WARRANTS EXERCISABLE FOR UP TO 1,600,000 WARRANT SHARES
Exhibit 1.1
1,600,000 COMMON SHARES AND
WARRANTS EXERCISABLE FOR UP TO 1,600,000 WARRANT SHARES
November 30, 2023
Maxim Group LLC
As the Representative of the
Several underwriters, if any, named in Schedule I hereto
c/o Maxim Group LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, 16th Floor
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, POET Technologies Inc., a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada (collectively with its subsidiaries and affiliates, including, without limitation, all entities disclosed or described in the Registration Statement (as defined below) as being subsidiaries or affiliates of POET Technologies Inc., 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 Maxim Group LLC is acting as representative to the several Underwriters (the “Representative” and, if there are no Underwriters other than the Representative, references to multiple Underwriters shall be disregarded and the term Representative as used herein shall have the same meaning as Underwriters) on the terms and conditions set forth herein. Maxim Group LLC is acting as the sole book-running manager in connection with the Offering (as defined below) contemplated herein.
It is understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public offering of the Public Securities in the United States only as soon as the Representative deems it advisable to do so. The Public Securities are to be initially offered to the public at the public offering price set forth in the Prospectus (as defined below).
It is further understood that you will act as the Representative for the Underwriters in the Offering and sale of the Closing Securities (as defined below) and, if any, the Option Securities, in accordance with this Agreement.
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:
“Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(k).
“Affiliate” means with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with such Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Applicable Period” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.4.
“ATM” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.20.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or Canada or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York or the Province of Ontario are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
“Canadian Disclosure Record” means the public disclosure of the Company filed on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval +.
“Canadian Jurisdiction” means each province and territory of Canada.
“Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Closing Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
“Closing Date” means the hour and the date on the Trading Day on which all conditions precedent to (i) the Underwriters’ obligations to pay the Closing Purchase Price and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Closing Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the second (2nd) Trading Day (or third (3rd) Trading Day if this Agreement is executed after 4:00 p.m. (New York City Time) but prior to 11:59 p.m. (New York City Time)) following the date hereof or at such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company.
“Closing Purchase Price” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(b).
“Closing Securities” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(a)(ii).
“Closing Shares” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(a)(i).
“Closing Warrants” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(a)(ii).
“Commissions” means (i) the SEC and (ii) the securities regulatory authorities in each of the Canadian Jurisdictions, as applicable.
“Common Share Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Shares, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Shares.
“Common Shares” means common shares in the capital of the Company and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Company Auditor” means ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP.
“Company Canadian Counsel” means ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, with offices located at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
“Company Indemnitees” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 6.3.
“Company U.S. Counsel” means ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, with offices located at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
“Contributing Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 6.4(b).
“Disclosure Record” means, together, the SEC Reports and the Canadian Disclosure Record.
“Effective Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(f).
“EGS” means ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Schole LLP, with offices located at ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
“Engagement Agreement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 7.2.
“Environmental Laws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(mm).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exchange Act Registration Period” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.2(c).
“Execution Date” shall mean the date on which the parties execute and enter into this Agreement.
“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) Common Shares, options or share awards to employees, officers or directors of the Company pursuant to any equity incentive plan duly adopted by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange of any Warrants issued hereunder, and/or securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into Common Shares issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection with stock splits, stock combinations or other similar events) or to extend the term of such securities, (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions (in whole or in part) of, or investments in, businesses, intellectual property, technology or other assets (including by merger, consolidation, purchase of equity interests or assets or otherwise), recapitalizations or other strategic transactions, including strategic partnerships and joint ventures, approved by the Board of Directors, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act) and carry no registration rights that require the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith within 60 days following the Closing Date, 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, (d) Common Shares in a transaction as contemplated by that certain letter agreement, dated as of October 12, 2022, by and between the Company and Pacific Gate Advisors, LLC, with any one or more of the investors on a list provided to the Representative prior to the date hereof where the proceeds of such transaction shall be used for a Subsidiary, (e) Common Shares in a financing transaction with IBK Capital Corp. on terms materially consistent with the terms described in the Engagement Agreement, and (f) Common Shares and/or warrants to purchase Common Shares in a private placement solely to Canadian retail investors provided that the offering price per Common Share or Common Share and warrant in such offering is equal to or greater than the price paid by the investors in this Offering for the Securities (for the avoidance of doubt, the securities offered under this subsection (f) shall be subject to a four month holding period).
“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
“FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
“Hazardous Materials” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(mm).
“IFRS” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(i).
“IIROC” means the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.
“Indebtedness” means (a) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $100,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (b) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness for borrowed money of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (c) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $100,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with IFRS.
“Intellectual Property” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(p).
“IT Systems and Data” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(nn).
“Liens” means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“Lock-Up Agreements” means the lock-up agreements that are delivered on the date hereof by each of the Company’s executive officers and directors and Affiliates, if any, beneficially owning in excess of 5% of the Company’s Common Shares, substantially in the form of Exhibit D attached hereto.
“Material Adverse Effect” means (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects, or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document.
“Material Permit” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“Offering” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(c).
“Option Closing Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(c).
“Option Closing Purchase Price” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(b).
“Option Securities” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(a).
“Option Shares” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(a).
“Option Warrants” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(a).
“Over-Allotment Option” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(a).
“Per Share Purchase Price” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(b).
“Per Warrant Purchase Price” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(b).
“Permitted Free Writing Prospectus” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.2(d).
“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.
“Proceeding” means a claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus” means the base prospectus, dated August 18, 2023, contained in the Registration Statement, together with the Prospectus Supplement, including the documents and information incorporated by reference therein (except to the extent superseded or modified).
“Prospectus Supplement” means any preliminary or final supplement to the Prospectus, in each case, including the documents and information incorporated by reference therein (except to the extent superseded or modified), complying with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act that discloses the proposed terms of the Offering and the public offering price and other terms of the Public Securities and is filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b).
“Public Securities” means, collectively, the Closing Securities and, if any, the Option Securities.
“Q3 2023 6-K” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Registration Statement” means, collectively, the various parts of the registration statement prepared by the Company and filed with the SEC on Form F-3 (File No. 333-273853) on August 9, 2023, as amended as of the date hereof, including the Prospectus, and all documents or information incorporated by reference into such registration statement, except to the extent superseded or modified, and includes any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” means any registration statement prepared by the Company registering additional Public Securities, which was filed with the SEC on or prior to the date hereof and became automatically effective pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(i).
“Securities” means the Closing Securities, the Option Securities and the Warrant Shares.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Shares are listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange or the TSX Venture Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreements, the Warrants, and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means Computershare Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its affiliate, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., a federally chartered trust company, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“Variable Rate Transaction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.20(b).
“Warrant Shares” means the Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
“Warrants” means, collectively, the Common Share Purchase Warrants delivered to the Underwriters in accordance with Section 2.1(a), which Warrants shall be exercisable immediately and have a term of exercise equal to five years, each in the form of the Common Share Purchase Warrant attached as Exhibit E hereto.
ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing.
(a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell (i) in the aggregate 1,600,000 Common Shares and (ii) Warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 1,600,000 Common Shares and each Underwriter agrees to purchase, severally and not jointly, at the Closing, the following securities of the Company:
| i) | the number of Common Shares (the “Closing Shares”) set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereto; and | |
| ii) | Warrants to purchase up to the number of Common Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereto, which shall have an exercise price equal to $1.12 (subject to adjustment as provided therein) (the “Closing Warrants,” and, collectively with the Closing Shares, the “Closing Securities”). |
(b) The aggregate purchase price for the Closing Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter shall equal the amount set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereto (such Underwriter’s “Closing Purchase Price”). The combined purchase price for one Common Share and one Warrant to purchase one Warrant Share shall be $0.837, which shall be allocated as $0.836999907 per Common Share (the “Per Share Purchase Price”) and $0.000000093 per Warrant (the “Per Warrant Purchase Price”).
(c) On the Closing Date, each Underwriter shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, via wire transfer, immediately available funds equal to such Underwriter’s Closing Purchase Price and the Company shall deliver to, or as directed by, such Underwriter its respective Closing Securities and the Company shall deliver the other items required pursuant to Section 2.3 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.3 and 2.4, the Closing shall occur at the offices of EGS or such other location as the Company and the Representative shall mutually agree. The Public Securities are to be offered initially to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus Supplement (the “Offering”). The Representative shall deliver the Underwriters’ Closing Purchase Price to the Company in United States Dollars.
2.2 Over-Allotment Option.
(a) For the purposes of covering any over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of the Closing Securities, the Representative is hereby granted an option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) to purchase, in the aggregate, up to 240,000 Common Shares (the “Option Shares”) and/or Warrants to purchase up to 240,000 Common Shares (the “Option Warrants” and, collectively with the Option Shares, the “Option Securities”) which may be purchased in any combination of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants at the Per Share Purchase Price and/or Per Warrant Purchase Price, respectively.
(b) In connection with an exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, (a) the purchase price to be paid for the Option Shares is equal to the product of the Per Share Purchase Price multiplied by the number of Option Shares to be purchased and (b) the purchase price to be paid for the Option Warrants is equal to the product of the Per Warrant Purchase Price multiplied by the number of Option Warrants to be purchased (the aggregate purchase price to be paid on an Option Closing Date, the “Option Closing Purchase Price”).
(c) The Over-Allotment Option granted pursuant to this Section 2.2 may be exercised by the Representative as to all (at any time) or any part (from time to time) of the Option Securities within 45 days after the Execution Date. An Underwriter will not be under any obligation to purchase any Option Securities prior to the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option by the Representative. The Over-Allotment Option granted hereby may be exercised by the giving of oral notice to the Company from a Representative, which must be confirmed in writing by overnight mail or other electronic transmission setting forth the number of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants to be purchased and the date and time for delivery of and payment for the Option Securities (each, an “Option Closing Date”), which will not be later than two (2) full Business Days after the date of the notice or such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative, at the offices of EGS or at such other place (including remotely by other electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative. If such delivery and payment for the Option Securities does not occur on the Closing Date, each Option Closing Date will be as set forth in the notice. Upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, the Company will become obligated to convey to the Underwriters, and, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Underwriters will become obligated to purchase, the number of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants specified in such notice. The Representative may cancel the Over-Allotment Option at any time prior to the expiration of the Over-Allotment Option by written notice to the Company.
2.3 Deliveries. The Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Underwriter (if applicable) the following:
(i) At the Closing Date, the Closing Shares, and as to each Option Closing Date, if any, the applicable Option Shares, which Common Shares shall be delivered via The Depository Trust Company’s Deposit/Withdrawal at Custodian system for the accounts of the several Underwriters as directed by the Representative;
(ii) At the Closing Date, the Closing Warrants, and as to each Option Closing Date, if any, the applicable Option Warrants, which Closing Warrants shall be delivered in certificated form and registered in the name or names and in such authorized denominations as requested by the Representative in writing at least two (2) Business Day prior to the Closing Date and, if any, each Option Closing Date;
(iii) At the Closing Date, and each Option Closing Date, if any, a legal opinion of Company Canadian Counsel addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative;
(iv) At the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, a legal opinion of Company U.S. Counsel addressed to the Underwriters, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative;
(v) At the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, a certificate executed by the Vice President of Intellectual Property of the Company, solely in his capacity in such role, addressed to the Underwriters, substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto;
(vi) Contemporaneously herewith, a cold comfort letter, addressed to the Underwriters and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to the Representative from the Company Auditor dated, respectively, as of the date of this Agreement and a bring-down letter dated as of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any;
(vii) At the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date, if any, the duly executed and delivered Officer’s Certificate addressed to the Underwriters, substantially in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto;
(viii) At the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date, if any, the duly executed and delivered Secretary’s Certificate addressed to the Underwriters, substantially in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto;
(ix) Contemporaneously herewith, the duly executed and delivered Lock-Up Agreements addressed to the Underwriters, substantially in the form of Exhibit D attached hereto; and
(x) Contemporaneously herewith, the duly executed and delivered Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate addressed to the Underwriters, substantially in the form of Exhibit F attached hereto, and a bring-down Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate dated as of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any.
2.4 Closing Conditions. The respective obligations of each Underwriter hereunder in connection with the Closing and on each Option Closing Date are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects when made and on the date in question (other than representations and warranties of the Company already qualified by materiality, which shall be true and correct in all respects) of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate in all material respects as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the date in question shall have been performed in all material respects;
(iii) the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.3 of this Agreement;
(iv) the Registration Statement shall be effective on the date of this Agreement, and, at the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if applicable, (a) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued, and no Proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or contemplated by the Commissions; and (b) any request on the part of the Commissions for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representative;
(v) [Intentionally omitted.]
(vi) the filing by the Company of a notification of listing of additional shares with the Nasdaq Capital Market for the listing of the Closing Securities and, as applicable, the Option Securities thereon; and
(vii) prior to and on each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any: (i) there shall have been no material adverse change or development involving a prospective material adverse change in the condition, prospects or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus; (ii) no Action, suit or Proceeding, at law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened against the Company or any Affiliate of the Company before or by any court or federal, state or provincial commission, board or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding would be reasonably likely to materially adversely affect the business, operations, prospects or financial condition or income of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus; (iii) no stop order with respect to the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no Proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the SEC; (iv) the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all material statements which are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and shall conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus, in each case, as amended or supplemented as applicable, shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
2.5 Acknowledgment regarding Canadian Prospectus Exemption. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the Company is relying upon the prospectus exemption provided by Ontario Securities Commission Rule 72-503 in connection with the offer, sale and distribution of the Securities hereunder.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as of the Execution Date, as of the Closing Date, and as of each Option Closing Date, if any, as follows:
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect Subsidiaries of the Company are set forth in the Disclosure Record. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the share capital or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. If the Company has no Subsidiaries, all other references to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be disregarded.
