and in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. 

(s)“Freestanding SAR” means a SAR that is granted independently of any Options pursuant to Section 7.1 herein. 

(t)“Good Reason” means the assignment to the Participant of any duties materially inconsistent in any respect with the Participant’s position (including a material negative change regarding the Participant’s status, offices, titles or reporting requirements), authority, duties or responsibilities, or any other action by the Company which results in a material diminution in such position, authority, duties or responsibilities (but not occurring solely as a result of the Company’s ceasing to be a publicly traded entity) existing immediately prior to the date of the Change of Control, excluding for this purpose an isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent action not taken in bad faith and which is remedied by the Company promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the Participant; provided, however, “Good Reason” shall not be deemed to exist unless (i) written notice of termination on account thereof is given by the Participant to the Company no later than sixty (60) days after the time at which the event or condition purportedly giving rise to Good Reason first occurs or arises; (ii) if there exists (without regard to this clause (ii)) an event or condition that constitutes Good Reason, the Company shall have thirty (30) days from the date notice of such a termination is given to cure such event or condition and, if the Company does so, such event or condition shall not constitute Good Reason hereunder and (iii) if not cured, the Participant must resign from employment for a Good Reason event or condition within sixty (60) days following the last day of the Company’s cure period. Any good faith determination of “Good Reason” made by the Committee shall be conclusive. The Participant’s mental or physical incapacity following the occurrence of an event described in above clauses shall not affect the Participant’s ability to terminate employment for Good Reason. 

(u)“Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means an option to purchase Shares, granted under Article 6 herein, which is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code. 

(v)“Insider” shall mean an Employee who is, on the relevant date, an officer, Director, or more than ten percent (10 percent) Beneficial Owner of the Company. 

(w)“Non-Qualified Stock Option” or “NQSO” means an option to purchase Shares, granted under Article 6 herein, which is not an Incentive Stock Option. 

(x)“Option” or “Stock Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option. 

(y)“Option Price” means the price at which a Share may be purchased by a Participant pursuant to an Option, as determined by the Committee. 

(z)“Participant” means an Employee or Director of or a consultant to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates who has been granted an Award under the Plan. 

(aa)“Performance Award” means an Award granted to a Participant, as described in Article 10 herein, including Performance Units and Performance Shares. 

(bb)“Performance Goals” means the performance goals, if any, established by the Committee, which shall be satisfied or met (i) as a condition to the grant or exercisability of all or a portion of an Award or (ii) during the applicable Restriction Period or Performance Period as a condition to the grant or vesting of the holder’s interest in the Award or the Shares subject to such Award. Performance goals may be based exclusively on the attainment of one or any combination of the following related to all or a portion of the Company’s operations or on an individual basis: specified levels of net income or earnings per share (including earnings per share from continuing operations), operating income, segment profit, revenues, return on operating assets, productivity, compliance, efficiency, return on equity, return on invested capital, stockholder return (measured in terms of stock price appreciation) and/or total stockholder return (measured in terms of stock price appreciation plus cash dividends), achievement of cost control, working capital turns (including related to individual components of working capital, including days outstanding), cash flow, economic value added, total or active sales force growth, stock price of the Company or any other goal selected by the Committee whether or not listed herein. Performance Goals may also include the performance of any individual Participant (other than remaining employed by the Company or a Subsidiary), satisfactory attainment of personal or project based objectives, and/or the attainment of a threshold performance rating under the Company’s performance management program. Such Performance Goals also may be based upon the attaining of specified levels of Company performance under one or more of the measures described above relative to the performance of other corporations. 

The applicable Performance Goals may be applied on a pre- or post-tax basis, and may be adjusted to include or exclude components of any Performance Goal, including, without limitation: (1) asset write-downs, including but not limited to those related to purchase accounting intangibles and amortization of those intangibles; (2) litigation or claim judgments or settlements; (3) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles, regulations, or other laws or regulations affecting reported results; (4) any reorganization and restructuring programs, including but not limited to both costs classified as exit costs and those not classified as such; (5) amounts recorded in connection with pension settlements; (6) acquisitions or divestitures; (7) the disposition of property, plant and equipment outside the ordinary course of business, including casualty losses, and related insurance recoveries; (8) unusual or nonrecurring items; (9) the translation impact of changes or differences in currency exchange rates compared with those used in setting such a Performance Goal; (10) the impact of significant currency devaluation on balance sheet positions in countries accounted for as hyper-inflationary; (11) the non-cash portion of excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements; and/or (12) the impact of significant changes in capital structure, including its equity and debt (each, an “Adjustment Event”). 

In the sole discretion of the Committee, the Committee may amend or adjust the Performance Goals or other terms and conditions of an outstanding award in recognition of any Adjustment Events. The Performance Goals shall be subject to such other special rules and conditions as the Committee may establish.

(cc)“Performance Period” means a time period during which Performance Goals established in connection with Performance Awards must be met. 

(dd)“Performance Share” means an Award granted to a Participant, as described in Article 10 herein. 

(ee)“Performance Unit” means an Award granted to a Participant, as described in Article 10 herein. 

(ff)“Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, including a “group” as defined in Section 13(d). 

(gg)“Prior Plan” shall mean the Tupperware Brands Corporation 2016 Incentive Plan, the Tupperware Brands Corporation 2010 Plan and each other plan previously maintained by the Company under which equity awards remain outstanding as of the Effective Date. 

(hh)“Restricted Stock” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 8 herein. 

(ii)“Restricted Stock Unit” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 9 herein. 

(jj)“Restriction Period” means the period or periods during which the transfer of Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units is limited based on the passage of time and the continuation of service with the Company and the Shares are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, as provided in Article 8 herein. 

(kk)“Share” means a share of Common Stock. 

(ll)“Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Award, granted alone (Freestanding SAR) or in connection with a related Option (Tandem SAR), designated as a SAR, pursuant to the terms of Article 7 herein.

(mm)“Subsidiary” or “Subsidiaries” means any corporation or corporations in which the Company owns directly, or indirectly through Subsidiaries, at least twenty-five percent (25 percent) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock, or any other entity (including, but not limited to, partnerships and joint ventures) in which the Company owns at least twenty-five percent (25 percent) of the combined equity thereof. 

(nn)“Tandem SAR” means a SAR that is granted in connection with a related Option pursuant to Section 7.1 herein, the exercise of which shall require forfeiture of the right to purchase a Share under the related Option (and when a Share is purchased under the related Option, the Tandem SAR shall similarly be cancelled). 

		
	ARTICLE 3.
	Administration 

3.1The Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Compensation and Management Development Committee or such other committee of the Board (the “Committee”) as the Board may from time to time designate, which shall be composed solely of not less than two Directors, each of whom is intended to be (i) a “Non-Employee Director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and (ii) “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Common Stock is not listed on the New York Stock Exchange, within the meaning of the rules of the principal stock exchange on which the Common Stock is then traded. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board shall administer the Plan with respect to Directors. 
3.2Authority of the Committee. The Committee shall have plenary authority to grant Awards pursuant to the terms of the Plan to Employees of and to consultants to the Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates, except that the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board shall have authority to grant Awards pursuant to the terms of the Plan to Directors. 
Among other things, the Committee shall have the authority, subject to the terms of the Plan: 
(a)To select the Employees and consultants to whom Awards may from time to time be granted; 

(b)To determine whether and to what extent Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards or other stock-based awards described in Article 11 or any combination thereof are to be granted hereunder; 

(c)To determine the number of Shares to be covered by each Award granted hereunder; 

(d)To determine (by approving the forms of Award Agreements or otherwise by resolution) the terms and conditions of any Award granted hereunder, including, but not limited to, the Option Price (subject to Section 6.4(a)), the duration, any vesting condition, restriction or limitation (which may be related to the performance of the Participant, the Company or any Subsidiary or affiliate), any vesting acceleration or forfeiture waiver regarding any Award and the Shares relating thereto, and the impact on any Award from termination of employment (whether as a consequence of death, Disability, retirement, action by the Company, action by the Participant or Change of Control) of an Employee, or the termination of services of a consultant, based on such factors as the Committee shall determine; provided, however, that no Award shall become exercisable or vested prior to the one-year anniversary of the date of grant; provided, further, that (i) such minimum vesting restriction shall not apply to Awards with respect to the number of Shares which, in the aggregate, does not exceed five percent (5%) of the total number of Shares initially available for Awards under the Plan and (ii) such minimum vesting provision shall not restrict the right of the Committee to provide in an Award Agreement or at any other time for the acceleration or continuation of the vesting or exercisability of an Award upon or after a Change in Control, a termination of employment or otherwise. 

