SHUTTLE PHARMACEUTICALS HOLDINGS, INC. FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

Exhibit 1.1

 

SHUTTLE PHARMACEUTICALS HOLDINGS, INC.

 

FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

March [*], 2025

 

WestPark Capital, Inc.

▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇

Los Angeles, CA 90067

 

As Representative of the

Several underwriters, if any, named in Schedule I hereto

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned, SHUTTLE PHARMACEUTICALS HOLDINGS, INC., a corporation formed under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”), hereby confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with the several underwriters (such underwriters, including the Representative (as defined below), the “Underwriters” and each an “Underwriter”) named in Schedule I hereto, for which WestPark Capital, Inc. (“WestPark”) is acting as a representative to the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representative”), on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

 

1. Purchase and Sale of Securities.

 

1.1. Securities.

 

1.1.1. Nature and Purchase of Securities.

 

(i) The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters, an aggregate of [*] shares (“Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”) and/or pre-funded warrants (“Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.001 per share until such time as the Pre-Funded Warrant is exercised in full and subject to adjustment as set forth therein. The aforesaid [*] shares of Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrants in lieu thereof are herein called, collectively, the “Securities.” The offering and sale of the Securities is hereinafter referred to as the “Offering.”

 

(ii) Each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase at a price per Security of $[*] (96% of the per Security public offering price set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus (as defined in Section 2.1.1 hereof)) from the Company the respective number of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto.

 

 

1.1.2. Securities Payment and Delivery.

 

(i) Delivery and payment for the Securities shall be made at the offices of Lucosky ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP (“LB”), or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the first (second, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof or at such earlier time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, or at such other place (or remotely by facsimile or other electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company. The hour and date of delivery and payment for the Securities is called the “Closing Date.”

 

(ii) Payment for the Securities shall be made on the Closing Date by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds, payable to the order of the Company upon delivery of certificates or electronic book entry receipts (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Securities (or through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”)) for the account of the Underwriters. The Securities shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Securities except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all of the Securities. The term “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York, New York.

 

2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as of the Applicable Time (as defined below), as of the Closing Date, as follows:

 

2.1 Filing of Registration Statement.

 

2.1.1. Pursuant to the Securities Act. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333- 284889), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the sale of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A (“Rule 430A”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act (the “Securities Act Regulations”) and Rule 424(b) (“Rule 424(b)”) of the Securities Act Regulations. The information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to Rule 430A(b) is herein called the “Rule 430A Information.” Such registration statement, including the amendments thereto, the exhibits thereto and any schedules thereto, at the time it became effective, and including the Rule 430A Information, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act Regulations is herein called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” and, after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.

 

Each prospectus used prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and each prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” The Preliminary Prospectus, subject to completion, dated March [*], 2025, that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus.” The final prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act Regulations) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Securities, is herein called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor system (“▇▇▇▇▇”).

 

“Applicable Time” means 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement.

 

“Pricing Disclosure Package” means the Pricing Prospectus and the information included in Schedule II-A hereto, all considered together.

 

2.2 No Stop Orders, etc. Neither the Commission nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any state regulatory authority has issued any order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or has instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute, any proceedings with respect to such an order. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. (As used herein, “knowledge of the Company or the Company’s knowledge” or any other similar knowledge qualification, means the actual or constructive knowledge of any director or officer of the Company, after due inquiry.)

 

 

2.3 Disclosures in Registration Statement.

 

2.3.1. Compliance with Securities Act and 10b-5 Representation.

 

(i) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, and no Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists solely of the following disclosure contained in the “Underwriting” section of the Prospectus: the information under the subsection “Other Relationships” (such information, the “Underwriter Information”).

 

(ii) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the Underwriter Information. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package and no statement of material fact included in the Pricing Disclosure Package that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.

 

(iii) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the Offering has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and as of the Closing Date will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, and did not, as of the applicable effective date, and will not, as of the Closing Date, 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 not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus (including the Prospectus as amended and supplemented, as applicable) complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the Underwriter Information.

 

2.3.2. Disclosure of Agreements. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained or incorporated by reference therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement or to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, that have not been so described or filed or incorporated by reference. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company or any Subsidiary (as defined below) is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or (ii) is material to the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s business, has been duly authorized and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company or any Subsidiary, and none of the Company, any Subsidiary nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in default thereunder and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default thereunder. To the best of the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company or any Subsidiary of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, ordinance, judgment, order or decree of any governmental or regulatory agency, body, authority or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary or any of its assets or businesses (each, a “Governmental Entity”), including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations.

 

 

2.3.3. Prior Securities Transactions. No securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any Person(s) (as defined below) controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Preliminary Prospectus. “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.

 

2.3.4. Regulations. The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus concerning the effects of federal, state, local and all foreign regulation on the Offering and the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and no other such regulations are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which are not so disclosed.

 

2.3.5. No Other Distribution of Offering Materials. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the Offering other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Securities Act and consistent with Section 3.2 below.

 

2.4 Commission Reporting Status. Since January 1, 2025, the Company has made all filings with the Commission required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act Regulations”). None of the Company’s filings with the Commission contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. As of the time of filing of the Registration Statement, the Company was a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act Regulations.

 

2.5 Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations, and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

2.6 Independent Accountants. To the knowledge of the Company, Forvis Mazars LLP (the “Auditor”), whose report is filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. During the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement, all auditing services and non-audit services provided to the Company by the Auditor were preapproved by the Company’s Board of Directors as and to the extent required by Section 10A(g) - (i) of the Exchange Act.

 

 

2.7 Financial Statements, etc. The consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto and supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, fairly present the financial position and the results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the dates and for the periods to which they apply; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved (provided that unaudited interim financial statements are subject to year-end audit adjustments that are not expected to be material in the aggregate and do not contain all footnotes required by GAAP); and the supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein. Except as included or incorporated by reference therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations. The as adjusted financial information and the related notes, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been properly compiled and prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations and present fairly the information shown therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission), if any, comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. Each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus discloses all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), and other relationships of the Company and its Subsidiaries with unconsolidated entities or other Persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions other than in the ordinary course of business, (ii)the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has not declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock, (iii) there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, other than in the course of business, any grants under any stock compensation plan, and (iv) there has not been any material adverse change in the Company’s long-term or short-term debt. The Company is not currently contemplating to amend or restate any of the consolidated financial statements (including, without limitation, any notes or any letter of the independent accountants of the Company with respect thereto), nor is the Company currently aware of facts or circumstances which would require the Company to amend or restate any of such financial statements, in each case, in order for any of the consolidated financial statements to be in compliance with GAAP and the rules and regulations of the Commission. The Company has not been informed by its independent accountants that they recommend that the Company amend or restate any of the consolidated financial statements or that there is any need for the Company to amend or restate any of the consolidated financial statements.