(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents to which the Company is a party and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company, and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s shareholders in connection herewith or therewith other than the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which the Company is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law and public policy with respect thereto.
(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Public Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal, state and provincial 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 would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, provincial, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filing with the SEC of the Prospectus Supplement, (ii) application(s) or notifications to each applicable Trading Market (including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange) for the listing of the Public Securities for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, (iii) such filings as are required to be made under applicable securities laws and (iv) any required notices under outstanding warrant agreements (collectively, the “Required Approvals”). All Required Approvals (other than the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange) shall have been obtained (or, in the case of the notification, made) by the Company by the time of Closing.
(f) Registration Statement and Prospectuses.
(i) The Company has filed with the SEC the Registration Statement under the Securities Act, which became effective on August 18, 2023 (the “Effective Date”). At the time of such filing, the Company met the requirements of Form F-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Securities Act and complies with said Rule and the Prospectus Supplement will meet the requirements set forth in Rule 424(b). The Company is eligible to use Form F-3 under the Securities Act and it meets the transaction requirements set forth in General Instruction I.B.1 of Form F-3. The Company has advised the Representative of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein which were filed under the Exchange Act, on or before the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be.
(ii) Any reference in this Agreement to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference.
(iii) All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “described,” “referenced,” “set forth” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement has been issued by the SEC, and no Proceeding for any such purpose is pending or has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened by the SEC.
(iv) For purposes of this Agreement, “Free Writing Prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. The Company will not, without the prior consent of the Representative (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), prepare, use or refer to any Free Writing Prospectus.
(g) Issuance of Securities. The Public Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, the Closing Shares will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens. The Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens. A holder of the Public Securities will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder. The Public 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. All corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Public Securities has been duly and validly taken. The Public Securities conform in all material respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement.
(h) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Disclosure Record. The Company has not issued any share capital since its current report on Form 6-K/A filed with the SEC on November 21, 2023 under the Exchange Act (the “Q3 2023 6-K”), other than pursuant to the ATM (as hereinafter defined), the exercise of employee stock options or share awards under the Company’s equity incentive plan, the issuance of Common Shares to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common Share Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the Q3 2023 6-K. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities and as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any Common Shares, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Public Securities will not obligate the Company to issue Common Shares or other securities to any Person (other than the Underwriters) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares in the capital of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal, state and provincial securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. The authorized shares of the Company conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The offers and sales of the Company’s securities were, at all relevant times, either registered under the Securities Act and the applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws, qualified for distribution in Canada pursuant to a valid prospectus, or based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers, exempt from such registration or prospectus requirements. No further approval or authorization of any shareholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Public Securities as provided herein. There are no shareholder agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s share capital to which the Company is a party.
(i) SEC Reports; Canadian Disclosure Record; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under (a) applicable Canadian securities laws and (b) the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, (the foregoing materials, together with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”), in each case, for the two (2) years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such materials), on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, (a) the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, (b) the Canadian Disclosure Record complied in all material respects with the requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws, and (c) none of the SEC Reports and/or Canadian Disclosure Record, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports and the Canadian Disclosure Record comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and rules and regulations of the Commissions with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“IFRS”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by IFRS, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, and the Disclosure Record conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained therein, and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder or applicable Canadian securities laws to be described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the SEC Reports or to be filed with the Commissions as exhibits or otherwise to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Disclosure Record, or (ii) is material to the Company’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, provincial and territorial securities laws and public policy with respect thereto, 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 therefore may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in default thereunder and, to 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. Performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses, including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations, except, in each case, as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(j) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any material liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) fees, expenses and other liabilities incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, (B) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (C) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to IFRS or disclosed in filings made with the Commissions, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its shareholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any of its share capital, (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company equity incentive plan and (vi) no officer or director of the Company has resigned from any position with the Company. The Company does not have pending before the Commissions any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Public Securities contemplated by this Agreement, no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least one (1) Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made. Unless otherwise disclosed in an SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, since the Q3 2023 6-K, the Company has not: (i) issued any debt securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its share capital.
(k) Litigation. Other than as disclosed in the SEC Reports, there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, Proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Public Securities or (ii) if there were an unfavorable decision, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any current director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal, state or provincial 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 Commissions involving the Company or any current director or officer of the Company. The SEC has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(l) Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which would 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. To the Company’s knowledge, no current 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, in each case, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all federal, state, provincial, 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 would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state, provincial and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except, in each case, as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Disclosure Record, except where the failure to possess such permits would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (each, a “Material Permit”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit. The disclosures in the Registration Statement concerning the effects of federal, state, provincial, local and all foreign regulation on the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects.
(o) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid and marketable rights to lease or otherwise use, all real property and all personal property that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case, free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens that do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made in accordance with IFRS, and the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.
(p) Intellectual Property. The Company owns, possesses, licenses or has other rights to use copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names, Internet domain names, technology, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary rights) and other intellectual property necessary or used in any material respect to conduct its business in the manner in which it is being conducted and in the manner in which it is contemplated as set forth in the SEC Reports (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”). (i) None of the Intellectual Property is unenforceable or invalid; (ii) except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company has not received any written notice of violation or conflict with (and the Company has no knowledge of any basis for violation or conflict with) rights of others with respect to the Intellectual Property; and (iii) except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, threatened Actions, suits, Proceedings or claims by others that allege any of the Company or a Subsidiary is infringing any patent, trade secret, trademark, service mark, copyright or other intellectual property or proprietary right. To the Company’s knowledge, the discoveries, inventions, products or processes of the Company referenced in the SEC Reports do not violate or conflict with any intellectual property or proprietary right of any third Person, or any discovery, invention, product or process that is the subject of a patent application filed by any third Person; no officer, director or employee of the Company is in or has been, during such director’s or employee’s tenure as such with the Company, in material violation of any term of any patent non-disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, or similar agreement relating to the protection, ownership, development, use or transfer of the Intellectual Property or, to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, any other intellectual property, except where any violation would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not in breach of, and has complied in all material respects with all terms of, any license or other agreement relating to the Intellectual Property. There are no contracts or other documents related to the Intellectual Property required to be described in or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports other than those described in or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports. The Company has taken all necessary and reasonably appropriate steps to protect and preserve the confidentiality of applicable Intellectual Property (“Confidential Information”).
(q) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
(r) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Other than as disclosed in the SEC Reports, none of the current officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the current employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from, any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any current officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, shareholder, member or partner, in each case, in excess of $250,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including, but not limited to, award agreements under any equity incentive plan of the Company.
