BYND 8-K
Beyond Meat, Inc. (BYND)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported):
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class |
Trading |
Name of each exchange | ||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
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. ☐
| ITEM 8.01 | Other Events |
On November 7, 2024, the Company entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”) with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (“B. Riley”) to sell shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), with an aggregate offering price of up to $200,000,000, from time to time, through an “at the market” equity offering program under which B. Riley will act as sales agent. The Equity Distribution Agreement also provides for the sale of shares to B. Riley directly as principal.
Under the Equity Distribution Agreement, the Company will set the parameters for the sale of shares, including any price, time or size limits or other customary parameters or conditions. The Company intends to sell shares pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement from time to time in varying amounts, which may be limited, based upon factors including (among others) market conditions, trading liquidity, the trading price of the Company’s Common Stock and determinations by the Company of its need for, and appropriate sources of, additional capital. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Equity Distribution Agreement, B. Riley may sell the shares by any method permitted by law, including without limitation (i) by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions (whether or not solicited), (ii) to or through a market maker, (iii) directly on or through any national securities exchange or facility thereof, a trading facility of a national securities association, an alternative trading system, or any other market venue, (iv) in the over-the-counter market, (v) in privately negotiated transactions, or (vi) through a combination of any such methods. The Company will pay B. Riley a commission equal to up to 3.0% of the gross offering proceeds of any Common Stock sold through B. Riley under the Equity Distribution Agreement, and also has provided B. Riley with customary representations, warranties, covenants and indemnification rights. The Equity Distribution Agreement may be terminated by the Company upon written notice to B. Riley or by B. Riley upon written notice to the Company.
Any sales of shares under the Equity Distribution Agreement will be made pursuant to the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-278033), which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on April 12, 2024. The Company filed a prospectus supplement with the Commission on November 7, 2024 in connection with the offer and sale of the shares pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement.
The foregoing is only a brief description of the material terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel to the Company, has issued an opinion to the Company, dated November 7, 2024, regarding the validity of the shares of Common Stock to be issued and sold pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement. A copy of the opinion is filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy the securities discussed herein, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.
| ITEM 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit Number |
Description | |
| 1.1 | Equity Distribution Agreement, dated as of November 7, 2024, by and between Beyond Meat, Inc. and B. Riley Securities, Inc. | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP. | |
| 23.1 | Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the inline XBRL document). | |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: November 7, 2024
| BEYOND MEAT, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Lubi Kutua | |
| Lubi Kutua | ||
| Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | ||
Exhibit 1.1
BEYOND MEAT, INC.
Common Stock ($0.0001 par value per share)
Having an Aggregate Offering Price of up to
$200,000,000
Equity Distribution Agreement
November 7, 2024
B. Riley Securities, Inc.
299 Park Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10171
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Beyond Meat, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (the “Manager”) as follows:
1. Description of Shares. The Company proposes to issue and sell through or to the Manager, as sales agent and/or principal, shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price of up to $200,000,000 (the “Shares”), from time to time during the term of this Agreement and on the terms set forth in Section 3 of this Agreement. The Company hereby appoints the Manager as an exclusive agent of the Company for the purpose of making offers and sales of the Shares. Certain terms used herein are defined in Section 18 hereof.
2. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Manager at the Execution Time and on each such time the following representations and warranties are repeated or deemed to be made pursuant to this Agreement, as set forth below.
(a) Form S-3. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act and has prepared and filed with the Commission a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, including a related Base Prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Shares and other securities of the Company. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Execution Time or prior to any such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made, was declared effective by the Commission on April 12, 2024, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional or supplemental information has been complied with. The Company shall file with the Commission the Prospectus Supplement relating to the Shares in accordance with Rule 424(b) promptly after the Execution Time (but in any event in the time period prescribed thereby). As filed, the Prospectus will contain all information required by the Act and the rules thereunder, and, except to the extent the Manager shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to the Manager prior to the Execution Time or prior to any such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made. The Registration Statement, at the Execution Time, each such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 or any similar rule) in connection with any offer or sale of Shares, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x). The initial Effective Date of the Registration Statement was not earlier than the date three years before the Execution Time. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Interim Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Interim Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Interim Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Interim Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the representations and
warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Company in writing by the Manager relating to the Manager expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Manager to the Company consists solely of the information described in Section 7(b) below.
(b) Successor Registration Statement. To the extent that the Registration Statement is not available for the sales of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement, the Company shall file a new registration statement with respect to any additional Common Stock necessary to complete such sales of the Shares and shall cause such registration statement to become effective as promptly as practicable. After the effectiveness of any such registration statement, all references to “Registration Statement” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include such new registration statement, including all documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, and all references to “Base Prospectus” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the final form of prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in any such registration statement at the time such registration statement became effective.
