Akanda Corp 6-K, filed May 20, 2024
Akanda Corp. (AKAN)
About this 6-K
Akanda Corp filed this 6-K on May 20, 2024.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of May 2024
Commission File Number: 001-41324
AKANDA CORP.
(Name of registrant)
1a, 1b Learoyd Road
New Romney TN28 8XU, United Kingdom
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
☒ Form 20-F ☐ Form 40-F
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
1st Closing of Registered Direct Offering
On May 17, 2024, Akanda Corp., a corporation organized under the laws of the Province of Ontario (the “Company”), entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with an accredited investor in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company in a registered direct offering (the “Offering”) of 2,491,381 of the Company’s Common Shares, no par value per share (the “Common Shares” and, such number of Common Shares issued and sold in the Offering, the “Offered Shares”), at a purchase price of $0.1031 per Offered Share, and 21,756,922 pre-funded warrants to purchase 21,756,922 Common Shares at a purchase price of each pre-funded warrant equal to the price at which one Common Share is sold in the Offering, minus $0.0001, and the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant is $0.0001 per share (the “Pre-Funded Warrants” and, such number of Pre-Funded Warrants issued and sold in the Offering, the “Offered Pre-Funded Warrants”), pursuant to the Company’s effective shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-276577) and a related base prospectus, together with the related prospectus supplement dated as of May 17, 2024 (such registration statement, base prospectus and prospectus supplement, collectively, the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Pre-Funded Warrants were immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full, subject to certain beneficial ownership limitations as set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrant. All of the Pre-Funded Warrants have been exercised.
Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest”) acted as financial advisor in connection with the Offering, and in consideration therefor the Company agreed to pay Univest a total cash fee of four percent of the gross proceeds or $100,000. The Company also reimbursed Univest for out-of-pocket expenses, including up to $10,000 legal counsel expenses.
The gross proceeds from the Offering were approximately $2,500,000 before deducting Univest’s fees and other estimated expenses relating to the Offering. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering on capital expenditures, operating capacity, working capital, general corporate purposes and the refinancing or repayment of existing indebtedness and acquisitions of complementary products, technologies or businesses.
The closing of the Offering occurred on May 17, 2024.
2nd Closing of Registered Direct Offering
On May 17, 2024, the Company entered into an additional Purchase Agreement with an accredited investor in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company in a subsequent registered direct offering (the “Subsequent Offering”) of 2,491,381 Offered Common Shares, at a purchase price of $0.1031 per Offered Share, and 12,057,600 Offered Pre-Funded Warrants, pursuant to the Company’s effective shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-276577) and a related base prospectus, together with the related prospectus supplement dated as of May 20, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Pre-Funded Warrants are immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full, subject to certain beneficial ownership limitations as set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrant.
Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest”) acted as financial advisor in connection with the Subsequent Offering, and in consideration therefor the Company agreed to pay Univest a total cash fee of four percent of the gross proceeds or $60,000. The Company will also reimburse Univest for out-of-pocket expenses, including up to $10,000 legal counsel expenses.
The gross proceeds from the Subsequent Offering were approximately $1,500,000 before deducting Univest’s fees and other estimated expenses relating to the Offering. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Subsequent Offering on capital expenditures, operating capacity, working capital, general corporate purposes and the refinancing or repayment of existing indebtedness and acquisitions of complementary products, technologies or businesses.
1
The closing of the Subsequent Offering occurred on May 20, 2024.
Each of the Purchase Agreements includes customary representations, warranties and covenants by the Company and the Purchasers. Additionally, the Company has agreed to provide the Purchasers with customary indemnification under the Purchase Agreement against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On May 17, 2024, the Company issued press releases titled “Akanda Corp. Announces Closing of Registered Direct Offering” and “Akanda Corp. Announces Subsequent Registered Direct Offering”, copies of which are furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and Exhibit 99.2 to this Report on Form 6-K.
On May 20, 2024, the Company issued a press release titled “Akanda Corp. Announces Closing of Subsequent Registered Direct Offering”, a copy of which is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.3 to this Report on Form 6-K.
The descriptions of the Securities Purchase Agreement and Pre-Funded Warrants are only a summary and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the complete text of the form of Securities Purchase Agreement and the form of Pre-Funded Warrants, copies of which are attached as Exhibit 1.1 and Exhibit 4.1 to this Report on Form 6-K and are incorporated by reference herein and into the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-276577), which was declared effective as of January 29, 2024 by Securities and Exchange Commission.
The press releases furnished in this report as Exhibit 99.1, 99.2 and 99.3 shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section.
2
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| AKANDA CORP. | |||
| (Registrant) | |||
| Date: May 20, 2024 | By: | /s/ Katie Field | |
| Name: | Katie Field | ||
| Title: | Interim Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||
3
Exhibit 1.1
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is dated as of May __, 2024, between Akanda Corp., a Canadian corporation incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act (as defined below), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:
SECTION
1.
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:
“Acquiring Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.5.
“Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday, or other day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed.
“Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
“Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount at the Closing and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, at the Closing have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date hereof.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Shares” means the Common Shares of the Company, no par value per share.
“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.
1
“Company Counsel” means Rimon, P.C., with offices located at 423 Washington Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, California 94111.
“Company Canadian Counsel” means Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, with offices located at 1600, 421 7th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta.
“Disclosure Time” means, (i) if this Agreement is signed on a day that is not a Trading Day or after 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) and before midnight (New York City time) on any Trading Day, 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Financial Advisor, and (ii) if this Agreement is signed between midnight (New York City time) and 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Financial Advisor.
“DVP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1.
“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(s).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) Common Shares, restricted shares, restricted share units or options to employees, officers, or directors of the Company pursuant to any stock or option plan in existence as of the date hereof or approved at a future annual shareholder meeting; (b) Common Shares upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of 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 or combinations) or to extend the term of such securities; and (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period in Section 4.10(a) herein, 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 (for avoidance of doubt, securities issued to a venture arm of a strategic investor shall be deemed an “Exempt Issuance”).
“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
“Financial Advisor” means Univest Securities LLC.
“Financial Advisor Counsel” means Sullivan & Worcester LLP, with offices located at 1633 Broadway, New York, New York 10019.
“IFRS” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Indebtedness” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(aa).
2
“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(p).
“Liens” means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).
“Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“Per Pre-Funded Warrant Purchase Price” equals $0.1030, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions relating to the Common Shares that occur after the date of this Agreement.
“Per Share Purchase Price” equals $0.1031, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of Common Shares that occur after the date of this Agreement and before the Closing Date.
“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.
“Pre-Funded Warrants” means, collectively, the pre-funded warrants delivered to the Purchasers at Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Pre-Funded Warrants shall be exercisable immediately upon issuance and shall expire when exercised in full, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
“Pre-Funded Warrant Shares” means the Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus” means the final prospectus filed pursuant to the Registration Statement.
“Prospectus Supplement” means the supplement to the Prospectus complying with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act that is filed with the Commission and delivered by the Company to each Purchaser at the Closing.
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.
“Registration Statement” means the effective registration statement with the Commission on Form F-3 (File No. 333-276577), as amended, including all information, documents and exhibits filed with or incorporated by reference into such registration statement, which registers the sale of the Securities and includes any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
3
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” means any registration statement prepared by the Company registering additional Securities, which was filed with the Commission on or prior to the date hereof and became automatically effective pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the Shares, Pre-Funded Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrant Shares.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shares” means the Common Shares issued or issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement.
“Short Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to include locating and/or borrowing Common Shares).