(s) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and similar legislation in Canada that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commissions thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (in the United States, as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act and under applicable Canadian securities laws is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commissions’ rules and forms. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act and applicable Canadian securities laws, the Company’s certifying officers evaluate the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act and under applicable Canadian securities laws (any such date, the “Evaluation Date”). As applicable, in accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act and Canadian securities laws, the Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act and under applicable Canadian securities laws the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (in the United States, as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(t) Certain Fees. Except as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company, any Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, underwriter, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its shareholders that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, including as determined by FINRA. Other than as disclosed in the SEC Reports, 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 or IIROC member; or (iii) any Person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA or IIROC member, in each case within the twelve (12) months prior to the Execution Date. None of the net proceeds of the Offering will be paid by the Company to any participating FINRA or IIROC member or its affiliates, except as specifically authorized herein.
(u) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Public Securities will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(v) Registration Rights. No Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(w) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Shares under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the SEC is contemplating terminating such registration. Other than as disclosed in the Disclosure Record, the Company has not, in the twelve (12) months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Shares are or have been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future be in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Common Shares are currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation.
(x) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its governing jurisdiction that is or would become applicable as a result of the Underwriters and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents.
(y) Disclosure; 10b-5. The Registration Statement contains all exhibits and schedules as required by the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, if any, at the time it initially became effective complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations under the Securities Act and did not and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as of its date, complied or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations, as applicable. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, did not and will not contain as of the date thereof any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The SEC Reports incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, when they were filed with the SEC, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations, and none of such documents, when they were filed with the SEC, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (with respect to the SEC Reports incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement), in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, when such documents are filed with the SEC, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or events arising after the date thereof (but prior to the date hereof) which represent, individually or in the aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required to be filed with the SEC. There are no documents required to be filed with the Commissions or under applicable Canadian securities laws in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby that (x) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or applicable Canadian securities laws or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which have not been described or filed as required. The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve (12) months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made and when made, not misleading.
(z) No Integrated Offering. Neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Public Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(aa) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Public Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. The Disclosure Record sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
(bb) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state, Canadian federal, provincial and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim. The provisions for taxes payable, if any, shown on the financial statements filed with or as part of the Registration Statement are sufficient for all accrued and unpaid taxes, whether or not disputed, and for all periods to and including the dates of such consolidated financial statements. The term “taxes” mean all federal, state, provincial, local, foreign, and other net income, gross income, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem, transfer, franchise, profits, license, lease, service, service use, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property, windfall profits, customs, duties or other taxes, fees, assessments, or charges of any kind whatsoever, together with any interest and any penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts with respect thereto. The term “returns” means all returns, declarations, reports, statements, and other documents required to be filed in respect to taxes.
(cc) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other Person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any Person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of the FCPA or the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (Canada). The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the FCPA and in the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (Canada).
(dd) Accountants. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, the Company Auditor (i) is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and applicable Canadian securities laws and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s filings with the Commissions for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. The Company Auditor has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Prospectus, provided to the Company any prohibited non-audit services (in the United States, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act).
(ee) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any current director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department or equivalent agency in Canada.
(ff) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon the Representative’s request.
(gg) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(hh) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada) and the applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no Action, suit or Proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
(ii) FINRA Affiliation. To the Company’s knowledge, no current officer or director of the Company or any beneficial owner of 10% or more of the Company’s unregistered securities has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA) that is a FINRA member participating in the offering as defined in FINRA Rule 5110. The Company will advise the Representative and EGS if it learns that any officer, director or owner of 10% or more of the Company’s outstanding Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member firm.
(jj) Officers’ Certificate. Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or EGS shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.
(kk) Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is comprised of the Persons set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 under the caption of “Directors, Senior Management and Employees.” The overall composition of the Board of Directors comply with the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company and the rules of the applicable Trading Markets. If applicable, at least one member of the Board of Directors qualifies as a “financial expert” as such term is defined under the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder and the rules of the applicable Trading Markets. In addition, if applicable, at least a majority of the Persons serving on the Board of Directors qualify as “independent” as defined under the rules of the applicable Trading Markets and applicable Canadian securities laws.
(ll) Cybersecurity. Other than as disclosed in the Disclosure Record, to the Company’s knowledge there has been no security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of its respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of it), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and (y) the Company and the Subsidiaries have not been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, applicable rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable safeguards to maintain and protect its material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and Data; and (iv) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.
(mm) Environmental Laws. Other than as disclosed in the Disclosure Record, the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all federal, state, local and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands, or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations, issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii) the failure to so comply or have received any such permit or approval, as applicable, could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(nn) ERISA. The Company is not a party to an “employee benefit plan,” as defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), which: (i) is subject to any provision of ERISA and (ii) is or was at any time maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates (as defined hereafter). These plans are referred to collectively herein as the “Employee Plans.” An “ERISA Affiliate” of any person or entity means any other person or entity which, together with that person or entity, could be treated as a single employer under Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Each Employee Plan has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and the requirements of applicable law. No Employee Plan is subject to Title IV of ERISA. The Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, and the Prospectus Supplement identify each employment, severance or other similar agreement, arrangement or policy and each material plan or arrangement required to be disclosed pursuant to the Rules and Regulations providing for insurance coverage (including any self-insured arrangements), workers’ compensation, disability benefits, severance benefits, supplemental unemployment benefits, vacation benefits or retirement benefits, or deferred compensation, profit-sharing, bonuses, stock options, stock appreciation rights or other forms of incentive compensation, or post-retirement insurance, compensation or benefits, which: (i) is not an Employee Plan; (ii) is entered into, maintained or contributed to, as the case may be, by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates; and (iii) covers any officer or director or former officer or director of the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates. These agreements, arrangements, policies or plans are referred to collectively as “Benefit Arrangements.” Each Benefit Arrangement has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and with the requirements of applicable law. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Record, there is no liability in respect of post-retirement health and medical benefits for retired employees of the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates, other than medical benefits required to be continued under applicable law. No “prohibited transaction” (as defined in either Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) has occurred with respect to any Employee Plan; and each Employee Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which could cause the loss of such qualification.
(oo) Equity Incentive Plans. Each award granted by the Company under the Company’s equity incentive plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s equity incentive plan and (ii) in respect of each stock option award, with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of a Common Share on the date such stock option would be considered granted under IFRS and applicable law. No award granted under the Company’s equity incentive plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, awards prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of awards with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.
(pp) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act.
(qq) Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 7.7 of this Agreement has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the jurisdiction of any federal or state court in the State of New York, County of New York, and has the power to designate, appoint and empower, and pursuant to Section 7.7 of this Agreement has legally, validly and effectively designated, appointed and empowered, an agent for service of process in any suit or proceeding based on or arising under this Agreement in any federal or state court in the State of New York.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Amendments. The Company has delivered, or will as promptly as practicable deliver, to the Underwriters complete conformed copies of the Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts, as applicable, filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits), the Prospectus, and each Prospectus Supplement, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as an Underwriter reasonably requests. Neither the Company nor any of its directors and officers has distributed, and none of them will distribute, prior to the Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the Offering and sale of the Public Securities other than the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, and copies of the documents incorporated by reference therein. The Company shall not file any such amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Offering to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing.
