CIMG Inc S-3, filed Sep 1, 2020
CIMG Inc. (CIMG)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 1, 2020
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
NuZee, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Nevada | 38-3849791 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
1700 Capital Avenue, Suite 100
Plano, Texas 75074
(760) 295-2408
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Masateru Higashida
Chief Executive Officer
NuZee, Inc.
1700 Capital Avenue, Suite 100
Plano, Texas 75074
(760) 295-2408
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Alan A. Lanis, Jr.
Polsinelli PC
2049 Century Park East, Suite 2900
Los Angeles, California 90067
(310) 556-1801
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. [ ]
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. [X]
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. [ ]
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. [ ]
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. [ ]
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. [ ]
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer [ ] | Accelerated filer [X] | |
| Non-accelerated filer [ ] | Smaller reporting company [X] | |
| 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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. [ ]
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered | Amount to be Registered (1) | Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Security | Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price (1)(2) | Amount of Registration Fee | ||||||||||||
| Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share | ||||||||||||||||
| Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Debt Securities(4) | ||||||||||||||||
| Warrants(5) | ||||||||||||||||
| Units(6) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rights(7) | ||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL | $ | 100,000,000 | $ | 12,980 | ||||||||||||
| (1) | Such amount as shall result in an aggregate public offering price of $100,000,000 for all securities sold by NuZee, Inc. pursuant to this registration statement. Also includes such indeterminate amount of debt securities and common stock and preferred stock as may be issued upon conversion or exchange for any other debt securities or preferred stock that provide for conversion or exchange into other securities. In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the securities being registered hereunder include such indeterminate number of securities as may be issuable with respect to the securities being registered hereunder as a result of stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations or similar transactions. | |
| (2) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act. Pursuant to General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3, the table does not specify by each class information as to the proposed maximum aggregate offering price. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with other securities registered hereunder. In no event will the aggregate offering price of all securities issued by NuZee, Inc. pursuant to this registration statement exceed $100,000,000. | |
| (3) | There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of shares of preferred stock as may from time to time be sold at indeterminate prices not to exceed the aggregate offering price of $100,000,000 for all securities sold by NuZee, Inc. pursuant to this registration statement. | |
| (4) | If any debt securities are issued at an original issue discount, then the offering may be in such greater principal amount as shall result in a maximum aggregate offering price not to exceed the aggregate offering price of $100,000,000 for all securities sold by NuZee, Inc. pursuant to this registration statement. | |
| (5) | There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of warrants as may from time to time be sold at indeterminate prices not to exceed the aggregate offering price of $100,000,000 for all securities sold by NuZee, Inc. pursuant to this registration statement. | |
| (6) | There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of units as may from time to time be sold at indeterminate prices not to exceed the aggregate offering price of $100,000,000 for all securities sold by NuZee, Inc. pursuant to this registration statement. Each unit will be issued under a unit agreement and will represent an interest in two or more other securities registered hereunder, which may or may not be separable from one another. | |
| (7) | There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of rights representing rights to purchase shares of common stock or other securities registered hereby. |
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This registration statement contains two prospectuses:
| ● | a base prospectus which covers the offering, issuance and sale by the registrant of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $100,000,000 of the registrant’s common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, units and/or rights in one or more offerings, including the at-the-market offering as described below; and | |
| ● | an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement prospectus, or the “sales agreement prospectus,” covering the offering, issuance and sale by the registrant of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $50,000,000 of the registrant’s common stock in an at-the-market offering that may be issued and sold under a sales agreement dated as of September 1, 2020, with B. Riley Securities, Inc. and The Benchmark Company. |
The base prospectus immediately follows this explanatory note. The specific terms of any securities to be offered pursuant to the base prospectus will be specified in a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus. The sales agreement prospectus immediately follows the base prospectus. The common stock that may be offered, issued and sold by the registrant under the sales agreement prospectus is included in the $100,000,000 of securities that may be offered, issued and sold by the registrant under the base prospectus. Any portion of the $100,000,000 included in the sales agreement prospectus that is not previously sold or included in an active placement notice pursuant to the sales agreement is available for sale in other offerings pursuant to the base prospectus, and if no shares are sold under the sales agreement, the full $100,000,000 of securities may be sold in other offerings pursuant to the base prospectus and a corresponding prospectus supplement.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy or sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
PROSPECTUS
NuZee, Inc.
$100,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
Rights
We may offer and sell, from time to time, in one or more offerings, together or separately, our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants or any combination of the foregoing, either individually or as units composed of one or more of the other securities. We may also issue rights to purchase the securities offered in this prospectus. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities. The aggregate public offering price of all securities issued by us under this prospectus may not exceed $100,000,000.
Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in any of our securities.
We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus titled “About this Prospectus” and “Plan of Distribution” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “NUZE.” On August 28, 2020, the closing sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $20.00 per share.
Investing in our securities involves significant risks. See “Risk Factors” on page 5 of this prospectus, in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in any applicable prospectus supplement. You should read this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein carefully before you make your investment decision.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
This prospectus is dated , 2020.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration statement, we may offer or sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus, from time to time, and in one or more offerings, up to a total dollar amount of $100,000,000 as described in this prospectus. Each time that we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, you must rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of the date on the respective covers of such documents, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, such prospectus supplement, or any sale or issuance of a security, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates. You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.
When we refer to “NuZee,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus, we mean NuZee, Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, unless otherwise specified. References to “you” refer to a prospective investor.
This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement may include trademarks, service marks and trade names owned by us or other companies. All trademarks, service marks and trade names included in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
Our website address is www.mynuzee.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement. We have included our website address as an inactive textual reference only.