 

2.8 Organization and Qualification. Each of the Company and its 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 described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. All of the articles of incorporation, certificate or articles of association, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents (“Charter Documents”) of each of the Company and its Subsidiaries comply with the requirements of applicable laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and are in full force and effect. 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 have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below). As used in this Agreement, “Material Adverse Effect” means any material adverse effect on (i) the business, properties, assets, liabilities, operations (including results thereof), condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary, individually or taken as a whole, (ii) the transactions contemplated hereby or in any other agreements or instruments to be entered into in connection herewith or therewith or (iii) the authority or ability of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to perform any of their respective obligations under this Agreement or in any other agreements or instruments to be entered into in connection herewith or therewith. Other than the Persons set forth on Exhibit B hereto, the Company has no Subsidiaries. As used in this Agreement, “Subsidiaries” means any Person in which the Company, directly or indirectly, (i) owns any of the outstanding capital stock or holds any equity or similar interest of such Person or (ii) controls or operates all or any part of the business, operations or administration of such Person, and each of the foregoing, is individually referred to herein as a “Subsidiary.”

 

 

2.9 Subsidiaries. All of the equity interests of each Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, are fully paid in accordance with its articles of association and non-assessable and are free and clear of all liens, charges, claims, pledges, security interests, encumbrances, rights of first refusal, preemptive rights or other restrictions (“Liens”). None of the outstanding share capital or equity interest in any Subsidiary was issued in violation of preemptive or similar rights of any security holder of such Subsidiary. Apart from the Subsidiaries, the Company has no direct or indirect subsidiaries or any other company over which it has direct or indirect effective control. Other than the Subsidiaries, the Company does not directly or indirectly control any entity through contractual arrangements or otherwise such that the entity would be deemed a consolidated affiliated entity whose financial results would be consolidated under GAAP with the financial results of the Company on the consolidated financial statements of the Company, regardless of whether the Company directly or indirectly owns less than a majority of the equity interests of such Person.

 

2.10 Corporate Power; Licenses; Consents.

 

2.10.1. Conduct of Business. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has all requisite corporate power and authority, and has all necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, certificates and permits of and from all Governmental Entities that it needs as of the date hereof to conduct its business purpose as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

2.10.2. Transactions Contemplated Herein. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, all exhibits and schedules hereto, and each of the other agreements and instruments entered into or delivered by any of the parties hereto in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, as may be amended from time to time (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”), and to carry out the provisions and conditions hereof and thereof. 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 and validly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Company’s Board of Directors or the Company’s shareholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which the Company is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) have been or will be prior to the Closing Date, as the case may be, duly executed and delivered by the Company, and each constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its respective 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.

 

2.10.3. Consents. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is 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, foreign or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications (i) as have been obtained or made, or (ii) as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under applicable state securities laws or “Blue Sky” laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters.

 

2.11 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 Charter Documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, anti-dilution or similar adjustments, 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) conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any Governmental Entity 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.

 

 

2.12 No Defaults; Violations. No material default exists in the due performance and observance of any term, covenant or condition of any material license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, loan or credit agreement, or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed money, or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation of any term or provision of its Charter Documents, or in violation of any franchise, license, permit, applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any Governmental Entity.

 

2.13 No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any material change in the share capital (other than the issuance of shares of Common Stock in connection with share-based awards pursuant to the existing equity incentive plans described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), short-term debt or long-term debt, net current assets or net assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of its share capital, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), business, properties, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered into or assumed any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred, assumed or acquired any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or acquired or disposed of or agreed to acquire or dispose of any business or other asset, that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole or agreed to take any of the foregoing actions; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case of (i) to (iii) as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

2.14 Litigation; Governmental Proceedings. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company there is not pending or contemplated, any 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. None of the Company, any Subsidiary, or 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.

 

2.15 Authorized Capital; Options, etc. The Company had, at the date or dates indicated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the duly authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth therein. Based on the assumptions stated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company will have on the Closing Date the adjusted authorized, issued and outstanding stock capitalization set forth therein.

 

 

2.16 Valid Issuance of Securities, etc.

 

2.16.1. Outstanding Securities. As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share of which, 4,916,772 shares of Common Stock are issued and outstanding. In addition, the Company presently has outstanding, subject to exercise or conversion, 1,826,000 pre-funded warrants to purchase common stock, warrants to purchase 3,464,281 shares of Common Stock, notes convertible into 732,134 shares of Common Stock, and 244,439 restricted stock units issued under the Company’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan. All issued and outstanding securities of the Company issued prior to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof have no rights of rescission with respect thereto, and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The authorized shares of Common Stock conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The offers and sales of the outstanding shares of Common Stock were at all relevant times either registered under the Securities Act and the applicable state securities or “Blue Sky” laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of such Shares, exempt from such registration requirements. In addition, (i) none of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s shares, interests or capital stock is subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights or Liens suffered or permitted by the Company or any Subsidiary; (ii) except as set forth in, or contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, on the effective date of the Registration Statement (“Effective Date”), as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any shares, interests or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to issue additional shares, interests or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any shares, interests or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (iii) except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the Company or any rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of the Company under the Securities Act or to include any such securities in a registration statement to be filed by the Company; (iv) there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (v) aside from a one-time price match contained in the Company’s convertible notes issued in October 2024, which notes are disclosed in the Registration Statement, there are no securities or instruments containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance of the Securities; and (vi) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement.

 

2.16.2. Securities Sold Pursuant to this Agreement. The Securities have been duly authorized for issuance and sale and, when issued and paid for, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Securities are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities has been duly and validly taken. The Pre-Funded Warrants to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and enforceable in accordance with their terms. The shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”) have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants against payment of the exercise price set forth therein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable. The issuance of the Warrant Shares is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The Common Stock and the Pre-Funded Warrants each conform to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Shares or Warrant Shares will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.

 

 

2.17 Insurance. The Company and each Subsidiary carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks which the Company believes are adequate, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any Subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

2.18 D&O Questionnaires. All information contained in the questionnaires (the “Questionnaires”) completed by each of the Company’s directors and officers immediately prior to the Offering (the “Insiders”) as supplemented by all information concerning the Company’s directors, officers and principal shareholders as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as well as in the Lock-Up Agreement (as defined in Section 2.24 below), provided to the Underwriters, is complete, true and correct in all material respects and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the Questionnaires to become materially incomplete, inaccurate or incorrect.

 

2.19 Transactions Affecting Disclosure to FINRA.

 

2.19.1. Finder’s Fees. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a finder’s, consulting or origination fee by the Company or any Insider with respect to the sale of the Securities hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its shareholders that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA.

 

2.19.2. Payments within Twelve (12) Months. Except as described in the Company’s Commission filings, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to: (i) any Person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such Person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company Persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) any FINRA member; or (iii) any Person that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the twelve (12) months prior to the Effective Date, other than the payment to the Underwriters as provided hereunder in connection with the Offering.