4.2 Securities Laws.
(a) Compliance. During the time when a Prospectus is required to be delivered with respect to the Public Securities under the Securities Act, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Public Securities in accordance with the provisions hereof and the Prospectus. If at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Public Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, any event shall have occurred as a result of which, in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act, the Company will notify the Underwriters promptly and prepare and file with the SEC, subject to Section 4.1 hereof, an appropriate amendment or supplement in accordance with Section 10 of the Securities Act.
(b) Filing of Prospectus Supplements. The Company will file each Prospectus Supplement (in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative) with the SEC pursuant to the requirements of Rule 424.
(c) Exchange Act Registration. For a period of three (3) years from the Execution Date (the “Exchange Act Registration Period”), the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the registration of the Common Shares under the Exchange Act. The Company will not deregister the Common Shares under the Exchange Act without the prior written consent of the Representative (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).
(d) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Public Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 of the rules and regulations under the Securities Act, without the prior written consent of the Representative. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in rule and regulations under the Securities Act, and has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 of the Securities Act, including timely filing with the SEC where required, legending and record keeping.
4.3 Delivery to the Underwriters of Prospectuses. The Company will deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, from time to time during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act such number of copies of each Prospectus as the Underwriters may reasonably request and, as soon as any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement becomes effective, deliver to the Representative two original executed copies of such amendments o rsupplements thereto and copies of all exhibits filed therewith or incorporated therein by reference and all original executed consents of certified experts.
4.4 Effectiveness and Events Requiring Notice to the Underwriters. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement to remain effective with a current prospectus until the later of nine (9) months from the Execution Date and the date on which the Warrants are no longer outstanding (“Applicable Period”), and will promptly notify the Underwriters and the holders of the Warrants and confirm the notice in writing of: (i) the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto; (ii) the issuance by the Commissions of any stop order or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iii) the issuance by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the Public Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iv) the mailing and delivery to the SEC for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (v) the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commissions; and (vi) the happening of any event during the period described in this Section 4.4 that, in the judgment of the Company, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the SEC or any state securities commission shall enter a stop order or suspend the Registration Statement at any time, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain promptly the lifting of such order. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Company shall be deemed to have satisfied its obligations pursuant to this Section 4.4 if, on or after the date that is nine (9) months from the Execution Date and at any time prior to the date on which the Warrants are no longer outstanding, the Company shall have filed with the SEC and caused a new registration statement with respect to the Warrant Shares to be declared effective by the SEC so long as such new registration statement remains effective with a current prospectus during the Applicable Period.
4.5 [Intentionally omitted.]
4.6 Expenses Related to the Offering. The Company hereby agrees to pay on each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, to the extent not paid at 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 Public Securities to be sold in the Offering with the SEC; (b) all FINRA Public Offering Filing System fees associated with the review of the Offering by FINRA, if applicable; all fees and expenses relating to the listing of such Closing Shares, Option Shares and Warrant Shares on the Trading Market and such other stock exchanges as the Company and the Representative together determine; (c) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration or qualification of such Public Securities under the “blue sky” securities laws of such states and other foreign jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate (including, without limitation, all filing and registration fees, and the fees and expenses of Blue Sky or equivalent counsel); (d) the costs of all mailing and printing of the underwriting documents (including, without limitation, this Agreement and any Blue Sky Surveys), Registration Statements, Prospectuses, prospectuses and all amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto and as many preliminary and final Prospectuses as the Representative may reasonably deem necessary; (e) the costs of preparing, printing and delivering the Public Securities; (f) fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent for the Public Securities (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company); (g) stock transfer and/or stamp taxes, if any, payable upon the transfer of securities from the Company to the Underwriters; (h) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants; (i) the fees and expenses of the Company’s legal counsel and other agents and representatives; (j) the fees and expenses of the Representative’s legal counsel; (k) the costs associated with the Underwriters’ use of i-Deal’s book-building, prospectus tracking and compliance software (or other similar software) for the Offering; (l) the costs associated with the Underwriters’ actual “road show” expenses for this offering; and (j) the Underwriters’ costs of mailing prospectuses, including documents incorporated by reference therein, to prospective investors; provided, however, that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, consistent with Section 1(A)(iii) of the Engagement Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse the underwriters for any fees, costs or disbursements incurred thereby or on their behalf (including the fees and expenses described in clause (j) of this Section 4.6) in connection with this Agreement or the Offering in excess of $135,000. The Underwriters may also deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date, or each Option Closing Date, if any, the expenses set forth herein to be paid by the Company to the Underwriters.
4.7 Application of Net Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the Offering received by it in a manner consistent with the application described under the caption “Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus Supplement.
4.8 Delivery of Earnings Statements to Security Holders. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but not later than the last day of the eighteenth full calendar month following the Execution Date, an earnings statement (which need not be certified by independent public or independent certified public accountants unless required by applicable Canadian securities laws and/or the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act, 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 Execution Date.
4.9 Stabilization. Neither the Company, nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under 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 Public Securities.
4.10 Internal Controls. During the Exchange Act Registration Period, the Company will maintain a system of internal accounting controls designed 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 IFRS 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.
4.11 Accountants. The Company shall continue to retain a nationally recognized independent certified public accounting firm during the Exchange Act Registration Period. The Underwriters acknowledge that the Company Auditor is acceptable to the Underwriters.
4.12 FINRA. The Company shall advise the Underwriters (who shall make an appropriate filing with FINRA) if it is aware that any 10% or greater shareholder of the Company becomes an affiliate or associated Person of an Underwriter.
4.13 No Fiduciary Duties. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters’ responsibility to the Company is solely contractual and commercial in nature, based on arms-length negotiations and that neither the Underwriters nor their affiliates or any selected dealer shall be deemed to be acting in a fiduciary capacity, or otherwise owes any fiduciary duty to the Company or any of its affiliates in connection with the Offering and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may have financial interests in the success of the Offering that are not limited to the difference between the price to the public and the purchase price paid to the Company by the Underwriters for the Securities and the Underwriters have no obligation to disclose, or account to the Company for, any of such additional financial interests. 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 fiduciary duty.
4.14 Warrant Shares. If all or any portion of a Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance of the Warrant Shares or if the Warrant is exercised via cashless exercise, the Warrant Shares issued pursuant to any such exercise shall be issued free of all restrictive legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement (or any subsequent registration statement or prospectus registering the sale or resale or qualifying the distributions of the Warrant Shares) is not effective or is not otherwise available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrants, the Company shall promptly notify the holders of the Warrants in writing that such registration statement and/or prospectus is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when such registration statement is effective again, or when a new prospectus has been filed and is available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon exercise of a Warrant (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any holder thereof to sell, any of the Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable securities laws).
4.15 [Intentionally omitted.]
4.16 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. At the request of the Representative, promptly and in any event, no later than 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the date immediately following the date hereof, 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 other 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 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. The Company will not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without the Representative’s prior written consent, for a period ending at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the first Business Day following the 45th day following the Closing Date, other than normal and customary releases issued in the ordinary course of the Company’s business or as may be required pursuant to the Company’s continuous disclosure obligations.