(e)To modify, amend or adjust the terms and conditions of any Award, at any time or from time to time, including but not limited to Performance Goals, unless at the time of establishment of goals the Committee shall have precluded its authority to make such adjustments; and 

(f)To determine to what extent and under what circumstances Shares and other amounts payable with respect to an Award shall be deferred. 

The Committee shall have the authority to adopt, alter and repeal such administrative rules, guidelines and practices governing the Plan as it shall from time to time deem advisable, to interpret the terms and provisions of the Plan and any Award issued under the Plan (and any Award Agreement relating thereto), to create sub-plans that may be desirable for limited groups of participants or jurisdictions and to otherwise supervise the administration of the Plan. 
3.3Action of the Committee. The Committee may, to the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to such limitations and procedures as may be required by law or as the Committee may deem appropriate, delegate some or all of its power and authority under the Plan to the Board or a subcommittee of the Committee or, subject to applicable law, to the Chief Executive Officer or such other executive officer of the Company as the Committee deems appropriate; provided that no such delegation may be made that would cause Awards or other transactions under the Plan to cease either to be exempt from Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act. To the extent of any such delegation, references in the Plan to the Committee will be deemed to be references to such delegatee. The Committee may employ such legal or other counsel, consultants and agents as it may deem desirable for the administration of the Plan and may rely upon any opinion or computation received from any such counsel, consultant or agent. The Committee may authorize any one or more of their members or any officer of the Company to execute and deliver documents on behalf of the Committee. 

3.4Decisions Binding. Any determination made by the Committee or pursuant to delegated authority pursuant to the provisions of the Plan with respect to any Award shall be made in the sole discretion of the Committee or such delegate at the time of the grant of the Award or, unless in contravention of any express term of the Plan, at any time thereafter. All decisions made by the Committee or any appropriately delegated officer pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be final and binding on all persons, including the Company and Plan Participants. 

		
	ARTICLE 4.
	Shares Subject to the Plan 

4.1Number of Shares. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.3 herein, the total number of Shares available for grant under the Plan (“Share Pool”) shall be the sum of (i) 850,000, and (ii) the number of Shares that remain available for issuance under the Prior Plan. All such shares may be granted in connection with Incentive Stock Options. Shares subject to an Award under the Plan may be authorized and unissued Shares or may be treasury Shares. As of the Effective Date, the Company shall cease to grant awards under the Prior Plans.

4.2Share Counting. The following rules shall apply for purposes of the determination of the number of Shares available for grant under the Plan: 

(a)The Share Pool shall be reduced by the sum of the aggregate number of Shares which become subject to outstanding Options, outstanding Freestanding SARs, outstanding Restricted Stock Awards, outstanding Restricted Stock Unit Awards, outstanding Performance Awards denominated in Shares and outstanding other stock-based awards specified in Article 11 and which are denominated in Shares. For each SAR which is settled in Shares, the full number of Shares subject to such SAR shall be counted against the Share Pool, rather than the net-settled number of Shares actually issued in such settlement. In addition, if an SAR is granted in connection with an Option and the exercise of the SAR results in the loss of the Option right, the Shares that otherwise would have been issued upon the exercise of such related Option shall not result in a reduction in the Share Pool. Awards that may not be settled in Shares shall not result in a reduction from the Share Pool.

(b)If, for any reason, any Shares awarded or subject to purchase under the Plan or the Prior Plans are not delivered or purchased, or are reacquired by the Company, for reasons including, but not limited to, a forfeiture of an Award, or the termination, expiration or cancellation of an Award, or settlement of any Award in cash rather than Shares, such Shares shall again be available for issuance pursuant to an Award under the Plan and shall be added to the Share Pool, provided that any addition to the Share Pool shall be adjusted by (i) whatever factor or factors were applied to determine the number of Shares originally deducted from the Share Pool or (ii) with respect to awards granted under the Prior Plans, whatever factor or factors were applied to determine the number of Shares originally deducted from the share pool under such Prior Plans. If the Option Exercise Price, purchase price and/or tax withholding obligation under an Award is satisfied by the Company retaining Shares or by the Participant tendering Shares (either by actual delivery or attestation), the number of Shares so retained or tendered shall be deemed delivered for purposes of determining the Share Pool and shall not again be available for issuance pursuant to an Award under the Plan.

4.3Adjustments in Authorized Shares and Prices. In the event of any equity restructuring (within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation or any successor or replacement accounting standard) that causes the per share value of the Shares to change, such as a stock dividend, stock split, spinoff, rights offering or recapitalization through an extraordinary cash dividend, the number and class of securities available under the Plan, the terms of each outstanding Option and SAR (including the number and class of securities subject to each outstanding Option or SAR and the Option Price or base price per Share) and the terms of each outstanding Award (including the number and class of securities subject thereto) shall be appropriately adjusted by the Committee, such adjustments to be made in the case of outstanding Options and SARs in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. In the event of any other change in corporate capitalization, including a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or partial or complete liquidation of the Company, such equitable adjustments described in the foregoing sentence may be made as determined to be appropriate and equitable by the Committee to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights of participants. In either case, the decision of the Committee regarding any such adjustment shall be final, binding and conclusive. 

		
	ARTICLE 5.
	Eligibility and Participation 

5.1Eligibility. Persons eligible to be granted Awards under this Plan include all Employees and Directors of and all consultants to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, and all prospective Employees and Directors of and consultants to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, as determined by the Committee, including Employees who are members of the Board. The aggregate value of cash compensation and the grant date fair value of Shares that may be awarded or granted during any fiscal year of the Company to any Director shall not exceed $600,000.

5.2Actual Participation. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may, from time to time, select from all eligible Employees and consultants, those to whom Awards shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award, except that the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board shall have the authority to perform such functions for Directors. 

		
	ARTICLE 6.
	Stock Options 

6.1Grant of Options. Stock Options may be granted alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan and may be of two types: Incentive Stock Options and Non-Qualified Stock Options. Any Stock Option granted under the Plan shall be in such form as the Committee may from time to time approve. The Committee shall have the authority to grant any optionee Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options or both types of Stock Options (in each case with or without Stock Appreciation Rights). Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to employees of the Company and any “subsidiary corporation” (as such term is defined in Section 424(f) of the Code). To the extent that any Stock Option is not designated as an Incentive Stock Option or even if so designated does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, it shall constitute a Non-Qualified Stock Option. 

6.2Award Agreement. Stock Options shall be evidenced by Award Agreements, the terms and provisions of which may differ. An Award Agreement shall indicate on its face whether it is intended to be an agreement for an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option. The grant of a Stock Option shall occur on the date the Committee by resolution selects an individual to be a Participant in any grant of a Stock Option, determines the number of Shares to be subject to such Stock Option to be granted to such individual and specifies the terms and provisions of the Stock Option, or such later date as the Committee designates. The Company shall notify a Participant of any grant of a Stock Option, and a written Award Agreement or agreements shall be duly executed and delivered by the Company to the Participant, and countersigned or otherwise accepted by the Participant as provided in the Award Agreement. 

6.3Incentive Stock Options. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, no Incentive Stock Option may be granted under the Plan after the 10th anniversary of the date on which the Plan is approved by the Board. 

6.4Terms and Conditions. Stock Options granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and shall contain such additional terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem desirable: 

(a)Stock Option Price. The Option Price per Share purchasable under a Stock Option shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement, and shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Stock Option on the date of grant. 

(b)Option Term. The term of each Stock Option shall be fixed by the Committee, but no Stock Option shall be exercisable more than 10 years after the date the Stock Option is granted. 

(c)Exercisability. Except as otherwise provided herein, Stock Options shall be exercisable at such time or times and subject to such terms and conditions as shall be determined by the Committee. If the Committee provides that any Stock Option is exercisable only in installments, the Committee may at any time waive such installment exercise provisions, in whole or in part, or accelerate the exercisability of any Stock Option, based on such factors as the Committee may determine. 

(d)Method of Exercise. Subject to the provisions of this Article 6, Stock Options may be exercised, in whole or in part, at any time during the term of the Stock Option by giving written notice of exercise to the Company specifying the number of whole Shares subject to the Stock Option to be purchased.