 

2.19.3. Use of Proceeds. None of the net proceeds of the Offering will be paid by the Company to any participating FINRA member or its affiliates, except as specifically authorized herein.

 

2.19.4. FINRA Affiliation. To the Company’s knowledge, there is no (i) officer or director of the Company, (ii) beneficial owner of 10% or more of any class of the Company’s securities or (iii) beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities which were acquired during the 180-day period immediately preceding the date that the Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission that is an affiliate or associated Person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA).

 

2.19.5. Information. All information provided by the Company in its FINRA questionnaire to LB specifically for use by LB in connection with its Public Offering System filings (and related disclosure) with FINRA is true, correct and complete in all material respects.

  

2.20 Compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director or officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, acting in their capacity as such, nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee, representative, agent, affiliate or other Person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken, or will make or take, an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment, giving of money, property, gifts, benefit or anything else of value to any foreign or domestic government or regulatory official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any Person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office, in order to influence official action or secure an improper advantage; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit; or (v) will directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities by the Company hereunder in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment, giving of money, property, gifts, benefit or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law. The Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates have conducted their business in compliance with applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and have instituted, maintained and enforced, and will continue to maintain and enforce adequate policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. No investigation, action, suit or proceedings by or before any Governmental Entity or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries with respect to anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

 

2.21 No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director or officer, thereof, nor, to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any employee, representative, agent, affiliate or other Person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, is currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union (including under Council Regulation (EC) No. 194/2008), or other relevant sanctions or governmental authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or engaged in any activities sanctionable under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, the Iran Sanctions Act, the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act, or any applicable executive order, nor is the Company or any of its Subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country, region or territory that is, or whose government is, the subject or target of Sanctions including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Crimea (each a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company and its Subsidiaries will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person: (i) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with, or to finance any investments in, or make any payments to, any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is, or whose government is, the subject or target of any Sanctions; (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business or transactions in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise). For the past five years, the Company and its Subsidiaries have not engaged in, are not now engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was, or whose government is or was, the subject or target of Sanctions, or with any Sanctioned Country. None of the issue and sale of the Securities, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the consummation of any other transaction contemplated hereby, or the provision of services contemplated by this Agreement to the Company will result in a violation of any Sanctions. The Company and its Subsidiaries further covenant not to engage, directly or indirectly, in any other activities that would result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the Offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise, except that in relation to any of the foregoing, the Company makes no covenant with respect to the Underwriters’ commissions after such commissions have been paid to the Underwriters).

 

2.22 Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including, as applicable, those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, and all the other applicable money laundering laws, rules and regulations of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its Subsidiaries conducts business, and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity, including, without limitation, Title 18 U.S. Code section 1956 and 1957, the USA Patriot Act of 2001, and the Bank Secrecy Act, all as amended, and any executive order, directive, or regulation pursuant to the authority of any of the foregoing, or any orders or licenses issued thereunder (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director or officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee, representative, agent, affiliate or other Person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has violated any Anti-Money Laundering Laws.

 

 

2.23 Officers’ Certificate. Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to you or to LB shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

 

2.24 Lock-Up Agreements. Schedule III contains a complete and accurate list of the Company’s officers, directors and each owner of at least 5% of the Company’s outstanding shares of Common Stock (or securities convertible or exercisable into shares of Common Stock) (collectively, the “Lock-Up Parties”). The Company has caused each of the Lock-Up Parties, aside from the holders of pre-funded warrants purchased in the Company’s October 2024 registered direct offering, to deliver to the Representative an executed Lock-Up Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lock-Up Agreement”), prior to the execution of this Agreement.

 

2.25 Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any Subsidiary or any other Person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that have not been described as required.

 

2.26 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of the Company is comprised of the persons disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the Company’s Board of Directors comply with the Exchange Act, the Exchange Act Regulations, the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder (the “▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act”) applicable to the Company and the listing rules of the Exchange. At least one member of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined under Regulation S-K and the listing rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Exchange”). In addition, at least a majority of the persons serving on the Company’s Board of Directors qualify as “independent,” as defined under the listing rules of the Exchange.

 

2.27 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Compliance.

 

2.27.1. Disclosure Controls. The Company has developed and currently maintains disclosure controls and procedures that comply with Rule 13a-15 or 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations, and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, such controls and procedures are effective to ensure that all material information concerning the Company will be made known on a timely basis to the individuals responsible for the preparation of the Company’s Exchange Act filings and other public disclosure documents.

 

2.27.2. Compliance. The Company is in material compliance with the provisions of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act applicable to it, and has implemented or will implement such programs and taken reasonable steps to ensure the Company’s future compliance (not later than the relevant statutory and regulatory deadlines therefor) with all of the material provisions of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act.

 

2.28 Internal Controls. The Company maintains systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined under Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, its respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, 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. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are known to the Company’s management and that have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’ ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud known to the Company’s management, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

 

2.29 No Investment Company Status. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the Offering and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be, required to register as an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

2.30 Labor Relations. No labor dispute or governmental investigation or proceedings exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to labor law compliance or any of the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. No executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, 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 that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable 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.

 

2.31 Intellectual Property Rights. To the knowledge of the Company, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries owns or possesses or has valid rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets and similar rights (“Intellectual Property Rights”) necessary for the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. To the knowledge of the Company, no action or use by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries necessary for the conduct of its business as currently carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will involve or give rise to any infringement of, or license or similar fees for, any Intellectual Property Rights of others. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice alleging any such infringement, fee or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect (i) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement, misappropriation or violation by third parties of any of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company or any Subsidiary; (ii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary in or to any such Intellectual Property Rights, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim, that would, individually or in the aggregate, together with any other claims in this Section 2.31, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) the Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, the Intellectual Property Rights licensed to the Company or any Subsidiary have not been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, and there is no pending or, to the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property Rights, and the Company or any Subsidiary is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim that would, individually or in the aggregate, together with any other claims in this Section 2.31, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; (iv) there is no pending or, to the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any Subsidiary infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property Rights or other proprietary rights of others, the Company or any Subsidiary has not received any written notice of such claim and the Company or any Subsidiary is unaware of any other facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim that would, individually or in the aggregate, together with any other claims in this Section 2.31, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and (v) to the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s knowledge, no employee of the Company or any Subsidiary is in or has ever been in violation in any material respect of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company or any Subsidiary, or actions undertaken by the employee while employed with the Company or any Subsidiary and could reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s knowledge, all material technical information developed by and belonging to the Company or any Subsidiary which has not been patented has been kept confidential. The Company or any Subsidiary is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property Rights of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and are not described therein. The Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus contain in all material respects the same description of the matters set forth in the preceding sentence. None of the technology employed by the Company or any Subsidiary has been obtained or is being used by the Company or any Subsidiary in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any Subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its officers, directors or employees, or otherwise in violation of the rights of any Persons.