“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for the Common Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth in Exhibit 8.1 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on May 2, 2023, 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 or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Pre-Funded Warrants and all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means Vstock Transfer, LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, NY 11598 and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
4
SECTION
2.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase the number of Common Shares set forth under the heading “Subscription Amount” on the Purchaser’s signature page hereto, at the Per Share Purchase Price; provided, however, that, to the extent that a Purchaser determines, in its sole discretion, that such Purchaser (together with such Purchaser’s Affiliates, and any Person acting as a group together with such Purchaser or any of such Purchaser’s Affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, or as such Purchaser may otherwise choose, in lieu of purchasing Common Shares, such Purchaser may elect to purchase Pre-Funded Warrants at the Per Pre-Funded Warrant Purchase Price in lieu of Common Shares in such manner to result in the full Subscription Amount being paid by such Purchaser to the Company. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, at the election of the Purchaser, 9.99%) of the number of Common Shares, in each case, outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of the Securities on the Closing Date.
Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company via wire transfer of immediately available funds an amount equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time on or after the time of execution of this Agreement by the Company and an applicable Purchaser through, and including the time immediately prior to the Closing (the “Pre-Settlement Period”), such Purchaser sells to any Person all, or any portion, of any Securities to be issued hereunder to such Purchaser at the Closing (collectively, the “Pre-Settlement Securities”), such Person shall, automatically hereunder (without any additional required actions by such Purchaser or the Company), be deemed to be a Purchaser under this Agreement unconditionally bound to purchase, and the Company shall be deemed unconditionally bound to sell, such Pre-Settlement Shares to such Person at the Closing; provided, that the Company shall not be required to deliver any Pre-Settlement Shares to such Purchaser prior to the Company’s receipt of the Subscription Amount for such Pre-Settlement Shares hereunder; and provided, further, that the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the forgoing shall not constitute a representation or covenant by such Purchaser as to whether or not such Purchaser will elect to sell any Pre-Settlement Shares during the Pre-Settlement Period. The decision to sell any Common Shares by such Purchaser shall solely be made at the time such Purchaser elects to effect any such sale, if any, including during the Pre-Settlement Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise (as defined in the Pre-Funded Warrants) delivered on or prior to 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Closing Date, which may be delivered at any time after the time of execution of this Agreement, the Company agrees to deliver the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Closing Date and the Closing Date shall be the Warrant Share Delivery Date (as defined in the Pre-Funded Warrants) for purposes hereunder.
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by the Company;
5
(ii) the Company’s wire instructions, on Company letterhead and executed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;
(iii) a copy of the treasury order to the Transfer Agent instructing the Transfer to deliver on an expedited basis via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system Common Shares equal to the portion of such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price, registered in the name of such Purchaser;
(iv) for each Purchaser of Pre-Funded Warrants pursuant to Section 2.1, a Pre-Funded Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of Common Shares equal to the portion of such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount applicable to Pre-Funded Warrants divided by the sum of the Per Pre-Funded Warrant Purchase Price, subject to adjustment therein;
(v) the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement (which may be delivered in accordance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act);
(vi) a certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of the date of the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Financial Advisor and the Purchasers;
(vii) a certificate executed by the Secretary of the Company, dated as of the date of Closing, in form and substance reasonable acceptable to the Financial Advisor and the Purchasers;
(viii) a legal opinion of Company Counsel, in form reasonably acceptable to the Financial Advisor and the Purchasers; and
(ix) a legal opinion of Company Canadian Counsel, in form reasonably acceptable to the Financial Advisor and the Purchasers.
(b) On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(ii) such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount with respect to the Securities purchased by such Purchaser, which shall be made available for DVP settlement with the Company or its designees.
2.3 Closing Conditions.
(a) The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and
(iii) the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.
6
(b) The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;
(iii) the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;
(iv) there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof; and
(v) from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Shares shall not have been suspended by the Commission or any Trading Market, and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred after the date of this Agreement any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity involving the United States, of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market in the United States which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the Closing.
SECTION
3.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary, free and clear of any Liens except as set forth in the SEC Reports, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.
(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing, and, if applicable under the laws of the jurisdiction in which they are formed, 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 memorandum of association, articles of association, certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws, operating agreement, 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: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and to the knowledge of the Company, 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.
7
(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors, a committee of the Board of Directors or the Company’s shareholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s memorandum of association, articles of association, certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws, operating agreement, or other organizational or charter documents, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, anti-dilution or similar adjustments acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as would not have or 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, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus Supplement, (iii) notices and/or application(s) to and approvals by each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the applicable Securities for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (iv) filings required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) (collectively, the “Required Approvals”). Except for normal liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, the Company does not have any liabilities, either accrued, contingent or otherwise, whether due or to become due, that individually or in the aggregate have had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Common Shares of the Company are listed for trade on the Trading Market. Except as set forth in SEC Reports, the Company has not received notice from the Trading Market of any intention to delist its securities from trading and/or transfer the Company’s securities to a watch list, and has no reason to believe that the issuance of the Securities would cause any of the Company’s securities to be delisted from trading or transferred to a watch list.
8
(f) Issuance of the Securities; Registration. The Shares and Pre-Funded Warrant Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Pre-Funded Warrants are duly authorized and binding obligations of the Company under the law of the jurisdiction governing the Pre-Funded Warrants, and, when issued in accordance with this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, and free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized stock capital the maximum number of Common Shares issuable pursuant to this Agreement and the Pre-Funded Warrants. The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, which became effective on January 29, 2024, including the Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, shall file the Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). At the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective as determined under the Securities Act, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not 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 not misleading; and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of the date hereof is as set forth in the SEC Reports. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of 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 most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement or the SEC Reports, and as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any 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 Securities 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 with any provision that adjusts the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of such security or instrument upon an issuance of securities by the Company or any Subsidiary. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws where applicable, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any shareholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no shareholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s stock capital to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s shareholders. The Securities will rank equally in all respects with the existing Common Shares.
9
(h) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, since January 1, 2022 (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement and SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the Securities Law with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with international financial reporting standards acceptable for foreign private issuers to report under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, 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 in accordance with IFRS 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. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement or the SEC Reports regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission), if any, comply, in all material respects, with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. Each of the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports discloses all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports, (a) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions other than in the ordinary course of business, (b) the Company has not declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock, (c) there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, other than in the course of business, any grants under any stock compensation plan, and (d) there has not been any material adverse change in the Company’s long-term or short-term debt.
(i) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and strategic acquisitions and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to IFRS or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its shareholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company equity incentive plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement and the non-binding letter of intent dated November 21, 2023 between the Company and Somai Pharmaceuticals, as amended, 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.
10
(j) Litigation. Except as set forth 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”). None of the Actions set forth in the SEC Reports, (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents, the Shares or the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty, which could result in a Material Adverse Effect. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(k) Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and SEC Reports, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case of (i), (ii) and (iii) as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
11
(m) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all federal, state, local and other foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands, or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations, issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or other foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such certificates, authorizations or permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.
(o) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with 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 in all material respects.
(p) Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the Registration Statement, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as would not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the actual knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any facts that would preclude it from having valid license rights or clear title to the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company has no knowledge that it lacks or will be unable to obtain any rights or licenses to use all Intellectual Property Rights that are necessary to conduct its business.
12
(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 for companies of the Company’s size and in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has been notified that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.
(r) Transactions with Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, shareholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company or a Subsidiary and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
(s) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in material compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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 (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed Annual Report on Form 20-F under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed Annual Report on Form 20-F under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
13
(t) Certain Fees. Except for fees payable to the Financial Advisor, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing shall not include any fees and/or commissions owed to the Depositary). Other than for Persons engaged by any Purchaser, if any, the Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(u) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(v) Registration Rights. No Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary, which have not been satisfied or waived.
(w) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Shares under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company has not, in the 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 Common Shares are currently eligible for electronic transfer through The Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to The Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.
(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 the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.
14
(y) Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that it has not provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus Supplement. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, is true and correct in all material respects and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made and when made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges that the only representations and warranties made by any Purchaser with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby are those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(z) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(aa) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, and (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. 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 SEC Reports sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable or operating loans or credit incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with IFRS.
(bb) Tax Compliance. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all federal, state and local income and all foreign tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject and (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges, fines or penalties that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except for taxes being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with IFRS. To the knowledge of the officers of the Company or its Subsidiaries, there are no claims by a taxing authority for unpaid material taxes.
15
(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 FCPA.
(dd) Accountants. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is as set forth in the Registration Statement. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
(ee) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.
(ff) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(f) and 4.12 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Shares, and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities (in material compliance with applicable law) at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing shareholders’ equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.
16
(gg) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Common Shares, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Common Shares, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Financial Advisor in connection with the placement of the Common Shares.
(hh) Share Option Plans. Each share option granted by the Company under the Company’s share incentive plans was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of such plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Shares on the date such share option would be considered granted under IFRS and applicable law. No share option granted under the Company’s share option plan has been backdated.
(ii) Cybersecurity. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, 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 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 to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification; (ii) 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 (iii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with commercially reasonable industry standards and practices.
(jj) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).
(kk) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
17
3.2 Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate as of such date):
(a) Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership limited liability company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(b) Understandings or Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).
(c) Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.
(d) Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including all exhibits and schedules thereto), the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports and has been afforded (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Securities and the merits and risks of investing in the Securities; (ii) access to information about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment. Such Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that neither the Financial Advisor nor any Affiliate of the Financial Advisor has provided such Purchaser with any information or advice with respect to the Securities nor is such information or advice necessary or desired. Neither the Financial Advisor nor any Affiliate has made or makes any representation as to the Company or the quality of the Securities and the Financial Advisor and any Affiliate may have acquired non-public information with respect to the Company which such Purchaser agrees need not be provided to it. In connection with the issuance of the Securities to such Purchaser, neither the Financial Advisor nor any of its Affiliates has acted as a financial advisor or fiduciary to such Purchaser.
18
(e) Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the material terms, which terms include definitive pricing terms, of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement or to such Purchaser’s representatives, including, without limitation, its officers, directors, partners, legal and other advisors, employees, agents and Affiliates, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
(f) Independent Advice. Each Purchaser understands that nothing in this Agreement or any other materials presented by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchaser in connection with the purchase of the Securities constitutes legal, tax or investment advice.
(g) Residency. The Purchaser or any person for whom it is acting is neither a resident of Canada nor subscribing for the Common Shares for the account of a person residing in Canada or for resale in Canada and the Purchaser confirms that the Securities have not been offered to the Purchaser in Canada and that this Agreement has not been signed in Canada.
(h) Disclosure. Such Purchaser acknowledges that except for the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement, or any other Transaction Document or exhibit hereto or thereto, the Company is not making and has not made, and no other Person is making or has made on behalf of the Company, any express or implied representation or warranty in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, and no third party is authorized to make any such representations and warranties on behalf of the Company.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, except as set forth in this Agreement, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
SECTION
4.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Legends. The Shares, the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares shall be issued free of legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale of the Shares, the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Securities in writing that such registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and available for the sale of the Shares, the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any Purchaser to sell, any of the Shares, the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to keep a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) registering the issuance of the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares effective during the term of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
19
4.2 Furnishing of Information; Public Information. Until such time that no Purchaser owns Securities, the Company covenants to maintain the registration of the Common Shares under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act, even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, except in the event that the Company consummates (in each case on or after the date as of which the Purchasers may sell all of their Securities without restriction or limitation pursuant to Rule 144): (a) any transaction or series of related transactions as a result of which any Person (together with its Affiliates) acquires then outstanding securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting control of the Company; (b) a merger or reorganization of the Company with one or more other entities in which the Company is not the surviving entity; or (c) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, where the consummation of such transaction results in the Company no longer being subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.
4.3 Integration. The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.
4.4 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall (a) by the Disclosure Time, issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) file a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the Commission within the time required by the Exchange Act. From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company represents to the Purchasers that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. In addition, effective upon the issuance of such press release, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates on the one hand, and any of the Purchasers or any of their Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents with the Commission, and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b).
20
4.5 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers.
4.6 Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, which shall be disclosed pursuant to Section 4.4, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that the Company reasonably believes constitutes material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have entered into a written agreement with the Company regarding the confidentiality and use of such information. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company delivers any material, non-public information to a Purchaser without such Purchaser’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Purchaser shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates, or a duty to the Company, and of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4.7 Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital, and shall not use such proceeds: (a) for the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables or operating loans or credit in the ordinary course of the Company’s business or repayment of obligations outstanding as of the date of this Agreement consistent with prior practices), (b) for the redemption of any Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents, (c) for the settlement of any outstanding litigation in excess of $50,000 in the aggregate, or (d) in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations or similar applicable regulations.
21
4.8 Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.8, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any material breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any legal proceeding instituted against the Purchaser Parties in any capacity (including a Purchaser Party’s status as an investor), or any of them or their respective Affiliates, any shareholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, arising out of or relating to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such legal proceeding is based upon a material breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in any Transaction Document or any conduct by a Purchaser Party). If any legal proceeding shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel to the applicable Purchaser Party (which may be internal counsel), a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, or the extent that a loss, claim, damage, or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents. The indemnification and other payment obligations required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation, defense, collection, enforcement or action, as and when bills are received or are incurred, and in the ordinary course of business; provided, that if any Purchaser Party is finally judicially determined not to be entitled to indemnification or payment under this Section 4.8, such Purchaser Party shall promptly reimburse the Company for any payments that are advanced under this sentence. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.
4.9 Listing of Shares. The Company hereby agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Shares on each Trading Market on which each is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Common Shares on such Trading Markets and promptly secure the listing of all of the Common Shares 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 Common Shares and Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Common Shares and Pre-Funded Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of the Common Shares on a Trading Market and will comply in all material respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the eligibility of the 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.
4.10 [Reserved].
4.11 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of the Transaction Documents) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of the Common Shares or otherwise.
22
4.12 Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality or duty not to trade in the securities of the Company to the Company or its Subsidiaries after the issuance of the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.
4.13 Reservations of Shares. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of Common Shares for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement and Pre-Funded Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
4.14 Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise included in the Pre-Funded Warrants set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise the Pre-Funded Warrants. No additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Pre-Funded Warrants. Without limiting the preceding sentences, no ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise form be required in order to exercise the Pre-Funded Warrants. The Company shall honor exercises of the Pre-Funded Warrants and shall deliver Common Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.
SECTION
5.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before the fifth (5th) Trading Day following the date hereof; provided, however, that no such termination will affect the right of any party hereto to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties) hereto.
5.2 Fees and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Depositary Fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company and any exercise notice delivered by a Purchaser), stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
23
5.3 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, contain the entire understanding of the parties hereto 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.
5.4 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email attachment at the email address as 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 email attachment at the email 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. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K.
5.5 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Purchasers who purchased at least 50.1% in interest of the sum of (i) the Shares and (ii) the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares initially issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants based on the initial Subscription Amounts hereunder, or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought; provided, that if any amendment, modification or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Purchaser (or group of Purchasers), the consent of at least 50.1% in interest of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or group of Purchasers) shall also be required. 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. Any proposed amendment or waiver that disproportionately, materially and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Purchaser relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Purchasers shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Purchaser. Any amendment effected in accordance with this Section 5.5 shall be binding upon each Purchaser and holder of Securities and the Company.
5.6 Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
5.7 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”
24
5.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Financial Advisor shall be the third-party beneficiary of the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3.1 and the representations and warranties of the Purchasers in Section 3.2. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.8 and this Section 5.8.
5.9 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.8, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
5.10 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities for the applicable statute of limitations.
5.11 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party hereto and delivered to each other party hereto, 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 was an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
25
5.13 Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided, however, that, in the case of a rescission of an exercise of a Pre-Funded Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any Pre-Funded Shares subject to any such rescinded exercise notice concurrently with the return to such Purchaser of the aggregate exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such Purchaser’s right to acquire such shares pursuant to such Purchaser’s Pre-Funded Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right).
5.14 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.15 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
5.16 Payment Set Aside; Currency. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, all dollar amounts referred to in this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents are in United States Dollars (“U.S. Dollars”), and all amounts owing under this Agreement and all other Transaction Documents shall be paid in U.S. Dollars. All amounts denominated in other currencies (if any) shall be converted into the U.S. Dollar equivalent amount in accordance with the Exchange Rate on the date of calculation. “Exchange Rate” means, in relation to any amount of currency to be converted into U.S. Dollars pursuant to this Agreement, the U.S. Dollar exchange rate as published in the Wall Street Journal on the relevant date of calculation.
5.17 Judgment Currency. (a) If for the purpose of obtaining or enforcing judgment against the Company in any court in any jurisdiction it becomes necessary to convert into any other currency (such other currency being hereinafter in this Section 5.17 referred to as the “Judgment Currency”) an amount due in U.S. Dollars under this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, the conversion shall be made at the Exchange Rate prevailing on the Trading Day immediately preceding: (A) the date actual payment of the amount due, in the case of any proceeding in the courts of New York or in the courts of any other jurisdiction that will give effect to such conversion being made on such date or (B) the date on which the foreign court determines, in the case of any proceeding in the courts of any other jurisdiction (the date as of which such conversion is made pursuant to this Section 5.17 being hereinafter referred to as the “Judgment Conversion Date”).
26
(b) If in the case of any proceeding in the court of any jurisdiction referred to in Section 5.17(a) above, there is a change in the Exchange Rate prevailing between the Judgment Conversion Date and the date of actual payment of the amount due, the applicable party shall pay such adjusted amount as may be necessary to ensure that the amount paid in the Judgment Currency, when converted at the Exchange Rate prevailing on the date of payment, will produce the amount of U.S. Dollars which could have been purchased with the amount of Judgment Currency stipulated in the judgment or judicial order at the Exchange Rate prevailing on the Judgment Conversion Date.
(c) Any amount due from the Company under this provision shall be due as a separate debt and shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other amounts due under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document.
5.18 Submission to Jurisdiction. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in any New York Court, (ii) waives, to the fullest extent it may effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding and (iii) submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The Company has appointed Katie Field, as its authorized agent (the “Authorized Agent”) upon whom process may be served in any such action arising out of or based on this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby which may be instituted in any New York Court by any Purchaser or by any person who controls any Purchaser, expressly consents to the jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such action, and waives any other requirements of or objections to personal jurisdiction with respect thereto. Such appointment shall be irrevocable. The Company represents and warrants that the Authorized Agent has agreed to act as such agent for service of process and agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents and instruments, which may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect as aforesaid. Service of process upon the Authorized Agent and written notice of such service to the Company shall be deemed, in every respect, effective service of process upon the Company.
5.19 Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. For reasons of administrative convenience only, each Purchaser and its respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through the Financial Advisor Counsel, the legal counsel of the Financial Advisor. Financial Advisor Counsel does not represent any of the Purchasers and only represents the Financial Advisor. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any of the Purchasers. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.
27
5.20 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
5.21 Liquidated Damages. The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.
5.22 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 relating to Common Shares that occur after the date of this Agreement.
5.23 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY HERETO AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY HERETO, THE PARTIES HERETO EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
[Signature Pages Follow]
28
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
| akanda corp. | Address for Notice: | ||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Katie Field | Email: | |
| Title: | Interim Chief Executive Officer | ||
| With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice): | |||
| Rimon, P.C. | |||
| Attn: | Mark Lee | ||
| Email: | |||
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.
SIGNATURE PAGES FOR PURCHASERS FOLLOW.]
29
[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO AKANDA CORP. SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
Name of Purchaser: _____________________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser: _____________________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: __________________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: ___________________________________________________________
Email Address of Authorized Signatory: ___________________________________________________
Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________________
Address for Notice to Purchaser: _________________________________________________________
Address for Delivery of Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchaser (if not same as address for
notice):______________________________________________________________________________
________________________
Subscription Amount: $_________________
Common Shares: _________________
Pre-Funded Warrant Shares: _____________ Beneficial Ownership Blocker ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99%
EIN Number: ____________________
☐ Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, by checking this box (i) the obligations of the above-signed to purchase the securities set forth in this Agreement to be purchased from the Company by the above-signed, and the obligations of the Company to sell such securities to the above-signed, shall be unconditional and all conditions to Closing shall be disregarded, (ii) the Closing shall occur by the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of this Agreement and (iii) any condition to Closing contemplated by this Agreement (but prior to being disregarded by clause (i) above) that required delivery by the Company or the above-signed of any agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) shall no longer be a condition and shall instead be an unconditional obligation of the Company or the above-signed (as applicable) to deliver such agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) to such other party on the Closing Date.
30
Exhibit A
Form of Pre-Funded Warrant
(See Attached)
31
Exhibit 4.1
FORM
OF PRE-FUNDED WARRANT
TO PURCHASE COMMON SHARES
AKANDA CORP.
| Warrant Shares: | Initial Exercise Date: May __, 2024 |
THIS PRE-FUNDED WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON SHARES (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, __________ or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) until this Warrant is exercised in full (the “Termination Date”), but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Akanda Corp., a Canadian corporation incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “Company”), up to _________ common shares, no par value per share (the “Common Shares”) (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”). The purchase price of one Common Share under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).
Section 1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated May __, 2024, among the Company and the purchasers signatory thereto.
Section 2. Exercise.
(a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed PDF copy submitted by e-mail (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit A (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the number of Warrant Shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, at which time the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder by the number of Warrant Shares equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased in connection with such partial exercise. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Trading Day of receipt of such notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise delivered on or prior to 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date, which may be delivered at any time after the time of execution of the Purchase Agreement, the Company agrees to deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date, and the Initial Exercise Date shall be the Warrant Share Delivery Date for purposes hereunder, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received by such Warrant Share Delivery Date. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time will be less than the amount stated on the face hereof. For the avoidance of doubt, there is no circumstance that would require the Company to net cash settle the warrants.
(b) Exercise Price. The aggregate exercise price of this Warrant, except for a nominal exercise price of $0.0001 per Warrant Share, was pre-funded to the Company on or prior to the Initial Exercise Date and, consequently, no additional consideration (other than the nominal exercise price of $0.0001 per Warrant Share) shall be required to be paid by the Holder to any Person to effect any exercise of this Warrant. The Holder shall not be entitled to the return or refund of all, or any portion, of such pre-paid aggregate exercise price under any circumstance or for any reason whatsoever, including in the event this Warrant shall not have been exercised prior to the Termination Date. The remaining unpaid exercise price per Warrant Share under this Warrant shall be $0.0001, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
(c) Cashless Exercise. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, if at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of, the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may only be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
(A) = as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Shares on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day;
(B) = the Exercise Price, as adjusted hereunder; and
(X) = the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.
If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Shares for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the VWAP of the Common Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Shares is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Shares are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of Common Shares so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Shares as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
2
“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 or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Shares is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Shares are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per Common Share so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of an Common Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
(d) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to, or resale of, the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of the Warrant Shares, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares set forth in the Notice of Exercise to the address specified by the Holder in such Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) three (3) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company, and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) three (3) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder in cash for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Shares on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after the Warrant Share Delivery Date) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”) that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Shares as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise.
3
ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iii. Rescission Rights. Except in connection with an exercise on the Initial Exercise Date, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, Common Shares to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Warrant Shares so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of Common Shares that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Shares having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of Warrants with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence satisfactory to the Company with respect to the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional Warrant Shares or scrip representing fractional Warrant Shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a Warrant Share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall in lieu of the issuance of such fractional Warrant Share round up to the next whole Warrant Share.
4
vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. The issuance and delivery of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that, in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, the Notice of Exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form, attached hereto as Exhibit B, duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto and this Warrant shall be surrendered to the Company and, if any portion of this Warrant remains unexercised, a new Warrant in the form hereof shall be delivered to the assignee. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
(e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise all or any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance upon exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with (i) the Holder’s Affiliates, (ii) any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates, and (iii) any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of the Common Shares would or could be aggregated with the Holder’s for the purposes of Section 13(d) (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of Common Shares beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of Common Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of the Warrant Shares which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Share Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding Common Shares, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding Common Shares as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of Common Shares outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of Common Shares then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding Common Shares shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding Common Shares was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant. If the Warrant is unexercisable as a result of the Holder’s Beneficial Ownership Limitation, no alternate consideration is owed to the Holder.
5
Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on Common Shares or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in Common Shares (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any Warrant Shares issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding Common Shares into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of Common Shares any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of Common Shares (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant remains unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or reclassification.
(b) [RESERVED]
(c) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Share Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of Common Share (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of Common Shares acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of Common Shares are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such Common Shares as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
(d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of Common Shares, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of Common Shares acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of Common Shares are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any Common Shares as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
6
(e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company (or any Subsidiary), directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Shares are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Shares or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Shares are effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company (not including any Common Shares held by the other Person or Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party two, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction (and in the same proportion), at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of Common Shares of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of Common Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one Common Share in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Shares are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the Common Shares acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the Common Shares pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.
(f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of one Common Share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of Common Shares deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of Common Shares (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
7
(g) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company declares a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Shares, (B) the Company declares a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Shares, (C) the Company authorizes the granting to all holders of the Common Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any shareholders of the Company is required in connection with a Fundamental Transaction, or (E) the Company authorizes the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by email to the Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Shares of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Shares of record shall be entitled to exchange their Common Shares for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
(a) Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
(b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
(c) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
8
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
(a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” pursuant to Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) and Section 2(d)(iv) herein, in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.
(b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
(c) 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 Trading Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Trading Day.
(d) Authorized Shares. The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Shares a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares underlying this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued, and the Warrant Shares, delivered, as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Shares may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares underlying this Warrant, which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Common Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Common Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
(e) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
9
(f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and if the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
(g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant or the Purchase Agreement, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
(h) Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
(i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Share or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
(j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
(k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
(l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder or the beneficial owner of this Warrant, on the other hand.
(m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
(n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
(o) Currency. All dollar amounts referred to in this Warrant are in United States Dollars (“U.S. Dollars”). All amounts owing under this Warrant shall be paid in U.S. Dollars. All amounts denominated in other currencies shall be converted in the U.S. Dollar equivalent amount in accordance with the Exchange Rate on the date of calculation. “Exchange Rate” means, in relation to any amount of currency to be converted into U.S. Dollars pursuant to this Warrant, the U.S. Dollar exchange rate as published in the Wall Street Journal (NY edition) on the relevant date of calculation.
********************
(Signature Page Follows)
10
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
| AKANDA CORP. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Katie Field | |
| Title: | Interim CEO and Director | |
11
EXHIBIT A
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
TO: AKANDA CORP.
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
☐ in lawful money of the United States; or
☐ if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).
(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:
| [SIGNATURE OF HOLDER] | |
| Name of Investing Entity | |
| Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity | |
| Name of Authorized Signatory | |
| Title of Authorized Signature | |
| Date |
12
EXHIBIT B
ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
| Name: ______________________________________________________________________________ |
| (Please Print) |
| Address: _____________________________________________________________________________ |
| (Please Print) |
| Phone Number: _______________________________________________________________________ |
| Email Address: _______________________________________________________________________ |
| Dated: ______________________________________________________________________________ |
| Holder’s Signature: ____________________________________________________________________ |
| Holder’s Address: ______________________________________________________________________ |
13
Exhibit 5.1
May 17, 2024
Akanda Corp.
1a, 1b Learoyd Road
New Romney, TN28 8XU
United Kingdom
Dear Sirs/Mesdames:
| Re: | Akanda Corp. |
We have acted as Canadian counsel to Akanda Corp. (the “Corporation”), a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of Ontario, in connection with the issuance and sale in a registered direct offering (the “Offering”) of: (i) 2,491,381 common shares in the capital of the Corporation (the “Common Shares” and, such number of Common Shares issued and sold in the Offering, the “Offered Shares”); and (ii) 21,756,922 pre-funded Common Share purchase warrants (the “Warrants” and, such number of Warrants issued and sold in the Offering, the “Offered Warrants”) to purchase 21,756,922 Common Shares (the “Warrant Shares” and, together with the Common Shares, the “Securities”), as contemplated by a certain security purchase agreement, dated as of May 17, 2024 (the “Purchase Agreement”), between the Corporation and each purchaser of Offered Shares and Offered Warrants, as the case may be, under the Offering. The Offered Shares and Offered Warrants are collectively referred to as the “Offered Securities”.
EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS
In giving the opinion expressed below, as Canadian counsel for the Corporation, we have examined executed copies of the registration statement of the Corporation on Form F-3 (Registration No. 333-276577) filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on January 18, 2024 pursuant to the provisions of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), relating to the registration of securities to be issued from time to time by the Corporation, which was declared effective by the SEC on January 29, 2024 (such registration statement, including the information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness, and also including the exhibits and schedules thereto, taken together, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”), the base prospectus included in the Registration Statement and the prospectus supplement dated May 17, 2024 as filed with the Commission (such base prospectus and such prospectus supplement, collectively, the “Prospectus”).
This opinion is being provided at the request of the Corporation.
For the purposes of the opinion expressed below, we have considered questions of law, made the investigations, and examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the certificates of public officials and other certificates, documents and records, that we considered necessary or relevant, including:
| (a) | the Purchase Agreement; |
| (b) | the form of certificate representing the Offered Warrants (the “Warrant Certificate”, and together with the Purchase Agreement, the “Agreements”); |
| (c) | a certificate of status in respect of the Corporation issued by the Ontario Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (formerly the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services) (Ontario) on May 17, 2024 (the “Certificate of Status”); and |
| (d) | as to certain matters of fact relevant to the opinion expressed below, a certificate of an officer of the Corporation dated the date of this opinion addressed to Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, including a certified copy of: |
| (i) | the articles and by-laws of the Corporation (collectively, the “Constating Documents”); and |
| (ii) | resolutions of the board of directors of the Corporation authorizing, among other things, the Registration Statement (including the Prospectus), the Agreements and the creation, issue and sale of the Offered Securities. |
We have not reviewed the minute books or, except as described above, any other corporate records of the Corporation.
ASSUMPTIONS AND RELIANCES
We have relied exclusively upon the certificates, documents and records we examined with respect to the accuracy of the factual matters contained in them and we have not performed any independent investigation or verification of those factual matters. We have assumed those factual matters were accurate on the date given and continue to be accurate as of the date of this opinion.
For the purposes of the opinion expressed below, we have assumed, without independent investigation or inquiry, that:
| 1. | with respect to all documents examined by us, the signatures are genuine, the individuals signing those documents had legal capacity at the time of signing, all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic, and all documents submitted to us as copies conform to the authentic original documents; |
| 2. | the indices and records in all filing systems maintained in all public offices where we have searched or inquired or have caused searches or inquiries to be conducted are accurate and current, and all certificates and information issued or provided under those searches or inquiries are and remain accurate and complete; |
| 3. | none of the Agreements has been modified in any manner, whether by written or oral agreement or by conduct of the parties to them or otherwise; |
| 4. | all information contained in all documents reviewed by us is true and correct; and |
| 5. | there is no foreign law that would affect the opinion expressed herein. |
We also have assumed the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents where authorization, execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness of such documents.
We have also assumed that at all relevant times:
| 1. | the Corporation has the corporate power and capacity to authorize the terms of the Offering and related matters; |
| 2. | the terms of the Offering and related matters do not and will not conflict with and do not and will not result in a breach of or default under, and do not and will not create a state of facts which, after notice or lapse of time or both, will conflict with or result in a breach of or default under any of the terms or conditions of any resolutions of the board of directors or shareholders of the Corporation, any agreement or obligation of the Corporation, or applicable law; |
| 3. | the Corporation has the corporate power and capacity to execute and deliver, and perform its obligations under the terms and conditions of the Agreements; |
| 4. | the Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the execution and delivery by the Corporation of the Agreements and the performance of its obligations under the terms and conditions thereof; |
| 5. | each of the Agreements (i) has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by all parties thereto and such parties have the capacity to do so; (ii) constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of all parties thereto; and (iii) is enforceable in accordance with its terms against all parties thereto; |
| 6. | the execution and delivery of the Agreements and the performance by the Corporation of its obligations under the terms and conditions thereunder do not and will not conflict with and do not and will not result in a breach of or default under, and do not and will not create a state of facts which, after notice or lapse of time or both, will conflict with or result in a breach of or default under any of the terms or conditions of any resolutions of the board of directors or shareholders of the Corporation, any agreement or obligation of the Corporation, or applicable law; |
2
| 7. | the Corporation has the corporate power and capacity to authorize, create, authenticate, issue, sell and deliver the Securities and to perform its obligations under the terms and conditions of the Securities; |
| 8. | the Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authenticate and deliver the Securities and to perform its obligations under the terms and conditions of the Securities, and all of the terms and conditions relevant to the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities in the applicable Agreement have been complied with, including any other person signing or authenticating the Securities, as applicable; |
| 9. | the authentication and delivery of the Securities and the performance by the Corporation of its obligations under the terms and conditions of the Securities do not and will not conflict with and do not and will not result in a breach of or default under, and do not and will not create a state of facts which, after notice or lapse of time or both, will conflict with or result in a breach of or default under any of the terms or conditions of any resolutions of the board of directors or shareholders of the Corporation, any agreement or obligation of the Corporation, or applicable law; |
| 10. | the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments), will not have been terminated or rescinded; |
| 11. | the Securities are being distributed to purchasers outside Canada under the Offering and such distribution does not constitute part of a plan or scheme to avoid the prospectus requirements in connection with a distribution to a person or company in Canada; |
| 12. | the Securities are being offered and sold in compliance with applicable United States federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus supplement filed in the United States; and |
| 13. | no order, ruling or decision of any court or regulatory or administrative body is in effect at any relevant time that restricts the issuance of the Securities or the Offering. |
Where our opinion expressed herein refers to any of the Securities having been issued as “fully paid and non-assessable”, such opinion assumes that all required consideration (in whatever form) has been paid for such Securities. No opinion is expressed as to the adequacy of any consideration received.
In expressing the opinion in paragraph 1, we have relied exclusively upon the Certificate of Status.
LAWS ADDRESSED
We are solicitors qualified to express opinions only with respect to the laws of the Province of Ontario and the opinion expressed herein relates only to the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein as in effect on the date hereof.
3
OPINION
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that:
| 1. | The Corporation is incorporated and existing under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). |
| 2. | The Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the issue and sale of the Offered Shares and, upon payment for them, the Offered Shares will be validly issued as fully paid and non-assessable Common Shares in the capital of the Corporation. |
| 3. | The Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the creation, issue and sale of the Offered Warrants and, upon payment for them, the Offered Warrants will be validly created and issued. |
| 4. | The Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the issue of the Warrant Shares and, upon the exercise of the Offered Warrants in accordance with the terms of the Warrant Certificate (including payment of the exercise price for the Warrant Shares), the Warrant Shares will be validly issued as fully paid and non-assessable Common Shares in the capital of the Corporation. |
QUALIFICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS
| 1. | The legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability of the Agreements are subject to, and may be limited by, applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, winding-up, liquidation, moratorium, preference and other similar laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally. |
| 2. | The enforceability of the obligations of the Corporation under the Agreements is subject to, and may be limited by, general equitable and legal principles, including those relating to the conduct of parties such as reasonableness and good faith in the performance of contracts, and to the principle that equitable remedies such as injunctive relief and specific performance are only available in the discretion of the court. |
RELIANCE
This opinion is solely for the benefit of its addressee in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement and Prospectus with the Commission and is not to be transmitted to any other person, nor is it to be relied upon in any manner by any other person. This opinion may not otherwise be disclosed, quoted, filed with a government agency or referred to without our prior express consent.
Our opinion is given as of the date of this opinion letter. Among other things, our opinion does not take into account any circumstance (including changes in law or facts or the conduct of any of the relevant parties) that may occur after that date. We assume no obligation to update or supplement the opinion set forth herein to reflect any changes of law or fact that may occur.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Corporation’s Current Report on Form 6-K to be filed with the Commission on May 20, 2024 which will be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required by the Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Yours truly,
(Signed) “Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP”
4
Exhibit 5.2
May 20, 2024
Akanda Corp.
1a, 1b Learoyd Road
New Romney, TN28 8XU
United Kingdom
Dear Sirs/Mesdames:
| Re: | Akanda Corp. |
We have acted as Canadian counsel to Akanda Corp. (the “Corporation”), a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of Ontario, in connection with the issuance and sale in a registered direct offering (the “Offering”) of: (i) 2,491,381 common shares in the capital of the Corporation (the “Common Shares” and, such number of Common Shares issued and sold in the Offering, the “Offered Shares”); and (ii) 12,057,600 pre-funded Common Share purchase warrants (the “Warrants” and, such number of Warrants issued and sold in the Offering, the “Offered Warrants”) to purchase 12,057,600 Common Shares (the “Warrant Shares” and, together with the Common Shares, the “Securities”), as contemplated by a certain security purchase agreement, dated as of May 17, 2024 (the “Purchase Agreement”), between the Corporation and each purchaser of Offered Shares and Offered Warrants, as the case may be, under the Offering. The Offered Shares and Offered Warrants are collectively referred to as the “Offered Securities”.
EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS
In giving the opinion expressed below, as Canadian counsel for the Corporation, we have examined executed copies of the registration statement of the Corporation on Form F-3 (Registration No. 333-276577) filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on January 18, 2024 pursuant to the provisions of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), relating to the registration of securities to be issued from time to time by the Corporation, which was declared effective by the SEC on January 29, 2024 (such registration statement, including the information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness, and also including the exhibits and schedules thereto, taken together, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”), the base prospectus included in the Registration Statement and the prospectus supplement dated May 20, 2024 as filed with the Commission (such base prospectus and such prospectus supplement, collectively, the “Prospectus”).
This opinion is being provided at the request of the Corporation.
For the purposes of the opinion expressed below, we have considered questions of law, made the investigations, and examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the certificates of public officials and other certificates, documents and records, that we considered necessary or relevant, including:
| (a) | the Purchase Agreement; |
| (b) | the form of certificate representing the Offered Warrants (the “Warrant Certificate”, and together with the Purchase Agreement, the “Agreements”); |
| (c) | a certificate of status in respect of the Corporation issued by the Ontario Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (formerly the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services) (Ontario) on May 17, 2024 (the “Certificate of Status”); and |
| (d) | as to certain matters of fact relevant to the opinion expressed below, a certificate of an officer of the Corporation dated the date of this opinion addressed to Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, including a certified copy of: |
| (i) | the articles and by-laws of the Corporation (collectively, the “Constating Documents”); and |
| (ii) | resolutions of the board of directors of the Corporation authorizing, among other things, the Registration Statement (including the Prospectus), the Agreements and the creation, issue and sale of the Offered Securities. |
We have not reviewed the minute books or, except as described above, any other corporate records of the Corporation.
ASSUMPTIONS AND RELIANCES
We have relied exclusively upon the certificates, documents and records we examined with respect to the accuracy of the factual matters contained in them and we have not performed any independent investigation or verification of those factual matters. We have assumed those factual matters were accurate on the date given and continue to be accurate as of the date of this opinion.
For the purposes of the opinion expressed below, we have assumed, without independent investigation or inquiry, that:
| 1. | with respect to all documents examined by us, the signatures are genuine, the individuals signing those documents had legal capacity at the time of signing, all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic, and all documents submitted to us as copies conform to the authentic original documents; |
| 2. | the indices and records in all filing systems maintained in all public offices where we have searched or inquired or have caused searches or inquiries to be conducted are accurate and current, and all certificates and information issued or provided under those searches or inquiries are and remain accurate and complete; |
| 3. | none of the Agreements has been modified in any manner, whether by written or oral agreement or by conduct of the parties to them or otherwise; |
| 4. | all information contained in all documents reviewed by us is true and correct; and |
| 5. | there is no foreign law that would affect the opinion expressed herein. |
We also have assumed the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents where authorization, execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness of such documents.
We have also assumed that at all relevant times:
| 1. | the Corporation has the corporate power and capacity to authorize the terms of the Offering and related matters; |
| 2. | the terms of the Offering and related matters do not and will not conflict with and do not and will not result in a breach of or default under, and do not and will not create a state of facts which, after notice or lapse of time or both, will conflict with or result in a breach of or default under any of the terms or conditions of any resolutions of the board of directors or shareholders of the Corporation, any agreement or obligation of the Corporation, or applicable law; |
| 3. | the Corporation has the corporate power and capacity to execute and deliver, and perform its obligations under the terms and conditions of the Agreements; |
| 4. | the Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the execution and delivery by the Corporation of the Agreements and the performance of its obligations under the terms and conditions thereof; |
| 5. | each of the Agreements (i) has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by all parties thereto and such parties have the capacity to do so; (ii) constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of all parties thereto; and (iii) is enforceable in accordance with its terms against all parties thereto; |
| 6. | the execution and delivery of the Agreements and the performance by the Corporation of its obligations under the terms and conditions thereunder do not and will not conflict with and do not and will not result in a breach of or default under, and do not and will not create a state of facts which, after notice or lapse of time or both, will conflict with or result in a breach of or default under any of the terms or conditions of any resolutions of the board of directors or shareholders of the Corporation, any agreement or obligation of the Corporation, or applicable law; |
2
| 7. | the Corporation has the corporate power and capacity to authorize, create, authenticate, issue, sell and deliver the Securities and to perform its obligations under the terms and conditions of the Securities; |
| 8. | the Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authenticate and deliver the Securities and to perform its obligations under the terms and conditions of the Securities, and all of the terms and conditions relevant to the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities in the applicable Agreement have been complied with, including any other person signing or authenticating the Securities, as applicable; |
| 9. | the authentication and delivery of the Securities and the performance by the Corporation of its obligations under the terms and conditions of the Securities do not and will not conflict with and do not and will not result in a breach of or default under, and do not and will not create a state of facts which, after notice or lapse of time or both, will conflict with or result in a breach of or default under any of the terms or conditions of any resolutions of the board of directors or shareholders of the Corporation, any agreement or obligation of the Corporation, or applicable law; |
| 10. | the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments), will not have been terminated or rescinded; |
| 11. | the Securities are being distributed to purchasers outside Canada under the Offering and such distribution does not constitute part of a plan or scheme to avoid the prospectus requirements in connection with a distribution to a person or company in Canada; |
| 12. | the Securities are being offered and sold in compliance with applicable United States federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus supplement filed in the United States; and |
| 13. | no order, ruling or decision of any court or regulatory or administrative body is in effect at any relevant time that restricts the issuance of the Securities or the Offering. |
Where our opinion expressed herein refers to any of the Securities having been issued as “fully paid and non-assessable”, such opinion assumes that all required consideration (in whatever form) has been paid for such Securities. No opinion is expressed as to the adequacy of any consideration received.
In expressing the opinion in paragraph 1, we have relied exclusively upon the Certificate of Status.
LAWS ADDRESSED
We are solicitors qualified to express opinions only with respect to the laws of the Province of Ontario and the opinion expressed herein relates only to the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein as in effect on the date hereof.
3
OPINION
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that:
| 1. | As of May 17, 2024, the Corporation is incorporated and existing under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). |
| 2. | The Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the issue and sale of the Offered Shares and, upon payment for them, the Offered Shares will be validly issued as fully paid and non-assessable Common Shares in the capital of the Corporation. |
| 3. | The Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the creation, issue and sale of the Offered Warrants and, upon payment for them, the Offered Warrants will be validly created and issued. |
| 4. | The Corporation has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the issue of the Warrant Shares and, upon the exercise of the Offered Warrants in accordance with the terms of the Warrant Certificate (including payment of the exercise price for the Warrant Shares), the Warrant Shares will be validly issued as fully paid and non-assessable Common Shares in the capital of the Corporation. |
QUALIFICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS
| 1. | The legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability of the Agreements are subject to, and may be limited by, applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, winding-up, liquidation, moratorium, preference and other similar laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally. |
| 2. | The enforceability of the obligations of the Corporation under the Agreements is subject to, and may be limited by, general equitable and legal principles, including those relating to the conduct of parties such as reasonableness and good faith in the performance of contracts, and to the principle that equitable remedies such as injunctive relief and specific performance are only available in the discretion of the court. |
RELIANCE
This opinion is solely for the benefit of its addressee in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement and Prospectus with the Commission and is not to be transmitted to any other person, nor is it to be relied upon in any manner by any other person. This opinion may not otherwise be disclosed, quoted, filed with a government agency or referred to without our prior express consent.
Our opinion is given as of the date of this opinion letter. Among other things, our opinion does not take into account any circumstance (including changes in law or facts or the conduct of any of the relevant parties) that may occur after that date. We assume no obligation to update or supplement the opinion set forth herein to reflect any changes of law or fact that may occur.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.2 to the Corporation’s Current Report on Form 6-K to be filed with the Commission on May 20, 2024 which will be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required by the Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Yours truly,
(Signed) “Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP”
4
Exhibit 99.1
Akanda Announces Closing of Registered Direct Offering
London, May 17, 2024 – Akanda Corp. (“Akanda” or the “Company”), an international medical cannabis company, today announced that it has closed its previously announced registered direct offering for the sale and issuance of 2,491,381common shares at a purchase price of $0.1031 per share, and 21,756,922 pre-funded warrants to purchase 21,756,922 common shares at a price of $0.103 per share, priced at the Minimum Price under the Nasdaq rules. The pre-funded warrants are immediately exercisable for $0.0001 per share and may be exercised at any time until all of the pre-funded warrants are exercised in full, subject to certain beneficial ownership limitations as set forth in the pre-funded warrant.
Univest Securities LLC is acting as the exclusive financial advisor in connection with the offering.
The gross proceeds to Akanda from this offering were approximately $2,500,000, before deducting the financial advisor fees and other offering expenses. Akanda intends to use the net proceeds from this offering on capital expenditures, operating capacity, working capital, general corporate purposes and the refinancing or repayment of existing indebtedness and acquisitions of complementary products, technologies or businesses.
The securities described above were offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form F-3, as amended (File No. 333-276577) previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and was declared effective on January 29, 2024. The securities were offered only by means of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus that form a part of the registration statement. The final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the offering was filed with the SEC on May 17, 2024 and will be available free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://sec.gov.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
About Akanda Corp.
Akanda is an international medical cannabis and wellness platform company seeking to help people lead better lives through improved access to high quality and affordable products. Akanda’s portfolio includes CanMart, a UK-based fully licensed pharmaceutical importer and distributor which supplies pharmacies and clinics within the UK. The Company’s seed-to-patient supply chain also includes partnerships Cellen Life Sciences’ Leva Clinic, one of the first fully digital pain clinics in the UK. Akanda also acquired the right to develop a Canadian farming property in British Columbia, including farming land and related operations and licenses. The Company plans to develop THC and cannabinoid (CBD) facilities at this site.
Connect with Akanda: Email | Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram
Investor Contact
ir@akandacorp.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements
This press release contains certain statements that may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only Akanda’s beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Akanda’s control. Generally, such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “will continue”, “will occur” or “will be achieved”. Forward-looking statements may relate to anticipated events or results including, but not limited to business strategy, product development and sales and growth plans. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Akanda does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Exhibit 99.2
Akanda Corp. Announces Subsequent Registered Direct Offering
London, May 17, 2024 – Akanda Corp. (“Akanda” or the “Company”), an international medical cannabis company, today announced that it has entered into a second securities purchase agreement with an accredited investor whereby the investor has agreed to purchase 2,491,381common shares at a purchase price of $0.1031 and 12,057,600 pre-funded warrants to purchase 12,057,600 common shares at $0.103 per share in a registered direct offering priced at Minimum Price under Nasdaq rules. The pre-funded warrants are immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $0.0001 and may be exercised at any time until all of the pre-funded warrants are exercised in full, subject to certain beneficial ownership limitations as set forth in the pre-funded warrant.
Univest Securities LLC is acting as the exclusive financial advisor in connection with the offering,
The gross proceeds to Akanda are estimated to be approximately $1,500,000 before deducting the financial advisor fees and other offering expenses. The offering is expected to close on or about May 17, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Akanda intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for general working capital and general corporate expenses.
The offering is being made pursuant an effective shelf registration statement on Form F-3, as amended (File No. 333-276577) previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and declared effective on January 29, 2024. The securities may be offered only by means of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus that form a part of the registration statement. A final prospectus relating to the Offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://sec.gov.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
About Akanda Corp.
Akanda is an international medical cannabis and wellness platform company seeking to help people lead better lives through improved access to high quality and affordable products. Akanda’s portfolio includes CanMart, a UK-based fully licensed pharmaceutical importer and distributor which supplies pharmacies and clinics within the UK. The Company’s seed-to-patient supply chain also includes partnerships Cellen Life Sciences’ Leva Clinic, one of the first fully digital pain clinics in the UK. Akanda also acquired the right to develop a Canadian farming property in British Columbia, including farming land and related operations and licenses. The Company plans to develop THC and cannabinoid (CBD) facilities at this site.
Connect with Akanda: Email | Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram
Investor Contact
ir@akandacorp.com
Advisor Contact
Univest
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only Akanda’s beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Akanda’s control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “will continue”, “will occur” or “will be achieved”. These statements include, among others, statements regarding the completion of the offering, the anticipated proceeds from the offering and the use of such proceeds. Forward-looking information may relate to anticipated events or results including, but not limited to business strategy, product development and sales and growth plans. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Akanda does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Exhibit 99.3
Akanda Announces Closing of Subsequent Registered Direct Offering
London, UK May 20, 2024 – Akanda Corp. ("Akanda" or the “Company”), (NASDAQ: AKAN) an international medical cannabis company, today announced that it has closed its previously announced second registered direct offering for the sale and issuance of 2,491,381common shares at a purchase price of $0.1031 and 12,057,600 pre-funded warrants to purchase 12,057,600 common shares at $0.103 per share, priced at the Minimum Price under the Nasdaq rules. The pre-funded warrants are immediately exercisable for $0.0001 per share and may be exercised at any time until all of the pre-funded warrants are exercised in full, subject to certain beneficial ownership limitations as set forth in the pre-funded warrant.
Univest Securities LLC is acting as the exclusive financial advisor in connection with the offering.
The gross proceeds to Akanda from this offering were approximately $1,500,000, before deducting the financial advisor fees and other offering expenses. Akanda intends to use the net proceeds from this offering on capital expenditures, operating capacity, working capital, general corporate purposes and the refinancing or repayment of existing indebtedness and acquisitions of complementary products, technologies or businesses.
The securities described above were offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form F-3, as amended (File No. 333-276577) previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and was declared effective on January 29, 2024. The securities were offered only by means of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus that form a part of the registration statement. The final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the offering was filed with the SEC on May 20, 2024 and will be available free of charge on the SEC's website at http://sec.gov.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
About Akanda Corp.
Akanda is an international medical cannabis and wellness platform company seeking to help people lead better lives through improved access to high quality and affordable products. Akanda's portfolio includes CanMart, a UK-based fully licensed pharmaceutical importer and distributor which supplies pharmacies and clinics within the UK. The Company's seed-to-patient supply chain also includes partnerships Cellen Life Sciences' Leva Clinic, one of the first fully digital pain clinics in the UK. Akanda also acquired the right to develop a Canadian farming property in British Columbia, including farming land and related operations and licenses. The Company plans to develop THC and cannabinoid (CBD) facilities at this site.
Connect with Akanda: Email | Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram
Investor Contact
ir@akandacorp.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements
This press release contains certain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only Akanda's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Akanda's control. Generally, such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". Forward-looking statements may relate to anticipated events or results including, but not limited to business strategy, product development and sales and growth plans. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Akanda does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.