This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Forms of the documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may obtain the registration statement and exhibits to the registration statement from the SEC’s website, as provided above.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede previously filed information as applicable. Any statement contained in a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies or replaces that statement. Since information that we later file with the SEC will update and supersede previously incorporated information, you should look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any documents previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus our documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, between the date of this prospectus and the termination of the offering of the securities described in this prospectus (in each case, other than information deemed furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules, including pursuant to Items 2.02 and 7.01 of Form 8-K or corresponding information furnished under Item 9.01 or included in a furnished exhibit, except as stated specifically below):
| ● | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, filed on Form 10-K/A with the SEC on December 31, 2019; | |
| ● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 10, 2020; | |
| ● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on May 7, 2020; | |
| ● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2020, filed with the SEC on August 6, 2020; | |
| ● | our Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on October 15, 2019, October 28, 2019, January 15, 2020, June 19, 2020, June 23, 2020, July 10, 2020 and August 28, 2020; and | |
| ● | the description of our common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on June 17, 2020, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
We also incorporate by reference into this prospectus all reports and other documents we may file pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus until the offering of the particular securities covered by a prospectus supplement has been terminated or completed, other than any portion of the respective filings that are furnished, rather than filed, under the applicable SEC rules. In addition, all reports and other documents we may file pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the initial registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and prior to effectiveness of such registration statement, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
You may request a free copy of these filings (other than an exhibit to a filing unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing) by writing or telephoning us as follows:
NuZee, Inc.
1700 Capital Avenue, Suite 100
Plano, Texas 75074
(760) 295-2408
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. They can be identified by the use of forward-looking words, such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expects,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” or the negative of these terms or other comparable expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes, although not all forward-looking statements contain these terms. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our plans to obtain funding for our operations, our ability to negotiate the terms of agreements with manufacturers of packing machinery and the impact to our business from the COVID-19 global crisis, and any statement that contains forward-looking words and other similar expressions.
The forward-looking statements included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein reflect our current expectations and beliefs, and we do not undertake publicly to update or revise these statements, even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein will not be realized. In addition, the inclusion of any statement in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein does not constitute an admission by us that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material. Furthermore, we wish to caution and advise readers that these statements are based on assumptions that may not materialize and may involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control that could cause actual events or performance to differ materially from those contained or implied in these forward-looking statements.
Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the factors discussed under “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. We also will include or incorporate by reference in each prospectus supplement important factors that we believe could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Should one or more known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could differ materially from past results and those anticipated, estimated, projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should consider these factors and the other cautionary statements made in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or the documents we incorporate by reference herein or therein as being applicable to all related forward-looking statements wherever they appear in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or the documents incorporated by reference. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements wherever they appear in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or the documents incorporated by reference, we do not assume, and specifically disclaim, any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Because of these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
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We are a specialty coffee company and, we believe, the leading single serve pour over coffee co-packer in the United States. Our mission is to leverage our position as a co-packer at the forefront of the North American single serve pour over coffee market to revolutionize the way single serve coffee is enjoyed in the United States. While the United States is our core market, we also have single serve pour over coffee sales operations in Japan as well as manufacturing and sales operations in Korea and a joint venture in Latin America. In addition, we plan to opportunistically leverage our strengths and relationships to grow our proprietary NuZee and Coffee Blenders brands in the United States and select international markets.
We believe we are the only commercial-scale producer of single serve drip cup coffee, and we intend to leverage our position to be the commercial manufacturer of choice for major companies seeking to enter the single serve drip cup market in North America. We target existing large, high-margin companies and are paid per-package based on the number of single serve pour over drip cups produced by us. We may also consider co-packaging other products that are complementary to single serve pour over drip coffee and provides us with a deeper access to our customers, such as tea bag coffee.
We were incorporated in 2011 in Nevada as Havana Furnishings, Inc. NuZee Co. Ltd. was incorporated in 2011. NuZee Co. Ltd. merged into Havana Furnishings, Inc. in 2013, and we changed our name to NuZee, Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 1700 Capital Avenue, Suite 100, Plano, Texas 77055, and our telephone number is (760) 295-2408. We also maintain an office in Vista, California, and we lease modest office space in Japan.
Our corporate website is www.mynuzee.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.
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Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Prior to making a decision about investing in our securities, you should carefully consider the specific factors discussed under “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K/A and in any subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, together with the risk factors contained in our other SEC filings that we incorporate by reference into this prospectus or that may be included in any applicable prospectus supplement. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones facing our company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations. The occurrence of any of these known or unknown risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.
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Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from sales of the securities described in this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which could include working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and the repayment of indebtedness outstanding from time to time. Pending these uses, the net proceeds may also be temporarily invested in short-term securities.
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This section describes the general terms and provisions of our common stock. The prospectus supplement relating to any offering of common stock, or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for common stock, will describe more specific terms of the offering of common stock or other securities, including the number of shares offered, the initial offering price and market price and dividend information. The prospectus supplement may provide information that is different from this prospectus. If the information in the prospectus supplement with respect to our common stock being offered differs from this prospectus, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.
The summary set forth below does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to our articles of incorporation, as amended, and our second amended and restated bylaws, each of which is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We encourage you to read our articles of incorporation, as amended, and our second amended and restated bylaws for additional information before you purchase any shares of our common stock. Our common stock and the rights of the holders of our common stock are subject to the applicable statutes of the State of Nevada, our articles of incorporation, as amended, our second amended and restated bylaws and the rights of the holders of our preferred stock, if any.
General
Our articles of incorporation, as amended, provide that we may issue up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.00001 per share. As of August 28, 2020, 14,567,755 shares of our common stock were outstanding and were held of record by approximately 580 stockholders.
Voting Rights
Holders of shares of our common stock do not have cumulative voting rights with respect to the election of directors or any other matter. The holders of our common stock are entitled to one non-cumulative vote per share on all matters on which stockholders may vote.
Dividends
The holders of our common stock have equal ratable rights to dividends from funds legally available therefor when, as and if declared by our Board of Directors, or Board. We have not paid any cash dividends to stockholders. The declaration of any future cash dividend will be at the discretion of our Board and will depend upon our earnings, if any, our capital requirements and financial position, our general economic conditions and other pertinent conditions. It is our present intention not to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future, but rather to reinvest earnings, if any, in our business operations.
Preemptive Rights and Redemption
The holders of our common stock have no preemptive or other subscription or conversion rights. In addition, the shares of our common stock are not subject to redemption by operation of a sinking fund or otherwise.