 

 

2.32 Cybersecurity; Data Protection. The Company and its Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, and other malware. The Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses, and there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except in each case that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other Person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its Subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or Governmental Entity, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except in each case that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

2.33 Taxes. (i) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have filed all national, local, federal, state and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases where failure to file or pay would not have a Material Adverse Effect, or except for taxes currently being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been made in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which has had (nor does the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its Subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect. (ii) Any unpaid material income and corporation tax liability of the Company for any years not finally determined have been accrued on the Company’s financial statements in accordance with the GAAP.

 

2.34 Compliance with Laws. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries: (i) is and at all times has been in compliance with all statutes, rules, regulations, ordinances, judgments, orders and decrees of all Governmental Entities applicable to the Company’s and the Subsidiaries’ business (“Applicable Laws”), except as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) has not received any warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or notice from any other Governmental Entity alleging or asserting noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any licenses, consents, certificates, approvals, clearances, authorizations, permits, orders and supplements or amendments thereto required by any such Applicable Laws (“Authorizations”); (iii) possesses all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and are not in material violation of any term of any such Authorizations; (iv) has not received notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, inquiry, arbitration or other action from any Governmental Entity or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and has no knowledge that any such Governmental Entity or third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (v) has not received notice that any Governmental Entity has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any Authorizations and has no knowledge that any such Governmental Entity is considering such action; (vi) has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, filings, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and correct on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission); and (viii) has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted, or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any recall, market withdrawal or replacement, safety alert, post-sale warning, or other notice or action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any product or any alleged product defect or violation and, to the Company’s knowledge, no third party has initiated, conducted or intends to initiate any such notice or action.

 

 

2.35 Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries, (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, national, federal, state and local laws and regulations (including, for the avoidance of doubt, all applicable laws and regulations of the United States) relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or waste and protection of health and safety or the environment which are applicable to their businesses (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws, except for those that would, singly or in the aggregate, not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

2.36 Title to Real and Personal Property. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real or personal property which are material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all Liens and defects that do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

 

2.37 Contracts Affecting Capital. There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company, any of its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations) and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for their capital resources required to be described or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which have not been described or incorporated by reference as required.

 

2.38 Loans to Directors or Officers. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

2.39 Integration. 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 the Offering to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act that would require the registration of any such securities issued in such prior offerings under the Securities Act.

 

2.40 No Broker’s Fees. There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company or its Subsidiaries and any Person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or its Subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the Offering, or any other arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments or issuance with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, sponsors, partners, employees, affiliates or other Person acting on their behalf that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation as determined by the FINRA.

 

2.41 Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included or incorporated by reference in any of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

 

 

2.42 Third-party Data. Any statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes to be reliable and accurate or represent the Company’s good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived, and the Company has obtained the written consent for the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.

 

2.43 Confidentiality and Non-Competition. To the Company’s knowledge, no director, officer, key employee or consultant of the Company is subject to any confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer that could reasonably be expected to materially affect his ability to be and act in his respective capacity of the Company or be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

2.44 Termination of Contracts. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements specifically referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, by any other party to any such contract or agreement.

 

2.44 Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not (i) alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications, other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the written consent of the Representative and with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) authorized anyone other than the Representative to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company confirms that the Representative has been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule II-B hereto. As of the time of each sale of the Securities in connection with the Offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, no individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

2.45 Margin Securities. The Company owns no “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of Offering will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the shares of Common Stock to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

 

2.47 Nasdaq Deficiencies. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act. There is no action pending by the Company or the Exchange to delist the Common Stock from the Exchange and all notifications from the Exchange regarding the Company’s deficiencies with regard to the Exchange’s listing rules have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, and the Preliminary Prospectus. When issued, the Shares shall be listed on the Exchange.

 

3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees as follows:

 

3.1 Amendments to Registration Statement. The Company shall deliver to the Representative, prior to filing, any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus proposed to be filed after the Effective Date and not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing.

 

 

3.2 Federal Securities Laws.

 

3.2.1. Compliance. The Company, subject to Section 3.2.2, shall comply with the requirements of Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations, and will notify the Representative promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed; (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the Offering of the Securities. The Company shall effect all filings required under Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and shall take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

3.2.2. Continued Compliance. The Company shall comply with the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (i) give the Representative notice of such event; (ii) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (iii) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period the Company proposes to file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus for any other reason, the Company will (i) give the Representative notice of such event; (ii) a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement; and (iii) not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object, unless in the opinion of the Company’s outside legal counsel the filing of such amendment or supplement is necessary to correct a material misstatement or is necessary to make the statements included therein not misleading. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time. The Company shall give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time until the Closing Date and will furnish the Representative with copies of the related document(s) a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

 

 

3.2.3. Exchange Act Registration. For a period of five (5) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall use its best efforts to maintain the registration of the shares of Common Stock under the Exchange Act, and the Company shall not voluntarily deregister the shares of Common Stock under the Exchange Act without the prior written consent of the Representative.

 

3.2.4. Testing-the-Waters Communications. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly notify the Representative and shall promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

 

3.3 Delivery to the Underwriters of Registration Statements. The Company has delivered or made available or shall deliver or make available to the Representative and counsel for the Representative, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

3.4 Delivery to the Underwriters of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered or made available or will deliver or make available to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

3.5 Effectiveness and Events Requiring Notice to the Representative. The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to remain effective with a current prospectus until nine (9) months from the Applicable Time, and will notify the Underwriters immediately and confirm the notice in writing: (i) of the cessation of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto; (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iii) of the issuance by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iv) of the mailing and delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; (v) of the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commission; and (vi) of the happening of any event during the period described in this Section 3.5 that, in the judgment of the Company, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Commission or any state securities commission shall enter a stop order or suspend such qualification at any time, the Company will make every reasonable effort to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.

 

3.6 Review of Financial Statements. For a period of five (5) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company, at its expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent registered public accounting firm to review (but not audit) the Company’s financial statements for each of the three fiscal quarters immediately preceding the announcement of any quarterly financial information.

 

 

3.7 Listing. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing of the shares of Common Stock (including the Shares) on the Exchange, and shall not voluntarily delist the shares of Common Stock (including the Shares) on the Exchange without the prior written consent of the Representative, in each case for at least five (5) years from the date of this Agreement. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the shares of Common Stock traded on any of the following markets or exchange, including the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing) (each “Other Trading Market”), it will then include in such application all of the Securities, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of such securities to be listed or quoted on such Other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its shares of Common Stock on such Other Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of such Other Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the shares of Common Stock for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

3.8 Non-accountable Expense Allowance. The Company agrees that on the Closing Date it will pay to the Representative a non-accountable expense allowance equal to one percent (1%) of the gross proceeds of the Offering.