4.17 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Underwriter of the Public Securities is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Underwriter of Public Securities would be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Public Securities.
4.18 [Intentionally omitted.]
4.19 Listing of Common Shares. During the Exchange Act Registration Period, the Company hereby agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Shares on the Trading Markets on which such Common Shares are currently listed; provided that, for greater certainty, the foregoing shall not prevent the Company from pursuing or participating in any transaction involving a change of control that would result in the Company ceasing to maintain such listing or quotation. Concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply or submit a notification to the Trading Markets to list or quote all of the Closing Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Markets and use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly secure the listing of all of the Closing Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Markets. Concurrently with the closing of the purchase and sale of the Option Securities, if any, the Company shall apply or submit a notification to the Trading Markets to list or quote the Option Securities (or the portion thereof for which the Over-Allotment Option is exercised, if at all) on such Trading Markets and use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly secure the listing of such Option Securities (or portion thereof) on such Trading Markets. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Shares traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Closing Shares and Warrant Shares and will take such other commercially reasonable action as is necessary to cause all of the Closing Shares and Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. During the Exchange Act Registration Period, the Company will take all commercially reasonable actions necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Common Shares on a Trading Market in each of Canada and the United States and will comply in all material respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of each such Trading Market. The Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the eligibility of the Common Shares 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.
4.20 Subsequent Equity Sales.
(a) From the date hereof until sixty (60) days after the Closing Date, without the prior written consent of the Representative, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents or (ii) file any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, other than the Prospectus Supplement or filing a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with any employee benefit plan.
(b) From the date hereof until six (6) months after the Closing Date, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive, additional Common Shares either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon, and/or varies with, the trading prices of or quotations for the Common Shares at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Shares (but excluding standard stock split, stock combination or other similar adjustment provisions) or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit, whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price. For the avoidance of doubt, a “Variable Rate Transaction” includes any “at-the-market” offering other than that certain at-the-market equity offering program (the “ATM”), with ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇ Capital Group LLC, which shall be expressly excluded from the definition of Variable Rate Transaction. Any Underwriter shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.20 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.
4.21 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 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 their customers and hold long or short position in debt or equity securities of the Company.
4.22 Right of First Refusal. Upon the Closing, for a period of twelve (12) months from the Closing the Company grants the Representative the right of first refusal to act as sole managing underwriter and sole book runner, sole placement agent, or sole sales agent, for any and all future public or private equity, equity-linked, convertible or debt securities (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, commercial bank debt) offerings for which the Company retains the service of an underwriter, agent, advisor, finder or other person or entity in connection with such offering during such twelve (12) month period of the Company, or any successor to or any subsidiary of the Company, excluding the PGA Financing, the IBK Financings and the ATM (each as defined in the Engagement Agreement (as defined below)) and a financing solely with LMR Partners. The Company shall not offer to retain any entity or person in connection with any such offering on terms more favorable than terms on which it offers to retain the Representative. Such offer shall be made in writing in order to be effective. The Representative shall notify the Company within five (5) business days of its receipt of the written offer contemplated above as to whether or not it agrees to accept such retention. If the Representative should decline such retention, the Company shall have no further obligations to the Representative with respect to the specific offering for which it has offered to retain the Representative, except as otherwise provided for herein.
4.23 Tail Period. From the date hereof until six (6) months after the Closing Date, if the Company completes any financing of equity, equity-linked, convertible or debt or other capital raising activity with, or receives any proceeds from, any of the investors that (i) are contacted or introduced by the Representative on behalf of the Company in connection with the Offering other than LMR Partners, (ii) subsequent to written request by the Company, are identified in writing to the Company during the course of the Representative’s efforts in respect of the Offering, (iii) either participate in a one-on-one or group meeting (either in person, over the telephone, teleconference, or other electronic means) with management of the Company relating to the Offering or are wall crossed by a Representative, and (iv) subsequent to written request from the Company, are set forth on a final written list delivered to the Company not later than five (5) business days following the Closing (the “Specified Investors”), then the Company will pay the Representative upon the closing of such financing or receipt of such proceeds the compensation set forth in 2.1(b) herein.
ARTICLE V.
DEFAULT BY UNDERWRITERS
If on the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, if any, any Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the portion of the Closing Securities or Option Securities 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 a Representative is the defaulting Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters, shall use their reasonable efforts to procure within thirty-six (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 Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such thirty-six (36) hours the Representative shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then (a) if the aggregate number of Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, with respect to which such default shall occur does not exceed 10% of the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, covered hereby, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective numbers of Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase, or (b) if the aggregate number of Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds 10% of the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, 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 Article VI hereof. In the event of a default by any Underwriter or Underwriters, as set forth in this Article V, the applicable Closing Date may be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven (7) days, as the Representative, or if a Representative is the defaulting Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters, may determine in order that the required changes in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. The term “Underwriter” includes any Person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Article V shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
ARTICLE VI.
INDEMNIFICATION
6.1 Indemnification of the Underwriters. Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters, and each dealer selected by each Underwriter that participates in the offer and sale of the Public Securities (each a “Selected Dealer”) and each of their respective directors, officers and employees and each Person, if any, who controls such Underwriter or any Selected Dealer (“Controlling Person”) within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever (including, but not limited to, any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, whether arising out of any Action between such Underwriter and the Company or between such Underwriter and any third party or otherwise) to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, applicable Canadian securities laws or any other statute or at common law or otherwise or under the laws of foreign countries, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (i) the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented); (ii) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the Offering of the Public Securities, including any “road show” or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); or (iii) any application or other document or written communication (in this Article VI, collectively called “application”) executed by the Company or based upon written information furnished by the Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Public Securities under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commissions, any state, provincial or territorial securities commission or agency, Trading Markets or any securities exchange; or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, unless, in each case, such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to the applicable Underwriter by or on behalf of such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any application, as the case may be. With respect to any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in any preliminary Prospectus Supplement, if any, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 6.1 shall not inure to the benefit of an Underwriter to the extent that any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense of such Underwriter results from the fact that a copy of the preliminary Prospectus Supplement was not given or sent to the Person asserting any such loss, liability, claim or damage at or prior to the written confirmation of sale of the Public Securities to such Person as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and if the untrue statement or omission has been corrected in the final Prospectus Supplement, unless such failure to deliver the Prospectus was a result of non-compliance by the Company with its obligations under this Agreement. The Company agrees to promptly notify each Underwriter of the commencement of any litigation or Proceedings against the Company or any of its officers, directors or Controlling Persons in connection with the issue and sale of the Public Securities or in connection with the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
6.2 Procedure. If any Action is brought against an Underwriter, a Selected Dealer or a Controlling Person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to Section 6.1, such Underwriter, such Selected Dealer or such Controlling Person, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such Action, and the Company shall assume the defense of such Action, including the employment and fees of one (1) firm of attorneys (in addition to local counsel, if applicable) (subject to the reasonable approval of such Underwriter or such Selected Dealer, as the case may be) and payment of actual expenses. Such Underwriter, such Selected Dealer or such Controlling Person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter, such Selected Dealer or such Controlling Person unless (i) the employment of such counsel at the expense of the Company shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense of such Action, or (ii) the Company shall not have employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such Action, or (iii) such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to any other Underwriter, or (iv) such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events the reasonable fees and expenses of not more than one additional firm of attorneys selected by such Underwriter (in addition to local counsel), Selected Dealer and/or Controlling Person shall be borne by the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if any Underwriter, Selected Dealer or Controlling Person shall assume the defense of such Action as provided above, the Company shall have the right to approve the terms of any settlement of such Action, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
6.3 Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers and employees and agents who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (the “Company Indemnitees”) against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses described in the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any application, in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, written information furnished to the Company with respect to such Underwriter by or on behalf of such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any such application. In case any Action shall be brought against the Company or any other Person so indemnified based on the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or any application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against such Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company and each other Person so indemnified shall have the rights and duties given to such Underwriter by the provisions of this Article VI. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6.3, no Underwriter shall be required to indemnify any Company Indemnitee for any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Public Securities purchased by such Underwriter. The Underwriters’ obligations in this Section 6.3 to indemnify the Company Indemnitees are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