Liquidation Rights
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our company, the holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all of our assets that are available for distribution after payment in full of all of our liabilities.
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Anti-Takeover Provisions
Nevada law, our articles of incorporation, as amended, and our second amended and restated bylaws contain certain provisions that have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us. These provisions, which are summarized below, are intended to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our Board. We believe that the benefits of the increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
Interested Stockholder Transactions under Nevada Law. We are subject to Section 78.411, et seq. of the Nevada Revised Statutes, which prohibits a publicly-held Nevada corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder, generally a person which together with its affiliates owns, or within the last two years has owned, 10% of our voting stock, for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner.
Undesignated Preferred Stock. The ability of our Board, without action by the stockholders, to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, which was previously authorized but remain undesignated, with voting or other rights or preferences as designated by our Board could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deferring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of us.
Stockholder Meetings. Our second amended and restated bylaws provide that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by stockholders holding at least ten percent (10%) of the voting shares of the Company, or by our president or a majority of the Board.
Stockholder Action by Written Consent. Nevada law provides that any action that may be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting if a consent thereto in writing is signed by the holders of outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted.
Stockholders Not Entitled to Cumulative Voting. Our second amended and restated bylaws do not permit stockholders to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they choose, other than any directors that holders of our preferred stock may be entitled to elect.
Amendment of Charter and Bylaw Provisions. The amendment of any of the above provisions would require approval by holders of at least a majority of the total voting power of all of our outstanding voting stock.
The provisions of Nevada law, our articles of incorporation, as amended, and our second amended and restated bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they may also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in the composition of our board and management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “NUZE.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is V Stock Transfer, LLC. Its address is 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK
Our articles of incorporation, as amended, provide that we may issue up to 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share. As of August 28, 2020, no shares of preferred stock were outstanding. Shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of which will have such distinctive designation or title as shall be determined by our Board prior to the issuance of any shares thereof. Preferred stock will have such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such preferences, privileges and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and such qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption rights, liquidation preference, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of any series, as shall be stated in such resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such class or series of preferred stock as may be adopted from time to time by the Board prior to the issuance of any shares thereof.
While we do not currently have any plans for the issuance of any shares of preferred stock, the issuance of such preferred stock could adversely affect the rights of the holders of common stock and, therefore, reduce the market price of the common stock. It is not possible to state the actual effect of the issuance of any shares of preferred stock on the rights of holders of the common stock until the Board determines the specific rights of the holders of the preferred stock; however, these effects may include:
| ● | Restricting dividends on the common stock; | |
| ● | Diluting the voting power of the common stock; | |
| ● | Impairing the liquidation rights of the common stock; or | |
| ● | Delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of the Company. |
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
We may offer debt securities from time to time, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt, in one or more offerings under this prospectus. We will issue any such debt securities under one or more separate indentures that we will enter into with a trustee to be named in the indenture and specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. The specific terms of debt securities being offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. We have filed a form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of debt securities will describe the terms of those debt securities and the related indenture, which may include (without limitation) the following:
| ● | the title or designation of the debt securities; | |
| ● | any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities; | |
| ● | the price or prices at which the debt securities will be issued; | |
| ● | the maturity date or dates, or the method of determining the maturity date or dates, of the debt securities; | |
| ● | the date or dates on which we will pay the principal on the debt securities; | |
| ● | the interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the date or dates interest will be payable and the record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates; | |
| ● | the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies other than that in which the debt securities are denominated or designated to be payable or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index; | |
| ● | any conversion or exchange features; | |
| ● | if payments of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined; | |
| ● | the place or places where the principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be payable , where the debt securities may be surrendered for transfer or exchange and where notices or demands to or upon the Company may be served; | |
| ● | the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities; | |
| ● | any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities; | |
| ● | the dates on which and the price or prices at which we may repurchase the debt securities at our option or at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations; | |
| ● | the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; |
| 10 |
| ● | the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the entire principal amount; | |
| ● | if other than the U.S. dollar, the currencies or currency units in which the debt securities are issued and in which the principal of, premium and interest, if any, on, and additional amounts, if any, in respect of the debt securities will be payable; | |
| ● | whether the debt securities are to be issued at any original issue discount, or OID, and the amount of discount with which such debt securities may be issued; | |
| ● | whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities; | |
| ● | the extent to which any of the debt securities will be issuable in temporary or permanent global form and, if so, the identity of the depositary for the global debt security, or the manner in which any interest payable on a temporary or permanent global debt security will be paid; | |
| ● | information with respect to book-entry procedures; | |
| ● | the terms and conditions upon which the debt securities will be so convertible or exchangeable into securities or property of another person, if at all, and any additions or changes, if any, to permit or facilitate such conversion or exchange; | |
| ● | whether the debt securities will be subject to subordination and the terms of such subordination; | |
| ● | any restriction or condition on the transferability of the debt securities; | |
| ● | a discussion of any material United States federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of the debt securities; | |
| ● | the provisions related to compensation and reimbursement of the trustee which applies to securities of such series; | |
| ● | the events of default and covenants with respect to the debt securities and the acceleration provisions with respect to the debt securities; | |
| ● | any provisions for the satisfaction and discharge or defeasance or covenant defeasance of the indenture under which the debt securities are issued; | |
| ● | if other than the trustee, the identity of each security registrar, paying agent and authenticating agent; and | |
| ● | any other terms of the debt securities. |
The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. We intend to disclose the relevant restrictive covenants for any issuance or series of debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not be listed on any securities exchange. As of the date of this prospectus, we have no outstanding registered debt securities.
| 11 |
We may issue, either separately or together with other securities, warrants for the purchase of any of the other types of securities that we may sell under this prospectus.
