Document:

ex10-11.htm

Exhibit 10.11

 

HECLA MINING COMPANY 2010 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

Section 1.                      Purpose; Definitions

 

        The purpose of the Plan is to give the Corporation the ability to attract, retain and motivate members of the Board of Directors, officers, employees and certain independent consultants, and to provide the Corporation, its subsidiaries and any member of a controlled group of corporations, as determined in accordance with Section 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to which the Corporation is a member, with the ability to provide incentives more directly linked to the returns to shareholders.

For purposes of the Plan, the following terms are defined as set forth below:

(a)           “Affiliate” means a corporation or other entity that is: (i) a member of a controlled group of corporations or entities as determined in accordance with Section 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to which the Corporation is a member, and (ii) designated by the Committee from time to time as such.

 

(b)           “Award” means a Stock Appreciation Right, Stock Option, Restricted Stock, Performance Units, or Stock Award.

 

(c)           “Award Cycle” means a fiscal year or a period of consecutive fiscal years or portions thereof designated by the Committee over which Performance Units are to be earned.

 

(d)           “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

 

(e)           “Cause” means: (i) conviction of the optionee for committing a felony under federal law or the law of the state in which such action occurred; (ii) dishonesty in the course of fulfilling the optionee’s employment duties; or (iii) willful and deliberate failure on the part of the optionee to perform his or her employment duties in any material respect, or such other events as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee shall have the sole discretion to determine whether “Cause” exists, and its determination shall be final and binding on all interested parties.

 

(f)            “Change-in-Control” and “Change-in-Control Price” have the meanings set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of Section 11, respectively.

 

(g)           “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and any successor thereto.

 

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

 

(i)            “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Corporation or such other committee referred to in Section 2.

 

  

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(j)            “Common Stock” means common stock, par value $0.25 per share, of the Corporation.

 

(k)           “Corporation” means Hecla Mining Company, a Delaware corporation.

 

(l)            “Covered Employee” means a participant designated prior to the grant of shares of an Award by the Committee who is or may be a “covered employee” within the meaning of Section 162(m)(3) of the Code in the year in which the Award is expected to be taxable to such participant.

 

(m)          “Disability” means permanent and total disability as determined under procedures established by the Committee for purposes of the Plan.

 

(n)           “Disinterested Person” means a member of the Board who qualifies as a disinterested person as defined in Rule 16b-3(c)(2), as promulgated by the Commission under the Exchange Act, or any successor definition adopted by the Commission.

 

(o)           “Early Retirement” means retirement from active employment with the Corporation, a subsidiary or Affiliate pursuant to the early retirement provisions of the applicable pension plan of such employer.

 

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

 

(q)           “Fair Market Value” means, as of any given date, the value of a share of Common Stock determined as follows:  (a) if the Common Stock is listed on any (i) established securities exchange (such as the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Global Market and the NASDAQ Global Select Market); (ii) national market system; or (iii) automated quotation system on which the shares of Common Stock are listed, quoted or traded, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for a share of Common Stock as quoted on such exchange or system for such date or, if there is no closing sales price for a share of Common Stock on the date in question, the closing sales price for a share of Common Stock 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; (b) if there is no regular public trading market for such Common Stock, the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock shall be determined by the Committee reasonably and in good faith.

 

(r)            “Incentive Stock Option” means any Stock Option designated as, and qualified as, an “Incentive Stock Option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

 

(s)           “Nonqualified Stock Option” means any Stock Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(t)            “Normal Retirement” means retirement from active employment by the employee with the Corporation, a subsidiary or Affiliate on or after the date on which the employee attains age 65.

 

  

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(u)           “Performance Goals” mean any performance goals established by the Committee prior to the grant of Restricted Stock or Performance Units, which may include, but shall not be limited to, the attainment of specified levels of earnings per share from continuing operations, operating income, revenues, return on operating assets, return on equity, stockholder return (measured in terms of stock price appreciation) and/or total stockholder return (measured in terms of stock price appreciation and/or dividend growth), reserve growth, achievement of cost control, production targets at specific mines or company-wide, or such subsidiary, division or department of the Corporation for or within which the participant is primarily employed or the stock price of the Corporation and that are intended to qualify under Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code. Such Performance Goals also may be based upon attaining specified levels of Corporation performance under one or more of the measures established by the Committee, which may include those described above relative to the performance of other corporations. Such Performance Goals shall be set by the Committee within the time period prescribed by Section 162(m) of the Code and Section 1.162-27 of the Treasury Regulations or any such successor regulations.

 

(v)           “Performance Units” means an award made pursuant to Section 8.

 

(w)          “Plan” means the Hecla Mining Company 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as set forth herein and as hereinafter amended from time to time.

 

(x)           “Restricted Stock” means an award granted under Section 7.

 

(y)           “Retirement” means Normal or Early Retirement.

 

(z)           “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3, as promulgated by the Commission under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, as amended from time to time.

 

(aa)         “Stock Appreciation Right” means a right granted under Section 6.

 

(bb)         “Stock Award” means an award granted under Section 9.

 

(cc)         “Stock Option” means an option granted under Section 5.

 

(dd)         “Termination of Employment” means the termination of the employment of a participant with the Corporation and any subsidiary or Affiliate. A participant employed by a subsidiary or an Affiliate shall also be deemed to incur a Termination of Employment if the subsidiary or Affiliate ceases to be such a subsidiary or an Affiliate, as the case may be, and the participant does not immediately thereafter become an employee of the Corporation or another subsidiary or Affiliate. Temporary absences from employment because of illness, vacation or leave of absence and transfers among the Corporation and its subsidiaries and Affiliates shall not be considered Terminations of Employment.

 

In addition, certain other terms used herein have definitions given to them in the first place in which they are used.

  

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Section 2.                      Administration

 

Except as herein provided, the Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board or such other committee of the Board as the Board may from time to time designate (the “Committee”), which shall be composed of not less than two Disinterested Persons, each of whom shall be an “outside director” for purposes of Section 162(m)(4) of the Code, and shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of, the Board; however, in the case of the chief executive officer, the Plan shall be administered by the independent members of the Board as provided below.

Notwithstanding anything herein apparently to the contrary, the independent members of the Board shall have full and complete authority to act under this Plan, in the same manner and with the same authority as the Committee, with respect to the administration of the Plan as to all grants of Awards pursuant to the terms of the Plan regarding the chief executive officer of the Corporation.

Except as otherwise provided above, the Committee shall have plenary authority to grant Awards pursuant to the terms of the Plan to members of the Board, officers, employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries and Affiliates and certain independent consultants.

The Committee shall also have the authority and responsibility to make recommendations to the independent members of the Board with respect to any Awards granted under the terms of the Plan.

Among other things, the Committee shall have the authority, subject to the terms of the Plan:

(a)           to select the members of the Board, employees, and certain independent consultants to whom Awards may from time to time be granted;

 

(b)           determine whether and to what extent Incentive Stock Options, Nonqualified Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Performance Units, Stock Awards or any combination thereof are to be granted hereunder;

 

(c)           determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be covered by each Award granted hereunder;

 

(d)           determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted hereunder (including, but not limited to, the option price (subject to Section 5(a)), any vesting condition, restriction or limitation (which may be related to the performance of the participant, the Corporation or any subsidiary or Affiliate) and any vesting acceleration or forfeiture waiver regarding any Award and the shares of Common Stock relating thereto, based on such factors as the Committee shall determine; provided, however, that the Committee shall have no authority to reprice existing Stock Options under the Plan without shareholder approval;

 

(e)           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; provided however, that the Committee may not adjust upwards the amount payable to a designated Covered Employee with respect to a particular award upon the satisfaction of applicable Performance Goals;

 

  

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(f)            determine to what extent and under what circumstances Common Stock and other amounts payable with respect to an Award shall be deferred; and

 

(g)           determine under what circumstances an Award may be settled in cash or Common Stock under Sections 5(j) and 8(b)(i).

 

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 agreement relating thereto) and to otherwise supervise the administration of the Plan.

The Committee may act only by a majority of its members then in office, except that the members thereof may authorize any one or more of their number or any officer of the Corporation to execute and deliver documents on behalf of the Committee.

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.  Except in the case of Awards granted to the chief executive officer of the Corporation which will be made by the independent members of the Board, 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 interested parties, including the Corporation and Plan participants.

Section 3.                      Common Stock Subject to Plan

 

The total number of shares of Common Stock reserved and available for grant under the Plan shall be 20,000,000. Shares subject to an Award under the Plan may be authorized and unissued shares or may be treasury shares.

Subject to Section 7(c)(iv), if any shares of Restricted Stock are forfeited for which the participant did not receive any benefits of ownership (as such phrase is construed by the Commission or its Staff), or if any Stock Option (and related Stock Appreciation Right, if any) terminates without being exercised, or if any Stock Appreciation Right is exercised for cash, shares subject to such Awards shall again be available for distribution in connection with Awards under the Plan.

In the event of any change in corporate capitalization, such as a stock split, or a corporate transaction, such as any merger, consolidation, separation, including a spin off, or other distribution of stock or property of the Corporation, any reorganization (whether or not such reorganization comes within the definition of such term in Section 368 of the Code) or any partial or complete liquidation of the Corporation, the Committee or Board may make such substitution or adjustments in the aggregate number and kind of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan, in the number, kind and option price of shares subject to outstanding Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, in the number and kind of shares subject to other outstanding Awards granted under the Plan and/or such other equitable substitution or adjustments as it may determine to be appropriate in its sole discretion; provided however, that the number of shares subject to any Award shall always be a whole number. Such adjusted option price shall also be used to determine the amount payable by the Corporation upon the exercise of any Stock Appreciation Right associated with any Stock Option.

  

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Section 4.                      Eligibility

 

Except as otherwise required under Section 422 of the Code, members of the Board, officers, employees, and certain independent consultants for the Corporation, its subsidiaries and Affiliates who are responsible for or contribute to the management, growth, profitability or operation of the business of the Corporation, its subsidiaries and Affiliates are eligible to be granted Awards under the Plan.

Section 5.                      Stock 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 Nonqualified 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, Nonqualified Stock Options or both types of Stock Options (in each case with or without Stock Appreciation Rights); provided however, that grants hereunder are subject to the total number of shares of Common Stock reserved and available for grant pursuant to Section 3. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries (within the meaning of 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 Nonqualified Stock Option.

Stock Options shall be evidenced by option agreements with participants, the terms and provisions of which may differ with respect to each participant. An option agreement shall indicate on its face whether it is intended to be an agreement for an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified 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 of Common Stock to be subject to such Stock Option to be granted to such individual and specifies the terms and provisions of the Stock Option. The Corporation shall promptly notify a participant of any grant of a Stock Option, and a written option agreement or agreements shall be duly executed and delivered by the Corporation to the participant. Such agreement or agreements shall become effective upon execution by the Corporation and the participant.

Anything in the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, no term of the Plan relating to Incentive Stock Options shall be interpreted, amended or altered nor shall any discretion or authority granted under the Plan be exercised so as to disqualify the Plan under Section 422 of the Code or, without the consent of the optionee affected, to disqualify any Incentive Stock Option under such Section 422.

  

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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)           Option Price. The option price per share of Common Stock purchasable under a Stock Option shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the option 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; provided, however, that if a participant owns stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Corporation or of its parent or any subsidiary, the option price per share of an Incentive Stock Option granted to such participant shall not be less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock per share on the date of the grant of the option.

 

 

(b)           Option Term. The term of each Stock Option shall be fixed by the Committee, but no Stock Option shall be exercisable more than ten (10) years after the date the Stock Option is granted; provided, however, that in the event a Stock Option would expire during a black-out period, as such period is determined under the terms of the then currently effective insider trader policy of the Corporation, the term of any such Stock Option shall automatically be extended for a period of sixty (60) days after the end of such black-out period; further provided, however, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to an optionee who, at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted, owns Common Stock representing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Corporation or of its parent or any subsidiary thereof, the term of the Incentive Stock Option shall be five (5) years from the date of grant or such shorter term as may be provided in the option agreement.

 

(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, based on such factors as the Committee may determine. In addition, the Committee may at any time accelerate the exercisability of any Stock Option.

 

(d)           Method of Exercise. Subject to the provisions of this Section 5, Stock Options may be exercised, in whole or in part, at any time during the option term by giving written notice of exercise to the Company specifying the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Stock Option to be purchased.

 

Such notice shall be accompanied by payment in full of the purchase price by certified or bank check, wire transfer or such other method of payment or negotiable instrument as the Corporation may accept. If approved by the Committee, payment, in full or in part, may also be made in the form of unrestricted Common Stock already owned by the optionee of the same class as the Common Stock subject to the Stock Option (based on the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date the Stock Option is exercised); 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 Common Stock of the same class as the Common Stock subject to the Stock Option may be authorized only at the time the Stock Option is granted and must have been owned by the optionee for more than six (6) months on the date of surrender.

  

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If payment of the option exercise price of a Nonqualified Stock Option is made, in whole or in part, in the form of unrestricted Common Stock, the number of shares of Common Stock to be received upon such exercise equal to the number of shares of unrestricted Common Stock used for payment of the option exercise price shall be subject to the same restrictions or other limitations to which such unrestricted Common Stock was subject, unless otherwise determined by the Committee.

In the discretion of the Committee, payment for any shares subject to a Stock Option may also be made by delivering a properly executed exercise notice to the Corporation, together with a copy of irrevocable instructions to a broker to deliver promptly to the Corporation the amount of sale or loan proceeds to pay the purchase price, and, if requested, by the amount of any federal, state, local or foreign withholding taxes. To facilitate the foregoing, the Corporation may enter into agreements for coordinated procedures with one or more brokerage firms.

In addition, in the discretion of the Committee, payment for any shares subject to a Stock Option may also be made by instructing the Committee to withhold a number of such shares having a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the aggregate exercise price of such Stock Option.

No shares of Common Stock shall be issued until full payment therefore has been made.  An optionee shall have all of the rights of a stockholder of the Corporation holding the class or series of Common Stock 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, has paid in full for such shares and, if requested, has given the representation described in Section 14(a).

(e)           Nontransferability of Stock Options. No Stock Option shall be transferable by the optionee other than: (i) by will or by the laws of descent and distribution consistent with Section 422(b)(5) of the Code; or (ii) in the case of a Nonqualified Stock Option, pursuant to: (a) a qualified domestic relations order (as defined in Section 414(p) of the Code and Section 206(d) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or the rules thereunder) or (b) a gift to such optionee’s children, whether directly or indirectly or by means of a trust or partnership or otherwise, if expressly permitted under the applicable option agreement. If an Incentive Stock Option is transferred pursuant to a domestic relations order, the Stock Option does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option as of the day of such transfer. All Stock Options shall be exercisable, during the optionee’s lifetime, only by the optionee or by the guardian or legal representative of the optionee or, in the case of a Nonqualified Stock Option, its alternative payee pursuant to such qualified domestic relations order, it being understood that the terms “holder” and “optionee” include the guardian and legal representative of the optionee named in the option agreement and any person to whom an option is transferred by will or the laws of descent and distribution or, in the case of a Nonqualified Stock Option, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order or a gift permitted under the applicable option agreement.

 

  

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(f)            Termination by Death. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, if an optionee’s employment terminates by reason of death, any Stock Option held by such optionee may thereafter be exercised, to the extent then exercisable, or on such accelerated basis as the Committee may determine, for a period of one year (or such other period as the Committee may specify in the option agreement) from the date of such death or until the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Option, whichever period is the shorter.

 

(g)           Termination by Reason of Disability. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, if an optionee’s employment terminates by reason of Disability, any Stock Option held by such optionee may thereafter be exercised by the optionee, to the extent it was exercisable at the time of termination, or on such accelerated basis as the Committee may determine, for a period of three years (or such shorter period as the Committee may specify in the option agreement) from the date of such termination of employment or until the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Option, whichever period is the shorter; provided however, that if the optionee dies within such period, any unexercised Stock Option held by such optionee shall, notwithstanding the expiration of such period, continue to be exercisable to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of death for a period of 12 months from the date of such death or until the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Option, whichever period is the shorter. In the event of termination of employment by reason of Disability, if an Incentive Stock Option is exercised after the expiration of the exercise periods that apply for purposes of Section 422 of the Code, such Stock Option will thereafter be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option.

 

(h)           Other Termination. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee: (i) if an optionee incurs a Termination of Employment for Cause, all Stock Options held by such optionee shall thereupon terminate; and (ii) if an optionee incurs a Termination of Employment for any reason other than death, Disability or Retirement or for Cause, any Stock Option held by such optionee, to the extent then exercisable, or on such accelerated basis as the Committee may determine, may be exercised for the lesser of three months from the date of such Termination of Employment or the balance of such Stock Option’s term; provided however, that if the optionee dies within such three-month period, any unexercised Stock Option held by such optionee shall, notwithstanding the expiration of such three-month period, continue to be exercisable to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of death for a period of 12 months from the date of such death or until the expiration of the stated term of Termination by Reason of Retirement. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, if an optionee’s employment terminates by reason of Retirement, any Stock Option held by such optionee may thereafter be exercised by the optionee, to the extent it was exercisable at the time of such Retirement, or on such accelerated basis as the Committee may determine, for a period of five years (or such shorter period as the Committee may specify in the option agreement) from the date of such termination of employment or until the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Option, whichever period is the shorter; provided however, that if the optionee dies within such period any unexercised Stock Option held by such optionee shall, notwithstanding the expiration of such period, continue to be exercisable to the extent to which it was exercisable at the time of death for a period of 12 months from the date of such death or until the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Option, whichever period is the shorter. In the event of termination of employment by reason of Retirement, if an Incentive Stock Option is exercised after the expiration of the exercise periods that apply for purposes of Section 422 of the Code, such Stock Option will thereafter be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option.

 

  

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(i)            Termination at or after a Change-in-Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an optionee incurs a Termination of Employment at or after a Change-in-Control (as defined Section 11(b)), other than by reason of death, Disability or Retirement, any Stock Option held by such optionee shall be exercisable for the lesser of:  (i) six months and one day from the date of such Termination of Employment, and (ii) the balance of such Stock Option’s term. In the event of Termination of Employment, if an Incentive Stock Option is exercised after the expiration of the exercise periods that apply for purposes of Section 422 of the Code, such Stock Option will thereafter be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option.

 

(j)            Cashing Out of Stock Option. On receipt of written notice of exercise, the Committee may elect to cash out all or part of the portion of the shares of Common Stock for which a Stock Option is being exercised by paying the optionee an amount, in cash or Common Stock, equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock over the option price multiplied by the number of shares of Common Stock for which the Option is being exercised on the effective date of such cash-out.

 

Cash-outs pursuant to this Section 5(j) relating to Options held by optionees who are actually or potentially subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act shall comply with the “window period” provisions of Rule 16b-3, to the extent applicable, and, in the case of cash-outs of Nonqualified Stock Options held by such optionees, the Committee shall use Fair Market Value.

(k)           Change-in-Control Cash-Out. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, during the 60-day period from and after a Change-in-Control (the “Exercise Period”), unless the Committee shall determine otherwise at the time of grant, an optionee shall have the right, whether or not the Stock Option is fully exercisable and in lieu of the payment of the exercise price for the shares of Common Stock being purchased under the Stock Option and by giving notice to the Corporation, to elect (within the Exercise Period) to surrender all or part of the Stock Option to the Corporation and to receive cash, within 30 days of such notice, in an amount equal to the amount by which the Change-in-Control Price per share of Common Stock on the date of such election shall exceed the exercise price per share of Common Stock under the Stock Option (the “Spread”) multiplied by the number of shares of Common Stock granted under the Stock Option as to which the right granted under this Section 5(k) shall have been exercised; provided however, that if the Change-in-Control is within six months of the date of grant of a particular Stock Option held by an optionee who is an officer or director of the Corporation and is subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, no such election shall be made by such optionee with respect to such Stock Option prior to six months from the date of grant. However, if the end of such 60-day period from and after a Change-in-Control is within six months of the date of grant of a Stock Option held by an optionee who is an officer or director of the Corporation and is subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, such Stock Option shall be canceled in exchange for a cash payment to the optionee, effective on the day which is six months and one day after the date of grant of such Option, equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock over the option price multiplied by the number of shares of Common Stock granted under the Stock Option.

 

(l)            $100,000 Per Year First Exercisable Limitation. Stock Options are not treated as Incentive Stock Options, but are instead treated as Nonqualified Stock Options, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any optionee during any calendar year (under all plans of the Corporation and its parent and subsidiary corporations) exceeds $100,000.

 

  

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Section 6.                      Stock Appreciation Rights

 

(a)           Grant and Exercise. Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted in conjunction with all or part of any Stock Option granted under the Plan. In the case of a Nonqualified Stock Option, such rights may be granted either at or after the time of grant of such Stock Option. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, such rights may be granted only at the time of grant of such Stock Option. A Stock Appreciation Right shall terminate and no longer be exercisable upon the termination or exercise of the related Stock Option.

 

A Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised by an optionee in accordance with Section 6(b) by surrendering the applicable portion of the related Stock Option in accordance with procedures established by the Committee. Upon such exercise and surrender, the optionee shall be entitled to receive an amount determined in the manner prescribed in Section 6(b). Stock Options which have been so surrendered shall no longer be exercisable to the extent the related Stock Appreciation Rights have been exercised.

(b)           Terms and Conditions. Stock Appreciation Rights shall be subject to such terms and conditions as shall be determined by the Committee, including the following:

 

(i)             Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable only at such time or times and to the extent that the Stock Options to which they relate are exercisable in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 and this Section 6; provided however, that a Stock Appreciation Right shall not be exercisable during the first six months of its term by an optionee who is actually or potentially subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, except that this limitation shall not apply in the event of death or Disability of the optionee prior to the expiration of the six-month period.

 

(ii)            Upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, an optionee shall be entitled to receive an amount in cash, shares of Common Stock or both equal in value to the excess of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock over the option price per share specified in the related Stock Option multiplied by the number of shares in respect of which the Stock Appreciation Right shall have been exercised, with the Committee having the right to determine the form of payment.

 

In the case of Stock Appreciation Rights relating to Stock Options held by optionees who are actually or potentially subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, the Committee:

(1)           may require that such Stock Appreciation Rights be exercised for cash only in accordance with the applicable “window period” provisions of Rule 16b-3; and

 

(2)           in the case of Stock Appreciation Rights relating to Nonqualified Stock Options, may provide that the amount to be paid in cash upon exercise of such Stock Appreciation Rights during a Rule 16b-3 “window period” shall be based on the Fair Market Value.

 

  

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(iii)           Stock Appreciation Rights shall be transferable only to permitted transferees of the underlying Stock Option in accordance with Section 5(e).

 

(iv)           Upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, the Stock Option or part thereof to which such Stock Appreciation Right is related shall be deemed to have been exercised for the purpose of the limitation set forth in Section 3 on the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued under the Plan, but only to the extent of the number of shares covered by the Stock Appreciation Right at the time of exercise based on the value of the Stock Appreciation Right at such time.

 

Section 7.                      Restricted Stock

 

(a)           Administration. Shares of Restricted Stock may be awarded either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan. The Committee shall determine the members of the Board, officers, employees or independent 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 (subject to the total number of shares of Common Stock reserved and available for grant pursuant to Section 3), 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 7(c).

 

The Committee may, prior to grant, condition vesting of Restricted Stock upon the attainment of Performance Goals. The Committee may, in addition to requiring satisfaction of Performance Goals, condition vesting upon the continued service of the participant. The provisions of Restricted Stock Awards (including the applicable Performance Goals) need not be the same with respect to each recipient.

(b)           Awards 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 referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Award, substantially in the following form:

 

“The transferability of this certificate and the shares of stock represented hereby are subject to the terms and conditions (including forfeiture) of the Hecla Mining Company 2010 Stock Incentive Plan and a Restricted Stock Agreement. Copies of such Plan and Agreement are on file at the offices of Hecla Mining Company, 6500 N. Mineral Drive, Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83815-9408.”

The Committee may require that the certificates evidencing such shares be held in custody by the Corporation 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.

  

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

 

(i)             Subject to the provisions of the Plan (including Section 5(d)) and the Restricted Stock Agreement referred to in Section 7(c)(vi), during the period, if any, set by the Committee, commencing with the date of such Award for which such participant’s continued service is required (the “Restriction Period”), and until the later of: (A) the expiration of the Restriction Period, and (B) the date the applicable Performance Goals (if any) are satisfied, the participant shall not be permitted to sell, assign, transfer, pledge or otherwise encumber shares of Restricted Stock; provided, that the foregoing shall not prevent a participant from pledging Restricted Stock as security for a loan, the sole purpose of which is to provide funds to pay the option price for Stock Options. 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 or upon performance; provided however, that in the case of Restricted Stock subject to Performance Goals granted to a participant who is a Covered Employee, the applicable Performance Goals have been satisfied.

 

(ii)            Except as provided in this paragraph (ii) and Section 7(c)(i) and the Restricted Stock Agreement, the participant shall have, with respect to the shares of Restricted Stock, all of the rights of a stockholder of the Corporation holding the class or series of Common Stock that is the subject of the Restricted Stock, including, if applicable, the right to vote the shares and the right to receive any cash dividends. If so determined by the Committee in the applicable Restricted Stock Agreement and subject to Section 14(e) of the Plan, (A) cash dividends on the class or series of Common Stock that is the subject of the Restricted Stock Award shall be automatically deferred and reinvested in additional Restricted Stock, held subject to the vesting of the underlying Restricted Stock, or held subject to meeting Performance Goals applicable only to dividends, and (B) dividends payable in Common Stock shall be paid in the form of Restricted Stock of the same class as the Common Stock with which such dividend was paid, held subject to vesting of the underlying Restricted Stock, or held subject to meeting Performance Goals applicable only to dividends.

 

(iii)           Except to the extent otherwise provided in the applicable Restricted Stock Agreement and Sections 7(c)(i), 7(c)(iv) and 11(a)(ii), upon a participant’s Termination of Employment for any reason during the Restriction Period or before the applicable Performance Goals are satisfied, all shares still subject to restriction shall be forfeited by the participant.

 

(iv)           Except to the extent otherwise provided in Section 11(a)(ii), in the event that a participant retires or such participant’s employment is involuntarily terminated (other than for Cause), the Committee shall have the discretion to waive, in whole or in part, any or all remaining restrictions (other than, in the case of Restricted Stock with respect to which a participant is a Covered Employee, satisfaction of the applicable Performance Goals unless the participant’s employment is terminated by reason of death or Disability) with respect to any or all of such participant’s shares of Restricted Stock.

 

  

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(v)           If and when any applicable Performance Goals are satisfied and the Restriction Period expires without a prior forfeiture of the Restricted Stock, unlegended certificates for such shares shall be delivered to the participant upon surrender of the legended certificates.

 

(vi)           Each Award shall be confirmed by, and be subject to the terms of, a Restricted Stock Agreement.

 

Section 8.                      Performance Units

 

(a)           Administration. Performance Units may be awarded either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan. The Committee shall determine the members of the Board, officers, employees, or independent consultants to whom and the time or times at which Performance Units shall be awarded, the number of Performance Units to be awarded to any participant (subject to the total number of shares of Common Stock reserved and available for grant pursuant to Section 3), the duration of the Award Cycle and any other terms and conditions of the Award, in addition to those contained in Section 8(b).

 

The Committee may condition the settlement of Performance Units upon the continued service of the participant, the attainment of Performance Goals, or both. The provisions of such Awards (including the applicable Performance Goals) need not be the same with respect to each recipient.

(b)           Terms and Conditions. Performance Units Awards shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)             Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the Performance Units Agreement referred to in Section 8(b)(vi), Performance Units may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered during the Award Cycle. At the expiration of the Award Cycle, the Committee shall evaluate the Corporation’s performance in light of the Performance Goals for such Award to the extent applicable, and shall determine the number of Performance Units granted to the participant which have been earned and the Committee may then elect to deliver: (A) a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Performance Units determined by the Committee to have been earned, or (B) cash equal to the Fair Market Value of such number of shares of Common Stock to the participant.

 

(ii)            Except to the extent otherwise provided in the applicable Performance Unit Agreement and Sections 8(b)(iii) and 11(a)(iii), upon a participant’s Termination of Employment for any reason during the Award Cycle or before any applicable Performance Goals are satisfied, the rights to the shares still covered by the Performance Units Award shall be forfeited by the participant.

 

(iii)           Except to the extent otherwise provided in Section 11(a)(iii), in the event that a participant’s employment is terminated (other than for Cause), or in the event a participant retires, the Committee shall have the discretion to waive, in whole or in part, any or all remaining payment limitations (other than, in the case of Performance Units with respect to which a participant is a Covered Employee, satisfaction of any applicable Performance Goals unless the participant’s employment is terminated by reason of death or Disability) with respect to any or all of such participant’s Performance Units.

 

  

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(iv)           A participant may elect to further defer receipt of the Performance Units payable under an Award (or an installment of an Award) for a specified period or until a specified event, subject in each case to the Committee’s approval and to such terms as are determined by the Committee (the “Elective Deferral Period”) and, if applicable, compliance with Section 409A and the regulations issued under Section 409A. Subject to any exceptions adopted by the Committee, such election must generally be made prior to commencement of the Award Cycle for the Award (or for such installment of an Award).

 

(v)           If and when any applicable Performance Goals are satisfied and the Elective Deferral Period expires without a prior forfeiture of the Performance Units, payment in accordance with Section 8(b)(i) hereof shall be made to the participant.

 

(vi)           Each Award shall be confirmed by, and be subject to the terms of, a Performance Unit Agreement.

 

Section 9.                      Stock Awards

 

(a)           Administration. Stock Awards may be awarded either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan. The Committee shall determine the members of the Board, officers, employees, or independent consultants to whom and the time or times at which Stock Awards shall be awarded, the number of Stock Awards to be awarded to a participant (subject to the total number of shares of Common Stock reserved and available for grant pursuant to Section 3), and any other terms and conditions of the Stock Award, in addition to those contained in Section 9(b).

 

(b)           Terms and Conditions. Stock Awards shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)             each Stock Award awarded under the Plan to a participant under this Section 9 may also be subject to such other provision (whether or not applicable to a Stock Award to any other participant) as the Board determines appropriate, including without limitation, provisions for the forfeiture of and restrictions on the sale, resale or other disposition of shares acquired under any Stock Award, provisions giving the Corporation the right to repurchase shares acquired under any Stock Award, provisions to comply with federal and state securities laws, underwritings or conditions as to the participant’s employment, in addition to those specifically provided for under any other plan pursuant to which any such Stock Award may be made;

 

(ii)            no Stock Award shall be made more than ten years after the date of the adoption of the Plan; provided, however, that the terms and conditions applicable to any Stock Award made within such period may thereafter be amended or modified by mutual agreement between the Corporation and the participant or such other persons as may then have an interest therein.

 

  

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Section 10.                    Change-in-Control Provisions

 

(a)           Impact of Event. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary but subject to the provisions of subsection (k) of Section 5, in the event of a Change-in-Control:

 

(i)           Any Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights outstanding as of the date such Change-in-Control is determined to have occurred, and which are not then exercisable and vested, shall become fully exercisable and vested to the full extent of the original grant; provided however, that, in the case of the holder of Stock Appreciation Rights who is actually subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, such Stock Appreciation Rights shall have been outstanding for at least six months at the date such Change-in-Control is determined to have occurred.

 

(ii)           The restrictions and deferral limitations applicable to any Restricted Stock shall lapse, and such Restricted Stock shall become free of all restrictions and become fully vested and transferable to the full extent of the original grant.

 

(iii)           All Performance Units shall be considered to be earned and payable in full, and any deferral or other restriction shall lapse and such Performance Units shall be settled in cash as promptly as is practicable.

 

(iv)           Any restrictions or limitations applicable to any Stock Award shall lapse, and such Stock Award shall become free of all restrictions and become transferable without restriction or limitation.

 

(b)           Definition of Change-in-Control. For purposes of the Plan, a “Change-in-Control” shall mean the happening of any of the following events:

 

(i)           Any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) (a “Person”) becomes the “beneficial owner” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 20% or more of either: (A) the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation (the “Outstanding Corporation Common Stock”), or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this Section 11(b), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a “Change-in-Control”: (i) any acquisition directly from the Corporation or approved by the “Incumbent Directors” (as defined in paragraph (ii) of this subsection (b)), following which such Person owns not more than 40% of the Outstanding Corporation Common Stock or the Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities; (II) any acquisition by an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities; (III) any acquisition by the Corporation; (IV) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Corporation or any corporation controlled by the Corporation; (V) any acquisition pursuant to a transaction which complies with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of paragraph (iii) of this subsection (b); or

 

  

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(ii)           Individuals who, as of the effective date of the Plan, constitute the Board (such Board shall hereinafter be referred to as the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided however, that any individual who becomes a director subsequent to the effective date of the Plan whose election, or nomination for election by the Corporation’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Corporation in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without written objection to such nomination) shall be considered as though such individual were an Incumbent Director; but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board; or

 

(iii)           Consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation (or similar corporate transaction) involving the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, or the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity (a “Business Combination”), in each case, unless, immediately following such Business Combination, (A) more than 60% of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock and the total voting power of (I) the corporation resulting from such Business Combination (the “Surviving Corporation”), or (II) if applicable, the ultimate parent corporation that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of 80% of the voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Surviving Corporation (the “Parent Corporation”), is represented by Outstanding Corporation Common Stock and Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Combination (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which such Outstanding Corporation Common Stock or Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities, as the case may be, were converted pursuant to such Business Combination), and such beneficial ownership of common stock or voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the beneficial ownership of Outstanding Corporation Common Stock and the voting power of such Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Combination, (B) no person (other than any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Corporation or the Parent Corporation), is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 30% or more of the outstanding shares of common stock and the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Parent Corporation (or, if there is no Parent Corporation, the Surviving Corporation), unless such acquisition is pursuant to a Business Combination that is an acquisition by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation of the assets or Stock of another entity that is approved by the Incumbent Directors, following which such person owns not more than 40% of such outstanding shares and voting power, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Parent Corporation (or, if there is no Parent Corporation, the Surviving Corporation) following the consummation of the Business Combination were Incumbent Directors at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business Combination; or

 

  

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(iv)           The approval by the stockholders of the Corporation of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation.

 

(v)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change-in-Control of the Corporation shall not be deemed to occur solely because any person acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the Outstanding Corporation Common Stock or Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities as a result of the acquisition of Outstanding Corporation Common Stock or Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities by the Corporation which reduces the number of shares of Outstanding Corporation Common Stock or Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities; provided, that if after such acquisition by the Corporation such person becomes the beneficial owner of additional shares of Outstanding Corporation Common Stock or Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities that increases the percentage of Outstanding Corporation Common Stock or Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities beneficially owned by such person, a Change-in-Control of the Corporation shall then occur.

 

(c)           Change-in-Control Price. For purposes of the Plan, “Change-in-Control Price” means the higher of (i) the highest reported sales price, regular way, of a share of Common Stock in any transaction reported on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape or other national exchange on which such shares are listed, such as The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC during the 60-day period prior to and including the date of a Change-in-Control, or (ii) if the Change-in-Control is the result of a tender or exchange offer or a Corporate Transaction, the highest price per share of Common Stock paid in such tender or exchange offer or Corporate Transaction; provided however, that (x) in the case of a Stock Option which (A) is held by an optionee who is an officer or director of the Corporation and is subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act and (B) was granted within 240 days of the Change-in-Control, then the Change-in-Control Price for such Stock Option shall be the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date such Stock Option is exercised or deemed exercised and (y) in the case of Incentive Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights relating to Incentive Stock Options, the Change-in-Control Price shall be in all cases the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date such Incentive Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right is exercised. To the extent that the consideration paid in any such transaction described above consists all or in part of securities or other non-cash consideration, the value of such securities or other noncash consideration shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Board.

 

Section 11.                    Term, Amendment and Termination

 

The Plan will terminate ten (10) years after the effective date of the Plan. Under the Plan, Awards outstanding as of such date shall not be affected or impaired by the termination of the Plan.

The Board may amend, alter, or discontinue the Plan, but no amendment, alteration or discontinuation shall be made which would (i) impair the rights of an optionee under a Stock Option or a recipient of a Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Performance Unit Award or Stock Award theretofore granted or made without the optionee’s or recipient’s consent, except such an amendment made to cause the Plan to qualify for the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3, or (ii) disqualify the Plan from the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3. In addition, no such amendment shall be made without the approval of the Corporation’s stockholders to the extent such approval is required by law or agreement.

  

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The Committee may amend the terms of any Stock Option or other Award theretofore granted or made prospectively or retroactively, but no such amendment shall impair the rights of any holder without the holder’s consent except such an amendment made to cause the Plan or Award to qualify for the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3.

Subject to the above provisions, 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.

Section 12.                    Unfunded Status of Plan

 

It is intended that the Plan constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation under the Code and Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended. 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 is consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan.

Section 13.                    General Provisions

 

(a)           The Committee may require each person purchasing or receiving shares pursuant to an Award to represent to and agree with the Corporation in writing that such person is acquiring the shares without a view to the distribution thereof. The certificates for such shares may include any legend which the Committee deems appropriate to reflect any restrictions on transfer.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or agreements made pursuant thereto, the Corporation shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificate or certificates for shares of Common Stock under the Plan prior to fulfillment of all of the following conditions:

(i)             listing or approval for listing upon notice of issuance, of such shares on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., or such other securities exchange as may at the time be the principal market for the Common Stock;

 

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

 

(iii)           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.

 

  

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(b)           Nothing contained in the Plan shall prevent the Corporation or any subsidiary or Affiliate from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements for its employees.

 

(c)           Adoption of the Plan shall not confer upon any employee any right to continued employment, nor shall it interfere in any way with the right of the Corporation or any subsidiary or Affiliate to terminate the employment of any employee at any time.

 

(d)           No later than the date as of which an amount first becomes includible in the gross income of the participant for federal income tax purposes with respect to any Award under the Plan, the participant shall pay to the Corporation, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Corporation regarding the payment of, any federal, state, local or foreign taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to such amount. Unless otherwise determined by the Corporation, withholding obligations may be settled with Common Stock, including Common Stock that is part of the Award that gives rise to the withholding requirement. The obligations of the Corporation under the Plan shall be conditional on such payment or arrangements, and the Corporation and its Affiliates shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such taxes from any payment otherwise due to the participant. The Committee may establish such procedures as it deems appropriate, including making irrevocable elections, for the settlement of withholding obligations with Common Stock.

 

(e)           Reinvestment of dividends in additional Restricted Stock at the time of any dividend payment shall only be permissible if sufficient shares of Common Stock are available under Section 3 for such reinvestment (taking into account then outstanding Stock Options and other Awards).

 

(f)           The Committee shall establish such procedures as it deems appropriate for a participant to designate a beneficiary to whom any amounts payable in the event of the participant’s death are to be paid or by whom any rights of the participant, after the participant’s death, may be exercised.

 

(g)           In the case of a grant of an Award to any employee of a Corporation subsidiary, the Corporation 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 in accordance with the terms of the Award specified by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan.

 

(h)           The Plan and all Awards made and actions taken thereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to principles of conflict of laws.

 

Section 14.                    Effective Date of Plan

 

The Plan shall be effective as of May 21, 2010, the date it is approved by at least a majority of the shares of Common Stock of the Corporation present, in person, or by proxy.

20ex10-1.htm

Exhibit 10.1

 

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of February 24, 2011, between Digital Angel Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”).

 

WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described in this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS

 

1.1           Definitions.  In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement: (a) capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Debentures (as defined herein), and (b) the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:

 

“Acquiring Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.7.

 

“Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).

 

“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.

 

“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.

 

“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.

 

“Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.

 

  

  

  

 

“Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the third Trading Day following the date hereof.

 

“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.

 

“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.

 

“Company Counsel” means Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A., with offices located at 225 South Sixth Street, Suite 3500, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402.

 

“Debentures” means the 16% Senior Secured Debentures due, subject to the terms therein, July 1, 2012, issued by the Company to the Purchasers hereunder, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.

 

“Disclosure Schedules” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1.

 

“Effective Date” means the six month anniversary of the Closing Date

 

“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(r).

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock or options to eligible recipients pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted for such purpose by the Company, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange of any Securities issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that the terms of such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities, and (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities.

 

  

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“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.

 

 “GAAP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).

 

“Indebtedness” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(aa).

 

“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(o).

 

“Legend Removal Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.1(c).

 

“Liens” means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.

 

 “Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).

 

“Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(m).

 

“Maximum Rate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 5.17.

 

“Person” 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.

 

 “Pledge Agreement” means the Pledge and Security Agreement, dated the date hereof, among the Company and the Purchasers, in the form of Exhibit D attached hereto.

“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.

 

“Public Information Failure” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.3(b).

 

“Public Information Failure Payments” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.3(b).

 

“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.10.

 

  

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“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).

 

“Required Minimum” means, as of any date, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock then issued or potentially issuable in the future pursuant to the Transaction Documents, including any Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise in full of all Warrants, and assuming that the exercise price is at all times on and after the date of determination 100% of the then exercise price on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of determination.

 

“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

 

“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).

 

“Securities” means the Debentures, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares.

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Security Documents” shall mean: (i) the Pledge Agreement, the Subsidiary Guarantee and any other documents and filing required thereunder in order to grant the Purchasers a first priority security interest in the shares of Signature Industries Limited owned by the Company and Destron Fearing Corporation as provided in the Pledge Agreement; and (ii) the unsecured Subsidiary Guarantees provided by the Company’s Subsidiaries other than Destron Fearing Corporation.

 

“Series A Warrants” means, collectively, Series A Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Warrants shall be exercisable immediately and shall expire on the earlier of July 1, 2012 and the 10th Trading Day following written notice of all holders of the Warrants that the Debentures are indefeasibly paid in full, in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto.

 

“Series B Warrants” means, collectively, Series B Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Warrants shall be exercisable immediately and have a term of exercise equal to 5 years, in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto

 

 “Short Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of borrowable shares of Common Stock). 

 

  

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“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Debentures and Warrants purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.

 

“Subsidiary” means any Significant Subsidiary (as that term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X) and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect Significant Subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.

 

“Subsidiary Guarantee” means the Subsidiary Guarantee, dated the date hereof, by each Subsidiary (other than Digital Angel Holdings, LLC) in favor of the Purchasers, in the form of Exhibit E attached hereto.

 

“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.

 

“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE AMEX, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange or the OTC Bulletin Board (or any successors to any of the foregoing).

 

“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Debentures, the Warrants, the Pledge Agreement, the Subsidiary Guarantee, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

“Transfer Agent” means Registrar & Transfer Company, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 10 Commerce Drive, Cranford, New Jersey 07016 and a facsimile number of (908) 497-2310, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

“Variable Rate Transaction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.13(b).

 

“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b)  if the OTC Bulletin Board is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the OTC Bulletin Board, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by Pink OTC Markets, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

  

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“Warrants” means, collectively, the Series A Warrants and the Series B Warrants.

 

“Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.

 

“WS” means Weinstein Smith LLP with offices located at 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2620, New York, New York 10170-0002.

 

ARTICLE II.

PURCHASE AND SALE

 

2.1           Closing.  On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase $2,000,000 in principal amount of the Debentures.  Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company, via wire transfer or a certified check, immediately available funds equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser, and the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Debenture and a Warrant, as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing.  Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur at the offices of WS or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree.

 

2.2           Deliveries.

 

(a)           On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:

(i)            this Agreement duly executed by the Company;

 

(ii)           a legal opinion of Company Counsel and UK counsel, substantially in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto;

 

(iii)          a Debenture with a principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, registered in the name of such Purchaser;

 

(iv)          a Series A Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase such Purchaser’s pro-rata portion of 4,000,000 shares of Common Stock (based on such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount and the aggregate Subscription Amount hereunder), with an exercise price equal to $0.45, subject to adjustment therein;

 

  

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(v)            a Series B Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase such Purchaser’s pro-rata portion of 4,000,000 shares of Common Stock (based on such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount and the aggregate Subscription Amount hereunder), with an exercise price equal to $0.45, subject to adjustment therein; and

 

(vi)           the Pledge Agreement, duly executed by the Company and Destron Fearing Corporation, including the Subsidiary Guarantee, duly executed by the parties thereto;

 

(b)           On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, the following:

 

(i)            this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;

 

(ii)           such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount in immediately available funds by wire transfer to the account specified in writing by the Company; and

 

(iii)          the Pledge Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser.

 

2.3           Closing Conditions.

 

(a)             The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:

 

(i)           the accuracy in all material respects on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);

 

(ii)          all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and

 

(iii)         the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.

 

(b)             The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:

 

(i)            the accuracy in all material respects when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein);

 

  

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(ii)           all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;

 

(iii)          the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;

 

(iv)          there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof; and

 

(v)           from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission  or the Company’s principal Trading Market and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or impossible to purchase the Securities at the Closing.

 

ARTICLE III.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

3.1           Representations and Warranties of the Company.  Except as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in the Disclosure Schedules, the Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser as of the Closing Date:

 

(a)           Subsidiaries.  All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth on Schedule 3.1(a), and each Significant Subsidiary is so identified on Schedule 3.1(a).  Other than as set forth in Schedule 3.1(a), the Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any 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.

 

  

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(b)           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 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 any Transaction Document, (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 any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.

 

(c)           Authorization; Enforcement.  The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder.  The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals.  This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, 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.

 

(d)           No Conflicts.  The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby 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, (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 (other than pursuant to the Pledge Agreement), 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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(e)           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 the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.6 of this Agreement, (ii) the notice and/or application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the issuance and sale of the Securities and the listing of the Warrant Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby and (iii) the filing of Form D with the Commission and such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).

 

(f)           Issuance of the Securities.  The Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company other than restrictions on transfer provided for in the Transaction Documents and applicable securities laws.  The Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company other than restrictions on transfer provided for in the Transaction Documents and applicable securities laws.  The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock a number of shares of Common Stock for issuance of the Warrant Shares at least equal to the Required Minimum on the date hereof.

 

(g)           Capitalization.  The capitalization of the Company is as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), which Schedule 3.1(g) shall also include the number of shares of Common Stock owned beneficially, and of record, by Affiliates of the Company as of the date hereof. 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 shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to approved Company equity plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common Stock 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 the Transaction Documents.  Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities and as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire any shares of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, 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 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.

 

  

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(h)           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, 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.

 

  

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(i)           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 or as scheduled on Schedule 3.1(i), (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 this Agreement or as set forth on Schedule 3.1(i), 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, properties, operations, assets or financial condition, that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws 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.

 

(j)           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 the Transaction Documents 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.

 

  

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(k)           Labor Relations.  No 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.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(k), 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.  To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, 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.

 

(l)           Compliance.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(l), 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 other 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.

 

(m)           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.

 

(n)           Title to Assets.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(n), 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 (i) 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 (ii) 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 material compliance.

 

  

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(o)           Intellectual Property.  The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights as described in the SEC Reports as necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”).  Except in the ordinary course of business, 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 written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as could not have or reasonably be expected to 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, 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.

 

(p)           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 at least equal to the aggregate Subscription Amount.  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.

 

(q)           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 or restricted stock agreements under any stock option or other equity plan of the Company.

 

  

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(r)           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 disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the 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) that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

(s)           Certain Fees.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(s), no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiaries to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.  The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

 

  

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(t)           Private Placement.  Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Securities by the Company to the Purchasers as contemplated hereby. The issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market.

 

(u)          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.

 

(v)          Registration Rights.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(v), other than each of the Purchasers, no Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiaries.

 

(w)          Listing and Maintenance Requirements.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(w), the Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the 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 Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such 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 the listing and maintenance requirements of the OTC Bulletin Board.

 

(x)           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 Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.

 

  

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(y)           Disclosure.  Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information.  The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers 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 Purchasers 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.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.

 

(z)           No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, 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 (i) the Securities Act which would require the registration of any such securities under the Securities Act, or (ii) any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.

 

(aa)         Solvency.  Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the 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 the Closing Date.  Schedule 3.1(aa) 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 except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(l).

 

  

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(bb)         Tax Status.  Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(bb) and 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 each (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.

 

(cc)          No General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising.  The Company has offered the Securities for sale only to the Purchasers and certain other “accredited investors” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act.

 

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

 

(ee)          Accountants.  The Company’s accounting firm is set forth on Schedule 3.1(ee) of the Disclosure Schedules.  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 December 31, 2010.

 

  

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(ff)           Seniority.  As of the Closing Date, except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(ff), no Indebtedness or other claim against the Company is senior to the Debentures in right of payment, whether with respect to interest or upon liquidation or dissolution, or otherwise, other than indebtedness secured by purchase money security interests (which is senior only as to underlying assets covered thereby) and capital lease obligations (which is senior only as to the property covered thereby).

 

(gg)          No Disagreements with Accountants and Lawyers.  There are no disagreements of any kind presently existing, or reasonably anticipated by the Company to arise, between the Company and the accountants and lawyers formerly or presently employed by the Company and the Company is current with respect to any fees owed to its accountants and lawyers which could affect the Company’s ability to perform any of its obligations under any of the Transaction Documents.

 

(hh)          Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby.  The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities.  The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.

 

(ii)            Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity.  Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(f) and 4.15 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term, (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities, (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, may presently have a “short” position in the Common Stock and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction.  The Company further understands and acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, including, without limitation, during the periods that the value of the Warrant Shares deliverable with respect to Securities are being determined, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders' equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted.  The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.

 

  

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(jj)            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.

 

(kk)           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 Common Stock 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.

 

(ll)             Office of Foreign Assets Control.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, 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”).

 

(mm)          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 Purchaser’s request.

 

(nn)           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.

 

  

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(oo)           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 or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.

 

3.2           Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers.  Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date therein):

 

(a)           Organization; Authority.  Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporated or formed with full right, corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser.  Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (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.

 

(b)           Own Account.  Such Purchaser understands that the Securities are “restricted securities” and have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Securities or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, has no present intention of distributing any of such Securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to a registration statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).  Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business.

 

  

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(c)           Purchaser Status.  At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, and on each date on which it exercises any Warrants or converts any Debentures it will be either: (i) an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7) or (a)(8) under the Securities Act or (ii) a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A(a) under the Securities Act.  Such Purchaser is not required to be registered as a broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Exchange Act.

 

(d)           Experience of Such Purchaser.  Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment.  Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.

 

(e)           General Solicitation.  Such Purchaser is not purchasing the Securities as a result of any advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or presented at any seminar or any other general solicitation or general advertisement.

 

(f)           Certain Transactions and Confidentiality.  Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not directly or indirectly, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.  Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to the identification of the availability of, or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.

 

  

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(g)           Company and Subsidiary Information.  Purchaser has had an opportunity to discuss the Company’s and the Subsidiaries’ business, management and financial affairs with directors, officers and management of the Company and Subsidiaries.  Purchaser has also had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from, the Company and the Subsidiaries and their management regarding the terms and conditions of this investment.  Purchaser has used such access to its satisfaction in making its investment decision.

 

The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby.

 

ARTICLE IV.

OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES

 

4.1           Transfer Restrictions.

 

(a)           The Securities may only be disposed of in compliance with state and federal securities laws.  In connection with any transfer of Securities other than pursuant to an effective registration statement or Rule 144, to the Company or to an Affiliate of a Purchaser or in connection with a pledge as contemplated in Section 4.1(b), the Company may require the transferor thereof to provide to the Company an opinion of counsel selected by the transferor and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that such transfer does not require registration of such transferred Securities under the Securities Act.  As a condition of transfer, any such transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and shall have the rights and obligations of a Purchaser under this Agreement.

 

(b)           The Purchasers agree to the imprinting, so long as is required by this Section 4.1, of a legend on any of the Securities in the following form:

 

[NEITHER] THIS SECURITY [NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS [EXERCISABLE]] HAS [NOT] BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY.  THIS SECURITY [AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THIS SECURITY] MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.

 

  

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The Company acknowledges and agrees that a Purchaser may from time to time pledge pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement with a registered broker-dealer or grant a security interest in some or all of the Securities to a financial institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and who agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement, if required under the terms of such arrangement, such Purchaser may transfer pledged or secured Securities to the pledgees or secured parties.  Such a pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval of the Company and no legal opinion of legal counsel of the pledgee, secured party or pledgor shall be required in connection therewith.  Further, no notice shall be required of such pledge.  At the appropriate Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Securities.

 

(c)           Certificates evidencing the Warrant Shares shall not contain any legend (including the legend set forth in Section 4.1(b) hereof): (i) while a registration statement covering the resale of such security is effective under the Securities Act, (ii) following any sale of such Warrant Shares pursuant to Rule 144, (iii) if such Warrant Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Warrant Shares and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or (iv) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission). Upon requests to remove any legend as permitted or required pursuant to this Section 4.1(c), the Company shall cause its counsel to issue a legal opinion to the Transfer Agent promptly after the Effective Date if required by the Transfer Agent to effect the removal of the legend hereunder.  If all or any portion of a Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the resale of the Warrant Shares, or if such Warrant Shares may be sold under Rule 144 and the Company is then in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144, or if such Warrant Shares may be sold under Rule 144 without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Warrant Shares and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or if such legend is not otherwise required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission) then such Warrant Shares shall be issued free of all legends.  The Company agrees that following the Effective Date or at such time as such legend is no longer required under this Section 4.1(c), it will, no later than three Trading Days following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company or the Transfer Agent of a certificate representing Warrant Shares, as applicable, issued with a restrictive legend (such third Trading Day, the “Legend Removal Date”), deliver or cause to be delivered to such Purchaser a certificate representing such shares that is free from all restrictive and other legends.  The Company may not make any notation on its records or give instructions to the Transfer Agent that enlarge the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section 4.  Certificates for Warrant Shares subject to legend removal hereunder shall be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Purchaser by crediting the account of the Purchaser’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company System as directed by such Purchaser.

  

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(d)           In addition to such Purchaser’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $4,000 of Warrant Shares (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date such Securities are submitted to the Transfer Agent) delivered for removal of the restrictive legend and subject to Section 4.1(c), $10 per Trading Day for each Trading Day after the 2nd Trading Day following the Legend Removal Date until such certificate is delivered without a legend.  Nothing herein shall limit such Purchaser’s right to pursue actual damages for the Company’s failure to deliver certificates representing any Securities as required by the Transaction Documents, and such Purchaser shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief.

 

(e)           Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, agrees with the Company that such Purchaser will sell Securities only pursuant to either the registration requirements of the Securities Act, including any applicable prospectus delivery requirements, or an exemption therefrom, and that if Securities are sold pursuant to a registration statement, they will be sold in compliance with the plan of distribution set forth therein, and acknowledges that the removal of the restrictive legend from certificates representing Securities as set forth in this Section 4.1 and liability for the liquidated damages set forth in Section 4.1(d) above is predicated upon the Company’s reliance upon this understanding.

 

4.2           Acknowledgment of Dilution.  The Company acknowledges that the issuance of the Securities may result in dilution of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, which dilution may be substantial under certain market conditions.  The Company further acknowledges that its obligations under the Transaction Documents upon proper exercise thereof, including, without limitation, its obligation to issue the Warrant Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents, are unconditional and absolute and not subject to any right of set off, counterclaim, delay or reduction, regardless of the effect of any such dilution or any claim the Company may have against any Purchaser and regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance may have on the ownership of the other stockholders of the Company.

 

  

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4.3           Furnishing of Information; Public Information.

 

(a)           The Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act on the date hereof. Except as otherwise set forth in the Warrants, until the earliest of the time that no Purchaser owns Securities, the Company covenants to maintain the registration of the Common Stock under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

(b)           At any time during the period commencing from the six (6) month anniversary of the date hereof and ending at such time that all of the Securities may be sold without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with Rule 144(c)(1) and otherwise without restriction or limitation pursuant to Rule 144, if the Company shall fail for any reason to satisfy the current public information requirement under Rule 144(c) (a “Public Information Failure”) then, in addition to such Purchaser’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, by reason of any such delay in or reduction of its ability to sell the Securities, an amount in cash equal to two percent (2.0%) of the aggregate Subscription Amount of such Purchaser’s Securities on the day of a Public Information Failure and on every thirtieth (30th) day (pro rated for periods totaling less than thirty days) thereafter until the earlier of (a) the date such Public Information Failure is cured and (b) such time that such public information is no longer required  for the Purchasers to transfer the Warrant Shares pursuant to Rule 144.  The payments to which a Purchaser shall be entitled pursuant to this Section 4.3(b) are referred to herein as “Public Information Failure Payments.”  Public Information Failure Payments shall be paid on the earlier of (i) the last day of the calendar month during which such Public Information Failure Payments are incurred and (ii) the third (3rd) Business Day after the event or failure giving rise to the Public Information Failure Payments is cured.  In the event the Company fails to make Public Information Failure Payments in a timely manner, such Public Information Failure Payments shall bear interest at the rate of 1.5% per month (prorated for partial months) until paid in full. Nothing herein shall limit such Purchaser’s right to pursue actual damages for the Public Information Failure, and such Purchaser shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief.

 

4.4           Integration.  The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the Securities or that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require stockholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless stockholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.

 

4.5           Exercise Procedures.  Each of the form of Notice of Exercise included in the Warrants set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise the Warrants.  No additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Warrants.  The Company shall honor exercises of the Warrants and shall deliver Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.

 

  

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4.6           Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity.  The Company shall, by 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, file a Current Report on Form 8-K and press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto.  From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company represents to the Purchasers that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company with respect to this transaction, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except: (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents (including signature pages thereto) with the Commission and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b).

 

4.7           Shareholder Rights Plan.  No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers.

 

4.8           Non-Public Information.  Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf, will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that the Company believes constitutes material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have entered into a written agreement with the Company regarding the confidentiality and use of such information.  The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.

 

4.9           Use of Proceeds.  Except as set forth on Schedule 4.9 attached hereto, the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital purposes and shall not use such proceeds: (a) for the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and prior practices), (b) for the redemption of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, (c) for the settlement of any outstanding litigation or (d) in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations.

 

  

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4.10           Indemnification of Purchasers.   Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.10, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against the Purchaser Parties in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is based upon a breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such  Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which constitutes fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or malfeasance).  If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party.  Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel.  The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents.  The indemnification required by this Section 4.10 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred.  The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others, and (y) any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.

 

  

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4.11           Reservation and Listing of Securities.

 

(a)           The Company shall maintain a reserve from its duly authorized shares of Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Transaction Documents in such amount as may then be required to fulfill its obligations in full under the Transaction Documents.

 

(b)           If, on any date, the number of authorized but unissued (and otherwise unreserved) shares of Common Stock is less than the Required Minimum on such date, then the Board of Directors shall use commercially reasonable efforts  to seek stockholder approval to amend the Company’s certificate or articles of incorporation to increase the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to at least the Required Minimum at such time, as soon as possible and in any event not later than the 75th day after such date.

 

(c)           The Company shall, if applicable: (i) in the time and manner required by the principal Trading Market, prepare and file with such Trading Market an additional shares listing application covering a number of shares of Common Stock at least equal to the Required Minimum on the date of such application, (ii) take all steps necessary to cause such shares of Common Stock to be approved for listing or quotation on such Trading Market as soon as possible thereafter, (iii) provide to the Purchasers evidence of such listing or quotation and (iv) maintain the listing or quotation of such Common Stock on any date at least equal to the Required Minimum on such date on such Trading Market or another Trading Market.

 

4.12           [RESERVED]

 

4.13           Subsequent Equity Sales.

 

(a)           From the date hereof until 60 days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents.

 

(b)           From the date hereof until such time as no Purchaser holds any of the Warrants, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents for cash consideration (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive, additional shares of Common Stock either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon, and/or varies with, the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock or (ii) enters into any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit, whereby the Company may sell securities at a future determined price.   For the sake of clarity, the issuance of the Company of warrants with ratchet provisions that allow the exercise price of such warrants to be reset upon the subsequent issuance by the Company of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents at a lower price than the exercise price initially set forth on such warrants shall not be deemed to be a Variable Rate Transaction hereunder. Purchaser shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.

 

  

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(c)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.13 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.

 

4.14           Equal Treatment of Purchasers.  No consideration (including any modification of any Transaction Document) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of any of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents. Further, the Company shall not make any payment of principal or interest on the Debentures in amounts which are disproportionate to the respective principal amounts outstanding on the Debentures at any applicable time.  For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.

 

4.15           Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it, nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.6.  Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.6, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in the Transaction Documents and the Disclosure Schedules.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.6, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.6 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality to the Company or its Subsidiaries after the issuance of the initial press release as described in Section 4.6.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.

 

  

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4.16           Form D; Blue Sky Filings.  The Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the Securities as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof, promptly upon request of any Purchaser. The Company shall take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to qualify the Securities for, sale to the Purchasers at the Closing under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States, and shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon request of any Purchaser.

 

4.17           Capital Changes.  Until the one year anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company shall not undertake a reverse or forward stock split or reclassification of the Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Purchasers holding a majority in principal amount outstanding of the Debentures.

 

ARTICLE V.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

5.1           Termination.  This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before March 3, 2011; provided, however, that such termination will not affect the right of any party to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).

 

5.2           Fees and Expenses.  At the Closing, the Company has agreed to reimburse Hillair Capital Management LLC (“Hillair”) the non-accountable sum of $60,000 for its legal fees and expenses, $30,000 of which has been paid prior to the Closing.  Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.  The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees, stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.

 

5.3           Entire Agreement.  The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.

 

  

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5.4           Notices.  Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.  The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto.

 

5.5           Amendments; Waivers.  No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Purchasers holding at least 100% in interest of the Securities then outstanding or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought.  No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.

 

5.6           Headings.  The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

 

5.7           Successors and Assigns.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns.  The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger).  Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”

 

5.8           No Third-Party Beneficiaries.  This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.10.

 

  

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5.9           Governing Law.  All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.  Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York.  Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding.  Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof.  Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.   If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.10, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

5.10           Survival.  The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities.

 

5.11           Execution.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart.  In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.

 

5.12           Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.

 

5.13           Rescission and Withdrawal Right.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided, however, that in the case of a rescission of an exercise of a Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any shares of Common Stock subject to any such rescinded exercise notice concurrently with the return to such Purchaser of the aggregate exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such Purchaser’s right to acquire such shares pursuant to such Purchaser’s Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right).

 

  

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5.14           Replacement of Securities.  If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction.  The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.

 

5.15           Remedies.  In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents.  The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

5.16           Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.

 

5.17           Usury.  To the extent it may lawfully do so, the Company hereby agrees not to insist upon or plead or in any manner whatsoever claim, and will resist any and all efforts to be compelled to take the benefit or advantage of, usury laws wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, in connection with any claim, action or proceeding that may be brought by any Purchaser in order to enforce any right or remedy under any Transaction Document.  Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in any Transaction Document, it is expressly agreed and provided that the total liability of the Company under the Transaction Documents for payments in the nature of interest shall not exceed the maximum lawful rate authorized under applicable law (the “Maximum Rate”), and, without limiting the foregoing, in no event shall any rate of interest or default interest, or both of them, when aggregated with any other sums in the nature of interest that the Company may be obligated to pay under the Transaction Documents exceed such Maximum Rate.  It is agreed that if the maximum contract rate of interest allowed by law and applicable to the Transaction Documents is increased or decreased by statute or any official governmental action subsequent to the date hereof, the new maximum contract rate of interest allowed by law will be the Maximum Rate applicable to the Transaction Documents from the effective date thereof forward, unless such application is precluded by applicable law.  If under any circumstances whatsoever, interest in excess of the Maximum Rate is paid by the Company to any Purchaser with respect to indebtedness evidenced by the Transaction Documents, such excess shall be applied by such Purchaser to the unpaid principal balance of any such indebtedness or be refunded to the Company, the manner of handling such excess to be at such Purchaser’s election.

 

  

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5.18           Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights.  The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document.  Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.  Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.  Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents.  For reasons of administrative convenience only, each Purchaser and its respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through WS.  WS does not represent any of the Purchasers and only represents Hillair.  The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any of the Purchasers.

 

5.19           Liquidated Damages.  The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.

 

5.20           Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc.  If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

  

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5.21           Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and shares of Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.

 

5.22           WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.  IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.

 

 

(Signature Pages Follow)

 

  

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.

 

	
DIGITAL ANGEL CORPORATION

 

 

	
Address for Notice:

	
By:__________________________________________

     Name:

     Title:

 

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

	
Fax:

 

 

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]

 

  

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[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO DIGA SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.

 

Name of Purchaser: ________________________________________________________

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser: __________________________________

Name of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________________

Title of Authorized Signatory: _________________________________________________

Email Address of Authorized Signatory: __________________________________________

Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________

Address for Notice to Purchaser:

Address for Delivery of Securities to Purchaser (if not same as address for notice):

Subscription Amount: _____________

Series A Warrant Shares: _________________

Series B Warrant Shares: _________________

[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]

 

 

 

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