 

3.9 Reports to the Representative.

 

3.9.1. Periodic Reports, etc. For a period of five (5) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall furnish or make available to the Representative copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any class of its securities and also promptly furnish to the Representative: (i) a copy of each periodic report the Company shall be required to file with the Commission under the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations; (ii) a copy of every press release and every news item and article with respect to the Company or its affairs which was released by the Company; (iii) a copy of each Form 8-K prepared and filed by the Company; (iv) five copies of each registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act; and (v) such additional documents and information with respect to the Company and the affairs of any future subsidiaries of the Company as the Representative may from time to time reasonably request in writing; provided the Representative shall sign, if requested by the Company, a Regulation FD compliant confidentiality agreement which is reasonably acceptable to the Representative and LB in connection with the Representative’s receipt of such information. Documents filed with the Commission pursuant to its ▇▇▇▇▇ system shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Representative pursuant to this Section 3.9.1.

 

3.9.2. Transfer Agent; Transfer Sheets. For a period of five (5) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall retain a transfer agent and registrar acceptable to the Representative (the “Transfer Agent”) and shall furnish to the Representative at the Representative’s sole cost and expense such transfer sheets of the Company’s securities as the Representative may reasonably request, including the daily and monthly consolidated transfer sheets of the Transfer Agent and DTC. VStock Transfer, LLC is acceptable to the Representative to act as Transfer Agent for the shares of Common Stock.

 

3.9.3. Trading Reports. For a period of three (3) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall provide to the Representative, at the Company’s expense, such reports published by Exchange relating to price trading of the shares of Common Stock, as the Representative shall reasonably request. Documents made freely available by the Exchange through its website shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Representative pursuant to this Section 3.9.3.

 

3.10 Payment of Expenses. The Company hereby agrees to pay on the Closing Date, all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, but not limited to: (a) all filing fees and communication expenses relating to the registration of the shares of Common Stock to be sold in the Offering with the Commission; (b) all Public Filing System filing fees associated with the review of the Offering by FINRA; (c) all fees and expenses relating to the listing of such Securities on the Exchange and such other stock exchanges as the Company and the Representative together determine, including any fees charged by DTC for new securities; (d) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to background checks of the Company’s officers and directors; (e) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration or qualification of the Securities under the “Blue Sky” laws of such states and other jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate (including, without limitation, all filing and registration fees); (f) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration, qualification or exemption of the Securities under the securities laws of such foreign jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate; (g) the costs of all mailing and printing of the underwriting documents (including, without limitation, the Underwriting Agreement, any Blue Sky Surveys and, if appropriate, any Agreement Among Underwriters, Selected Dealers’ Agreement, Underwriters’ Questionnaire and Power of Attorney), Registration Statements, Prospectuses and all amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto and as many preliminary and final Prospectuses as the Representative may reasonably deem necessary; (h) the costs of preparing, printing and delivering certificates representing the Securities; (i) fees and expenses of the transfer agent for the shares of Common Stock; (j) stock transfer and/or stamp taxes, if any, payable upon the transfer of securities from the Company to the Underwriters; (k) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants; (l) the fees and expenses of the Company’s legal counsel and other agents and representatives; (m) fees and expenses of the Representative’s legal counsel and (n) the Company’s actual “road show” expenses for the Offering. The Representative may deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date, all such out-of-pocket fees, expenses and disbursements (including legal fees and expenses) of Underwriters incurred as a result of providing services related to the Offering to be paid by the Company to the Underwriters ($45,000 of which has been paid prior to the date of this Agreement and will be reimbursed to the extent not offset by actual expenses), up to a maximum aggregate expense allowance of $80,000.

 

 

3.11 Application of Net Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the Offering received by it in a manner consistent with the application thereof described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

3.12 Delivery of Earnings Statements to Security Holders. The Company shall make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but not later than the first day of the fifteenth (15th) full calendar month following the date of this Agreement, an earnings statement (which need not be certified by independent registered public accounting firm unless required by the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, but which shall satisfy the provisions of Rule 158(a) under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act) covering a period of at least twelve (12) consecutive months beginning after the date of this Agreement. If such earnings statement is available on ▇▇▇▇▇, whether via filing of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K or otherwise, it shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Representative pursuant to this Section 3.12.

 

3.13 Stabilization. Neither the Company nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken or shall take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under Regulation M of the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

3.14 Internal Controls. The Company shall maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (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 existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

3.15 Accountants. As of the date of this Agreement, the Company shall retain an independent registered public accounting firm reasonably acceptable to the Representative, and the Company shall continue to retain a nationally recognized independent registered public accounting firm for a period of at least five (5) years after the date of this Agreement. The Representative acknowledges that the Auditor is acceptable to the Representative.

 

3.16 FINRA. The Company shall advise the Representative (who shall make an appropriate filing with FINRA) if it is or becomes aware that (i) any officer or director of the Company, (ii) any beneficial owner of 10% or more of any class of the Company’s securities or (iii) any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities which were acquired during the one hundred eighty (180) days immediately preceding the initial filing of the Registration Statement is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA).

 

3.17 No Fiduciary Duties. The Company hereby acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company further acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm’s-length basis and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters act or be responsible as a fiduciary to the Company, its management, stockholders, creditors or any other Person in connection with any activity that the Underwriters may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of the offering of the Securities, either before or after the date hereof. The Underwriters hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions, and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that effect. The Company hereby further confirms its understanding that no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the Offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto, including, without limitation, any negotiation related to the pricing of the Securities; and the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate in connection with this Agreement and the Offering. The Company and the Underwriters agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such transactions, and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters to the Company regarding such transactions, including but not limited to any opinions or views with respect to the price or market for the Company’s securities, do not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar duty to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions.

 

 

3.18 Company Lock-Up Agreements.

 

3.18.1. Restriction on Sales of Capital Stock. The Company, on behalf of itself and any successor entity, agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not, for a period of sixty (60) days after the date set forth on the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (ii) file or cause to be filed any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company except for a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with the registration of shares of Common Stock issuable under any employee equity-based compensation plan, incentive plan, stock plan, dividend reinvestment plan adopted and approved by the Company’s Board of Directors; or (iii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of capital stock of the Company, whether any such transaction described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of capital stock of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.

 

The restrictions contained in this Section 3.18.1 shall not apply to (i) the shares of Common Stock to be sold hereunder, (ii) the issuance by the Company of the Warrant Shares or of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of a stock option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof, of which the Representative have been advised in writing or which is disclosed in the Registration Statement, provided that such options, warrants, and 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 (other than in connection with automatic price resets, share splits, adjustments or combinations as set forth in such securities) or to extend the term of such securities, or (iii) the issuance by the Company of stock options or shares of capital stock of the Company under any equity compensation plan of the Company, duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Company’s Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose for services rendered to the Company; or (iv) the issuance of securities pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith, and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equity holders 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, provided that, in each of (ii), (iii) and (iv) above, the underlying shares shall be restricted from sale during the entire Lock-Up Period.

 

 

3.19 Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company shall use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, if necessary, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

3.20 Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and Exchange Act Regulations. Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Securities as may be required under Rule 463 under the Securities Act Regulations.

 

3.21 D&O Insurance. On the date of this Agreement, the Company shall maintain officers’ and directors’ insurance for each of the officers and directors of the Company in the aggregate amount of no less than $1,000,000]

 

3.22 Board Composition and Board Designations. The Company shall ensure that: (i) the qualifications of the persons serving as members of the Company’s Board of Directors and the overall composition of the Company’s Board of Directors comply with the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act, with the Exchange Act and with the listing rules of the Exchange or any Other Trading Market, as the case may be, in the event the Company seeks to have its Securities listed on such Other Trading Market, and (ii) if applicable, at least one member of the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined under Regulation S-K under the Securities Act and the listing rules of the Exchange.

 

3.23 Prohibition on Press Releases and Public Announcements. At the request of the Representative, by 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the first trading day after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the Offering. The Company and the Representative shall consult with each other in issuing any press releases with respect to the Offering, and neither the Company nor any Underwriter shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any other press release of such Underwriter, or without the prior consent of such Underwriter, with respect to any press release of the Company, 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.

 

3.24 Research Independence. The Company acknowledges that each Underwriter’s research analysts and research departments, if any, are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriter’s research analysts may hold and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of its investment bankers. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against such Underwriter with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by such Underwriter’s investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that each of the Representative is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short position in debt or equity securities of the Company.

 

3.25 Right of First Refusal. Following the Closing Date, for a period of three (3) months after such Closing Date, the Company grants the Representative the right of first refusal to act as sole advisor, investment bank, book-running manager and/or placement agent, as applicable, at the Representative’s sole discretion, for each and every public and private equity or debt financing transaction or merger and acquisition transaction of the Company during such three (3) months period. The Company shall notify the Representative of its intention to pursue any such offering or transaction, including the material terms thereof, by providing written notice thereof to the Representative. If the Representative fails to accept in writing any such proposal for such public offering within five (5) Business Days after receipt of a written notice in accordance with this Section 3.25 from the Company, then the Representative will have no claim or right with respect to any such offering or transaction contained in any such notice. If, thereafter, such proposal is modified in any material respect, the Company will adopt the same procedure as with respect to the original proposed offering or transaction and the Representative shall have the right of first refusal with respect to such revised proposal. The Representative shall not have more than one opportunity to waive or terminate the right of first refusal in consideration of any payment or fee. The terms and conditions of any such engagements shall be set forth in separate agreements and may be subject to, among other things, satisfactory completion of due diligence by the Representative, market conditions, the absence of a material adverse change to the Company’s business, financial condition and prospects.

 

 

3.26 Tail Financing. Following the Closing Date, for a period of twelve (12) months after such Closing Date, the Representative shall be entitled to a cash fee equal to four percent (4.0%) of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of any equity, debt and/or equity derivative instruments to any investor actually introduced by the Representative to the Company provided that such Tail Financing is by a party actually introduced to the Company in an offering in which the Company has direct knowledge of such party’s participation, and provided further that in the event Representative’s services are terminated by the Company for cause, the Tail Financing shall not survive such termination in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(5).

 

4. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Securities, as provided herein, shall be subject to (i) the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date; (ii) the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company made pursuant to the provisions hereof; (iii) the performance by the Company of its obligations, covenants and agreements hereunder; and (iv) the following conditions:

 

4.1 Regulatory Matters.

 

4.1.1. Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Rule 430A Information. The Registration Statement has become effective not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement or such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by you, and, at each of the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the Securities Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated by the Commission. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. The Prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A.

 

4.1.2. FINRA Clearance. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters as described in the Registration Statement.

 

4.2 Company Counsel Matters.

 

4.2.1. Closing Date Opinion of Counsel. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel to the Company, and a written statement providing certain “10b-5” negative assurances, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representative, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and LB.

 

4.3 Comfort Letters.

 

4.3.1. Cold Comfort Letter. At the time this Agreement is executed you shall have received a cold comfort letter from the Auditor containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to you and LB, dated as of the date of this Agreement.

 

 

4.3.2. Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received from the Auditor a letter, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to you and LB, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that the Auditor reaffirms the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to Section 4.3.1.

 

4.4 Officers’ Certificates.

 

4.4.1. Officers’ Certificate. The Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate, dated the Closing Date, of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer stating that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the Effective Date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, as of the Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects (except for those representations and warranties qualified as to materiality, which shall be true and correct in all respects, and except for those representations and warranties which refer to facts existing at a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such date) and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date, (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would involve a material adverse change or a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, assets or prospects of the Company, except as set forth in the Prospectus, and (v) with respect to such other matters as the Representative may reasonably require.

 

4.4.2. Secretary’s Certificate. At each of the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Secretary of the Company, dated the Closing Date, certifying: (i) that each of the Charter and Bylaws is true and complete, has not been modified and is in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors relating to the Offering are in full force and effect and have not been modified; (iii) as to the accuracy and completeness of all correspondence between the Company or its counsel and the Commission; and (iv) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company. The documents referred to in such certificate shall be attached to such certificate.

 

4.5 No Material Adverse Changes. No event or condition of a type described in Section 2.13 hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representative makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the Closing Date, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

4.6 Delivery of Agreements.

 

4.6.1. Lock-Up Agreements. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of the Lock-Up Agreements from each of the Persons listed in Schedule III hereto.

 

4.7 Good Standing. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company in its respective jurisdiction of organization in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate Governmental Entity of such jurisdictions as of a date no earlier than five (5) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, or, for any such jurisdiction in which evidence of good standing may not be obtained from appropriate Governmental Entities, in the form of an opinion of counsel licensed in the applicable jurisdiction.

 

 

4.8 Additional Documents. At the Closing Date, Representative shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and LB.

 

If any condition specified in this Section 4 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by written notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 3 (with respect to the reimbursement of out-of-pocket accountable, bona fide expenses actually incurred by the Representative) and Section 5 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

5. Indemnification.

 

5.1 Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and its partners, members and affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents, and each Person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any loss, claim, damage, liability, litigation, investigation, suit, action or proceeding (whether or not such Indemnified Person (as defined below) is a party thereto), whether commenced or threatened, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above, in each case, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented), any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the Offering, including any “road show” or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or any application or other document or written communication executed by the Company or based upon written information furnished by the Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Securities under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, any state securities commission or agency, the Exchange or any other national securities exchange, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of Underwriter Information.

 

5.2 Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the several Underwriters, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any application, in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, the Underwriters’ Information.

 

 

5.3 Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to the preceding paragraphs of this Section 5, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 5 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 5. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 5 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representative and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

 

5.4 Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an Indemnified Person under Section 5.1 or 5.2 in respect of any loss, claim, damage or liability, or any action in respect thereof, referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person shall, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, from the Offering of the Securities, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Securities and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

 

5.5 Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 5 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 5.4. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 5.4 shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute an amount in excess of $500,000 as a result of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 5 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

 

5.6 Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in Sections 5.1 through 5.5 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.