The warrants will be issued under warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all to be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to any or all warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered. Copies of the form of agreement for each warrant, which we refer to collectively as “warrant agreements,” including the forms of certificates representing the warrants, which we refer to collectively as “warrant certificates,” and reflecting the provisions to be included in such agreements that will be entered into with respect to the particular offerings of each type of warrant, will be filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the warrants to which any prospectus supplement may relate. The particular terms of the warrants to which any prospectus supplement may relate and the extent, if any, to which the general provisions may apply to the warrants so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. To the extent that any particular terms of the warrants, warrant agreements or warrant certificates described in a prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described below, then the terms described below will be deemed to have been superseded by that prospectus supplement. We encourage you to read the applicable warrant agreement and certificate for additional information before you purchase any of our warrants.
General
The prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, as well as the related warrant agreement and warrant certificates, including the following, where applicable:
| ● | the principal amount of, or the number of, securities, as the case may be, purchasable upon exercise of each warrant and the initial price at which the principal amount or number of securities, as the case may be, may be purchased upon such exercise; | |
| ● | the designation and terms of the securities, if other than common stock, purchasable upon exercise of the warrants and of any securities, if other than common stock, with which the warrants are issued; | |
| ● | the procedures and conditions relating to the exercise of the warrants; | |
| ● | the date, if any, on and after which the warrants, and any securities with which the warrants are issued, will be separately transferable; | |
| ● | the offering price, if any, of the warrants; | |
| ● | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which that right will expire; | |
| ● | if applicable, a discussion of the material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the exercise of the warrants; | |
| ● | whether the warrants represented by the warrant certificates will be issued in registered or bearer form and, if registered, where they may be transferred and registered; | |
| ● | call provisions, if any, of the warrants; | |
| ● | antidilution provisions, if any, of the warrants; and | |
| ● | any other material terms of the warrants. |
The description in the prospectus supplement will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the warrant agreement and warrant certificate relating to the warrants being offered.
| 12 |
Exercise of Warrants
Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase for cash that principal amount of, or number of, securities, as the case may be, at the exercise price set forth in, or to be determined as set forth in, the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the warrants. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void. Upon receipt of payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed, we will, as soon as practicable, issue the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrant. If less than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, a new warrant certificate will be issued for the remaining amount of warrants.
No Rights of Security Holder Prior to Exercise
Before the exercise of their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants, and will not be entitled to:
| ● | in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, payments of principal of, or any premium or interest on, the debt securities purchasable upon exercise; or | |
| ● | in the case of warrants to purchase equity securities, the right to vote or to receive dividend payments or similar distributions on the securities purchasable upon exercise. |
| 13 |
We may, from time to time, issue units composed of one or more of the other securities that may be offered under this prospectus, in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. We may enter into one or more unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time, or at any time before a specified date.
You should read any prospectus supplement related to the units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. We will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of each unit agreement relating to units offered under this prospectus.
Any applicable prospectus supplement may describe, among other things:
| ● | the material terms of the units and of the securities composing the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; | |
| ● | any material provisions relating to the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; | |
| ● | the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities composing the units will be separately transferable; | |
| ● | any special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and | |
| ● | any material provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described above. |
| 14 |
As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue rights to purchase the securities offered in this prospectus to our existing stockholders, and such rights may or may not be issued for consideration. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any such rights. The description in the prospectus supplement will not purport to be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the documents pursuant to which such rights will be issued.
| 15 |
Each debt security, warrant, unit and right will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. Certificated securities will be issued in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the security, and in order to transfer or exchange these securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the securities to the trustee, registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the debt securities, warrants, units or rights represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investor’s beneficial ownership of the securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.
Registered Global Securities
We may issue the registered debt securities, warrants, units and rights in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those cases, one or more registered global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the securities to be represented by registered global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not be transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the registered global security, the nominees of the depositary or any successors of the depositary or those nominees.
If not described below, any specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any securities to be represented by a registered global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.
Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or persons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with the respective principal or face amounts of the securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of these securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.
So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a registered global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by the registered global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement, unit agreement or rights agreement. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security will not be entitled to have the securities represented by the registered global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the securities under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement, unit agreement or rights agreement. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that registered global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement, unit agreement or rights agreement. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement, unit agreement or rights agreement, the depositary for the registered global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.
| 16 |
Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities, and any payments to holders with respect to warrants, units or rights, represented by a registered global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the registered global security. None of us, the trustees, the warrant agents, the unit agents, the rights agents or any other agent of ours, agent of the trustees or agent of the warrant agents, unit agents or rights agents will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the registered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial ownership interests.
We expect that the depositary for any of the securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest or other distribution of underlying securities or other property to holders on that registered global security, will immediately credit participants’ accounts in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of those participants.
If the depositary for any of these securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. Any securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the relevant trustee, warrant agent, unit agent, rights agent or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the registered global security that had been held by the depositary.
| 17 |
We may sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods or through underwriters or dealers, through agents and/or directly to one or more purchasers. The securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions:
| ● | at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; | |
| ● | at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; | |
| ● | at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or | |
| ● | at negotiated prices. |
Each time that we sell securities covered by this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement or supplements that will describe the method of distribution and set forth the terms and conditions of the offering of such securities, including the offering price of the securities and the proceeds to us, if applicable.
Offers to purchase the securities being offered by this prospectus may be solicited directly. Agents may also be designated to solicit offers to purchase the securities from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of our securities will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, the securities will be sold to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.
If an underwriter is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter at the time of sale and the name of any underwriter will be provided in the prospectus supplement that the underwriter will use to make resales of the securities to the public. In connection with the sale of the securities, we, or the purchasers of securities for whom the underwriter may act as agent, may compensate the underwriter in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions. The underwriter may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for which they may act as agent. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, an agent will be acting on a best efforts basis and a dealer will purchase securities as a principal, and may then resell the securities at varying prices to be determined by the dealer.
Any compensation paid to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers, will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We may enter into agreements to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof and to reimburse those persons for certain expenses.
Any common stock to be issued will be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, but any other securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. To facilitate the offering of securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.
| 18 |
We may engage in “at-the-market-offerings” into an existing trading market within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.
The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
In compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, the maximum consideration or discount to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker dealer may not exceed 8% of the aggregate proceeds of the offering.