Such notice shall be accompanied by payment in full of the Option Price by certified or bank check or such other instrument as the Company may accept. Payment, in full or in part, may also be made in the form of delivery of unrestricted Shares already owned by the optionee of the same class as the Shares subject to the Stock Option (based on the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date the Stock Option is exercised) or by certifying ownership of such Shares by the Participant to the satisfaction of the Company for delivery to the Company as specified by the Committee; provided, however, that, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the right to make a payment in the form of already owned Shares of the same class as the Shares subject to the Stock Option may be authorized only at the time the Stock Option is granted. Payment may also be made in the case of an NQSO only by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price; provided, however, that the Company shall accept a cash or other payment from the Participant to the extent of any remaining balance of the aggregate exercise price not satisfied by such reduction in the number of whole shares to be issued; provided, further, that shares of Common Stock will no longer be outstanding under a Stock Option and will not be exercisable thereafter to the extent that (A) shares are used to pay the exercise price pursuant to the “net exercise,” (B) shares are delivered to the Participant as a result of such exercise, and (C) shares are withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations. In the discretion of the Committee and to the extent permitted by applicable law, as set forth in a form of Stock Option agreement or in a resolution of the Committee, payment for any Shares subject to a Stock Option may also (or only) be made pursuant to a “cashless exercise” by delivering a properly executed exercise notice to the Company, together with a copy of irrevocable instructions to a broker to deliver promptly to the Company the amount of sale proceeds to pay the purchase price, and, if requested, the amount of any federal, state, local or foreign withholding taxes. To facilitate the foregoing, the Company may enter into agreements for coordinated procedures with one or more brokerage firms. 
No Shares shall be issued until full payment therefor, including any related tax obligations, has been made. An optionee shall have all of the rights of a stockholder of the Company holding the class or series of Shares that is subject to such Stock Option (including, if applicable, the right to vote the Shares and the right to receive dividends), when the optionee has given written notice of exercise and has paid in full for such Shares. 
		
	ARTICLE 7.
	Stock Appreciation Rights 

7.1Grant of SARs. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, a SAR may be granted to an Employee, Director or consultant at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee may grant Freestanding SARs, Tandem SARs, or any combination of these forms of SAR. In the case of a Non-Qualified Stock Option, Tandem SARs may be granted either at or after the time of grant of such Stock Option. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, Tandem SARs may be granted only at the time of grant of such Stock Option. 

The Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of SARs granted to each Participant and, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such SARs. However, the grant price of a Freestanding SAR shall be at least equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the SAR. The grant price of Tandem SARs shall equal the Option Price of the related Option. 
7.2Exercise of Tandem SARs. Tandem SARs may be exercised for all or part of the Shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option. A Tandem SAR shall terminate and no longer be exercisable upon the termination or exercise of the related Stock Option. A Tandem SAR may be exercised only with respect to the Shares for which its related Option is then exercisable. 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, with respect to a Tandem SAR granted in connection with an ISO: (i) the Tandem SAR will expire no later than the expiration of the underlying ISO; (ii) the value of the payout with respect to the Tandem SAR may be for no more than one hundred percent (100 percent) of the difference between the Option Price of the underlying ISO and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the underlying ISO at the time the Tandem SAR is exercised; and (iii) the Tandem SAR may be exercised only when the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the ISO exceeds the Option Price of the ISO. 

7.3Exercise of Freestanding SARs. Subject to the other provisions of this Article 7, Freestanding SARs may be exercised upon whatever terms and conditions the Committee, at its sole discretion, imposes upon them. 

7.4SAR Agreement. Each SAR grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the grant price, the term of the SAR, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine. 

7.5Term of SARs. The term of a SAR granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee, at its sole discretion; provided, however, that such term shall not exceed ten (10) years. 

7.6Payment of SAR Amount. Upon exercise of a SAR, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying: 

(a)The excess of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise over the grant price of the SAR; by 

(b)The number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised. 

The Award Agreement shall specify whether the payment upon SAR exercise may be in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, or in some combination thereof. 
		
	ARTICLE 8.
	Restricted Stock 

8.1Administration. Shares of Restricted Stock may be awarded either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan. The Committee shall determine the Employees, Directors and consultants to whom and the time or times at which grants of Restricted Stock will be awarded, the number of Shares to be awarded to any Participant, the conditions for vesting, the time or times within which such Awards may be subject to forfeiture and any other terms and conditions of the Awards, in addition to those contained in Section 8.3. 
The Committee may, prior to grant, condition the vesting of Restricted Stock upon continued service of the Participant or the achievement of Performance Goals. The provisions of Restricted Stock Awards need not be the same with respect to each recipient. 
8.2Awards and Certificates. Shares of Restricted Stock shall be evidenced in such manner as the Committee may deem appropriate, including book-entry registration or issuance of one or more stock certificates. Any certificate issued in respect of Shares of Restricted Stock shall be registered in the name of such Participant and shall bear an appropriate legend indicating that the ownership of the Shares represented by such certificate is subject to the restrictions, terms and conditions of the Plan and the Award Agreement relating to the Restricted Stock Award. The Committee may require that the certificates evidencing such Shares be held in custody by the Company until the restrictions thereon shall have lapsed and that, as a condition of any Award of Restricted Stock, the Participant shall have delivered a stock power, endorsed in blank, relating to the Common Stock covered by such Award. 

8.3Terms and Conditions. Shares of Restricted Stock shall be subject to the following terms and conditions: 

(a)Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the Award Agreement referred to in Section 8.3(d), during the Restricted Period, the Participant shall not be permitted to sell, assign, transfer, pledge or otherwise encumber Shares of Restricted Stock. Within these limits, the Committee may provide for the lapse of restrictions based upon period of service in installments or otherwise and may accelerate or waive, in whole or in part, restrictions based upon period of service. 

(b)Except as provided in this paragraph (b) and paragraph (a), above, and the Award Agreement, the Participant shall have, with respect to the shares of Restricted Stock, all of the rights of a stockholder of the Company holding the class or series of Shares that is the subject of the Restricted Stock to vote the Shares. Dividends shall be held and shall accrue, subject to the vesting of the underlying Restricted Stock.

(c)If and when any applicable Restriction Period expires without a prior forfeiture of the Restricted Stock, book-entry registration or unlegended certificates for such Shares, as determined by the Committee, and any accrued but unpaid dividends shall be delivered to the Participant. 

(d)Each Award shall be confirmed by, and be subject to, the terms of an Award Agreement. 

		
	ARTICLE 9.
	Restricted Stock Units 

9.1Nature of Award. Restricted Stock Units are Awards denominated in Shares that will be settled, subject to the terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Units by delivery of Shares to the Participant or, to the extent provided for in the applicable Award Agreement, by the payment of cash based upon the Fair Market Value of a specified number of Shares. Restricted Stock Units may be awarded either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan. The Committee shall determine the conditions for vesting, the time or times within which such Awards may be subject to forfeiture and any other terms and conditions of the Awards, in addition to those contained in Section 9.2. 

9.2Terms and Conditions. The Committee may, in connection with the grant of Restricted Stock Units, designate them as Performance Awards, in which event it shall condition the vesting thereof upon the attainment of Performance Goals. If the Committee does not designate Restricted Stock Units as Performance Awards, it may also condition the vesting thereof upon the attainment of Performance Goals. Regardless of whether Restricted Stock Units are Performance Awards, the Committee may also condition the vesting thereof upon the continued service of the Participant. The applicable Award Agreement shall specify the consequences for the Restricted Stock Units of the Participant’s termination of employment. An Award of Restricted Stock Units shall be settled as and when the Restricted Stock Units vest or, to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the Code, at a later time specified by the Committee or in accordance with an election of the Participant, if the Committee so permits. Restricted Stock Units may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered until they are settled, except to the extent provided in the applicable Award Agreement in the event of the Participant’s death. The Award Agreement for Restricted Stock Units shall specify whether, to what extent and on what terms and conditions the applicable Participant shall be entitled to receive payments of cash, Common Stock or other property corresponding to the dividends payable on the Common Stock (subject to Section 21.3 below); provided, however, that any dividend equivalents with respect to Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to the same restrictions as such Restricted Stock Units. 

		
	ARTICLE 10.
	Performance Awards 

10.1Grant of Performance Awards. Subject to the terms of the Plan, Performance Awards may be granted either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan, as determined by the Committee. Such Performance Awards may take the form determined by the Committee, including without limitation, cash, Shares, Performance Units and Performance Shares, or any combination thereof. Performance Awards may be awarded as short-term or long-term incentives. Any dividends or dividend equivalents with respect to Performance Awards shall be subject to the same restrictions as such Performance Awards.