6.4 Contribution.
(a) Contribution Rights. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in any case in which (i) any Person entitled to indemnification under this Article VI makes a claim for indemnification pursuant hereto but it is judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case notwithstanding the fact that this Article VI provides for indemnification in such case, or (ii) contribution under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, applicable Canadian securities laws or otherwise may be required on the part of any such Person in circumstances for which indemnification is provided under this Article VI, then, and in each such case, the Company and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses of the nature contemplated by said indemnity agreement incurred by the Company and such Underwriter, as incurred, in such proportions that such Underwriter is responsible for that portion represented by the percentage that the underwriting discount appearing on the cover page of the Prospectus bears to the initial offering price appearing thereon and the Company is responsible for the balance; provided, that, no Person guilty of a 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. For purposes of this Section 6.4, each director, officer and employee of such Underwriter or the Company, as applicable, and each Person, if any, who controls such Underwriter or the Company, as applicable, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter or the Company, as applicable. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6.4, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Public Securities purchased by such Underwriter. The Underwriters’ obligations in this Section 6.4 to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(b) Contribution Procedure. Within fifteen (15) days after receipt by any party to this Agreement (or its representative) of notice of the commencement of any Action, suit or Proceeding, such party will, if a claim for contribution in respect thereof is to be made against another party (“Contributing Party”), notify the Contributing Party of the commencement thereof, but the failure to so notify the Contributing Party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any other party other than for contribution hereunder. In case any such Action, suit or Proceeding is brought against any party, and such party notifies a Contributing Party or its representative of the commencement thereof within the aforesaid fifteen (15) days, the Contributing Party will be entitled to participate therein with the notifying party and any other Contributing Party similarly notified. Any such Contributing Party shall not be liable to any party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, Action or Proceeding affected by such party seeking contribution without the written consent of such Contributing Party. The contribution provisions contained in this Section 6.4 are intended to supersede, to the extent permitted by law, any right to contribution under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, applicable Canadian securities laws or otherwise available.
ARTICLE VII.
MISCELLANEOUS
7.1 Termination.
(a) 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 its opinion, arrived at acting reasonably, will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States or Canada, or (ii) if trading on any Trading Market 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 any Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction, or (iii) if the United States and/or Canada shall have become involved in a new war or an increase in major hostilities, which will, in the Representative’s reasonable opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the offering or the sale and/or delivery of the Public Securities, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State, Canadian or other federal authority, or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States or Canadian 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 the Representative’s opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Public Securities, or (vii) if the Company is in material breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants hereunder, or (viii) if the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of a previously undisclosed material adverse change in the conditions or prospects of the Company, or an adverse material change in general market conditions such as in the Representative’s reasonable judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Public Securities or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Public Securities.
(b) Expenses. In the event this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 7.1(a), within the time specified herein or any extensions thereof pursuant to the terms herein, the Company shall be obligated to pay to the Representative its actual and accountable out of pocket expenses related to the transactions contemplated herein then due and payable, including the fees and disbursements of counsel to the Representative up to $25,000 (provided, however, that any expense caps included herein in no way limits or impairs the indemnification and contribution provisions of this Agreement).
(c) Indemnification. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement, and whether or not this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Article VI shall not be in any way effected by such election or termination or failure to carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.
7.2 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, and the Prospectus Supplement contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Engagement Agreement, dated September 1, 2023 (the “Engagement Agreement”), by and among the Company, the Representative and the other party signatory thereto, shall continue to be effective and the terms therein shall continue to survive and be enforceable by the Representative in accordance with its terms; provided that, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the Engagement Agreement and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.
7.3 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via 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 Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via e-mail attachment at the e-mail address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto.
7.4 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Representative. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.
7.5 Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
7.6 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns.
7.7 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal Proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any Action, suit or Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such Action, suit or Proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such Proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such Action, suit or Proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an Action, suit or Proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Article VI, the prevailing party in such Action, suit or Proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such Action, suit or Proceeding. In addition to, and without limiting the foregoing, the Company confirms that it has appointed CT Corporation System as its agent for service (the “Authorized Agent”) upon whom process may be served in any suit, Action or Proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated herein which may be instituted in any New York federal or state court by the Representative, the directors, officers, partners, employees and agents of the Representative and each affiliate of the Representative, and expressly accepts the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such suit, Action or Proceeding. The Company hereby represents and warrants that the Authorized Agent has accepted such appointment and has agreed to act as said agent for service of process, and the Company agrees to take any and all commercially reasonable action, including the filing of any and all documents that may be necessary, to continue such appointment in full force and effect as aforesaid. The Company hereby authorizes and directs the Authorized Agent to accept such service of process. Service of process upon the Authorized Agent shall be deemed, in every respect, effective service of process upon the Company. If the Authorized Agent shall cease to act as the Company’s agent for service of process, the Company shall appoint, without unreasonable delay, another such agent in the United States and notify the Representtives of such appointment. This paragraph shall survive any termination of this Agreement, in whole or in part.
7.8 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the Option Closing, if any, and the delivery of the Public Securities.
7.9 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
7.10 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.
7.11 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, the Underwriters and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any Action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
7.12 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
7.13 Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and Common Shares in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Shares that occur after the date of this Agreement.
7.14 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVE FOREVER ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature Pages Follow)
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| POET Technologies Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇ | |
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇ | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
| Address for Notice: | Copy to: | |||
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▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Email: ▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ |
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP ▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Attn: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Email: ▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ |
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ Attn: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ |
Accepted on the date first above written.