(c) No Material Misstatements or Omissions in the Registration Statement. On each Effective Date, at the Execution Time, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Manager pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the Act, at each Applicable Time, at each Settlement Date and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 or any similar rule) in connection with any offer or sale of Shares, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the rules thereunder and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b), at each Applicable Time, on each Settlement Date and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 or any similar rule) in connection with any offer or sale of Shares, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the rules thereunder and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Manager specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Manager to the Company consists solely of the information described in Section 7(b) below.
(d) Disclosure Package. At the Execution Time, at each Applicable Time and at each Settlement Date, the Disclosure Package does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Manager specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Manager to the Company consists solely of the information described in Section 7(b) below.
(e) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (i) at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and (ii) when read together with the other information in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package at any Applicable Time and when read together with the other information in the Prospectus at the date of the Prospectus and at any Settlement Date, will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(f) Notice of Other Sales. Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, offered or sold any Shares by means of any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) or used any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares, and from and after the execution of this Agreement, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, offer or sell any Shares by means of
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any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) or use any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares, other than the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement; the Company has not, directly or indirectly, prepared, used or referred to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
(g) No Stop Orders. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(h) Regulation M. The Common Stock constitutes an “actively-traded security” exempted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.
(i) Sales Agency Agreements. The Company has not entered into any other sales agency agreements or other similar arrangements with any agent or any other representative in respect of any at the market offering (within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) under the Act) of the Shares.
(j) Offering Materials. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the termination of this Agreement, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Manager and identified in Schedule I hereto.
(k) No Material Adverse Change in Business. None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Disclosure Package, (i) sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree that is material to the Company or (ii) entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company, in each case otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package; and since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been (x) any change in the capital stock of the Company (other than as a result of (i) the exercise, if any, of stock options or the award, if any, of stock options or restricted stock in the ordinary course of business pursuant to the Company’s equity plans that are described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (ii) the issuance, if any, of stock upon conversion of Company securities as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), long term debt of the Company or long term debt of the Company’s subsidiaries, which individually or in the aggregate is material to the Company, or (y) any Material Adverse Effect; as used in this Agreement, “Material Adverse Effect” shall mean any material adverse change or effect, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change or effect, in or affecting (i) the business, properties, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package, or (ii) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, including the issuance and sale of the Shares, or to consummate the transactions contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(l) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property; the Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Disclosure Package or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are held by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(m) Good Standing. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been (i) duly incorporated or organized, is validly existing as a corporation or other business entity, in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package, and (ii) duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other business entity for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except, in the case of this clause (ii), where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not individually or in the aggregate be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(n) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Disclosure Package and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the description of the Share contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(o) Due Authorization of the Shares. The Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the description of the Common Stock contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
(p) No Conflict or Violation. The issue and sale of the Shares and the compliance by the Company with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (A) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any subsidiary is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiary is subject, except, in the case of this clause (A) for such defaults, breaches, or violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (B) the restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws (or other applicable organizational documents) of the Company or any of its subsidiary, or (C) any statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company, or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, except, in the case of this clause (C) for such defaults, breaches, or violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have already been obtained or may be required under the Act, the Exchange Act, the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”) and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Manager.
(q) Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws (or other applicable organizational documents), (ii) in violation of any statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, or (iii) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, except, in the case of the foregoing clauses (ii) and (iii), for such violations or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) Summaries of Law and Documents. The statements set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of the Capital Stock,” and insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Shares, under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders,” insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate in all material respects.
(s) NASDAQ Listing. The Company’s Common Stock has been registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Shares have been approved for listing, subject to official notice of issuance, on NASDAQ, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or the listing of the Common Stock (including the Shares) on NASDAQ, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or NASDAQ is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.
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(t) No Finder’s Fee. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Manager for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(u) Absence of Proceedings. Other than as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any officer or director of the Company, or any of its subsidiaries, is a party or of which any property of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any officer or director of the Company, is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company, and any of its subsidiaries, or such officer or director, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the Company’s knowledge, other than as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or others.
(v) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, immediately after giving effect to the issuance and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be, an “investment company”, within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(w) Ineligible Issuer. The Company is not an “ineligible issuer”, as defined under Rule 405 under the Act.
(x) Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(y) Accounting Controls. The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that (i) complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act, (ii) has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and (iii) is sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (E) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto; and the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting.
(z) No Changes to Accounting Controls. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(aa) Disclosure Controls. The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
(bb) Due Authorization. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
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(cc) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) made, offered, promised or authorized any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense, (ii) made, offered, promised or authorized any direct or indirect unlawful payment, or (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
(dd) Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with the requirements of applicable anti-money laundering laws, including, but not limited, to the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended by the USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the anti-money laundering laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries conduct business (collectively, the “Anti-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 of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(ee) OFAC. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Government, including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, the United Nations Security Council, the Swiss Secretariat of Economic Affairs, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or a resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions (a “Sanctioned Jurisdiction”), including without limitation, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, so-called Luhansk People’s Republic or any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, the Crimea region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria, and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject or the target of Sanctions or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.
(ff) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The summary financial information incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. Except as incorporated by reference therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Act, to the extent applicable.
(gg) Intellectual Property. (i) The Company and its subsidiaries own or have the right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, domain names and other source indicators, copyrights and copyrightable works, know-how, trade secrets, systems, procedures, proprietary or confidential information and all other worldwide intellectual property, industrial property and proprietary rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property”), in each case, used in the conduct of their respective businesses in all material respects, (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ conduct of their respective businesses do not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property of any person, (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have received any written notice of any claim relating to Intellectual Property, except, in the case of this clause (iii), whether such claims would not individually or in the aggregate be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (iv) to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property of the Company is not being infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any person.
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(hh) IT Systems. The Company’s and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear, to the knowledge of the Company, of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants.
(ii) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their respective material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their respective businesses, and, to the knowledge of the Company, there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, and there are no incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from any unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification. The Company and its subsidiaries have taken all necessary actions to prepare to comply with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, to the extent applicable.
(jj) Filings and Governmental Licenses. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company and its subsidiaries have not received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course.
(kk) Environmental Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety as affected by exposure to hazardous or toxic substances, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their businesses as presently conducted, and (iii) have not received written notice of any actual or potential liability under any Environmental Law, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals, or liability would not, individually or in the aggregate, have (or reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect.
(ll) Summaries of Regulation and Legal Proceedings. The statements set forth in the Disclosure Package and Prospectus under the captions “Business-Government Regulation” and “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Regulatory and Legal Compliance Matters, Litigation and Legal Proceedings,” insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the terms of statutes, rules or regulations or legal proceedings, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such statutes, rules and regulations and legal proceedings in all material respects.
(mm) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
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(nn) Insurance. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are adequate to protect the Company, its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) has received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) does not have any reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will not be able to renew their existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue their respective businesses.
(oo) Payment of Taxes. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof, except taxes being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings (provided that adequate reserves have been established therefor in accordance with GAAP) or except to the extent the failure to pay or file would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and there is no tax deficiency that has been, nor does the Company reasonably expect any tax deficiency to be, asserted by any tax authority against the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any of their respective properties or assets.
(pp) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of cancellation or termination with respect to any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party.
(qq) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement under the Act which have not been so described and filed as required.
(rr) Stock Options. With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company (the “Company Stock Plans”), (i) each Stock Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Stock Option was by its terms to be effective (the “Grant Date”) by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto, (iii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans and all applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and (iv) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company of granting, Stock Options prior to, or otherwise coordinating the grant of Stock Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its results of operations or prospects.
(ss) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacity as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) applicable to the Company.
(tt) Rating. There are no debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined under Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act.
Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to the Manager or to counsel for the Manager in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or such subsidiary of the Company, as applicable, to the Manager as to the matters set forth therein.
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The Company acknowledges that the Manager and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 4 hereof, counsel for the Company and counsel for the Manager, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.
3. Sale and Delivery of Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and the Manager agree that the Company may from time to time seek to sell Shares through the Manager as the Designated Manager, acting as sales agent, or directly to the Manager acting as principal, as follows:
(a) The Company may submit to the Designated Manager its orders (including any price, time or size limits or other customary parameters or conditions) to sell Shares on any Trading Day (as defined herein) in a form and manner as mutually agreed to by the Company and the Designated Manager. As used herein, “Trading Day” shall mean any trading day on the NASDAQ.
(b) Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Manager, at any time it is the Designated Manager, shall use its reasonable efforts to execute any Company order submitted to it hereunder to sell Shares and with respect to which the Designated Manager has agreed to act as sales agent. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that the Designated Manager will be successful in selling the Shares, (ii) the Designated Manager will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Designated Manager to use its reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares as required under this Agreement and (iii) the Manager shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Manager and the Company. The Designated Manager may make sales pursuant to each order by any method permitted by law, including without limitation (i) by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions (whether or not solicited), (ii) to or through a market maker, (iii) directly on or through any national securities exchange or facility thereof, a trading facility of a national securities association, an alternative trading system, or any other market venue, (iv) in the over-the-counter market, (v) in privately negotiated transactions, or (vi) through a combination of any such methods.
(c) The Company shall not authorize the issuance and sale of, and the Designated Manager shall not sell as sales agent, any Share at a price lower than the minimum price therefor designated from time to time by the Company and notified to the Designated Manager in writing. In addition, the Company or the Designated Manager may upon notice to the other party hereto by telephone (confirmed promptly by email or facsimile), suspend an offering of the Shares with respect to which the Designated Manager is acting as sales agent; provided, however, that such suspension or termination shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice.
(d) The compensation to the Designated Manager for sales of the Shares with respect to which the Designated Manager acts as sales agent hereunder shall be up to 3.00% of the gross offering proceeds of the Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement as mutually agreed to in writing by the Designated Manager and the Company. Any compensation or commission due and payable to the Manager hereunder with respect to any sale of Shares shall be paid by the Company to the Manager concurrently with the settlement for sales of the Shares by deduction from the proceeds from sales of the Shares payable to the Company. The remaining proceeds, after further deduction for any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales shall constitute the net proceeds to the Company for such Shares (the “Net Proceeds”).
(e) Settlement for sales of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement will occur on the first Trading Day following the date on which such sales are made (each such day, a “Settlement Date”). On each Settlement Date, the Shares sold through the Designated Manager for settlement on such date shall be issued and delivered by the Company to the Designated Manager against payment of the Net Proceeds from the sale of such Shares. Settlement for all such Shares shall be effected by free delivery of the Shares, in definitive form, by the Company or its transfer agent to the Designated Manager’s or its designee’s account (provided the Designated Manager shall have given the Company written notice of such designee prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto, in return for payments in same day funds delivered to the account designated by the Company. If the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable) shall default on its obligation to deliver the Shares on any Settlement Date, the Company shall (i) hold the Designated Manager harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or expense (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company and (ii) pay the Designated Manager any commission, discount or other compensation to which it would otherwise be entitled absent such default.
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(f) If acting as sales agent hereunder, the Designated Manager shall provide written confirmation (which may be by facsimile or email) to the Company following the close of trading on the NASDAQ each day in which the Shares are sold under this Agreement setting forth (i) the amount of the Shares sold on such day and the gross offering proceeds received from such sale and (ii) the commission payable by the Company to the Designated Manager with respect to such sales.
(g) At each Applicable Time, Settlement Date, Representation Date (as defined in Section 4(k)) and Filing Date (as defined in Section 4(p)), the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each representation and warranty contained in this Agreement as if such representation and warranty were made as of such date, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended as of such date. Any obligation of the Designated Manager to use its reasonable efforts to sell the Shares on behalf of the Company as sales agent shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein (and the completion of any reasonable diligence to verify such accuracy by the Designated Manager), to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the continuing satisfaction of the additional conditions specified in Section 6 of this Agreement.
(h) Subject to such further limitations on offers and sales of Shares or delivery of instructions to offer and sell Shares as are set forth herein, the Company shall not request the sale of any Shares that would be sold, and the Designated Manager shall not be obligated to sell, during any period in which the Company is, or could be deemed to be, in possession of material non-public information related to the Company or the Common Stock.
(i) Under no circumstances shall the number and aggregate amount of the Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement exceed (i) the aggregate amount set forth in Section 1, (ii) the number of shares of the Common Stock available for issuance under the currently effective Registration Statement or (iii) the number and aggregate amount of the Shares authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”), or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Manager in writing.
4. Agreements. The Company agrees with the Manager that:
(a) During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares (including the Prospectus Supplement or any Interim Prospectus Supplement) to the Base Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, unless (i) the Company has furnished to the Manager a copy of such amendment or supplement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, reports or other information to be filed by the Company under the Exchange Act that would be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, in each case, only to the extent that the filing of such report or other information would trigger a Representation Date (as defined below)) for its review a reasonable period of time prior to filing (or, in the case of Current Reports on Form 8-K, has used its commercially reasonable efforts to so furnish copies to the Manager prior to filing), and (ii) except for reports or other information required to be filed by the Company under the Exchange Act, the Company will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Manager reasonably object. The Company has prepared the Prospectus, in a form approved by the Manager, and shall file such Prospectus, as amended at the Execution Time, with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) promptly after the Execution Time (but in any event within the time period described thereby) and will cause any supplement to the Prospectus to be prepared, in a form approved by the Manager, and will file such supplement with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed thereby and will notify the Manager of such timely filing. The Company, subject to this Section 4(a) and Section 4(c), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B. During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares, the Company will promptly advise the Manager (A) when the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), (B) when, during any
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period when the delivery of a prospectus (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 or any similar rule) is required under the Act in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares, any amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement relating to the Shares shall have been filed or become effective (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Shares), (C) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission with respect to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any supplement thereto (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Shares), (D) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement, or for any supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information, (E) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to its use or any the issuance of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for any of such purposes or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act or (F) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the occurrence of any such suspension or objection to the use of the Registration Statement and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain at the earliest possible moment the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and, to the extent applicable, using its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.
(b) If, at any time on or after an Applicable Time but prior to the related Settlement Date, any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package would 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 or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Manager so that any use of the Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Disclosure Package to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Manager in such quantities as the Manager may reasonably request.
(c) During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act, if any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented would 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 at such time not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement, file a new registration statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, including in connection with use or delivery of the Prospectus, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Manager of any such event, (ii) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the first sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 4, an amendment or supplement or new registration statement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable in order to avoid any disruption in use of the Prospectus and (iv) supply any supplemented Prospectus to the Manager in such quantities as the Manager may reasonably request.
(d) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available (which may be satisfied by filing on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”)) to its security holders and to the Manager an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.
(e) The Company will deliver to the Manager and counsel for the Manager, without charge, as the Manager or counsel for the Manager may reasonably request, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts. The Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Manager will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.
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(f) The Company will deliver to the Manager and counsel for the Manager, without charge, for so long as delivery of a prospectus by the Manager or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 or any similar rule), as many copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Manager may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Manager will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.
(g) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Shares for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Manager may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Shares, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign business.
(h) The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Designated Manager, and the Manager agrees with the Company that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule I hereto. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Manager or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (ii) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
(i) The Company will not (i) take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or (ii) sell, bid for, purchase or pay any person (other than as contemplated by this Agreement) any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Shares.
(j) The Company will, prior to requesting the sale of any Shares hereunder and at any time during which it has requested the sale of Shares hereunder, advise the Manager promptly after it shall have received notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would materially alter or affect any opinion, certificate, letter and other document provided to the Manager pursuant to Section 6 herein.
(k) Upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (if requested by the Manager (and upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder)), and each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than (A) an Interim Prospectus Supplement filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) pursuant to Section 4(p) of this Agreement, (B) a prospectus supplement relating solely to the offering or resale of securities other than the Shares or (C) the filing with the Commission of any report under the Exchange Act except such reports referred to in Section 4(k)(ii)) or (ii) there is filed with the Commission any annual report on Form 10-K or 10-K/A or quarterly report on Form 10-Q or 10-Q/A, or any other document that contains financial statements or financial information that is incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, or any amendment thereto, the date of each such recommencement and the date of each such event referred to in (i) and (ii) above, a “Representation Date”), the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Manager forthwith a certificate dated and delivered on such Representation Date, as the case may be, in form satisfactory to the Manager to the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section 6(d) of this Agreement which were last furnished to the Manager are true and correct at the time of such Representation Date, as though made at and as of such time (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such time) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in said Section 6(d), modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such certificate. The requirement to provide a certificate
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under this Section 4(k) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time when no Company order submitted to the Manager hereunder to sell Shares is pending or a suspension of sales hereunder is in effect, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company provides the Manager with a certificate in conformity with this Section 4(k) (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company decides to sell Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied upon the foregoing waiver and therefore did not provide the Manager with a certificate under this Section 4(k), then before the Company submits an order for the sale of Shares, the Company shall provide the Manager with a certificate in conformity with this Section 4(k) dated as of the date that the order for the sale of Shares is submitted to the Manager hereunder, provided that for the avoidance of doubt, such date the certificate is delivered pursuant to the foregoing sentence shall also be a Representation Date.
(l) At each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate to the Manager pursuant to Section 4(k), the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Manager and to counsel to the Manager a written opinion and a negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel to the Company (“Company Counsel”), or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Manager, dated and delivered on such Representation Date, each in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, of the same tenor as the opinion and negative assurance letter referred to in Section 6(b) of this Agreement, but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion.
(m) At each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate to the Manager pursuant to Section 4(k), Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, counsel to the Manager, shall deliver a written opinion, dated and delivered on such Representation Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, of the same tenor as the opinions referred to in Section 6(c) of this Agreement but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion.
(n) At each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate to the Manager pursuant to Section 4(k), the Company shall cause Deloitte & Touche LLP (the “Accountants”), or other independent accountants satisfactory to the Manager forthwith, to furnish the Manager a letter, dated and delivered on such Representation Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager of the same tenor as the letter referred to in Section 6(e) of this Agreement but modified to relate to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.
(o) (i) At each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate to the Manager pursuant to Section 4(k), and at such other times as may be reasonably requested by the Manager, the Company will conduct a due diligence session, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, which shall include representatives of the management of the Company and the independent accountants of the Company; provided that the independent accountants for the Company shall only be required to participate in a diligence session in connection with a Representation Date. The Company shall cooperate timely with any reasonable due diligence request from or review conducted by the Manager or its agents from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, providing information and available documents and access to appropriate officers and agents of the Company during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices.
(p) Nothing in this Agreement shall restrict the Manager from trading, and the Company acknowledges that the Manager may trade in the Common Stock for its own account and for the account of its clients before, at the same time as, or after sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement.
(q) The Company will either (i) disclose in its Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as applicable, with regard to the relevant quarter, the number of the Shares sold by or through the Manager pursuant to this Agreement, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid by the Company with respect to such sales of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, or (ii) on or prior to the earlier of (A) the date on which the Company shall file a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or an Annual Report on Form 10-K in respect of any fiscal quarter in which sales of Shares were made by the Manager pursuant to this Agreement and (B) the date on which the Company shall be obligated to file such document referred to in clause (A) in respect of such quarter
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(each such date, and any date on which an amendment to any such document is filed, a “Filing Date”), the Company will file a prospectus supplement with the Commission under the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b), which prospectus supplement will set forth, with regard to such quarter, the number of the Shares sold by or through the Manager pursuant to this Agreement, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid by the Company with respect to such sales of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to the NASDAQ as are required by such exchange.
(r) If, to the knowledge of the Company, the conditions set forth in Section 6(a) or 6(e) shall not be true and correct on the applicable Settlement Date, the Company will offer to any person who has agreed to purchase Shares from the Company as the result of an offer to purchase solicited by the Designated Manager the right to refuse to purchase and pay for such Shares.
(s) Each acceptance by the Company of an offer to purchase the Shares hereunder, shall be deemed to be an affirmation to the Designated Manager, that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such acceptance as though made at and as of such date, and an undertaking that such representations and warranties will be true and correct as of the Settlement Date for the Shares relating to such acceptance, as though made at and as of such date (except that such representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such Shares).
(t) The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shares to be listed for trading on NASDAQ and to maintain such listing.
(u) During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act, the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the NASDAQ all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder.
(v) The Company shall cooperate with the Manager and use its reasonable efforts to permit the Shares to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of DTC.
(w) The Company will apply the Net Proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
5. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, (iii) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors to the Company, (iv) 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), each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (v) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Manager in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws, and, if requested by the Manager, preparing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Manager of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Manager (excluding filing fees)), (vi) the filing fees incident to any review and approval by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares, (vii) the fees and expenses associated with listing of the Shares on the NASDAQ, (viii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Stock, (ix) all fees and expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) of the Company in connection with approval of the Shares by DTC for “book-entry” transfer, (x) the reasonable fees and expenses of the Manager’s counsel (which shall be one outside counsel for the Manager unless otherwise agreed by the Company) (a) in an amount not to exceed $75,000 in connection with, and payable upon, the execution of this Agreement and (b) in an amount not to exceed $5,000 per calendar quarter thereafter payable in connection with each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate
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pursuant to Section 4(k) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, (xi) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement and (xii) all other fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section 5. Except as provided in this Section 5 and in Section 7 hereof, the Manager shall pay their own expenses.
6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Manager. The obligations of the Manager under this Agreement shall be subject to (i) the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time, each Representation Date, and as of each Applicable Time and Settlement Date, (ii) to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and (iii) the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, required by Rule 424 to be filed with the Commission have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) with respect to any sale of Shares; each Interim Prospectus Supplement shall have been filed in the manner required by Rule 424(b) within the time period required by Section 4(p) of this Agreement; any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Disclosure Package, Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction.
(b) The Company shall have requested and caused Company Counsel to furnish to the Manager, on every date specified in Section 4(l) of this Agreement, an opinion and a negative assurance letter, each in the form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager.
(c) The Manager shall have received from Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, counsel for the Manager, on every date specified in Section 4(m) of this Agreement, such opinion or opinions, dated as of such date and addressed to the Manager, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Manager may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(d) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Manager, on every date specified in Section 4(k) of this Agreement, a certificate of the Company, signed by the chief executive officer or the President of the Company, and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated as of such date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto and this Agreement and that:
(i) the Company has received no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission;
(ii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, there has been no event or condition of a type described in Section 2(k) hereof (a “Material Adverse Change”), except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;
(iii) the representations, warranties and covenants set forth in Section 2 of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such date; and
(iv) the Company and its subsidiaries have complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such date.
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(e) The Company shall have requested and caused the Accountants to have furnished to the Manager, on every date specified in Section 4(n) hereof to the extent financial information audited or reviewed by such firms is included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter, and to the extent requested by the Manager in connection with any offering of the Shares, letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to the Manager), dated as of such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, which letters shall cover, without limitation, the various financial statements and disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings as contemplated in the Auditing Standards 6101: Letters for Underwriters and Certain Other Requesting Parties, as well as confirming that they have performed a review of any unaudited interim financial information of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in accordance with Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100.
References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (e) include any supplement thereto at the date of the letter.
(f) Since the respective dates as of which information is disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 6 or (ii) Material Adverse Change, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the sole judgment of the Manager, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).
(g) If applicable, FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements under this Agreement.
(h) The Shares shall have been listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the NASDAQ.
(i) Prior to each Settlement Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Designated Manager such further information, certificates and documents as the Designated Manager may reasonably request.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Manager and counsel for the Manager, this Agreement and all obligations of the Manager hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, any Settlement Date, by the Manager. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Manager, its affiliates, as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the Act (each, an “Affiliate”), the directors, officers, employees and agents of the Manager, any broker-dealer affiliate of the Manager through which Shares are sold, and each person who controls the Manager within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company or otherwise permitted by paragraph (d) below), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or any Interim Prospectus Supplement (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact, in each case, necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;; and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, for any and all expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the indemnified party) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided,
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however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Manager expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto). This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.
(b) The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Manager or otherwise permitted by paragraph (d) below), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or any Interim Prospectus Supplement (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact, in each case, necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or any Interim Prospectus Supplement (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Manager expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 7(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Manager may otherwise have. The Company acknowledges that (i) the name of the Manager and (ii) the first and second sentence of the twelfth paragraph under “Plan of Distribution” constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Manager for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or any Interim Prospectus Supplement (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission to so notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under the indemnity agreement contained in paragraph (a) or (b) above or to the extent it is not prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) as a proximate result of such failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 7 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such
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indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), approved by the indemnifying party (the Manager in the case of Section 7(b) and Section 7(e)), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party or (iii) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party.
(d) No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(e) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Manager, on the other hand, from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Manager, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions or inaccuracies in the representations and warranties herein which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by them, and benefits received by the Manager shall be deemed to be equal to the total compensation received by the Manager under Section 3(c) of this Agreement, in each case as determined by this Agreement. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Manager, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact or any such inaccurate or alleged inaccurate representation or warranty relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Manager, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 7(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 7(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 7(e); provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 7(c) for purposes of indemnification.
The Company and the Manager agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7(e) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 7(e).
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(e), the Manager shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the discounts and commissions received by the Manager in connection with the Shares sold by it pursuant to this Agreement in the specific transaction or transactions giving rise to the contribution obligation. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7(e), each Affiliate, director, officer, employee and agent of the Manager, each person, if any, who controls the Manager within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and any broker-dealer affiliate of the Manager through which Shares are sold shall have the same rights to contribution as the Manager, and each director of the Company or each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
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8. Termination.
(a) The Company shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that (i) if Shares have been sold through the Manager for the Company, then Section 4(r) shall remain in full force and effect with respect to the Manager and the Company, (ii) with respect to any pending sale, through the Designated Manager for the Company, the obligations of the Company, including in respect of compensation of the Designated Manager, shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the termination and (iii) the provisions of Sections 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(b) The Manager shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Sections 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(c) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 8(a) or (b) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Sections 2, 5, 7 and 9 shall remain in full force and effect.
(d) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Manager or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of the Shares, such sale shall, subject to Section 6 hereof, settle in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) of this Agreement.
9. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company, the officers of the Company and of the Manager set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by the Manager or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.
10. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and:
If sent to the Manager, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to:
B. Riley Securities, Inc.
299 Park Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10171
Attention: General Counsel
with a copy to:
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
600 Travis Street, Suite 4200
Attention: Philip M. Haines and Richard H. Kronthal
E-mail: [***]
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If sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to:
Beyond Meat, Inc.
888 N. Douglas Street, Suite 100
El Segundo, CA 90245
Email: [***]
Attention: Chief Financial Officer with a copy to Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
with a copy to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Facsimile: [***]
Attention: Gregory P. Rodgers / Cathy A. Birkeland / Alexa Berlin
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
11. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
12. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Manager and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other,
(a) the Manager is acting solely as sales agent and/or principal in connection with the purchase and sale of the Shares and not as a fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Manager in connection with the offering and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the offering (irrespective of whether the Manager has advised or is currently advising it on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Manager has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the process leading thereto.
13. Integration. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Manager with respect to the subject matter hereof.
14. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.
15. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.
16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
17. Headings. The section headings used in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
18. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a) In the event that the Manager that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from the Manager of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
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(b) In the event that the Manager that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of the Manager becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against the Manager are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
As used in this Section 18:
“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
19. Definitions. The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.
“Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Applicable Time” shall mean, with respect to any Shares, the time of sale of such Shares pursuant to this Agreement.
“Base Prospectus” shall mean the base prospectus referred to in Section 2(a) above contained in the Registration Statement at the Execution Time.
“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.
“Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Designated Manager” shall mean, as of any given time, the Manager if designated by the Company as sales agent to sell Shares pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
“Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Base Prospectus, (ii) the Prospectus Supplement, (iii) the most recently filed Interim Prospectus Supplement, if any, (iv) the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule I hereto, (v) the public offering price of Shares sold at the relevant Applicable Time and (vi) any other Free Writing Prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package.
“Effective Date” shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes effective.
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“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Execution Time” shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto.
“Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.
“Interim Prospectus Supplement” shall mean the prospectus supplement relating to the Shares prepared and filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) from time to time as provided by Section 4(r) of this Agreement.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433.
“Prospectus” shall mean the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement and the most recently filed Interim Prospectus Supplement (if any).
“Prospectus Supplement” shall mean the most recent prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that was first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) at or prior to the Execution Time.
“Registration Statement” shall mean the registration statement referred to in Section 2(a) above, including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B, as amended on each Effective Date and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended.
“Rule 158,” “Rule 163,” “Rule 164,” “Rule 172,” “Rule 405,” “Rule 415,” “Rule 424,” “Rule 430B” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Act.
[Signature Page Follows]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement between the Company and the Manager.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| BEYOND MEAT, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Lubi Kutua | |
| Name: | Lubi Kutua | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer and | |
| Treasurer | ||
SIGNATURE PAGE TO EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
| CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, | ||
| as of the date first written above: | ||
| B. Riley Securities, Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Seth Appel | |
| Name: | Seth Appel | |
| Title: | Senior Managing Director | |
SIGNATURE PAGE TO EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
SCHEDULE I
Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package
None
Exhibit 5.1
| 1271 Avenue of the Americas | ||||
| New York, New York 10020-1401 | ||||
| Tel: +1.212.906.1200 Fax: +1.212.751.4864 | ||||
| www.lw.com | ||||
|
FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES | |||
| Austin | Milan | |||
| Beijing | Munich | |||
| Boston | New York | |||
| Brussels | Orange County | |||
| November 7, 2024 | Century City | Paris | ||
| Chicago | Riyadh | |||
| Dubai | San Diego | |||
| Düsseldorf | San Francisco | |||
| Frankfurt | Seoul | |||
| Hamburg | Silicon Valley | |||
| Hong Kong | Singapore | |||
| Houston | Tel Aviv | |||
| London | Tokyo | |||
| Los Angeles | Washington, D.C. | |||
| Madrid | ||||
Beyond Meat, Inc.
888 N. Douglas Street, Suite 100
El Segundo, California 90245
| Re: | Registration Statement No. 333-278033; Up to $200,000,000 of Shares of Common |
Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
To the addressee set forth above:
We have acted as counsel to Beyond Meat, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the sale through B. Riley Securities, Inc., as manager (the “Manager”), from time to time by the Company of shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price of up to $200,000,000 (the “Shares”) pursuant to (i) a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on March 18, 2024 (Registration No. 333-278033) (the “Registration Statement”), (ii) a base prospectus dated April 12, 2024 (the “Base Prospectus”), (iii) a related prospectus supplement filed with the Commission on the date hereof pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act (together with the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”), and (iv) that certain Equity Distribution Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Manager (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issue of the Shares.
As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.
November 7, 2024
Page 2
Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that the Shares to be issued and sold by the Company pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and, when issued to and paid for by the Manager in accordance with the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of preemptive rights arising from the restated certificate of incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and amended and restated bylaws of the Company (together with the Certificate of Incorporation, the “Governing Documents”). In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that (i) upon the issuance of any of the Shares, the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding will not exceed the total number of shares of Common Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under the Certificate of Incorporation, (ii) the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided under the DGCL, (iii) any sale of the Shares to be issued by the Company from time to time, including the minimum price per Share set forth by the Board of Directors or a committee comprised solely of members of the Board of Directors (a “Board Committee”), will comply with the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, the Governing Documents and certain resolutions of the Board of Directors or any such Board Committee prior to issuance thereof.
This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Form 8-K dated November 7, 2024 and to the reference to our firm contained in the Prospectus under the heading “Legal Matters.” In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Sincerely,
/s/ Latham & Watkins LLP