10.2Performance Goals. 

(a)The Committee may set Performance Goals at its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number and/or value of Performance Awards that will be paid out to the Participants, and may attach to such Performance Awards one or more restrictions, including, without limitation, a requirement that Participants pay a stipulated purchase price for each Performance Share, or restrictions which are necessary or desirable as a result of applicable laws or regulations. Each Performance Award shall be subject to an Award Agreement. 

(b)The Committee shall have the authority to make adjustments to Performance Goals for any outstanding Performance Awards which the Committee deems necessary or desirable unless at the time of establishment of goals the Committee shall have precluded its authority to make such adjustments. 

10.3Value of Performance Units/Shares. 

(a)Each Performance Unit shall have an initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant. 

(b)Each Performance Share shall have an initial value equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant. 

10.4Earning of Performance Awards. After the applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of any Performance Award shall be entitled to receive the payout earned by the Participant over the Performance Period, to be determined as a function of the extent to which the corresponding Performance Goals have been achieved, except as adjusted pursuant to Section 10.2(b) or as deferred pursuant to Article 13. 

10.5Timing of Payment of Performance Awards. Payment of earned Performance Awards shall be made in accordance with terms and conditions prescribed or authorized by the Committee. The Committee may permit the Participants to elect to defer or the Committee may require the deferral of, the receipt of Performance Awards upon such terms as the Committee deems appropriate. 

		
	ARTICLE 11.
	Other Stock-Based Awards 

Other Awards of Common Stock and other Awards that are valued in whole or in part by reference to, or are otherwise based upon, Common Stock, including (without limitation) dividend equivalents and convertible debentures, may be granted under the Plan; provided, however, that (i) dividends or dividend equivalents shall not be included in such other Awards which take the form of Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights and (ii) any dividend equivalents will be subject to the same vesting conditions as the underlying Award. Subject to the Section 3.2(d) relating to the grant of up to 5% of the Shares available under the Plan as not subject to the minimum vesting provisions included in that section, each Director shall receive a one-time grant of one thousand (1,000) Shares upon serving his or her initial three months as a member of the Board. 

		
	ARTICLE 12.
	Beneficiary 

12.1Designation. Each Participant under the Plan may, from time to time, name any Beneficiary or Beneficiaries (who may be named contingently or successively). Each such designation shall revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form prescribed by the Company, and shall be effective only when filed by the Participant in writing with the Company during the Participant’s lifetime. Any such designation shall control over any inconsistent testamentary or inter vivos transfer by a Participant, and any benefit of a Participant under the Plan shall pass automatically to a Participant’s Beneficiary pursuant to a proper designation pursuant to this Section 12.1 without administration under any statute or rule of law governing the transfer of property by will, trust, gift or intestacy. 

12.2Absence of Designation. In the absence of any such designation contemplated by Section 12.1, benefits remaining unpaid at the Participant’s death shall be paid pursuant to the Participant’s will or pursuant to the laws of descent and distribution.

		
	ARTICLE 13.
	Deferrals 

13.1Deferrals. The Committee may determine that the delivery of Shares or the payment of cash, or a combination thereof, upon the exercise or settlement of all or a portion of any Award (other than awards of Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options and SARs) made hereunder shall be deferred, or the Committee may, in its sole discretion, approve deferral elections made by holders of Awards. Deferrals shall be for such periods and upon such terms as the Committee may determine in its sole discretion, subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

13.2Section 409A. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any deferral permitted by this Plan or an Award Agreement or any distribution of an Award pursuant to the terms of this Plan or an Award Agreement would subject a Participant to tax under Section 409A of the Code, the Company shall modify the Plan or applicable Award Agreement in the least restrictive manner necessary in order to comply with the provisions of Section 409A, other applicable provision(s) of the Code and/or any rules, regulations or other regulatory guidance issued under such statutory provisions and, in each case, without any material diminution in the value of the payments to an affected Participant. To the extent applicable, it is intended that the Plan and any Awards granted hereunder comply with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code, so that the income inclusion provisions of Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code do not apply to the Participants. 

		
	ARTICLE 14.
	Rights of Participants 

14.1Employment or Continued Service. Nothing in the Plan shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company to terminate any Participant’s employment or status as a consultant or Director at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates. For purposes of the Plan, transfer of employment of a Participant between the Company and any one of its Subsidiaries and affiliates (or between Subsidiaries and affiliates) shall not be deemed a termination of employment. However, subject to Section 409A of the Code, if a Subsidiary or affiliate of the Company ceases to be a Subsidiary or affiliate, any Participant who is no longer employed by or a consultant to the Company or one of its remaining Subsidiaries and affiliates following such event shall be considered to have terminated his or her employment or consultancy, notwithstanding any continued employment or consultancy with such former Subsidiary or affiliate. 

14.2Participation. No Employee, Director or consultant shall have the right to be selected to receive an Award under this Plan, or, having been so selected, to be selected to receive a future Award. 

		
	ARTICLE 15.
	Change of Control 

15.1Treatment of Outstanding Awards. In the event of a Change of Control, the successor organization (the “Successor”) may substitute equivalent awards. A substitute equivalent award must (i) have a value at least equal to the value of the Award being substituted; (ii) relate to a publicly-traded equity security of the Successor involved in the Change of Control or another entity that is affiliated with the Company or the Successor following the Change of Control; (iii) be the same type of award as the Award being substituted; and (iv) have other terms and conditions that are not less favorable to the Participant than the terms and conditions of the Award being substituted, in each case, as determined by the Committee (as constituted prior to the Change of Control) in its sole discretion. If an Award is substituted by the Successor and within two (2) years following a Change of Control the Participant (i) is terminated by the Successor (or an affiliate thereof) without Cause or (ii) if the Participant is an executive officer of the Company (who is subject to reporting under Section 16 of the Exchange Act) and resigns for Good Reason, the following rules shall apply to the substituted Awards, unless otherwise specifically provided in the applicable Award Agreement: 

(a)Vesting of Options and SARs. Any and all Options and SARs shall become immediately exercisable as of the termination or resignation. 

(b)Lapse of Restricted Stock and Unit Restrictions that are not Performance-Based. Any restrictions imposed on Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units that are not performance-based shall lapse. Restricted Stock Units shall be paid in cash or stock at such time as specified in the Award Agreement. 

(c)Vesting, Payment and Achievement of Performance-Based Awards. Performance-based Awards shall vest with respect to each performance measurement tranche completed during the Performance Period prior to the termination or resignation (or, if the Performance Period is not divided into separate performance measurement tranches, proportionately based on the portion of the Performance Period completed prior to such resignation or termination and expressed in terms of the total of completed months out of the total number of months within the Performance Period), with payment to be made, based on actual performance, in cash or stock at such time as specified in the Award Agreement. 

(d)Transfer. A transfer of employment among the Successor and its affiliates shall not, in and of itself, be deemed a termination or resignation of employment. 

15.2Non-Substituted Awards; Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of a Change of Control, any outstanding Awards that are not substituted with equivalent awards, by the Successor, or in the case of a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, all Awards shall be subject to the following rules: 

(a)Options and SARs. All Options and SARs shall be fully vested and exercisable and the Committee shall either (1) give a Participant a reasonable opportunity to exercise the Option and SAR before the transaction resulting in the Change of Control or (2) pay the Participant the difference between the exercise price for the Option or SAR and the consideration provided to other similarly situated shareholders in such Change of Control; provided, that if the exercise price of such Option or SAR exceeds the aforementioned consideration provided, then the Option or SAR shall be canceled and terminated without any payment. In either case, such Option or SAR shall be cancelled. The Committee shall not be obligated to treat all Options and SARs subject to this Section 15.2 in the same manner. 

(b)Lapse of Restricted Stock and Unit Restrictions that are not Performance-Based. Any restrictions imposed on Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units that are not performance-based shall lapse. Restricted Stock Units shall be paid in cash or stock at such time as specified in the Award Agreement. 

(c)Vesting, Payment and Achievement of Performance-Based Awards. Performance-based Awards shall vest with respect to each performance measurement tranche completed during the Performance Period prior to the Change of Control or dissolution or liquidation (or, if the Performance Period is not divided into separate performance measurement tranches, proportionately based on the portion of the Performance Period completed prior to such Change of Control or dissolution or liquidation and expressed in terms of the total of completed months out of the total number of months within the Performance Period), with payment to be made, based on actual performance, in cash or stock at such time as specified in the Award Agreement. 

15.3Termination, Amendment, and Modifications of Change of Control Provisions. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan or any Award Agreement provision, the provisions of this Article 15 may not be terminated, amended, or modified in any manner that adversely affects any then-outstanding Award without the prior written consent of the Participant if such action is taken (a) on or after the date of a Change of Control or (b) at the request of a party seeking to effectuate a Change of Control or otherwise in anticipation of a Change of Control. 

		
	ARTICLE 16.
	Amendment, Modification, and Termination 

16.1Amendment, Modification, and Termination. Except as specifically provided in Section 15.3, at any time and from time to time, the Board may terminate, amend, or modify the Plan. However, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, no such amendment or modification may: 

(a)Become effective if stockholder approval is required by applicable law, rule or regulation, including any rule of the New York Stock Exchange, or any other stock exchange on which the Common Stock is then traded; 

(b)Increase the total number of Shares which may be issued under this Plan, except as provided in Article 4 hereof; 

(c)Modify the eligibility requirements; 

(d)Materially increase the benefits accruing under the Plan; 

(e)Modify the prohibition on repricing provisions set forth in Section 16.2; or

(f)Modify the Director compensation limits set forth in Section 5.1.

16.2Awards Previously Granted. (a) Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to a Change of Control, the Committee shall have the right to replace any previously granted Award under the Plan with an Award equal to the value of the replaced Award at the time of replacement, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, without obtaining the consent of the Participant holding such Award; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing or the terms of any Award Agreement provision, the Committee shall not modify any Stock Option or SAR without stockholder approval if the effect of such modification would be to (i) reduce an Option Price of a Stock Option or the grant price of an SAR; (ii) cancel a Stock Option or SAR in exchange for other Awards under the Plan; (iii) cancel a Stock Option or SAR in exchange for a Stock Option or SAR with an Option Price or grant price, respectively, that is less than the Option Price or grant price of the cancelled Stock Option or SAR, respectively; or (iv) cancel a Stock Option or SAR in exchange for cash, in each case, other than in connection with a Change of Control or the adjustment provisions set forth in Section 4.3; provided, further, that no such replacement shall deprive the Participant of any rights he or she may have pursuant to Article 15, which shall apply to the replacement Award to the same extent as to the replaced Award. 

(b) In the event it is determined that the Company’s previously reported financial results have been misstated due to error, omission, fraud or other misconduct, including a misstatement that leads to a restatement of previously issued financial statements, any previous compensation, including any cash payment, deferral of cash payment, or delivery of common stock of the Company which was made pursuant to any incentive compensation award shall be subject to recovery by the Company as the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall in good faith determine. The Company may recover all or any portion of any award made to any Participant with respect to a fiscal year of the Company when misstated financial information that formed the basis for the award occurs. The maximum amount subject to recovery from a Participant shall be the amount by which the affected award exceeded the amount that would have been payable had the financial information been initially prepared as adjusted to correct for the misstatement, or any lesser amount that the Committee may determine; provided, however, that in the case of a discretionary award, the Committee may make such determination as to the amount of any repayment it deems to have been based upon financial results that would have been adjusted to correct such misstatement, up to the total amount of the discretionary award. The Committee shall also have the power under this Section 16.2(b) to (i) recover from a Participant any Shares delivered in connection with an Award, and/or (ii) cancel an outstanding Award in connection with such an action. Furthermore, in the event that the Company is required to restate its financial statements due to material non-compliance with financial reporting requirements, the Company will recover from any current or former executive officer who received incentive-based compensation during the three-year period preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement, such excess amounts that the executive officer would not have received under the restated financial statements. This recovery shall be in accordance with New York Stock Exchange listing requirements as may be promulgated from time to time. The Committee may modify this Section 16.2(b) without additional shareholder approval to the extent required to conform to the requirements relating to clawbacks under the Dodd-Frank 

Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and implementing rules and regulations thereunder, or as otherwise required by applicable law or New York Stock Exchange listing requirement. 

16.3Changes in Law and Tax Accounting. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 16.1 and 16.2, the Board shall have authority to amend the Plan to take into account changes in law and tax and accounting rules as well as other developments, and to grant Awards which qualify for beneficial treatment under such rules without stockholder approval. 

		
	ARTICLE 17.
	Withholding 

17.1Tax Withholding. The Company shall have the power and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, local and foreign taxes (including the Participant’s FICA obligation) required by law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising under or as a result of this Plan. 

17.2Share Withholding. With respect to withholding required and/or permitted upon the exercise of Options or SARs, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock, or upon any other taxable event hereunder, the Committee may require or permit, at its discretion, satisfaction of the withholding requirement, in whole or in part, by having the Company withhold Shares (or by surrendering Shares previously owned or purchased in the open market) having a Fair Market Value on the date the tax is to be determined equal to the minimum statutory total tax, or such other statutorily permissible amount, which could be imposed on the transaction that would not cause the award to be treated as “variable” as defined under U.S. GAAP. 

		
	ARTICLE 18.
	Successors 

All obligations of the Company under the Plan, with respect to Awards granted hereunder, shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, spin-off, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.

		
	ARTICLE 19.
	Restrictions on Transferability of Awards 

Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, no Award shall be transferable (either by sale, pledge, assignment, gift, or other alienation or hypothecation) by a Participant other than by will or by application of the laws of descent and distribution; provided, however, no Award may be transferred for value (as defined in the General Instructions to Form S-8). The Committee may impose such restrictions on any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise or vesting of an Award under the Plan as it may deem advisable, including, without limitation, restrictions under applicable federal securities laws, under the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which such Shares are then listed and/or traded, and under any blue sky or state securities laws applicable to such Shares. 

		
	ARTICLE 20.
	Unfunded Status of Plan 

It is presently intended that the Plan constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. The Committee may authorize the creation of trusts or other arrangements to meet the obligations created under the Plan to deliver Common Stock or make payments; provided, however, that unless the Committee otherwise determines, the existence of such trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan. 

		
	ARTICLE 21.
	Miscellaneous 

21.1Subsidiary Employees. In the case of a grant of an Award to an employee or consultant of any Subsidiary of the Company, the Company may, if the Committee so directs, issue or transfer the shares of Common Stock, if any, covered by the Award to the Subsidiary, for such lawful consideration as the Committee may specify, upon the condition or understanding that the Subsidiary will transfer the shares of Common Stock to the employee or consultant in accordance with the terms of the Award specified by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan. All shares of Common Stock underlying Awards that are forfeited or canceled revert to the Company. 

21.2Foreign Employees and Foreign Law Considerations. The Committee may grant Awards to individuals who are eligible to participate in the plan who are foreign nationals, who are located outside the United States or who are not compensated from a payroll maintained in the United States, or who are otherwise subject to (or could cause the Company to be subject to) legal or regulatory provisions of countries or jurisdictions outside the United States, on such terms and conditions different from those specified in the Plan as may, in the judgment of the Committee, be necessary or desirable to foster and promote achievement of the purposes of the Plan, and, in furtherance of such purposes, the Committee may make such modifications, amendments, procedures, or subplans as may be necessary or advisable to comply with such legal or regulatory provisions. 

21.3Limitation on Dividend Reinvestment and Dividend Equivalents. Reinvestment of dividends in additional Restricted Stock at the time of any dividend payment, and the payment of Shares with respect to dividends to Participants holding Awards of Restricted Stock Units, shall only be permissible if sufficient Shares are available under Section 4 for such reinvestment (taking into account then outstanding Awards). 

		
	ARTICLE 22.
	Legal Construction 

22.1Gender and Number. Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine; the plural shall include the singular and the singular shall include the plural. 

22.2Severability. In the event any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included. 

22.3Requirements of Law. The granting of Awards and the issuance of Shares under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required. With respect to Insiders, transactions under this Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule 16b-3 or its successors under the Exchange Act. To the extent any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee fails to comply with this Section 22.3, it shall be deemed null and void, to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Committee. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or agreements made pursuant thereto, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificate or certificates for Shares or uncertificated forms of Shares under the Plan prior to fulfillment of all of the following conditions: 

(a)Listing or approval for listing upon notice of issuance, of such Shares on the New York Stock Exchange or such other securities exchange as may at the time be the principal market for the Shares; 

(b)Any registration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or federal law or regulation, or the maintaining in effect of any such registration or other qualification which the Committee shall, in its absolute discretion upon the advice of counsel, deem necessary or advisable; and 

(c)Obtaining any other consent, approval, or permit from any state or federal governmental agency which the Committee shall, in its absolute discretion after receiving the advice of counsel, determine to be necessary or advisable. 

22.4Governing Law. To the extent not preempted by federal law, the Plan, and all agreements hereunder, shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware.Exhibit 10.1

 

 

May 20, 2019

 

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

 

Genetic Technologies Limited

60-66 Hanover Street

Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia

Attention: Paul Kasian, Chairman & CEO

 

Dear Dr. Kasian:

 

Introduction.  Subject to the terms and conditions herein (this “Agreement”), Genetic Technologies Limited (the “Company”), hereby agrees to sell up to an aggregate of $5,000,000 of registered securities of the Company, including, but not limited to, an amount of the Company’s American Depository Shares (the “ADRs”) (with each ADR representing 150 of the Company’s ordinary shares, no par value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), and ADR or ordinary share purchase warrants (the “Warrants” and, together with the ADRs and the Ordinary Shares, the “Securities”) directly to various investors (each, an “Investor” and, collectively, the “Investors”) through Aegis Capital Corp, as placement agent (the “Placement Agent”).  The documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Investors in connection with the Offering (as defined below), including, without limitation, a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.” The purchase price to the Investors for each ADR and the exercise price to the Investors for each Ordinary Share issuable upon exercise of the Warrants shall be determined in negotiations with Investors based on the current market price of the ADRs.  The Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected-dealers on its behalf in connection with the Offering.

 

The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the Placement Agent as follows:

 

Section 1.                                          Agreement to Act as Placement Agent.

 

(a)                                 On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Placement Agent shall be the exclusive placement agent in connection with the offering and sale by the Company of the Securities pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-210965) (the “Registration Statement”), with the terms of such offering (the “Offering”) to be subject to market conditions and negotiations between the Company, the Placement Agent and the prospective Investors.  The Placement Agent will act on a reasonable best efforts basis and the Company agrees and acknowledges that there is no guarantee of the successful placement of the Securities, or any portion thereof, in the prospective Offering.  Under no circumstances will the Placement Agent or any of its “Affiliates” (as defined below) be obligated to underwrite or purchase any of the Shares for its own account or otherwise provide any financing.  The Placement Agent shall act solely as the Company’s agent and not as principal.  The Placement Agent shall have no authority to bind the Company with respect to any prospective offer to

 

810 Seventh Avenue, 18th floor, New York, New York 10019 (212) 813-1010/Fax (212) 813-1047

Member FINRA, SIPC

 

 

purchase Shares and the Company shall have the sole right to accept offers to purchase Shares and may reject any such offer, in whole or in part.  Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Securities shall be made at one or more closings (each a “Closing” and the date on which each Closing occurs, a “Closing Date”).  As compensation for services rendered, on each Closing Date, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent the fees and expenses set forth below:

 

(i)                                     A cash fee equal to 8% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Securities at the closing of the Offering (the “Closing”) and a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 1% of the Offering.

 

(ii)                                  The Company also agrees to reimburse Placement Agent’s expenses up to a maximum of $75,000.  $25,000 of such payment shall be made upon the execution of this Agreement and the balance of the reimbursement shall be payable immediately upon (but only in the event of) a Closing of the Offering.

 

(b)                                 The term of the Placement Agent’s exclusive engagement will be until the completion of the Offering (the “Exclusive Term”); provided, however, that a party hereto may terminate the engagement with respect to itself at any time upon 10 days written notice to the other parties.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and contribution contained herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the indemnification provisions will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement, and the Company’s obligation to pay fees actually earned and payable and to reimburse expenses actually incurred and reimbursable pursuant to Section 1 hereof and which are permitted to be reimbursed under FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(D)(i), will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement.  Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to limit the ability of the Placement Agent or its Affiliates to pursue, investigate, analyze, invest in, or engage in investment banking, financial advisory or any other business relationship with Persons (as defined below) other than the Company. As used herein (i) “Persons” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind and (ii) “Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

(c)                                  In addition to the foregoing compensation, upon and subject to the occurrence of the Closing, the Company grants to the Placement Agent, for a period of eighteen (18) months from the final Closing, the Company grants the Placement Agent the right of first refusal to act as lead managing underwriter, book runner and/or placement agent for any and all future public and private equity and public debt offerings of the Company, or any successor to or any subsidiary of the Company, during such eighteen (18) month period (a “Subsequent Offering”).  The Company shall provide the Placement Agent with written notice of no less than three (3) business days following its election to engage in a Subsequent Offering, which notice shall describe the proposed terms and conditions of such Subsequent Offering.  The Placement Agent shall notify the Company within ten (10) days of its receipt of the written notice contemplated above as to whether or not it agrees to accept such retention. If Placement Agent should decline such retention, the Company shall have no further obligation to the Placement Agent, except as specifically provided for herein; provided, however, that if the Company has not consummated

 

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the Subsequent Offering with sixty (60) days of the Placement Agent’s election to decline a participation in the Subsequent Offering, the provisions of this Section 1(c) shall again become operative and enforceable.

 

Section 2.                                          Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Company.  The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Placement Agent as of the date hereof, and as of each Closing Date, as follows:

 

(a)                                 Securities Law Filings.  The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) the Registration Statement under the Securities Act, which was filed on April 27, 2016 and declared effective on May 23, 2016, for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act.  Following the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and the determination of pricing among the Company and the prospective Investors introduced to the Company by Placement Agent, the Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and 424(b) under the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission promulgated thereunder, a final prospectus relating to the placement of the Securities, their respective pricings and the plan of distribution thereof and will advise the Placement Agent of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein. Such registration statement, at any given time, including the exhibits thereto filed at such time, as amended at such time, 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 amended or supplemented form of prospectus, in the form in which it will be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and/or 424(b) (including the Base Prospectus as so amended or supplemented) is hereinafter called the “Prospectus Supplement.”  The Registration Statement at the time it originally becomes effective is hereinafter called the “Original Registration Statement.” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Original 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”), if any, which were or are filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), at any given time, 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 Original 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.  The Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to issue a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement or intends to commence a proceeding for any such purpose.

 

(b)                                 Assurances.  The Original Registration Statement, as amended, (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

 

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the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and did 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, and the Prospectus Supplement, each as of its respective date, comply or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations.  Each of the Base 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 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 promulgated thereunder, 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 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.  Except for this Agreement, 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. Except for this Agreement, there are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Base Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which have not been described or filed as required.

 

(c)                                  Offering Materials.  Neither the Company nor any of its directors and officers has distributed and none of them will distribute, prior to each Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Registration Statement, copies of the documents incorporated by reference therein and any other materials permitted by the Securities Act.

 

(d)                                 Subsidiaries.  All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company (the “Subsidiaries”) are set forth in the Incorporated Documents.  The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any liens, charges, security interests, encumbrances, rights of first refusal, preemptive rights or other restrictions (collectively, “Liens”), and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.

 

(e)                                  Organization and Qualification.  The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents.  Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except

 

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where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any other agreement entered into between the Company and the Investors, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under this Agreement or the transactions contemplated under the Prospectus Supplement (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened (“Proceeding”) has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.

 

(f)                                   Authorization; Enforcement.  The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus Supplement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder.  The execution and delivery of each of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and under the Prospectus Supplement have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) or the Company’s stockholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals (as defined below).  This Agreement has been duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.

 

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

 

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(h)                                 Filings, Consents and Approvals.  The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement, other than: (i) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus Supplement, and (ii) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).

 

(i)                                     Issuance of the Securities; Registration.  The Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the Prospectus Supplement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company.  The shares underlying the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”), when issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company.  The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of ADRs and Ordinary Shares issuable pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement.

 

(j)                                    Capitalization.  The capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Incorporated Documents.  The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of Ordinary Shares to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time any Ordinary Shares, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Ordinary Shares (“Ordinary Share Equivalents”) outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act.  No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement.  Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any Ordinary Sharesor the capital stock of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents or capital stock of any Subsidiary.  The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to issue Ordinary Shares or other securities to any Person (other than the Investors) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary.  The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement.  All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized.  All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.  No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the

 

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Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities.  There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.

 

(k)                                 SEC Reports; Financial Statements.  The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension.  As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The Company has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act.  The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing.  Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.

 

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

 

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at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.

 

(m)                             Litigation.  There is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty.  There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company.  The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(s)                                   Trademarks.  The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or material for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”).  None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a notice (written or otherwise) of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.  To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights.  The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy,

 

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confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(t)                                    Insurance.  The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.

 

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

 

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

 

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Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

(w)                               Certain Fees.  Except as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement.  The Investors shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement.

 

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

 

(y)                                 Registration Rights.  No Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

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

 

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

 

(bb)                          Disclosure.  Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its

 

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behalf has provided any of the Investors or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus Supplement.  The Company understands and confirms that the Investors will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.  All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Investors regarding the Company and, its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made and when made, not misleading.

 

(cc)                            No Integrated Offering.  Neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.

 

(dd)                          Solvency.  Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of each Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid.  The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt).  The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from each Closing Date.  The SEC Reports sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments.  For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.

 

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

 

(ff)                              Foreign Corrupt Practices.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.

 

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

 

(hh)                          Accountants.  The Company’s accounting firm is set forth in the Incorporated Documents.  To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.

 

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

 

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

 

(kk)                          U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation.  The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon Investor’s request.

 

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

 

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

 

(nn)                          Certificates.  Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Placement Agent as to the matters set forth therein.

 

(oo)                          Reliance.  The Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and warranties and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

(pp)                          Forward-Looking Statements.  No forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in either the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

 

(qq)                          Statistical or Market-Related Data.  Any statistical, industry-related and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.

 

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(rr)                                FINRA Affiliations.  There are no affiliations with any FINRA member firm among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent (5%) or greater stockholder of the Company.

 

(ss)                              Investor Representations.  In addition, the Placement Agent shall be entitled to rely on the accuracy of all representations and warranties made by the Company to Investors pursuant to the Transaction Documents.

 

Section 3.                                          Delivery and Payment.  Each Closing shall occur at the offices of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105 (“Placement Agent Counsel”) (or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Placement Agent and the Company).  Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, at each Closing payment of the purchase price for the Securities sold on such Closing Date shall be made by Federal Funds wire transfer, against delivery of such Securities, and such Securities shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in such denominations, as the Placement Agent may request at least one business day before the time of purchase (as defined below).

 

Deliveries of the documents with respect to the purchase of the Securities, if any, shall be made at the offices of Placement Agent Counsel.  All actions taken at a Closing shall be deemed to have occurred simultaneously.

 

Section 4.                                          Covenants and Agreements of the Company.  The Company further covenants and agrees with the Placement Agent as follows:

 

(a)                                 Registration Statement Matters.  The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly after it receives notice thereof of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to any Prospectus Supplement or any amended Prospectus Supplement has been filed and will furnish the Placement Agent with copies thereof.  The Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of any Prospectus Supplement and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the Offering.  The Company will advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof (i) of any request by the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement any Prospectus Supplement or for additional information, and (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any order directed at any Incorporated Document, if any, or any amendment or supplement thereto or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Base Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the institution or threatened institution of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or a Prospectus Supplement or for additional information. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or prevention or suspension of such use.  If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or order or notice of prevention or suspension at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment, or will file a new registration statement and use its best efforts to have such new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.  Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B and 430C, as applicable, under the Securities Act, including with

 

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respect to the timely filing of documents thereunder, and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) are received in a timely manner by the Commission.

 

(b)                                 Blue Sky Compliance.  The Company will cooperate with the Placement Agent and the Investors in endeavoring to qualify the Securities for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions (United States and foreign) as the Placement Agent and the Investors may reasonably request and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent, and provided further that the Company shall not be required to produce any new disclosure document other than a Prospectus Supplement.  The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports and other documents as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Placement Agent may reasonably request for distribution of the Securities.  The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(c)                                  Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus Supplement and Other Matters.  The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus Supplement.  If during the period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with the distribution of Securities contemplated by the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus Supplement (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the opinion of the Placement Agent or counsel for the Placement Agent, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus Supplement in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus Supplement or to file under the Exchange Act any Incorporated Document to comply with any law, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own expense to the Placement Agent and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus Supplement that is necessary in order to make the statements in the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus Supplement as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or so that the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus Supplement, as so amended or supplemented, will comply with law.  Before amending the Registration Statement or supplementing the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus Supplement in connection with the Offering, the Company will furnish the Placement Agent with a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement and will not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Placement Agent reasonably objects.

 

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(d)                                 Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus Supplement.  The Company will furnish the Placement Agent, without charge, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the last Closing Date of the Offering, as many copies of the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus Supplement and any amendments and supplements thereto (including any Incorporated Documents, if any) as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.

 

(e)                                  Free Writing Prospectus.  The Company covenants that it will not, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Company Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act.  In the event that the Placement Agent expressly consents in writing to any such free writing prospectus (a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”), the Company covenants that it shall (i) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Company Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) comply with the requirements of Rule 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.

 

(f)                                   Transfer Agent.  The Company will maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the ADRs.

 

(g)                                  Earnings Statement.  As soon as practicable and in accordance with applicable requirements under the Securities Act, but in any event not later than 18 months after the last Closing Date, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Placement Agent an earnings statement, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the last Closing Date, that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.

 

(h)                                 Periodic Reporting Obligations.  During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will duly file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the Trading Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act within the time periods and in the manner required by the Exchange Act.

 

(i)                                     Additional Documents.  The Company will enter into any subscription, purchase or other customary agreements as the Placement Agent or the Investors deem necessary or appropriate to consummate the Offering, all of which will be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Placement Agent and the Investors.  The Company agrees that the Placement Agent may rely upon, and each is a third party beneficiary of, the representations and warranties, and applicable covenants, set forth in any such purchase, subscription or other agreement with Investors in the Offering.

 

(j)                                    No Manipulation of Price.  The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.

 

(k)                                 Acknowledgment.  The Company acknowledges that any advice given by the Placement Agent to the Company is solely for the benefit and use of the Board of Directors of the

 

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Company and may not be used, reproduced, disseminated, quoted or referred to, without the Placement Agent’s prior written consent.

 

(l)                                     Announcement of Offering.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent may, subsequent to the Closing, make public its involvement with the Offering.

 

(m)                             Reliance on Others.  The Company confirms that it will rely on its own counsel and accountants for legal and accounting advice.

 

(n)                                 Research Matters.  By entering into this Agreement, the Placement Agent does not provide any promise, either explicitly or implicitly, of favorable or continued research coverage of the Company and the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent’s selection as a placement agent for the Offering was in no way conditioned, explicitly or implicitly, on the Placement Agent providing favorable or any research coverage of the Company.  In accordance with FINRA Rule 2711(e), the parties acknowledge and agree that the Placement Agent has not directly or indirectly offered favorable research, a specific rating or a specific price target, or threatened to change research, a rating or a price target, to the Company or inducement for the receipt of business or compensation.

 

Section 5.                                          Conditions of the Obligations of the Placement Agent.  The obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof, in each case as of the date hereof and as of each Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by each of the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder on and as of such dates, and to each of the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                 Accountants’ Comfort Letter.  On the date hereof, the Placement Agent shall have received, and the Company shall have caused to be delivered to the Placement Agent, a letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers (the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company), addressed to the Placement Agent, dated as of the date hereof, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.  The letter shall not disclose any change in the condition (financial or other), earnings, operations, business or prospects of the Company from that set forth in the Incorporated Documents or the applicable Prospectus Supplement, which, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Offering of the Securities as contemplated by such Prospectus Supplement.

 

(b)                                 Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from the FINRA.  Each Prospectus Supplement (in accordance with Rule 424(b)) and “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), if any, shall have been duly filed with the Commission, as appropriate; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order preventing or suspending the use of any Prospectus Supplement shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company shall have been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory

 

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authority or stock exchange; all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with; and the FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the placement terms and arrangements.

 

(c)                                  Corporate Proceedings.  All corporate proceedings and other legal matters in connection with this Agreement, the Registration Statement and each Prospectus Supplement, and the registration, sale and delivery of the Securities, shall have been completed or resolved in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent’s counsel, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information as it may reasonably have requested to enable such counsel to pass upon the matters referred to in this Section 5.

 

(d)                                 No Material Adverse Change.  Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to each Closing Date, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment after consultation with the Company, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect or any material adverse change or development involving a prospective material adverse change in the condition or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus (“Material Adverse Change”).

 

(e)                                  Opinion of Counsel for the Company.  The Placement Agent shall have received on each Closing Date the favorable opinion of legal counsel to the Company and Placement Agent, dated as of such Closing Date, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.

 

(f)                                   Officers’ Certificate.  The Placement Agent shall have received on each Closing Date a certificate of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect that, and the Placement Agent shall be satisfied that, the signers of such certificate have reviewed the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents, any Prospectus Supplement, and this Agreement and to the further effect that:

 

(i)                                     The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct, as if made on and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date;

 

(ii)                                  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Base Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened under the Securities Act; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company has been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States;

 

(iii)                               When the Registration Statement became effective, at the time of sale, and at all times subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, when such documents became

 

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effective or were filed with the Commission, contained all material information required to be included therein by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, did not and do not include 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 light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (provided, however, that the preceding representations and warranties contained in this paragraph (iii) shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for use therein) and, since the effective date of the Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder to be set forth in the Incorporated Documents which has not been so set forth; and

 

(iv)                              Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus Supplement, there has not been:  (a) any Material Adverse Change; (b) any transaction that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business; (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business; (d) any material change in the capital stock (except changes thereto resulting from the exercise of outstanding stock options or warrants) or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary; (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company; or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company or any Subsidiary which has been sustained or will have been sustained which has a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(g)                                  Bring-down Comfort Letter.  On each Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers, or such other independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, a letter dated as of such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than two business days prior to such Closing Date.

 

(h)                                 Stock Exchange Listing.  The ADRs shall be registered under the Exchange Act and shall be listed on the Trading Market, and the Company shall not have taken any action designed to terminate, or likely to have the effect of terminating, the registration of the ADRs under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the ADRs from the Trading Market, nor shall the Company have received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

 

(i)                                     Lock-Up Agreements. On the Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received the executed lock-up agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, from each of the directors and officers of the Company.

 

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(j)                                    Additional Documents.  On or before each Closing Date, the Placement Agent and counsel for the Placement Agent shall have received such information and documents as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

 

If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Placement Agent by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to a Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 6 (Payment of Expenses), Section 7 (Indemnification and Contribution) and Section 8 (Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery) shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 6.                                          Payment of Expenses.  The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation:  (i) all expenses incident to the issuance, delivery and qualification of the Securities (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the ADRs; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Base Prospectus and each Prospectus Supplement, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Placement Agent in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Securities for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the securities laws of any other country, and, if requested by the Placement Agent, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey,” an “International Blue Sky Survey” or other memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Placement Agent of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions; (vii) if applicable, the filing fees incident to the review and approval by the FINRA of the Placement Agent’s participation in the offering and distribution of the Securities; (viii) the fees and expenses associated with including the ADRs and Warrant Shares on the Trading Market; (ix) all costs and expenses incident to the travel and accommodation of the Company’s; and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Part II of the Registration Statement.

 

Section 7.                                          Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a)  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each person controlling the Placement Agent (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act), and the directors, officers, agents and employees of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each such controlling person (the Placement Agent, and each such entity or person. an “Indemnified Person”) from and against any losses, claims, damages, judgments, assessments, costs and other liabilities (collectively, the “Liabilities”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all fees and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of one counsel for all Indemnified Persons, except as otherwise expressly provided herein) (collectively, the “Expenses”) as they are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any Actions, whether or not any Indemnified Person is a party thereto, (i) caused by, or arising out of or in connection with, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a

 

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material fact contained in any Incorporated Document or by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (other than untrue statements or alleged untrue statements in, or omissions or alleged omissions from, information relating to an Indemnified Person furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person expressly for use in the Incorporated Documents) or (ii) otherwise arising out of or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person’s actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions; provided, however, that, in the case of clause (ii) only, the Company shall not be responsible for any Liabilities or Expenses of any Indemnified Person that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person’s (x) gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any of the advice, actions, inactions or services referred to above or (y) use of any offering materials or information concerning the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities in the Offering which were not authorized for such use by the Company and which use constitutes gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Company also agrees to reimburse each Indemnified Person for all Expenses as they are incurred in connection with enforcing such Indemnified Person’s rights under this Agreement.

 

(b)                                 Upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of actual notice of an Action against such Indemnified Person with respect to which indemnity may be sought under this Agreement, such Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Company in writing; provided that failure by any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have on account of this indemnity or otherwise to such Indemnified Person, except to the extent the Company shall have been prejudiced by such failure. The Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, assume the defense of any such Action including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, which counsel may also be counsel to the Company. Any Indemnified Person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless: (i) the Company has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such Action (including any impeded parties) include such Indemnified Person and the Company, and such Indemnified Person shall have been advised in the reasonable opinion of counsel that there is an actual conflict of interest that prevents the counsel selected by the Company from representing both the Company (or another client of such counsel) and any Indemnified Person; provided that the Company shall not in such event be responsible hereunder for the fees and expenses of more than one firm of separate counsel for all Indemnified Persons in connection with any Action or related Actions, in addition to any local counsel. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any Action effected without its written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld).  In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened Action in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Indemnified Person is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination includes an unconditional release of each Indemnified Person from all Liabilities arising out of such Action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder. The indemnification required hereby shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred and is due and payable.

 

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(c)                                  In the event that the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to an Indemnified Person other than in accordance with this Agreement, the Company shall contribute to the Liabilities and Expenses paid or payable by such Indemnified Person in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by the immediately preceding clause is not permitted by applicable law, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, in connection with the matters as to which such Liabilities or Expenses relate, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided that in no event shall the Company contribute less than the amount necessary to ensure that all Indemnified Persons, in the aggregate, are not liable for any Liabilities and Expenses in excess of the amount of fees actually received by the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement. For purposes of this paragraph, the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (a) the total value paid or contemplated to be paid to or received or contemplated to be received by the Company in the transaction or transactions that are within the scope of this Agreement, whether or not any such transaction is consummated, bears to (b) the fees paid to the Placement Agent under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act, as amended, shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

(d)                                 The Company also agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person’s actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions except for Liabilities (and related Expenses) of the Company that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any such advice, actions, inactions or services.

 

(e)                                  The reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations of the Company set forth herein shall apply to any modification of this Agreement and shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any Indemnified Person’s services under or in connection with, this Agreement.

 

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Section 8.                                          Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery.  The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or any person controlling the Company, of its officers, and of the Placement Agent set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the Company, or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.  A successor to a Placement Agent, or to the Company, its directors or officers or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Agreement.

 

Section 9.                                          Notices.  All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered, telecopied or e-mailed and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

 

If to the Placement Agent to the address set forth above, attention: David Boral, e-mail: dboral@aegiscap.com

 

With a copy to:

 

Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP

1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor

New York, New York 10105

E-Mail: bigrossman@egsllp.com

Attention:  Barry I. Grossman, Esq.

 

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If to the Company:

 

Genetic Technologies Limited

60 Hanover Street

Fitzroy, VIC 3065

Attention: Paul Kasian, Chairman & CEO

 

With a copy to:

 

Sichenzia Ross Ference LLP

1185 Avenue of the Americas, 37th Floor

New York, NY  10036

Email: dmocasio@srf.law

Attention:  Darrin Ocasio, Esq.

 

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

 

Section 10.                                   Successors.  This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in ection 7 hereof, and to their respective successors, and personal representative, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

 

Section 11.                                   Partial Unenforceability.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof.  If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

Section 12.                                   Governing Law Provisions.  This Agreement shall be deemed to have been made and delivered in New York City and both this engagement letter and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed as to validity, interpretation, construction, effect and in all other respects by the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.  Each of the Placement Agent and the Company: (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this engagement letter 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.  Notwithstanding any provision of this engagement letter to the contrary, the Company agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor its affiliates, and the respective officers, directors, employees, agents and

 

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representatives of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each other person, if any, controlling the Placement Agent or any of its affiliates, shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with the engagement and transaction described herein except for any such liability for losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred by us that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the bad faith or gross negligence of such individuals or entities.  If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provision of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

Section 13.                                   General Provisions.

 

(a)                                 This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.  This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.  Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

(b)                                 The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Placement Agent has acted at arm’s length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to the Company or any other person, (ii) the Placement Agent owes the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and (iii) the Placement Agent may have interests that differ from those of the Company.  The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Placement Agent arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities

 

[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign below whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

	
 
    	
Very truly yours,
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
AEGIS CAPITAL CORP.,
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/ David W. Boral
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name: David W. Boral
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title: Co-Head of   Investment Banking
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
/s/ Joseph T. Rallo
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Name: Joseph T. Rallo
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Title: Co-Head of   Investment Banking
    

 

The foregoing Placement Agency Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

 

	
GENETIC TECHNOLOGIES LTD
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
/s/   Paul Kasian
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Name: Paul Kasian
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Title:   Chairman & CEO
    	
 
    

 

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