MAXIM Group LLC
As a Representative of the several Underwriters listed on Schedule I
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Title: | Co-President |
| Address for Notice: | Copy to: | |||
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, General Counsel Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Schole LLP ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ E-mail: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||
SCHEDULE I
Schedule of Underwriters
| Underwriters | Closing Shares | Closing Warrants | Closing Purchase Price | |||||||||
| Maxim Group LLC | 1,600,000 | 1,600,000 | $ | 1,339,200.00 | ||||||||
| Total | 1,600,000 | 1,600,000 | $ | 1,339,200.00 | ||||||||
Exhibit A
IP Officer’s Certificate
Exhibit B
Officer’s Certificate
Exhibit C
Secretary’s Certificate
Exhibit D
Form of Lock-Up
LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
November 30, 2023
Maxim Group LLC,
acting as representative to the several underwriters:
| Re: | Underwriting Agreement, dated November 30, 2023 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among POET Technologies Inc. and the several underwriters named on Schedule I thereto |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Defined terms used but not otherwise defined in this letter agreement (the “Letter Agreement”) shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement. The undersigned irrevocably agrees with POET Technologies Inc., a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada (the “Company”), for sixty (60) days (such period, the “Restriction Period”) following the date of the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) entered into between the Company and Maxim Group LLC, acting as representative (the “Representative”) of the several underwriters named on Schedule I thereto, and the underwriters, collectively, the “Underwriters” and each, an “Underwriter”), that the undersigned will not offer, sell, contract to sell, hypothecate, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the undersigned or any Affiliate of the undersigned), directly or indirectly, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), with respect to, any Common Shares of the Company or securities convertible, exchangeable or exercisable into, Common Shares of the Company beneficially owned, held or hereafter acquired by the undersigned (the “Securities”). The Representative may, in its sole and absolute discretion, consent to an early release from the Restriction Period or other waiver of the terms hereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the undersigned’s Securities:
| i) | as a bona fide gift or gifts; |
| ii) | to any immediate family member or to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned (for purposes of this Letter Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin); | |
| iii) | by operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement; |
| iv) | to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other business entity all of the equity holders of which consist of the undersigned and/or the immediate family of the undersigned; |
| v) | 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 a direct or indirect Affiliate of the undersigned and/or the immediate family of the undersigned or (b) in the form of a distribution of Securities to limited partners, limited liability company members, trust beneficiaries or stockholders of the undersigned and/or the immediate family of the undersigned; |
| vi) | if the undersigned is a trust, to the beneficiary of such trust; |
| vii) | by ▇▇▇▇, other testamentary document or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir, beneficiary or a member of the immediate family of the undersigned; | |
| viii) | to the Company pursuant to any contractual arrangement that provides for the repurchase of the undersigned’s Securities by the Company or in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s employment or other service relationship with the Company; | |
| ix) | to the Company (a) as forfeitures to satisfy tax withholding obligations of the undersigned in connection with the vesting or exercise of equity awards outstanding pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans or outstanding warrants or (b) to cover the exercise price of outstanding options or warrants; | |
| x) | pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement; or | |
| xi) | pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ received in writing from the Representative; |
provided that, with respect to any such transfers pursuant to clauses (i) through (vi), that (a) the Company receives a signed lock-up letter agreement (substantially in the form of this Letter Agreement) for the balance of the Restriction Period from each donee, trustee, distributee, or transferee, as the case may be, prior to such transfer and (b) any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value.
In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, this Letter Agreement shall not restrict (a) the delivery of Securities to the undersigned upon (i) exercise, conversion, settlement or exchange (including by means of a cashless or net exercise) of any awards granted under any equity incentive plan of the Company or any warrants, rights or other convertible securities outstanding on the date hereof; provided that any Securities acquired in connection with any such exercise, conversion, settlement or exchange will be subject to the restrictions set forth in this Letter Agreement, (b) entering into any new plan established in compliance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act or an Automatic Securities Disposition Plan in accordance with Canadian securities laws, or transfers of Securities or Common Shares pursuant to a plan that satisfies all of the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act or an Automatic Securities Disposition Plan in accordance with Canadian securities laws (and any related filings in connection with such sale or disposition that are required under the Exchange Act or Canadian securities laws); (c) transfers of Securities pursuant to any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, consolidation, amalgamation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Company’s capital stock involving a change of control of the Company which is approved by the Company’s Board of Directors (including, without limitation, the entering into any lock-up, voting or similar agreement pursuant to which the undersigned may agree to transfer, sell, tender or otherwise dispose of Common Shares or other securities in connection with such transaction, or vote any Common Shares or other such securities in favor of any such transaction); provided, that in the event such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the undersigned’s Securities shall remain subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement; or (d) transfers to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity with whom the transferor shares in common an investment manager or advisor, in each case, who has investment discretionary authority with respect to the transferor’s and such other entity’s investments pursuant to an investment management, investment advisory or similar agreement; provided, that it shall be a condition to such transfer or disposition that the donee, trustee, heir, distributee or other transferee, as the case may be, agrees to be bound in writing to the restrictions set forth herein during the Restriction Period.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of Securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.
The undersigned acknowledges that the execution, delivery and performance of this Letter Agreement is a material inducement to each Underwriter to perform under the Underwriting Agreement and that the Company shall be entitled to specific performance of the undersigned’s obligations hereunder. The undersigned hereby represents that the undersigned has the power and authority to execute, deliver and perform this Letter Agreement, that the undersigned has received adequate consideration therefor and that the undersigned will indirectly benefit from the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement.
This Letter Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified in any respect without the written consent of each of the Company, the Representative and the undersigned. This Letter Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to the principles of conflict of laws thereof to the extent such principles would result in the application of the laws of another jurisdiction. The undersigned hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States District Court sitting in the Southern District of New York and the courts of the State of New York located in Manhattan, for the purposes of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Letter Agreement, and hereby waives, and agrees not to assert in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim that (i) the undersigned is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such court, (ii) the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, or (iii) the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper. The undersigned hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by receiving a copy thereof sent to the Company at the address in effect for notices to it under the Underwriting Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. The undersigned hereby waives any right to a trial by jury. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. The undersigned agrees and understands that this Letter Agreement does not create, and is not intended to create, any relationship between the undersigned and each Underwriter (or any of them) and that no issuance or sale of the Securities has occurred or is intended by virtue of this Letter Agreement.
This Letter Agreement shall be binding on successors and assigns of the undersigned with respect to the Securities and any such successor or assign shall enter into a similar agreement for the benefit of the Underwriters. This Letter Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provisions hereof be enforced by, any other Person.
The undersigned understands that the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement if (a) the Company notifies the Representative that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, (b) the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Securities to be sold thereunder or (c) the Offering is not completed by December 8, 2023.
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This Letter Agreement may be executed electronically (or delivered by other electronic transmission) and in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement.
| Signature | |
| Print Name | |
| Position in Company, if any | |
| Number of Common Shares subject to this Letter Agreement | |
| Number of Warrants subject to this Letter Agreement | |
| Address for Notice: | |
| As of the date set forth above: | ||
| POET Technologies Inc. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Exhibit E
Form of Warrant
[SEPARATELY PROVIDED]
Exhibit F
Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate