American Resources Corp 8-K/A, filed Oct 15, 2025
American Resources Corp (AREC)
About this 8-K/A
American Resources Corp filed this 8-K/A on October 15, 2025, reporting on events of October 13, 2025.
Items reported
- Item 1.01: Entered into a material agreement
- Item 3.02: Unregistered sale of equity
- Item 8.01: Other events
- Item 9.01: Financial statements and exhibits
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
Amendment No. 1
Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Explanatory Note
The purpose of this Form 8-K/A is to amend and restate the Form 8-K that was filed by American Resources Corporation, a Florida corporation on October 14, 2025 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
Securities Purchase Agreements
On October 13, 2025, American Resources Corporation, a Florida corporation (the “Company”) entered into securities purchase agreements (the “Securities Purchase Agreements”) with certain investors (the “Purchasers”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell and issue to the Purchasers in a private placement offering (the “Offering”) an aggregate of 9,480,282 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company at an offering price of $3.55 per share.
Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim”) acted as the sole placement agent in connection with the Offering.
The Shares are being offered in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirement of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) thereof and/or Rule 506(b) of Regulation D promulgated thereunder, and applicable state securities laws. The issuance of the Shares has not been registered under the Securities Act and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering, to support development of domestic critical mineral processing, including coal waste extraction, a 10k MT magnet manufacturing facility and for corporate development, working capital and general purposes.
Pursuant to the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement, for a period beginning on the Closing Date (defined below) and ending on the date that is twelve (12) months thereafter, each Purchaser has the right, but not the obligation, to participate, in up to its pro rata share of the aggregate of up to thirty percent (30%) of the securities offered in any Subsequent Equity Financing (as defined therein), on the same terms and conditions as other purchasers in such Subsequent Equity Financing.
The Offering is anticipated to close on or about October 14, 2025 (the “Closing Date”).
In connection with the Offering, the Company’s directors and executive officers have entered into lock-up agreements for a period of sixty (60) days after the closing of the Offering, subject to limited exceptions. Without the prior written consent of the purchasers and Maxim, from the date of execution of the Securities Purchase Agreement until sixty (60) days after the closing of the Offering, neither the Company nor any subsidiary shall (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents, other than an Exempt Issuance (as defined therein) or (ii) file any registration statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, subject to certain exceptions.
The Company has agreed to file, within 15 calendar days of the closing, a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) covering the resale of the Shares and has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration to become effective within 30 calendar days following the closing of the Offering or 60 calendar days in the event of a review by the Commission.
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The foregoing description of the Securities Purchase Agreements and Lock-Up Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by references to the full text of the Securities Purchase Agreements and Lock-Up Agreement, respectively, which are filed as Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, to this Current Report, and incorporated by reference herein.
Placement Agency Agreement
The Company also entered into a Placement Agency Agreement (the “Placement Agency Agreement”) with Maxim dated October 13, 2025, pursuant to which Maxim agreed to serve as the exclusive placement agent for the Company in connection with the Offering. The Company agreed to pay Maxim upon closing a cash fee (the “Cash Fee”) equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received in the Offering. The Company also agreed to reimburse Maxim at the closing of the Offering, for expenses incurred, including disbursements of its legal counsel, up to $100,000.
Maxim is entitled to the Cash Fee with respect to any public or private offering or other financing or capital-raising transaction of any kind (“Tail Financing”) to the extent that such financing or capital is provided to the Company by investors whom Maxim contacted in connection with the Offering, between the date of the Placement Agency Agreement and the Termination Date (as defined therein), if such Tail Financing is consummated at any time within the six (6) month period following the Termination Date.
For a period of six (6) months following the closing of the Offering, the Company granted Maxim the right of first refusal to act as lead managing underwriter and lead book runner, lead placement agent, or lead sales agent, with at least fifty percent (50.0%) economics for any and all future public and private equity, equity-linked, convertible or debt offerings during such six (6) month period of the Company, or any successor to or any subsidiary of the Company.
The Placement Agency Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, and agreements by the Company, customary conditions to closing, indemnification obligations of the Company, other obligations of the parties, and termination provisions.
The foregoing description of the Placement Agency Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Placement Agency Agreement which is filed as Exhibit 10.3 to this Current Report, and incorporated by reference herein.
Item 3.02 Unregistered Sale of Equity Securities.
The information contained above in Item 1.01 relating to the issuance of the Shares is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 3.02.
Neither this Current Report on Form 8-K nor any exhibit attached hereto is an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On October 13, 2025, the Company issued a press release announcing the Offering. The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated into this Item 8.01 by reference.
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Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
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99.1 |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Dated: October 14, 2025
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| By: | /s/ Mark C. Jensen |
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| Name: | Mark C. Jensen |
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| Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
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EXHIBIT 10.1
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of October 13, 2025, between American Resources Corporation, a Florida corporation (the “Company”), and the purchasers identified on the signature pages hereto (including its successors and assigns, each a “Purchaser”, and collectively the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act (as defined below) and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, the Company desires to issue and sell to the Purchasers, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, desire 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 the Purchasers agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:
“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.
“BHCA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(ii).
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
“Closing” means a closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
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“Closing Date” means the date on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) each Purchaser’s obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the first (1st) Trading Day following the date hereof.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Company Counsel” means Loeb & Loeb LLP.
“Disclosure Schedules” means the Disclosure Schedules of the Company delivered concurrently herewith.
“Environmental Laws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(mm).
“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(r).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the Company pursuant to any share or option plan duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose for services rendered to the Company, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into Common Stock 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, (c) the Securities pursuant to this Agreement and (d) 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 herein and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities.
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“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
“Federal Reserve” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(ii).
“GAAP” means U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
“Hazardous Substances” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(mm).
“Indebtedness” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(z).
“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(o).
“Liens” means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“Lock-Up Agreement” means, collectively, the Lock-Up Agreements, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Company and each of the Company’s directors and executive officers, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
“Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).
“Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(m).
“Mining Properties” means the properties listed in Item 2 in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K as may be further updated in the Company’s subsequent filings with the SEC.
“Mining Rights” means, without limitation, freehold title, fee title, leases, concessions, patented mining claims and mill sites, mining claims and mill sites, prospecting and exploration rights, mining and mineral rights, in respect of the Material Properties, or other conventional property or proprietary interests or rights, recognized in the jurisdiction in which the Material Properties are located.
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“Participation Period” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.16.
“Per Share Purchase Price” equals $3.55, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
“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.
“Placement Agency Agreement” means the agreement executed on the Closing Date between the Company and the Placement Agent.
“Placement Agent” means Maxim Group LLC.
“Pro Rata Share” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.16.
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition) pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened in writing 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).
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.
“Registration Statement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.15.
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“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.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the Shares.
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“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issued 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 Stock).
“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser in respect of the Securities, the aggregate amount to be paid for Common Stock 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.
“Subsequent Equity Financing” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.16.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a), 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 Stock is 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, all exhibits and schedules 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.
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ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrently 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, Securities in an amount equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount. Each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, via wire transfer or a certified check, immediately available funds equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, and the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its Securities, and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur at the offices of the Placement Agent or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree. In the event that the Closing does not occur within three Business Days after the Closing Date, the Company shall promptly (but not later than one business day thereafter) return the previously wired amounts to each respective Purchaser by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account specified by each Purchaser, and any book entries for the Securities shall be deemed cancelled.
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) a legal opinions of Company Counsel and Clifford Hunt, Esq., in forms reasonably acceptable to the Placement Agent and each Purchaser;
(iii) the Company’s wire instructions on Company letterhead and executed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;
(iv) subject to the last sentence of Section 2.1, a copy of the irrevocable instructions to the Transfer Agent instructing the Transfer Agent to deliver on an expedited basis a certificate evidencing the Securities equal to each Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price, registered in the name of such Purchaser;
(v) Lock-up Agreements, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to each Purchaser, executed by each officer and director of the Company; and
(v) Officer’s Certificate, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
(b) On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;
(ii) a fully completed and duly executed Selling Securityholder Questionnaire in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Placement Agent; and
(iii) such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount by wire transfer to the account specified in the wire instructions delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(a)(iii).
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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 as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Purchasers required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and
(iii) the delivery by the Purchasers of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.
(b) The obligation 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 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;
(v) from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Company’s securities 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, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the Closing;
(vi) at no time during the period beginning on the execution of this Agreement through and ending on and including the Closing shall the Company have publicly announced any material negative information;
(vii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the Securities Act;
(vi) the Company shall have filed an additional listing application with the Nasdaq with respect to the Shares; and
(vii) after giving effect to the issuance of the Securities pursuant this Agreement, on the Closing Date, no fewer than 95,195,805 shares of Common Stock of the Company will have been issued and outstanding, and all such issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock shall have been issued prior to or contemporaneously with the issuance of the Securities to the Purchasers.
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ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules or the SEC Reports, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation or otherwise made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in the corresponding section of the Disclosure Schedules, the Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth in the SEC Reports. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. 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 capital stock of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue capital stock.
(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. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries has all necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, certificates and permits of and from all governmental regulatory officials and bodies that it needs as of the date hereof to conduct its business purpose in all material respects as described in the SEC Reports and to own or lease its properties. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws, memorandum and articles of association or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The term “Material Adverse Effect” means an effect, change, event or occurrence that, alone or in conjunction with any other or others: (i) has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on: (A) the business, general affairs, management, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, shareholders’ equity, properties or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (B) the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, or (ii) the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document; provided that a change in the market price or trading volume of the Common Stock alone shall not be deemed, in and of itself, to constitute a Material Adverse Effect. No Proceeding has been instituted in any jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
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(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws memorandum and articles of association or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, 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 could 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 Registration Statement specified in Section 4.15 of this Agreement, (iii) application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Securities for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (iv) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
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(f) Issuance of the Securities. The 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 nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved and will keep available from its duly authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock, and at all times will have sufficient authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to accommodate, the Securities issued pursuant to the Transaction Documents.
(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g). The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than as included in the shareholder listing as of September 30, 2025, and pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans, and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g) 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 Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. 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 nonassessable, 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. Except for the Required Approvals, no further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the one year preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act. The consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved, except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.
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(i) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically set forth on Schedule 3.1(i), (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on Schedule 3.1(i), no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, 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 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.
(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”)which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
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(k) Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance. Other than as disclosed in the 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 could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.
(n) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects.
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(o) Intellectual Property. The Company and each of its subsidiaries owns or possesses the valid right to use all (i) patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, Internet domain name registrations, copyrights, copyright registrations, licenses and trade secret rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) and (ii) inventions, software, works of authorships, trademarks, service marks, trade names, databases, formulae, know how, Internet domain names and other intellectual property (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary confidential information, systems, or procedures) (collectively, “Intellectual Property Assets”) that, to the Company’s knowledge, are necessary to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted, and as proposed to be conducted and described in the SEC Reports. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any opinion from its legal counsel concluding that any activities of its business infringes, misappropriates, or otherwise violates, valid and enforceable Intellectual Property Rights of any other person. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received written notice of any challenge, which is to their knowledge still pending, by any other person to the rights of the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to any Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets owned or exclusively licensed by the Company or its subsidiaries. To the Company’s knowledge, the Company’s and its respective subsidiaries’ businesses as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted do not and will not give rise to any infringement of, any misappropriation of, or other violation of, any valid and enforceable Intellectual Property Rights of any other person. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no third parties who have rights to any Intellectual Property Rights described in the SEC Reports as being owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company (collectively, “Company Intellectual Property Rights”), including no liens, security interests, or other encumbrances, except for customary reversionary rights of third-party licensors with respect to Intellectual Property Rights that are disclosed as licensed to the Company or one or more of its subsidiaries. To the Company’s knowledge, there is no infringement by third parties of any Company Intellectual Property Rights. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no material defects in any of the patents or patent applications included in the Company Intellectual Property Rights disclosed in the SEC Reports as being owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company. To the Company’s knowledge, all licenses for the use of the Company Intellectual Property Rights described in the SEC Reports as exclusively licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries (collectively, “Company In-Licenses”) are valid, binding upon and enforceable by or against the Company or its subsidiaries and by or against the other parties thereto in accordance with their terms. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has complied in all material respects with all Company In-Licenses, and is not in breach of any Company In-License. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received written notice of any asserted or threatened claim of breach of any Company In-License, and the Company has no knowledge of any breach by any other person of any Company In-License. Except as described in the SEC Reports, there is no pending, and the Company has not received written notice of any threatened, action, suit, proceeding, or claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) alleging the infringement by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any patent, trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, trade secret, license or other intellectual property right or franchise right of any person; or (ii) challenging the validity, enforceability, or scope of any Company Intellectual Property Rights owned by, and to the Company’s knowledge, exclusively licensed to the Company, including no interferences, oppositions, reexaminations, or government proceedings, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding, or claim. The Company and its subsidiaries have taken all reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard the Company Intellectual Property Rights, including the execution of appropriate nondisclosure, confidentiality agreements and invention assignments with their employees, and to the Company’s knowledge, no employee of the Company is in or has been in violation of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement, or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company. To the Company’s knowledge, the duty of candor and good faith as required by the United States Patent and Trademark Office during the prosecution of the United States patents and patent applications included in the Company Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company have been complied with; and in all foreign offices having similar requirements, all such requirements have been complied with. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in the loss or impairment of or payment of any additional amounts with respect to, nor require the consent of any other person in respect of, the Company's or any of its subsidiaries’ right to own, use, or hold for use any of the Company Intellectual Property Rights described in the SEC Reports as owned by or licensed to the Company for use in the conduct of the business of the Company or its subsidiaries as currently conducted. The Company has at all times complied with all applicable U.S. or non-U.S. laws relating to privacy, data protection, and the collection and use of personal information collected, used, or held for use by the Company in the conduct of the Company’s business, except where the failure to so comply would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except where such claim would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, no claims have been asserted or threatened in writing against the Company alleging a violation of any person’s privacy or personal information or data rights and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not breach or otherwise cause any violation of any law related to privacy, data protection, or the collection and use of personal information collected, used, or held for use by the Company in the conduct of the Company’s business. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has taken all necessary actions to obtain ownership of all works of authorship and inventions made by its employees, consultants and contractors during the time they were employed by or under contract with the Company or any of its subsidiaries and which relate to the Company’s business. All key employees have signed confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with the Company.
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(p) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business. Such renewal may result in a significant increase in cost.
(q) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Other than as disclosed in the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
(r) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries and their respective officers and directors are in material compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets and liabilities is compared with the existing assets and liabilities 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 Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed Form 10-Q 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.
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(s) Certain Fees. 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, other than fees payable to the Placement Agent. Other than for Persons engaged by a Purchaser, if any, each Purchaser 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.
(t) 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.
(u) Registration Rights. Except as set forth herein, 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.
(v) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. Except with respect to the Company’s receipt of a deficiency notice for failing to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, which has been cured upon the Company’s filing thereof, the Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements other than bid price requirement described below. The Common Stock is 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.
(w) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to a Purchaser as a result of such Purchaser 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 such Purchaser’s ownership of the Securities.
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(x) Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the SEC Reports. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct 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 and agrees that the Purchasers make no nor have made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(y) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of each Purchaser’s representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of (i) the Securities Act, or (ii) any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(z) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. Schedule 3.1(z) 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 by the Company in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others to third parties, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
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(aa) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed, or filed an extension to file, all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.
(bb) 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.
(cc) Accountants. The Company’s current independent registered public accounting firm is as set forth in the SEC Reports. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act.
(dd) Acknowledgment Regarding Each Purchaser’s Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Purchaser 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 each Purchaser is not 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 its representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to such Purchaser’s 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.
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(ee) 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) the Purchasers have not been asked by the Company to agree, nor have the Purchasers 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 the Purchasers, 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) the Purchasers, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Stock, and (iv) the Purchasers 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) the Purchasers may engage in hedging activities 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 stockholders' equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.
(ff) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Company’s placement agent in connection with the placement of the Securities.
(gg) 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”) and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(hh) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon any Purchaser’s request.
(ii) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
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(jj) 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.
(kk) Reserved.
(ll) Stamp or Other Tax. No stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Placements Agents or the Purchasers are payable in the United States or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with the sale and delivery by the Company of the Securities to or for the sale and delivery by the Securities to the Purchasers.
(mm) Environmental Laws. The handling, use, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, contamination, release or other activity involving any kind of hazardous, toxic or other wastes, pollutants, contaminants, petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances, chemicals or materials (“Hazardous Substances”) by, due to, on behalf of, or caused by the Company or any Subsidiary (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company is or may be liable) upon any property now or previously owned, operated, used or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary, or upon any other property, which would be a violation of or give rise to any liability under any applicable law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit, common law provision or other legally binding standard relating to pollution or protection of human health and the environment (“Environmental Law”), except for violations and liabilities which, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no disposal, discharge, emission contamination or other release of any kind at, onto or from any such property or into the environment surrounding any such property of any Hazardous Substances with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary has knowledge, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial action, claim or notice of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any Subsidiary, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. No property of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject to any Lien under any Environmental Law. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is subject to any order, decree, agreement or other individualized legal requirement related to any Environmental Law, which, in any case (individually or in the aggregate), would have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and each Subsidiary has all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure or remediation of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(nn) Reserved.
(oo) Private Placement. Assuming the accuracy of each Purchaser’s representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Securities by the Company to each Purchaser as contemplated hereby. The issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market.
(pp) No General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any Person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising. The Company has offered the Securities for sale only to the Purchasers and certain other “accredited investors” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act.
(qq) Reserved.
(rr) No Disqualification Events. With respect to the Securities to be offered and sold hereunder in reliance on Rule 506 under the Securities Act, none of the Company, any of its predecessors, any affiliated issuer, any director, executive officer, other officer of the Company participating in the offering hereunder, any beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Company’s outstanding voting equity securities, calculated on the basis of voting power, nor any promoter (as that term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) connected with the Company in any capacity at the time of sale (each, an “Issuer Covered Person” and, together, “Issuer Covered Persons”) is subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the Securities Act (a “Disqualification Event”), except for a Disqualification Event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3). The Company has exercised reasonable care to determine whether any Issuer Covered Person is subject to a Disqualification Event. The Company has complied, to the extent applicable, with its disclosure obligations under Rule 506(e), and has furnished to each Purchaser a copy of any disclosures provided thereunder.
(ss) Other Covered Persons. Other than the Placement Agent, the Company is not aware of any person (other than any Issuer Covered Person) that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with the sale of any Securities.
(tt) Notice of Disqualification Event. The Company will notify each Purchaser and the Placement Agent in writing, prior to the Closing Date of (i) any Disqualification Event relating to any Issuer Covered Person and (ii) any event that would, with the passage of time, become a Disqualification Event relating to any Issuer Covered Person.
(uu) Mining Rights. The Mining Rights of the Company in respect of the Material Properties are in good standing, are valid, subsisting and enforceable, other than as set out in the SEC Reports and except where the invalidity of any of the applicable Mining Rights would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and, other than as set forth in the SEC Reports, are free and clear of any material Liens (other than Permitted Liens) or charges. No material commission, royalty, license fee or similar payment is payable in respect of any of them. To the Company’s knowledge, no other material property rights are necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as currently carried on as of the date hereof and there are no material restrictions on the ability of the Company to use, transfer or otherwise exploit any such property rights. The Company is the holder of Mining Rights necessary to carry on the activities of the Company as currently conducted. Mining Rights held by the Company cover the areas required by the Company for such purposes.
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(vv) Mining Agreements. Any and all of the agreements and other documents and instruments pursuant to which the Company holds the Material Properties are valid and subsisting agreements, documents or instruments in full force and effect, enforceable in accordance with the terms thereof, the Company is not in default of any of the material provisions of any such agreements, documents or instruments, nor to the knowledge of the Company has any such default been alleged, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company, and the Material Properties are not subject to any right of first refusal or similar purchase or acquisition rights.
(ww) Assessments on Mining Claims. All claim maintenance fees required to be paid in relation to the material mining claims and mill sites of the Company and the subsidiaries in order to maintain their respective interests therein, if any, have been paid to date and the Company and each of the subsidiaries has complied in all material respects with all applicable governmental laws, regulations and policies in this regard as well as with regard to legal, contractual obligations to third parties in this regard, except in respect of mining claims and mill sites that the Company or any of the subsidiaries intends to abandon or relinquish and except for any non-compliance which would not either individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xx) Mining Operations. To the Company’s knowledge, all mining operations on the Material Properties of the Company and the Subsidiaries have been conducted in all material respects in accordance with good mining and engineering practices and all applicable workers’ compensation and health and safety and workplace laws, regulations and policies have been duly complied with in all material respects.
3.2 Representations and Warranties of Purchaser. Each Purchaser, for itself and 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 this Agreement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement 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). Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business. Such Purchaser is acquiring such Securities as principal for his, her or its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Securities or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, has no present intention of distributing any of such Securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell such Securities pursuant to a registration statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).
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(c) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, either: (i) an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7), (a)(8) or (a)(9) under the Securities Act or (ii) a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A(a) under the Securities Act.
(d) Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.
(e) Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including all exhibits and schedules thereto) 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 Placement Agent nor any Affiliate of the Placement Agent 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 Placement Agent nor any Affiliate has made or makes any representation as to the Company or the quality of the Securities and the Placement Agent 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 Placement Agent nor any of its Affiliates has acted as a financial advisor or fiduciary to such Purchaser.
(f) 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 pricing terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case such 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 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.
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(g) Independent Investment Decision. Such Purchaser has independently evaluated the merits of its decision to purchase Securities pursuant to the Transaction Documents, and such Purchaser confirms that it has not relied on the advice of any other Purchaser’s business and/or legal counsel in making such decision. Such 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. Each Purchaser has consulted such legal, tax and investment advisors as it, in its sole discretion, has deemed necessary or appropriate in connection with its purchase of the Securities. Each Purchaser understands that the Placement Agent has acted solely as the agent of the Company in this placement of the Securities and such Purchaser has not relied on the business or legal advice of the Placement Agent or any of its agents, counsel or Affiliates in making its investment decision hereunder, and confirms that none of such Persons has made any representations or warranties to such Purchaser in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(h) No Governmental Review. Such Purchaser understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed on or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Securities or the fairness or suitability of the investment in the Securities nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities.
(i) Brokers. No agent, broker, investment banker, person or firm acting in a similar capacity on behalf of or under the authority of such Purchaser is or will be entitled to any broker’s or finder’s fee or any other commission or similar fee, directly or indirectly, for which the Company or any of its Affiliates after the Closing could have any liabilities in connection with this Agreement, any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or on account of any action taken by such Purchaser in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(j) Independent Advice. Such Purchaser understands that nothing in this Agreement or any other materials presented by or on behalf of the Company to such Purchaser in connection with the purchase of the Securities constitutes legal, tax or investment advice.
(k) General Solicitation. Such Purchaser is not purchasing the Securities as a result of any advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or presented at any seminar or, to the knowledge of such Purchaser, any other general solicitation or general advertisement.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect each Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby. 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 in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
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ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Transfer Restrictions.
(a) The Securities may only be disposed of in compliance with state and federal securities laws. In connection with any transfer of Securities other than pursuant to an effective registration statement or Rule 144, to the Company or to an Affiliate of a Purchaser or in connection with a pledge as contemplated in Section 4.1(b), the Company may require the transferor thereof to provide to the Company an opinion of counsel selected by the transferor and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that such transfer does not require registration of such transferred Securities under the Securities Act. Other than a transfer pursuant to an effective registration statement or Rule 144,as a condition of transfer, any such transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and shall have the rights and obligations of each Purchaser under this Agreement.
(b) Each Purchaser agrees to the imprinting, so long as is required by this Section 4.1, of a legend on any of the Securities in substantially the following form:
THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Purchaser may from time to time pledge pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement with a registered broker-dealer or grant a security interest in some or all of the Securities to a financial institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and, if required under the terms of such arrangement, each Purchaser may transfer pledged or secured Securities to the pledgees or secured parties. Such a pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval of the Company and no legal opinion of legal counsel of the pledgee, secured party or pledgor shall be required in connection therewith. Further, no notice shall be required of such pledge. At each Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Securities, including, if the Securities are subject to registration pursuant to this Agreement, the preparation and filing of any required prospectus supplement under Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act or other applicable provision of the Securities Act to appropriately amend the list of selling stockholders thereunder.
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(c) Certificates evidencing the Shares shall not contain any legend (including the legend set forth in Section 4.1(b) hereof), (i) while a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) covering the resale of such security is effective under the Securities Act, (ii) following any sale of such Shares pursuant to Rule 144, (iii) if such Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Shares and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions, or (iv) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission). For the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall not require an opinion of such Purchaser’s counsel for the removal of any legend pursuant to Rule 144. The Company shall cause its counsel to issue a legal opinion to the Transfer Agent or a Purchaser promptly after the Effective Date (as defined below) of the Registration Statement (as defined below) if required by the Transfer Agent to effect the removal of the legend hereunder, or if requested by a Purchaser, respectively. Any fees (with respect to the transfer agent, counsel to the Company or otherwise) associated with the issuance of such opinion or the removal of any legends on any of the Securities shall be borne by the Company. If such Shares may be sold under Rule 144 and the Company is then in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144, or if the Shares may be sold under Rule 144 without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Shares or if such legend is not otherwise required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission) then such Shares shall be issued free of all legends. The Company agrees that following the Effective Date or at such time as such legend is no longer required under this Section 4.1(c), it will, no later than the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined below) following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company or the Transfer Agent of a certificate representing Shares issued with a restrictive legend (such date, the “Legend Removal Date”), deliver or cause to be delivered to a Purchaser a certificate representing such shares that is free from all restrictive and other legends. The Company may not make any notation on its records or give instructions to the Transfer Agent that enlarge the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section 4. Certificates for Securities subject to legend removal hereunder shall be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to a Purchaser by crediting the account of a Purchaser’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company System as directed by such Purchaser. 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 Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of a certificate representing Shares issued with a restrictive legend.
(d) In addition to each of the Purchasers other available remedies, the Company shall pay to each Purchaser, in cash, if the Company fails to (a) issue and deliver (or cause to be delivered) to the Purchaser by the Legend Removal Date a certificate representing the Securities so delivered to the Company by the Purchaser that is free from all restrictive and other legends and (b) if after the Legend Removal Date such Purchaser purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Purchaser of all or any portion of the number of shares of Common Stock, or a sale of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to all or any portion of the number of shares of Common Stock that such Purchaser anticipated receiving from the Company without any restrictive legend, then, an amount equal to the excess of Purchaser’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions and other out-of-pocket expenses, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased (including brokerage commissions and other out-of-pocket expenses, if any) (the “Buy-In Price”) over the product of (A) such number of Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Purchaser by the Legend Removal Date multiplied by (B) the lowest closing sale price of the Common Stock on any Trading Day during the period commencing on the date of the delivery by the Purchaser to the Company of the applicable Shares and ending on the date of such delivery and payment under this clause (d).
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(e) Each Purchaser agrees with the Company that such Purchaser will sell any Securities pursuant to the registration requirements of the Securities Act, including any applicable prospectus delivery requirements, or an exemption therefrom, and that if Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement, they will be sold in compliance with the plan of distribution set forth therein, and acknowledges that the removal of the restrictive legend from certificates representing Securities as set forth in this Section 4.1 is predicated upon the Company’s reliance upon this understanding.
4.2 Furnishing of Information; Public Information. Until the Purchasers own no Securities, the Company covenants to maintain the registration of the Common Stock under Section 12(b) 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. As long as each Purchaser owns any Securities, if the Company is not required to file reports pursuant to the Exchange Act, it will prepare and furnish to each Purchaser and make publicly available in accordance with Rule 144(c) such information as is required for each Purchaser to sell the Securities, including without limitation, under Rule 144. The Company further covenants that it will take such further action as any holder of Securities may reasonably request, to the extent required from time to time to enable such Person to sell such Securities without registration under the Securities Act, including without limitation, within the requirements of the exemption provided by Rule 144.
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 8:30 a.m. (New York City time) on October13, 2025, issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) file a Report on Form 8-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 each Purchaser that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to each Purchaser by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, 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, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, employees or Affiliates, on the one hand, and each Purchaser or any of its Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate and be of no further force or effect. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. The Company and the Purchasers shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor the Purchasers shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of such Purchaser, or without the prior consent of such 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 the Purchasers, 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 each Purchaser with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b) and reasonably cooperate with such Purchaser regarding such disclosure.
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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 believes constitutes material non-public information, unless prior thereto the Purchasers shall have entered into a written agreement with the Company regarding the confidentiality and use of such information. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers 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 the Purchasers without the Purchasers’ consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that the Purchasers 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, any 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 Purchasers 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 on Form 8-K. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers 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 purposes and shall not use such proceeds: (a) for the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and prior practices), (b) for the redemption of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, (c) for the settlement of any outstanding litigation or (d) in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations.
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4.8 Indemnification of Purchasers. The Company will indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and hold the Purchasers and each of their directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, investment managers, 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 the Purchasers (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, investment managers, or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against a Purchaser Party in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is solely based upon a material breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which is finally judicially determined to constitute fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct) and (c) in connection with any registration statement of the Company providing for the resale by the Purchaser of the Securities issued pursuant to this Agreement. In addition, subject to the provisions of this Section 4.8, the Company will indemnify Purchaser Party, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses, as incurred, arising out of or relating to (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in such registration statement, any prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any prospectus or supplement thereto, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information regarding such Purchaser furnished in writing to the Company by such Purchaser expressly for use therein, or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder in connection therewith. If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents as determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. The indemnification required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.
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4.9 Listing of Shares. The Company hereby agrees to use commercially reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on each Trading Market on which each is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall submit a listing of additional shares notification form to the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC with respect to the Shares. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Securities to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Common Stock for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.
4.10. Company Standstill. Without the prior written consent of the Purchasers and the Placement Agent, from the date hereof until sixty (60) days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Common Stock, Common Stock Equivalents, other than an Exempt Issuance or (ii) file any registration statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, other than the filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement specified in Section 4.15 of this Agreement.
4.11 Form D; Blue Sky Filings. The Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the Securities as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof, promptly upon request of any Purchaser. The Company shall take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to qualify the Securities for, sale to the Purchasers at the Closing under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States, and shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon request of the Purchasers.
4.12 Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, 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 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 and the information included in the Disclosure Schedules. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) each Purchaser makes no 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) each Purchaser shall not 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) each Purchaser shall not 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 any Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.
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4.13 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of any Transaction Document) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all Purchasers. 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 Shares or otherwise.
4.14 Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall not amend, modify, waive or terminate any provision of any of the Lock-Up Agreements (or any substantially similar lock-up agreements signed by transferees of the initial parties to the Lock-Up Agreements) except to extend the term of the lock-up period and shall enforce the provisions of each Lock-Up Agreement (or any substantially similar lock-up agreements signed by transferees of the initial parties to the Lock-Up Agreements) in accordance with its terms. If any party to a Lock-Up Agreement (or any substantially similar lock-up agreements signed by transferees of the initial parties to the Lock-Up Agreements) breaches any provision of such agreement, the Company shall promptly use its best efforts to seek specific performance of the terms of such agreement.
4.15 Registration Statement.
(a) As soon as practicable (and in any event within 15 calendar days of the Closing Date), the Company shall file a registration statement on Form S-1 or Form S-3, if the Company is eligible to use Form S-3, (the “Registration Statement”) providing for the resale by the Purchasers of the Securities issued pursuant to the Agreement; provided that each Purchaser has provided in a timely manner all information required to be provided by each Purchaser for purposes of the Selling Stockholder Table. The Company shall allow each Purchaser to review the Registration Statement prior to its filing and cooperate, reasonably and in good faith, with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the Purchasers, consistent with the terms of this Agreement, in connection with the registration of the Securities. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration to become effective within 30 calendar days following the Closing Date or within 60 days in the event of a review by the Commission of the Registration Statement, and to keep such registration statement effective, and to keep the applicable Registration Statement or any subsequent registration statement free of any material misstatements or omissions at all times until the Purchasers do not own any Securities issued pursuant to this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at the time the Company files the Registration Statement, the Commission is not then currently reviewing certain filings by issuers, including the Registration Statement, due to a shutdown of the federal government or otherwise, then the Company shall not include delaying amendment language in such filing of the Registration Statement such that the Registration Statement shall become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act within 20 calendar days of such filing. The Company shall take all actions reasonably necessary to maintain the continuous effectiveness of the Registration Statement thereafter in accordance with this Section 4.15. The Company shall incorporate, if applicable, the language provided by Rule 473(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 for the automatic effectiveness of the Registration Statement 20 days following filing of an amendment to the Registration Statement.
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(b) The Company shall advise each Purchaser as promptly as practicable, but in no event later than within one (1) Business Day: (i) when a Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been filed with the Commission and when such Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective; (2) of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to any Registration Statement or the prospectus included therein or for additional information; (3) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for such purpose; (4) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities included therein for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and (5) subject to the provisions in this Agreement, of the occurrence of any event that requires the making of any changes in any Registration Statement or prospectus so that, as of such date, the statements therein are not misleading and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Company shall not, when so advising each Purchaser of such events, provide each Purchaser with any material, non-public information regarding the Company other than to the extent that providing notice to each Purchaser of the occurrence of the events listed in clauses (1) through (5) above may constitute material, non-public information regarding the Company. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement as soon as reasonably practicable. Upon the occurrence of an event listed in clause (5) above, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to as soon as reasonably practicable prepare a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement or a supplement to the related prospectus, or file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to purchasers of the Securities included therein, such prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
4.16 Right to Participate. For a period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the date that is twelve (12) months thereafter (the “Participation Period”), each Purchaser shall have the right, but not the obligation, to participate, in up to its Pro Rata Share (as defined below) of the aggregate of up to thirty percent (30%) of the securities offered in any Subsequent Equity Financing (as defined below), on the same terms and conditions as other purchasers in such Subsequent Equity Financing. “Subsequent Equity Financing” means any issuance, sale or placement by the Company or any Subsidiary of (i) equity securities, (ii) securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for equity securities, or (iii) options or other equity-linked securities, in each case during the Participation Period and in a transaction primarily for financing purposes. The aggregate thirty percent (30%) participation right shall be allocated among the Purchasers pro rata in proportion to their respective Subscription Amounts at the Closing (the “Pro Rata Share”). If any Purchaser does not elect to purchase its full Pro Rata Share, the non-purchased portion shall be reallocated among the electing Purchasers that have elected to purchase more than their Pro Rata Share, pro rata based on their respective Subscription Amounts. The Company shall not enter into any agreement or arrangement with any Person, or structure any transaction, that would circumvent, avoid or frustrate the purpose or intent of this Section 4.16. For the avoidance of doubt, all notices to the Purchasers pursuant to this Section 4.16 shall only be sent to the email addresses as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto.
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ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the Company, if the Closing Date has not been occurred 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 to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).
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 transfer agent fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company), stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
5.3 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
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 facsimile at the facsimile number or 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 date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or 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 on Form 8-K.
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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 Purchaser or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.
5.6 Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
5.7 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchaser.”
5.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Placement Agent 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.
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5.9 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.8, 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 and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
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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.
5.14 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.15 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
5.16 Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
5.17 Reserved.
5.18 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 or Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Trading Day or Business Day, as the case may be.
5.19 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 Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
5.20 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
| AMERICAN RESOURCES CORPORATION |
| Address for Notice: | ||||
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| American Resources Corporation | ||||
| By: |
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| 12115 Visionary Way, Suite 174 | |||
| Name: | Mark C. Jensen |
| Fishers, Indiana 46038 | |||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
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[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASERS FOLLOWS]
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[PURCHASERS SIGNATURE PAGES TO AMERICAN RESOURCES CORPORATION
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:
Subscription Amount: $_________________
Common Stock: _________________
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 first (1st) 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.
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Exhibit A
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
(See attached)
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EXHIBIT 10.2
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
October [●], 2025
| Re: | Placement Agency Agreement, dated as of October [●], 2025 (the “Placement Agreement”), between American Resources Corporation (the “Company”) and Maxim Group LLC. |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this letter agreement (this “Letter Agreement”) shall have the meanings set forth in the Placement Agreement. Pursuant to Section 9(F) of the Placement Agreement and in satisfaction of a condition of the Company’s obligations under the Placement Agreement, the undersigned irrevocably agrees with the Company that, from the date hereof until sixty (60) days after the Closing Date (such period, the “Restriction Period”) the undersigned will not offer, sell, contract to sell, hypothecate, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the undersigned or any affiliate (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”) of the undersigned or any person in privity with the undersigned or any Affiliate of the undersigned), directly or indirectly, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), with respect to, any Common Stock or securities convertible, exchangeable or exercisable into, Common Stock beneficially owned, held or hereafter acquired by the undersigned (the “Securities”) or make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing. Beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act. Beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act. In order to enforce this covenant, the Company shall impose irrevocable stop-transfer instructions preventing the transfer agent of the Company from effecting any actions in violation of this Letter Agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions below, the undersigned may transfer the Securities provided that (1) the Company receives a signed lock-up letter agreement (in the form of this Letter Agreement) for the balance of the Restriction Period from each donee, trustee, distributee, or transferee, as the case may be, prior to such transfer (2) any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (3) such transfer is not required to be reported with the Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with the Exchange Act and no report of such transfer shall be made voluntarily, and (4) neither the undersigned nor any donee, trustee, distributee or transferee, as the case may be, otherwise voluntarily effects any public filing or report regarding such transfers, with respect to transfer:
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| i) | as a bona fide gift or gifts, or charitable contribution(s); |
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| ii) | to any immediate family member or to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned (for purposes of this Letter Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin); |
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| iii) | to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other business entity all of the equity holders of which consist of the undersigned and/or the immediate family of the undersigned; |
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| iv) | if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity (a) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is an Affiliate of the undersigned, (b) in the form of a distribution to limited partners, limited liability company members or stockholders of the undersigned, or (c) in connection with a sale, merger or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the undersigned or any other change of control of the undersigned, not undertaken for the purpose of avoiding the restrictions imposed by this Letter Agreement; |
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| v) | if the undersigned is a trust, to the beneficiary of such trust; or |
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| vi) | by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir, beneficiary or a member of the immediate family of the undersigned; |
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In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, this Letter Agreement shall not restrict the delivery of shares of Common Stock to the undersigned upon (i) exercise any options granted under any employee benefit plan of the Company; provided that any shares of Common Stock or Securities acquired in connection with any such exercise will be subject to the restrictions set forth in this Letter Agreement, or (ii) the exercise of warrants or any other security convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock ; provided that such Common Stock delivered to the undersigned in connection with such exercise or conversion are subject to the restrictions set forth in this Letter Agreement.
Furthermore, the undersigned may enter into any new plan established in compliance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act; provided that (i) such plan may only be established if no public announcement or filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or other applicable regulatory authority, is made in connection with the establishment of such plan during the Restriction Period and (ii) no sale of shares of Common Stock are made pursuant to such plan during the Restriction Period.
The undersigned acknowledges that the execution, delivery and performance of this Letter Agreement is a material inducement to the Placement Agent to complete the transactions contemplated by the Placement Agreement and the Company shall be entitled to specific performance of the undersigned’s obligations hereunder. The undersigned hereby represents that the undersigned has the power and authority to execute, deliver and perform this Letter Agreement, that the undersigned has received adequate consideration therefor and that the undersigned will indirectly benefit from the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Placement Agreement.
This Letter Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified in any respect without the written consent of each of the Company and the undersigned. This Letter Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to the principles of conflict of laws. The undersigned hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States District Court sitting in the Southern District of New York and the courts of the State of New York located in Manhattan, for the purposes of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Letter Agreement, and hereby waives, and agrees not to assert in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim that (i) it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such court, (ii) the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, or (iii) the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper. The undersigned hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by receiving a copy thereof sent to the Company at the address in effect for notices to it under the Placement Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. The undersigned hereby waives any right to a trial by jury. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. The undersigned agrees and understands that this Letter Agreement does not intend to create any relationship between the undersigned and the Placement Agent and that the Placement Agent is not entitled to cast any votes on the matters herein contemplated and that no issuance or sale of the Securities is created or intended by virtue of this Letter Agreement.
This Letter Agreement shall be binding on successors and assigns of the undersigned with respect to the Securities and any such successor or assign shall enter into a similar agreement for the benefit of the Placement Agent.
It is understood that, this Letter Agreement shall automatically terminate, and the undersigned shall be released from its obligations hereunder, upon the earliest to occur, if any, of (i) prior to the execution of the Placement Agreement, the Company advises Maxim Group LLC, in writing that it has determined not to proceed with the Placement, (ii) the Placement Agreement is executed but is terminated prior to payment for and delivery of any Placement Shares pursuant to the Placement Agreement, or (iii) October 30, 2025, in the event that the Placement Agreement has not been executed by such date.
This Letter Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provisions hereof be enforced by, any other Person.
*** SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS***
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This Letter Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together may be considered one and the same agreement.
_________________________
Signature
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Print Name
__________________________
Position in Company, if any
Address for Notice:
___________________________
___________________________
____________________________
Number of shares of Common Stock
_____________________________________________________________________________
Number of shares of Common Stock underlying subject to warrants, options, debentures or other convertible securities
By signing below, the Company agrees to enforce the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Letter Agreement.
| AMERICAN RESOURCES CORPORATION |
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Schedule 1
List of Lock-Up Parties
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EXHIBIT 10.3
PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
October 13, 2025
American Resources Corp.
12115 Visionary Way, Suite 174
Fishers, Indiana 46038
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Introductory. This Placement Agency Agreement the (“Agreement”) sets forth the terms upon which Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim” or the “Placement Agent”), shall be engaged by American Resources Corp., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), to act as the exclusive Placement Agent in connection with the private placement (the “Placement”) of shares (the “Securities”) of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”). The Securities will be offered pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act contained in Section 4(a)(2) thereof and/or Regulation D thereunder.
The terms of the Placement and the Securities shall be mutually agreed upon by the Company and the purchasers (each, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”) and nothing herein constitutes that the Placement Agent would have the power or authority to bind the Company or any Purchaser or an obligation for the Company to issue any Securities or complete the Placement. The date of the closing of the Placement shall be referred to herein as the “Closing Date.” The Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent’s obligations hereunder are on a reasonable best efforts basis only and that the execution of this Agreement does not constitute a commitment by the Placement Agent to purchase the Securities and does not ensure the successful placement of the Securities or any portion thereof or the success of the Placement Agent with respect to securing any other financing on behalf of the Company. Following the prior written consent of the Company, the Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected dealers on its behalf in connection with the Placement. The sale of the Securities to any Purchaser will be evidenced by the securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) by and among the Company and such Purchaser thereto. Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Purchase Agreement. Prior to the signing of any Purchase Agreement, executive officers of the Company will be available upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours to answer inquiries from prospective Purchasers.
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SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY; COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.
A. Representations of the Company. Each of the representations and warranties (together with any related disclosure schedules thereto) made by the Company to the Purchasers in the Transaction Documents, is hereby incorporated by reference (as though fully restated herein) and is, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, hereby made to, and in favor of, the Placement Agent.
B. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees to continue to retain (i) a firm of independent PCAOB registered public accountants for a period of at least three (3) years after the Closing Date, and (ii) a competent transfer agent with respect to the Common Stock for a period of three (3) years after the Closing Date.
SECTION 2. REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PLACEMENT AGENT. The Placement Agent represents and warrants that it (i) is a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), (ii) is registered as a broker/dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), (iii) is licensed as a broker/dealer under the laws of the United States of America, applicable to the offers and sales of the Securities by the Placement Agent, (iv) is and will be a corporate body validly existing under the laws of its place of incorporation, and (v) has full power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Placement Agent will immediately notify the Company in writing of any change in its status with respect to subsections (i) through (v) above. The Placement Agent covenants that it will use its reasonable best efforts to conduct the Placement hereunder in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement and the requirements of applicable law.
SECTION 3. COMPENSATION. As compensation for the services provided by Maxim hereunder, the Company agrees to pay to Maxim:
A. Cash Compensation. The Company agrees to pay Maxim and/or its respective designees a cash fee payable upon Closing equal to seven percent (7.0%) of the gross proceeds raised by the Company from the sale of the Securities in the Placement (“Cash Fee”). “Closing” is defined as the receipt of gross proceeds by the Company as a result of the Placement.
B. [Reserved].
C. [Reserved].
D. Tail Financing. The Placement Agent shall be entitled to compensation under Section 4(a) of that certain Engagement Letter dated October 10, 2025 (the “Engagement Letter”), between the Company and the Placement Agent, calculated in the manner set forth therein, with respect to any public or private offering or other financing or capital-raising transaction of any kind (“Tail Financing”) to the extent that such financing or capital is provided to the Company by investors whom the Placement Agent contacted in connection with the Placement, between the date of this Agreement and the Termination Date (as defined below), if such Tail Financing is consummated at any time within the six (6) month period following the Termination Date.
E. Reduction of Compensation. The Placement Agent reserves the right to reduce any item of compensation or adjust the terms thereof as specified herein in the event that a determination shall be made by FINRA to the effect that the Placement Agent’s aggregate compensation is in excess of FINRA Rules or that the terms thereof require adjustment.
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SECTION 4. EXPENSES. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation: (i) all expenses incident to the issuance, delivery and qualification of the Securities (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock ; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Securities for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the securities laws of any other country; (vii) the fees and expenses associated with including the Common Stock on the Trading Market; (viii) up to $100,000 for the fees and expenses of the Placement Agent, including the fees and expenses of Thompson Hine LLP, counsel to the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent may deduct from the net proceeds of the Placement payable to the Company on the Closing Date, the expenses set forth herein to be paid by the Company to the Placement Agent, to the extent not already paid.
SECTION 5. INDEMNIFICATION.
A. To the extent permitted by law, with respect to the Securities, the Company will indemnify the Placement Agent and its affiliates, stockholders, directors, officers, employees, members and controlling persons (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) against all losses, claims, damages, expenses and liabilities, as the same are incurred (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), relating to or arising out of its activities hereunder or pursuant to this Agreement or the Purchase Agreement, including, without limitation, any failure by the Company to obtain any required consent, except to the extent that any losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) are found in a final judgment (not subject to appeal) by a court of law to have resulted primarily and directly from a Placement Agent’s willful misconduct or gross negligence in performing the services described herein.
B. Promptly after receipt by the Placement Agent of notice of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding with respect to which the Placement Agent is entitled to indemnity hereunder, the Placement Agent will promptly notify the Company in writing of such claim or of the commencement of such action or proceeding, but failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any obligation it may have hereunder, except and only to the extent such failure results in the forfeiture by the Company of substantial rights and defenses. If the Company so elects or is requested by the Placement Agent, the Company will assume the defense of such action or proceeding and will employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and will pay the fees and expenses of such counsel. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Placement Agent will be entitled to employ its own counsel separate from counsel for the Company and from any other party in such action if counsel for the Placement Agent reasonably determines that it would be inappropriate under the applicable rules of professional responsibility for the same counsel to represent both the Company and the Placement Agent. In such event, the reasonable fees and disbursements of no more than one such separate counsel will be paid by the Company, in addition to fees of local counsel. The Company will have the right to settle the claim or proceeding, provided that the Company will not settle any such claim, action or proceeding without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, which will not be unreasonably withheld.
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C. The Company agrees to notify the Placement Agent promptly of the assertion against it or any other person of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding relating to a transaction contemplated by this Agreement.
D. If for any reason the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to the Placement Agent or insufficient to hold the Placement Agent harmless, then the Company shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Placement Agent as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agent on the other, but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agent on the other that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any relevant equitable considerations. The amounts paid or payable by a party in respect of losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees and expenses incurred in defending any litigation, proceeding or other action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions hereof, the Placement Agent’s share of the liability hereunder shall not be in excess of the amount of fees actually received, or to be received, by the Placement Agent under this Agreement (excluding any amounts received as reimbursement of expenses incurred by the Placement Agent).
E. These indemnification provisions shall remain in full force and effect whether or not the transaction contemplated by this Agreement is completed and shall survive the termination of this Agreement, and shall be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have to any indemnified party under this Agreement or otherwise.
SECTION 6. ENGAGEMENT TERM. The Placement Agent’s engagement hereunder will commence on the date hereof and continue through the Closing Date. The date of the termination of this Agreement is referred to herein as the “Termination Date”. In the event, however, in the course of the Placement Agent’s performance of due diligence it deems, it necessary to terminate the engagement hereunder, the Placement Agent may do so prior to the Termination Date. The Company may elect to terminate the engagement hereunder for any reason prior to the Termination Date but will remain responsible for fees pursuant to Section 3 hereof with respect to the Securities if sold in the Placement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning the Company’s obligation to pay any fees and expenses actually earned pursuant to Sections 3 and 4 hereof and the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and contribution contained herein will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated prior to the completion of the Placement, all fees and expenses due to the Placement Agent as set forth in Sections 3 and 4 shall be paid by the Company to the Placement Agent on or before the Termination Date (in the event such fees are earned or owed as of the Termination Date). The Placement Agent agrees not to use any confidential information concerning the Company provided to the Placement Agent by the Company for any purposes other than those contemplated under this Agreement.
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SECTION 7. PLACEMENT AGENT INFORMATION. The Company agrees that any information or advice rendered by the Placement Agent in connection with this engagement is for the confidential use of the Company only in its evaluation of the Placement and, except as otherwise required by law, the Company will not disclose or otherwise refer to the advice or information in any manner without the Placement Agent’s prior written consent.
SECTION 8. NO FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP. This Agreement does not create, and shall not be construed as creating rights enforceable by any person or entity not a party hereto, except those entitled hereto by virtue of the indemnification provisions hereof. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent is not and shall not be construed as a fiduciary of the Company and shall have no duties or liabilities to the equity holders or the creditors of the Company or any other person by virtue of this Agreement or the retention of the Placement Agent hereunder, all of which are hereby expressly waived.
SECTION 9. CLOSING. The obligations of the Placement Agent, and the closing of the sale of the Securities hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and on the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein and in the Purchase Agreement, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions, except as otherwise disclosed to and acknowledged and waived by the Placement Agent:
A. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form, execution, delivery and validity of each of this Agreement, the Securities, and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby with respect to the Securities shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to the Placement Agent.
B. The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date the favorable opinions of Loeb & Loeb LLP and Clifford Hunt, Esq., counsels to the Company, each dated as of the Closing Date and addressed to the Placement Agent, in forms and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
C. The Placement Agent shall have received (i) a customary Officers’ Certificate, executed and delivered by the Company’s executive officers, as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties contained in the Purchase Agreement and (ii) a Secretary’s Certificate executed and delivered by the Company’s corporate secretary certifying that (A) the Company’s charter documents are true and complete, have not been modified and are in full force and effect; (B) that the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors relating to the Placement are in full force and effect and have not been modified; (C) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company and (D) other customary certifications reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
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D. [Reserved.]
E. [Reserved.]
F. The Placement Agent shall have received, no later than on the Closing Date, executed copies of the Lock-Up Agreements, by and among the Company and each of the Company’s directors and executive officers.
G. The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing as foreign corporations in such other jurisdictions as the Placement Agent may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions, dated no more than three (3) business days prior to the Closing Date.
H. The Company shall have taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Common Stock from the Trading Market or other applicable U.S. national exchange, nor has the Company received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market or other U.S. applicable national exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. The Company shall have submitted a listing of additional shares notification form to the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC with respect to the Securities.
I. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.
J. The Company shall have entered into a Purchase Agreement with each of the Purchasers of the Securities; and such agreements shall be in full force and effect and shall contain representations, warranties and covenants of the Company as agreed upon between the Company and the Purchasers.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 9 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement, all obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder may be cancelled by the Placement Agent at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or orally. Any such oral notice shall be confirmed promptly thereafter in writing.
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SECTION 10. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely in such State, without regard to principles of conflicts of law. This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any right to trial by jury with respect to any dispute arising under this Agreement or any transaction or conduct in connection herewith is waived. Any dispute arising under this Agreement may be brought into the courts of the State of New York or into the Federal Court located in New York, New York and, by execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company hereby accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of aforesaid courts. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by delivering a copy thereof via 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 manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
SECTION 11. ENTIRE AGREEMENT/MISCELLANEOUS. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, relating to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Engagement Letter shall remain in full force and effect. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such determination will not affect such provision in any other respect or any other provision of this Agreement, which will remain in full force and effect. This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or waived except by an instrument in writing signed by both the Placement Agent and the Company. The representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained herein shall survive the Closing Date of the Placement and delivery of the Securities. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or a .pdf format file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or .pdf signature page were an original thereof.
SECTION 12. NOTICES. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address specified on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a business day, (b) the next business day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a business day or later than 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any business day, (c) the third business day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. internationally recognized air 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 hereto.
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SECTION 13. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS. The Company agrees that the Placement Agent shall, on and after the Closing Date, have the right to reference the Placement and the Placement Agent’s role in each in connection therewith in the Placement Agent’s marketing materials and on its website and to place advertisements in financial and other newspapers and journals, in each case at its own expense.
SECTION 14. STANDSTILL. Without the prior written consent of Placement Agent, from the date hereof until sixty (60) days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any subsidiary shall (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, other than an Exempt Issuance or (ii) file any registration statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, other than the filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement specified in Section 4.15 of the Purchase Agreement.
SECTION 15. RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL. For a period of six (6) months from the final Closing, the Company grants the Placement Agent the right of first refusal to act as lead managing underwriter and lead book runner, lead placement agent, or lead sales agent, with at least fifty percent (50.0%) economics for any and all future public and private equity, equity-linked, convertible or debt offerings during such six (6) month period of the Company, or any successor to or any subsidiary of the Company (a “Subsequent Offering”). The Company shall provide the Placement Agent with written notice of no less than three (3) business days following its election to engage in a Subsequent Offering, which notice shall describe the proposed terms and conditions of such Subsequent Offering. The Placement Agent shall notify the Company within fifteen (15) days of its receipt of the written offer contemplated above as to whether it agrees to accept such retention. The Company shall not offer to retain any entity or person in connection with any Subsequent Offering on terms more favorable than terms on which it offers to retain Placement Agent. If Placement Agent should decline such retention, the Company shall have no further obligation to the Placement Agent with respect to such other Subsequent Offering, except as otherwise provided for herein.
[Signature page follows]
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Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth our agreement by signing and returning to the Placement Agents the enclosed copy of this Agreement.
| Very truly yours, |
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| MAXIM GROUP, LLC |
| By: |
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| Name: Ritesh Veera |
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| Title: Co-Head, Investment Banking |
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Address for notice:
300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attention: James Siegel
Email: [***]
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Accepted and Agreed to as of the date first written above:
AMERICAN RESOURCES CORPORATION
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| Name: | Mark C. Jensen |
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| Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
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Address for notice:
American Resources Corporation
12115 Visionary Way, Suite 174
Fishers, Indiana 46038
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