 

5.7 Representations, Warranties, Agreements to Survive. The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 5 and the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 7, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter, or the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.

 

6. Default by an Underwriter.

 

If on the Closing Date, any Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the portion of the Shares, which such Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than by reason of any default on the part of the Company), the Representative, or if the Representative is the defaulting Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters, shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to procure within 36 hours thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase from the Company such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms set forth herein, the Shares, which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such 36 hours the Representative shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the Shares, as the case may be, agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then:

 

6.1 Default Not Exceeding 10% of Shares. If the aggregate number of the Shares with respect to which such default shall occur does not exceed 10% of the Shares covered hereby, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective numbers of Shares which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase.

 

6.2 Default Exceeding 10% of Shares. If the aggregate number of Shares with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds 10% of the Shares covered hereby, the Company or the Representative will have the right to terminate this Agreement without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the Company except to the extent provided in Section 5 hereof.

 

6.3 Postponement of Closing Date. In the event that the Shares to which the default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the non-defaulting Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a reasonable period, but not in any event exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” includes any Person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Nothing contained in this Section 6 shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

 

 

7. Termination.

 

7.1 Termination Right. The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to any Closing Date, (i) if any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in your opinion will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States; or (ii) if trading on the New York Stock Exchange or The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required by FINRA or by order of the Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction; or (iii) if the United States shall have become involved in a new war or an increase in major hostilities; or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State or federal authority; or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States securities markets; or (vi) if, the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in your opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Securities; or (vii) if the Company is in material breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants hereunder; or (viii) if, aside from the Company’s receipt of a delisting notification from Nasdaq and provided that the Company has timely submitted its request for a hearing before a Nasdaq Hearings Panel and payment of the requisite $20,000 hearing fee, the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of such a material adverse change in the conditions or prospects of the Company, or such adverse material change in general market conditions as in the Representative’s judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Securities or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Securities.

 

7.2 Expenses. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, except in the case of a default by the Underwriters, pursuant to Section 6.2 above, in the event that this Agreement shall not be carried out for any reason whatsoever, within the time specified herein or any extensions thereof pursuant to the terms herein, the Company shall be obligated to pay to the Representative their actual and accountable out-of-pocket expenses related to the transactions contemplated herein then due and payable ($45,000 of which has been paid prior to the date hereof). Notwithstanding the foregoing, any advance received by the Representative will be reimbursed to the Company to the extent not actually incurred in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(4)(A).

 

8. Miscellaneous.

 

8.1 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: (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or e-mail attachment at the email address set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Business Day, (ii) the next Business Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or e-mail attachment at the e-mail address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Business Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Business Day, (iii) the second (2nd) Business Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) 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.

 

8.2 Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement.

 

8.3 Amendment. This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.

 

8.4 Waiver, etc. The failure of any of the parties hereto to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way effect the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof or the right of any of the parties hereto to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.

 

 

8.5 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, it is understood and agreed by the parties hereto that all other terms and conditions of that certain engagement letter between the Company and the Representative, dated February 10, 2025 and as amended on February 28, 2025, shall remain in full force and effect.

 

8.6 Binding Effect. This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Representative, the Underwriters, the Company and the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 5 hereof, and their respective successors, legal representatives, heirs and assigns, and no other Person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provisions herein contained. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser, in its capacity as such, of securities from any of the Underwriters.

 

8.7 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.

 

8.8 Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Trial by Jury. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws principles thereof. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of, or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 8.1 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. The Company agrees that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

8.9 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., ▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company.

 

	Very truly yours,
	SHUTTLE PHARMACEUTICALS HOLDINGS, INC.
	By:
	Name:	▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

Address for Notice:

 

Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.

▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇

Gaithersburg, MD 20879Facsimile: N/A

Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

Attention: ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

 

Copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP

▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇^▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇

New York, NY 10019 

Facsimile: N/A

Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE]

SHUTTLE PHARMACEUTICALS – UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

 

Confirmed as of the date first written above mentioned, on behalf of itself and as Representative of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto:

 

WESTPARK CAPITAL, INC.
By:
Name:	▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

Address for Notice:

 

▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇

Los Angeles, CA 90067

Facsimile:

Email:

Attention: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

  

Copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Lucosky ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP

▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

Woodbridge, NJ 08330

Fax No.:

E-Mail:

Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.

 

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE]

SHUTTLE PHARMACEUTICALS – UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

 

SCHEDULE I

 

Underwriter

Number of Shares

Number of Pre-Funded Warrants

Purchase Price (after discounts) ($)

WestPark Capital, Inc.

TOTAL

 

 

SCHEDULE II-A

 

Pricing Information

 

Number of Shares:

 

Number of Pre-Funded Warrants:

 

Public Offering Price per Share:

 

Public Offering per Pre-Funded Warrant:

 

Underwriting Discount per Share:

 

Underwriting Discount per Pre-Funded Warrant:

 

Proceeds to Company per Share:

 

Proceeds to Company per Pre-Funded Warrant (before expenses):

 

 

SCHEDULE II-B

 

Written Testing-the-Waters Communications

 

None.

 

 

SCHEDULE III

 

List of Lock-Up Parties

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

Lock-Up Agreement

 

March [*], 2025

 

 

WestPark Capital, Inc.

▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇

Los Angeles, CA 90077

  

As Representative of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement referenced below

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that you, as representative (the “Representative”), propose to enter into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) on behalf of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I to such agreement (collectively, the “Underwriters”), with Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for a public offering (the “Public Offering”) of shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”) and/or Pre-Funded Warrants in lieu thereof (collectively, the “Securities”), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

In consideration of the agreement by the Underwriters to offer and sell the Securities, and of other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, during the period beginning from the date of this agreement (this “Lock-Up Agreement”) and continuing to and including the date 60 days after the date set forth on the final prospectus (the “Prospectus”) used to sell the Securities in the Public Offering (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned shall not, and shall not cause or direct any of its affiliates to, (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, lend or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock of the Company, or any options or warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock of the Company, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive shares of Common Stock of the Company (such options, warrants or other securities, collectively, “Derivative Instruments”), including without limitation any such shares or Derivative Instruments now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned, (ii) engage in any hedging or other transaction or arrangement (including, without limitation, any short sale or the purchase or sale of, or entry into, any put or call option, or combination thereof, forward, swap or any other derivative transaction or instrument, however described or defined) which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale, loan, pledge or other disposition (whether by the undersigned or someone other than the undersigned), or transfer of any of the economic consequences of ownership, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, of any shares of Common Stock of the Company or Derivative Instruments, whether any such transaction or arrangement (or instrument provided for thereunder) would be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise (any such sale, loan, pledge or other disposition, or transfer of economic consequences, a “Transfer”), (iii) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or Derivative Instruments or (iv) otherwise publicly announce any intention to engage in any of the foregoing. The undersigned represents and warrants that the undersigned is not, and has not caused or directed any of its affiliates to be or become, currently a party to any agreement or arrangement that provides for, is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in any Transfer during the Lock-Up Period.

 

If the undersigned is not a natural person, the undersigned represents and warrants that no single natural person, entity or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), other than a natural person, entity or “group” (as described above) that has executed a Lock-Up Agreement in substantially the same form as this Lock-Up Agreement, beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the common equity interests, or 50% or more of the voting power, in the undersigned.

 

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may (a) transfer any of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock without the consent of the Representative:

 

(i)	in transactions consisting of shares of Common Stock or such Derivative Instruments that the undersigned may purchase (A) from the Underwriters in the Public Offering or (B) in open market transactions after the date set forth on the cover of the Prospectus;
(ii)	as a bona fide gift or charitable contribution;
(iii)	to an immediate family member or a trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or such immediate family member of the undersigned;
(iv)	by will or intestacy; provided that no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made and, if required, any public report or filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the transfer of shares by will or intestacy;
(v)	pursuant to a domestic relations order, divorce decree or court order; provided that no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made and, if required, any public report or filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the transfer of shares pursuant to a domestic relations order, divorce decree or court order;
(vi)	if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, (A) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned, or to any investment fund or other entity controlling, controlled by, managing or managed by or under common control with the undersigned or affiliates of the undersigned (including, for the avoidance of doubt, where the undersigned is a partnership, to its general partner or a successor partnership or fund, or any other funds managed by such partnership), or (B) as part of a distribution to members or shareholders of the undersigned;
(vii)	if the undersigned is a trust, to a trustor or beneficiary of the trust or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust;
(viii)	to the Company in connection with the repurchase of the undersigned’s shares in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s employment with the Company pursuant to contractual agreements with the Company; provided that no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made and, if required, any public report or filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the transfer of shares from the repurchase of the undersigned’s shares in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s employment with the Company pursuant to contractual agreements with the Company;

 

 

(ix)	through the disposition or forfeiture of the undersigned’s shares to the Company to satisfy any income, employment or tax withholding and remittance obligations of the undersigned or the employer of the undersigned in connection with the vesting of restricted stock, restricted stock units or other incentive awards settled in shares of Common Stock held by the undersigned; provided that such restricted stock, restricted stock units or other incentive awards were granted under a stock incentive plan, stock purchase plan or pursuant to a contractual employment arrangement described in the Prospectus; provided further that no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made and, if required, any public filing, report or announcement, including under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the transfer of shares through the disposition or forfeiture of the undersigned’s shares to the Company to satisfy any income, employment or tax withholding and remittance obligations of the undersigned or the employer of the undersigned in connection with the vesting of restricted stock, restricted stock units or other incentive awards settled in shares held by the undersigned; provided further that any underlying Common Stock or Derivative Instruments shall continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Lock-Up Agreement;
(x)	to the Company through the exercise of a stock option granted under a stock incentive plan or stock purchase plan or a warrant described in the Prospectus by the undersigned, and the receipt by the undersigned from the Company of shares of Common Stock upon any such exercise; provided that the underlying shares shall continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Lock-Up Agreement; provided further that no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made and, if required, any public filing, report or announcement, including under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the exercise of a stock option or warrant;
(xi)	pursuant to a bona fide third party tender offer for all outstanding Common Stock of the Company, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction involving a Change of Control of the Company and approved by the Company’s board of directors; provided that, if such Change of Control transaction is not completed, this clause (a)(xi) shall not be applicable and the undersigned’s shares shall remain subject to the restrictions contained in this Lock-Up Agreement; or
(xii)	in connection with any reclassification, repurchase, redemption, conversion or exchange of the Common Stock or outstanding preferred stock; provided that any securities of the Company received by the undersigned as a result will be subject to the restrictions set forth in this Lock-Up Agreement;

 

or (b) establish a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock; provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of shares during the Lock-Up Period and (ii) no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made and, if required, such public announcement, report or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock or Derivative Instruments may be made under such plan during the Lock-Up Period.

 

In addition, provided in the case of clauses (a)(ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) above, it shall be a condition to such transfer that each transferee, donee or distributee sign and deliver a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of this Lock-Up Agreement, except in the case of clauses (a)(iv) and (v) where a court of competent jurisdiction requires such transfer or distribution be made without such a restriction; provided further that in the case of clauses (a)(i), (ii), (iii), (vi) and (vii) above, no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act (other than a required Form 5 filing that includes a statement indicating the reason for such transfer and is filed no earlier than 120 days following the date set forth on the Prospectus) or other public announcement, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Lock-Up Period; provided further in the case of clauses (a)(ii), (a)(iii), (a)(iv), (a)(vi) and (a)(vii), any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value.

 

For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin and “Change of Control” shall mean the transfer (whether by tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons (other than an Underwriter pursuant to the Public Offering), of the Company’s voting securities if, after such transfer, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold more than 50% of the voting power represented by the outstanding securities of the Company (or the surviving entity). For the avoidance of doubt, the Public Offering is not a Change of Control. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock of the Company except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

 

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that none of the Underwriters has made any recommendation or provided any investment or other advice to the undersigned with respect to this Lock-Up Agreement or the subject matter hereof, and the undersigned has consulted its own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory, tax and other advisors with respect to this Lock-Up Agreement and the subject matter hereof to the extent the undersigned has deemed appropriate. The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this Lock-Up Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this Lock-Up Agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors, and assigns.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, this Lock-Up Agreement will automatically terminate and the undersigned will be released from all of his, her or its obligations hereunder upon the earliest to occur, if any, of (i) prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company advises the Representative in writing that it has determined not to proceed with the Public Offering, (ii) the Company files an application to withdraw the registration statement related to the Public Offering, (iii) the Underwriting Agreement is executed but is terminated (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) prior to payment for and delivery of the Securities to be sold thereunder, and (iv) March 31, 2025, if the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by such date.

 

The undersigned and the Representative hereby consent to receipt of this Lock-Up Agreement in electronic form and understand and agree that this Lock-Up Agreement may be signed electronically. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, electronic mail, or otherwise by electronic transmission evidencing an intent to sign this Lock-Up Agreement (including any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., ▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇), such facsimile transmission, electronic mail or other electronic transmission shall create a valid and binding obligation of the undersigned with the same force and effect as if such signature were an original. Execution and delivery of this Lock-Up Agreement by facsimile transmission, electronic mail or other electronic transmission is legal, valid and binding for all purposes.

 

This Lock-Up Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Lock-Up Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

IF AN INDIVIDUAL:			IF AN ENTITY:
(duly authorized signature)			(please print complete name of entity)
Name:			By:
	(please print full name)			(duly authorized signature)
			Name:
				(please print full name)
			Title:
				(please print full title)
Address:			Address:
E-mail:			E-mail:

  

 

EXHIBIT B

 

Subsidiaries

 

Name of Subsidiaries		Jurisdiction