The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.
| 19 |
The validity of the issuance of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Polsinelli PC, Los Angeles, California.
The consolidated financial statements of NuZee, Inc. as of September 30, 2019 and 2018 and for each of the two years in the period ended September 30, 2019, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2019, incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended September 30, 2019 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report (which includes an explanatory paragraph relating to NuZee’s ability to continue as a going concern as described in Note 2 to the financial statements) of MaloneBailey, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
| 20 |
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy or sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
PROSPECTUS
Up to $50,000,000 of Shares
Common Stock
We have entered into an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement, or the Sales Agreement, with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (f/k/a/ B. Riley FBR, Inc.), or B. Riley, and The Benchmark Company, LLC, or The Benchmark Company, each as agent, relating to shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the Sales Agreement, we may from time to time offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 through B. Riley and The Benchmark Company acting as our agents.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “NUZE.” On August 28, 2020, the closing sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $20.00 per share.
Sales of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus may be made in sales deemed to be “at-the-market-offerings” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. B. Riley and The Benchmark Company will act as sales agents on a best efforts basis and will use commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the shares of common stock requested to be sold by us, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, on mutually agreed terms among B. Riley, The Benchmark Company and us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in any escrow, trust or similar arrangement. See “Plan of Distribution.”
B. Riley and The Benchmark Company will be entitled to compensation of 5% of the gross sales price per share sold. In connection with the sale of our common stock on our behalf, B. Riley and The Benchmark Company will be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of B. Riley and The Benchmark Company will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to B. Riley and The Benchmark Company with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
Investing in our securities involves certain risks. See “Risk Factors” on page S-4 of this prospectus and any similar section contained in the accompanying prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
| B. Riley FBR | The Benchmark Company |
The date of this prospectus is , 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |
| ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS | S-1 |
| PROSPECTUS SUMMARY | S-2 |
| RISK FACTORS | S-4 |
| CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS | S-6 |
| USE OF PROCEEDS | S-7 |
| DIVIDEND POLICY | S-8 |
| DILUTION | S-9 |
| PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION | S-10 |
| LEGAL MATTERS | S-11 |
| EXPERTS | S-11 |
| WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION | S-12 |
| INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE | S-12 |
This prospectus and the accompanying base prospectus are part of a registration statement that we have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may offer shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 from time to time under this prospectus pursuant to an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement between the Company and B. Riley Securities, Inc. and The Benchmark Company.
We provide information to you about this offering in two separate documents that are bound together. The first part consists of this prospectus, which provides you with specific information about this offering. The second part, the accompanying base prospectus, provides more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. Generally, when we refer only to the “prospectus,” we are referring to both documents combined. This prospectus may add, update or change information contained in the accompanying base prospectus. If any statement we make in this prospectus is inconsistent with statements made in the accompanying base prospectus, the statements made in this prospectus will be deemed to modify or supersede those made in the accompanying base prospectus. However, if any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date—for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus—the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement as our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since the earlier dates.
We have not, and B. Riley and The Benchmark Company have not, authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus, the accompanying base prospectus or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we or B. Riley or The Benchmark Company have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not, and B. Riley and The Benchmark Company are not, making an offer to sell or soliciting an offer to buy our securities in any jurisdiction where an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making that offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference herein, and in any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with this offering, is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.
You should read this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference herein and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with this offering in their entirety before making an investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents to which we have referred you in the section of this prospectus titled “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation By Reference.”
The industry and market data and other statistical information contained in the documents we incorporate by reference are based on our own estimates, independent publications, government publications, reports by market research firms or other published independent sources, and, in each case, are believed by us to be reasonable estimates. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we have not independently verified the information.
When we refer to “NuZee,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus, we mean NuZee, Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, unless otherwise specified.
This prospectus may include trademarks, service marks and trade names owned by us or other companies. All trademarks, service marks and trade names included in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.
| S-1 |
This summary provides a general overview of selected information and does not contain all of the information you should consider before buying our common stock. Therefore, you should read carefully this entire prospectus, including the matters set forth under the caption “Risk Factors,” and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus before deciding to invest in our common stock.
Overview
We are a specialty coffee company and, we believe, the leading single serve pour over coffee co-packer in the United States. Our mission is to leverage our position as a co-packer at the forefront of the North American single serve pour over coffee market to revolutionize the way single serve coffee is enjoyed in the United States. While the United States is our core market, we also have single serve pour over coffee sales operations in Japan as well as manufacturing and sales operations in Korea and a joint venture in Latin America. In addition, we plan to opportunistically leverage our strengths and relationships to grow our proprietary NuZee and Coffee Blenders brands in the United States and select international markets.
We believe we are the only commercial-scale producer of single serve drip cup coffee, and we intend to leverage our position to be the commercial manufacturer of choice for major companies seeking to enter the single serve drip cup market in North America. We target existing large, high-margin companies and are paid per-package based on the number of single serve pour over drip cups produced by us. We may also consider co-packaging other products that are complementary to single serve pour over drip coffee and provides us with a deeper access to our customers, such as tea bag coffee.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated in 2011 in Nevada as Havana Furnishings, Inc. NuZee Co. Ltd. was incorporated in 2011. NuZee Co. Ltd. merged into Havana Furnishings, Inc. in 2013, and we changed our name to NuZee, Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 1700 Capital Avenue, Suite 100, Plano, Texas 77055, and our telephone number is (760) 295-2408. We also maintain an office in Vista, California, and we lease modest office space in Japan.
Our corporate website is www.mynuzee.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this prospectus.
| S-2 |
THE OFFERING
| Common stock offered by us | Shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000. | |
| Common stock to be outstanding after this offering | Up to 16,929,421 shares, assuming the sale of 2,500,000 shares at a price of $20.00 per share, which was the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on August 28, 2020. The actual number of shares issued will vary depending on the sales prices under this offering. | |
| Manner of offering | “At-the-market-offering” that may be made from time to time through our sales agents, B. Riley Securities, Inc. and The Benchmark Company, LLC. See “Plan of Distribution” on page S-10. | |
| Use of proceeds | We intend to use the net proceeds, if any, from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” on page S-7. | |
| Risk factors | Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should read the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus for a discussion of factors to consider before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock. | |
| Nasdaq Capital Market symbol | “NUZE” |
The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based upon 14,429,421 shares outstanding as of June 30, 2020, and excludes the following:
| ● | 1,725,000 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of June 30, 2020, with a weighted-average exercise price of $6.07 per share; | |
| ● | 1,606,665 shares of our common stock reserved for future grant or issuance under the NuZee, Inc. 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2013 Plan”); | |
| ● | 3,333,334 shares of our common stock reserved for future grant or issuance under the NuZee, Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”); and | |
| ● | 40,250 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants as of June 30, 2020 having an exercise price of $9.00 per share. |
Unless otherwise indicated, all information contained in this prospectus reflects an assumed public offering price of $20.00 per share, which was the closing sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on August 28, 2020.
| S-3 |
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K/A and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and all of the other information contained in this prospectus, and incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including our financial statements and related notes, before investing in our common stock. If any of the possible events described below or in those sections actually occur, our business, business prospects, cash flow, results of operations or financial condition could be harmed, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you might lose all or part of your investment in our common stock. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our operations and results.
Risks Relating to this Offering and our Common Stock
Resales of our common stock in the public market during this offering by our stockholders may cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
We may issue common stock from time to time in connection with this offering. This issuance from time to time of these new shares of our common stock, or our ability to issue these shares of common stock in this offering, could result in resales of our common stock by our current stockholders concerned about the potential dilution of their holdings. In turn, these resales could have the effect of depressing the market price for our common stock.
We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and might not apply the proceeds in ways that enhance our operating results or increase the value of your investment.
Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section titled “Use of Proceeds.” We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. As a result, you will be relying upon management’s judgment with only limited information about our specific intentions for the use of the balance of the net proceeds of this offering. You will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether we are using the proceeds appropriately. Our management might not apply our net proceeds in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. If we do not invest or apply the net proceeds from this offering in ways that enhance stockholder value, we may fail to achieve expected financial results, which could cause our stock price to decline.
The common stock offered hereby will be sold in “at-the-market” offerings, and investors who buy shares at different times will likely pay different prices.
Investors who purchase shares in this offering at different times will likely pay different prices, and so may experience different outcomes in their investment results. We will have discretion, subject to market demand, to vary the timing, prices and numbers of shares sold, and there is no minimum or maximum sales price. Investors may experience a decline in the value of their shares as a result of share sales made at prices lower than the prices they paid.
If you purchase shares of common stock in this offering, you may experience immediate and substantial dilution in your investment. You will experience further dilution if we issue additional equity securities in future financing transactions.
The price per share of our common stock being offered may be higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock outstanding prior to this offering. Assuming that we sell an aggregate of $50.0 million of our shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $20.00 per share, the closing sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on August 28, 2020, and after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2020, would have been $54,090,580, or $3.20 per share. This amount represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $2.73 per share of our common stock to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $16.80 per share of our common stock to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering. See the section titled “Dilution” below for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you would incur if you purchase common stock in this offering.
| S-4 |
If we issue additional common stock, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for common stock, our stockholders, including investors who purchase shares of common stock in this offering, may experience additional dilution, and any such issuances may result in downward pressure on the price of our common stock. We also cannot assure you that we will be able to sell shares or other securities in any future offering at a price per share that is equal to or greater than the price per share paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders.
It is not possible to predict the aggregate proceeds resulting from sales made under the Sales Agreement.
Subject to certain limitations in the Sales Agreement and compliance with applicable law, we have the discretion to deliver a placement notice to an Agent at any time throughout the term of the Sales Agreement. The number of shares that are sold through an Agent after delivering a placement notice will fluctuate based on a number of factors, including the market price of our common stock during the sales period, the limits we set with the Agent in any applicable placement notice, and the demand for our common stock during the sales period. Because the price per share of each share sold will fluctuate during the sales period, it is not possible to predict the aggregate proceeds to be raised in connection with those sales. There can be no assurance that we will be able to sell any shares under or fully utilize the Sales Agreement as a source of financing.
We have never paid dividends on our capital stock and we do not anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable future.
We have not paid dividends on any of our classes of capital stock to date and we currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.
Risks Related to Our Business, Financial Condition and Capital Requirements
The COVID-19 pandemic is significantly affecting our business operations and financial condition, and our liquidity could also be negatively impacted, particularly if the United States and East Asian economies remain unstable for a significant amount of time.
In December 2019, the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) originated in Wuhan, China. Since its discovery, COVID-19 has spread worldwide and caused significant disruption in the international and United States economies and financial markets. Federal, state and local government responses to COVID-19 and our responses to the outbreak have all disrupted and will continue to disrupt our business. In the United States, individuals are being required to practice social distancing, in many places are restricted from gathering in groups, and in some cases have been placed on complete restriction from non-essential movements outside of their homes. The spread of COVID-19 and resulting business closings, layoffs, travel bans and restrictions and shelter-in-place or similar orders have resulted in substantial and widespread reduction in business activity and financial transactions, an increase in unemployment, reduced consumer spending, supply chain interruptions and overall economic and financial market instability, which may affect our ability to produce our products, demand for our products, our revenues and our ability to collect outstanding receivables, as well as the ability of our customers to pay for goods delivered. Such federal or state laws, regulations, orders, or other governmental or regulatory actions addressing the COVID-19 pandemic could ultimately have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
During the quarter ended June 30, 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and responses to the outbreak, certain of our customers slowed or delayed purchases of our co-packing services or pour over coffee products, and we have experienced delays in the submission and approval of custom artwork and packaging as well as the shipment to us of coffee for co-packing; however, we do not believe this had a material effect on our business or results of operations. The COVID-19 crisis may also have an adverse impact on our business and financial results that we are not currently able to fully determine or quantify. The COVID-19 crisis may adversely affect the ability of our customers to pay for goods delivered on a timely basis, or at all. Any increase in the amount or deterioration in the collectability of accounts receivable will adversely affect our cash flows and results of operations, requiring an increased level of working capital. If general economic conditions continue to deteriorate or remain uncertain for an extended period of time, our liquidity may be harmed and the trading price of our common stock could decline significantly. We may also be subject to lawsuits from employees and others exposed to COVID-19 at our facilities. Such actions may involve large demands, as well as substantial defense costs. Our professional and general liability insurance may not cover all claims against us.
We have a sales office in Japan and a manufacturing and sales office in Korea, and we source our manufacturing equipment and filters from East Asian companies. The continued spread of COVID-19 and implementation of restrictive measures may adversely affect our operations in North America and Asia and our business generally, depending on the extent of its spread of the virus, the rate of infection, the severity of illness and the probability of lethality, the relative effect on various portions of the population (such as the aged), the effect on international trade and commerce and on foreign and domestic travel generally of any measures taken to combat the virus, any action taken (such as the lowering of interest rates) by government entities to combat the negative macroeconomic effects of these measures, the timing and availability of any vaccine for the virus, and other factors. If such circumstances continue to deteriorate, our production capabilities and demand for our products may decline, which would have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
| S-5 |
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the information incorporated by reference into this prospectus contain forward-looking statements concerning our business, operations and financial performance and condition, as well as our plans, objectives and expectations for our business operations and financial performance and condition, which are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. In some cases, you can identify these statements by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expects,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” or the negative of these terms or other comparable expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes, although not all forward-looking statements contain these terms.
These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus include, but are not limited to, statements about:
| ● | our plans to obtain funding for our operations, including funding necessary to develop, manufacture and commercialize our products candidates; | |
| ● | our ability to negotiate or renegotiate the terms of our agreements with manufacturers of packing machinery; | |
| ● | the impact to our business from the COVID-19 global crisis; | |
| ● | the evolving coffee preferences of North American coffee consumers; | |
| ● | the size and growth of the markets for our products and services; | |
| ● | our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy; | |
| ● | our ability to compete with companies producing similar beverage products; | |
| ● | our expectation that our existing capital resources will not be sufficient to fund our operations for our operations for at least the next 12 months; | |
| ● | regulatory developments in the U.S. and in non-U.S. countries; | |
| ● | our ability to retain key management personnel; | |
| ● | the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our products and technology; | |
| ● | the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; | |
| ● | our ability to develop and maintain our corporate infrastructure, including our internal controls; | |
| ● | our ability to develop innovative new products; | |
| ● | our financial performance; and | |
| ● | our anticipated amount of proceeds that will be generated from this offering and use of the net proceeds from this offering. |
In addition, you should refer to the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein for a discussion of other important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this prospectus will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, if the forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
You should read this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein completely and with the understanding that our actual results may differ materially from what we expect as expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. In light of the significant risks and uncertainties to which our forward-looking statements are subject, you should not place undue reliance on or regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified timeframe, or at all. We discuss many of these risks in greater detail in the documents incorporated by reference herein, including under the heading “Risk Factors.” These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the dates of this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our securities.
| S-6 |
We may issue and sell shares of our common stock having aggregate sales proceeds of up to $50.0 million from time to time. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. The amount of proceeds from this offering will depend upon the number of shares of our common stock sold and the market price at which they are sold. There can be no assurance that we will be able to sell any shares under or fully utilize the Sales Agreement with B. Riley and The Benchmark Company as a source of financing.
We will retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of our securities offered hereby. We currently intend to use the net proceeds, if any, from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.
The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures will depend on numerous factors, as well as the amount of cash used in our operations. We therefore cannot estimate with certainty the amount of net proceeds to be used for the purposes described above. As a result, our management will have broad discretion in applying the net proceeds from this offering. We may find it necessary or advisable to use the net proceeds for other purposes, and we will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds. Pending the uses described above, we plan to invest the net proceeds from this offering in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities.
| S-7 |
We have not paid dividends on any of our classes of capital stock to date and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on shares of our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. Any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on a number of factors, including future earnings, capital requirements, financial conditions, future prospects, contractual restrictions and covenants and other factors that our Board of Directors may deem relevant.
| S-8 |
If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the price per share you pay in this offering and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after the closing of this offering.
Net tangible book value per share is our net tangible book value divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2020. Our net tangible book value as of June 30, 2020 was $6,790,580, or $0.47 per share, based on 14,429,421 shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2020.
After giving effect to the sale and issuance by us of the shares of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $50.0 million in this offering at the assumed public offering price of $20.00 per share, which was the closing sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on August 28, 2020, and the receipt and application of the net proceeds, and after deducting estimated discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2020 would have been approximately $54,090,580, or $3.20 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in as adjusted net tangible book value of $2.73 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $16.80 per share to new investors purchasing our common stock in this offering.
The following table illustrates this per share dilution:
| Assumed public offering price per share | $ | 20.00 | ||||||
| Net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2020 | $ | 0.47 | ||||||
| Increase per share attributable to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering | $ | 2.73 | ||||||
| As adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering | $ | 3.20 | ||||||
| Dilution per share to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering | $ |
| 16.80 |
The shares sold in this offering, if any, will be sold from time to time at various prices. An increase of $1.00 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $20.00 per share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $50.0 million is sold at that price, would increase our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering to $3.22 per share and would increase the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors to $17.78 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us. A decrease of $1.00 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $20.00 per share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $50.0 million is sold at that price, would cause our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering to be $3.17 per share and would decrease the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors to $15.83 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us. This information is supplied for illustrative purposes only.
To the extent that outstanding options or warrants are exercised, investors purchasing our common stock in this offering will experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
The table and discussion above are based on 14,429,421 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2020, and excludes the following:
| ● | 1,725,000 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of June 30, 2020, with a weighted-average exercise price of $6.07 per share; | |
| ● | 1,606,665 shares of our common stock reserved for future grant or issuance under the NuZee, Inc. 2013 Plan; | |
| ● | 3,333,334 shares of our common stock reserved for future grant or issuance under the NuZee, Inc. 2019 Plan; and | |
| ● | 40,250 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants as of June 30, 2020 having an exercise price of $9.00 per share. |
To the extent that any outstanding options are exercised, new investors will experience further dilution.
| S-9 |
We have entered into the Sales Agreement with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (f/k/a B. Riley FBR, Inc.) and The Benchmark Company, each an Agent and, collectively, the Agents, under which we may issue and sell shares of our common stock, through each of the Agents as agent, having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $50,000,000 from time to time. Sales of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus may be made by any method that is deemed an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act. We may instruct the Agents not to sell common stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us from time to time. We or the Agents may suspend the offering of common stock upon notice and subject to other conditions.
The Agents will offer our common stock subject to the terms and conditions of the Sales Agreement as agreed upon by us and the Agents. Each time we wish to issue and sell common stock under the Sales Agreement, we will notify the Agents of the number or dollar value of shares to be issued, the time period during which such sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of shares that may be sold in one day, any minimum price below which sales may not be made and other sales parameters as we deem appropriate. Once we have so instructed the Agent, unless the Agent declines to accept the terms of the notice, each Agent has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such shares up to the amount specified on such terms. The obligations of the Agents under the Sales Agreement to sell our common stock are subject to a number of conditions that we must meet.
We will pay each Agent a commission for its services in acting as agent in the sale of common stock at a commission rate of 5.0% of the gross sales price per share sold. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. We have also agreed to reimburse the Agents for certain specified expenses, including the fees and disbursements of its legal counsel in an amount not to exceed $50,000 and up to $2,500 per calendar quarter so long as the Sales Agreement remains effective and sales of shares thereunder have not been suspended. We estimate that the total expenses for the offering, excluding commissions and reimbursements payable to the Agents under the terms of the Sales Agreement, will be approximately $200,000.
Settlement for sales of common stock will generally occur on the second business day following the date on which any sales are made, or on some other date that is agreed upon by us and the applicable Agent in connection with a particular transaction, in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.
In connection with the sale of the common stock on our behalf, each Agent will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of each Agent will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to each Agent against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
The offering of our common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all of our common stock subject to the Sales Agreement, or (ii) termination of the Sales Agreement as provided therein.
Each Agent and certain of its affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and expenses for these transactions. In addition, in the ordinary course of their various business activities, each Agent and its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (which may include bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. Each Agent or its affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
| S-10 |
Certain legal matters in connection with the offering and the validity of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Polsinelli PC, Los Angeles, California. B. Riley Securities, Inc. and The Benchmark Company, LLC are being represented in connection with this offering by Morgan Lewis & Bockius, LLP, Palo Alto, California.
The consolidated financial statements of NuZee, Inc. as of September 30, 2019 and 2018 and for each of the two years in the period ended September 30, 2019, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2019, incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended September 30, 2019 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report (which includes an explanatory paragraph relating to NuZee, Inc.’s ability to continue as a going concern as described in Note 2 to the financial statements) of MaloneBailey, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
| S-11 |
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the common stock offered by this prospectus. This prospectus is part of that registration statement, but does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement or the exhibits. For further information about us, we refer you to the registration statement and to its exhibits and schedules. You may obtain the full registration statement and exhibits from the SEC or from us, as provided below.
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
Our website address is www.mynuzee.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this prospectus. We have included our website address as an inactive textual reference only.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede previously filed information as applicable. Any statement contained in a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies or replaces that statement. Since information that we later file with the SEC will update and supersede previously incorporated information, you should look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any documents previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus our documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, between the date of this prospectus and the termination of the offering of the securities described in this prospectus (in each case, other than information deemed furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules, including pursuant to Items 2.02 and 7.01 of Form 8-K or corresponding information furnished under Item 9.01 or included in a furnished exhibit, except as stated specifically below):
| ● | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, filed on Form 10-K/A with the SEC on December 31, 2019; | |
| ● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 10, 2020; | |
| ● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on May 7, 2020; | |
| ● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2020, filed with the SEC on August 6, 2020; | |
| ● | our Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on October 15, 2019, October 28, 2019, January 15, 2020, June 19, 2020, June 23, 2020, July 10, 2020 and August 28, 2020; and | |
| ● | the description of our common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on June 17, 2020, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
We also incorporate by reference into this prospectus all reports and other documents we may file pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus until we sell all of the shares covered by this prospectus or the sale of shares by us pursuant to this prospectus is terminated, other than any portion of the respective filings that are furnished, rather than filed, under the applicable SEC rules. In addition, all reports and other documents we may file pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the initial registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and prior to effectiveness of such registration statement, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
Upon request, we will provide, without charge, to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this prospectus is delivered, a copy of the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus. You may request a copy of these filings, and any exhibits we have specifically incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this prospectus, at no cost by writing or telephoning us as follows:
NuZee, Inc.
1700 Capital Avenue, Suite 100
Plano,
Texas 75074
(760) 295-2408
| S-12 |
PART II
Information Not Required in Prospectus
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following is a statement of the expenses (all of which are estimated) to be incurred by us in connection with the issuance and distribution of securities registered under this registration statement:
| SEC registration fee | $ | 12,980 | ||
| Legal fees and expenses | * | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses | * | |||
| Printing fees | * | |||
| Blue Sky, qualification fees and expenses | * | |||
| Transfer agent fees and expenses | * | |||
| Trustee fees and expenses | * | |||
| Warrant agent fees and expenses | * | |||
| Miscellaneous | * | |||
| Total | $ | * |
*Not presently known. An estimate of the aggregate expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being offered will be included in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
The Company’s articles of incorporation, as amended, and second amended and restated bylaws provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Nevada, any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, trustee, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing indemnification obligation includes, without limitation, claims for monetary damages against an indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted under Chapter 78 of the Nevada Revised Statutes as in existence on the date hereof.
The indemnification provided shall be from and against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgment, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such indemnified person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such indemnified person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such indemnified person’s conduct was unlawful.
In the case of any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such indemnified person is or was a director, trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, trustee, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which the indemnified person shall have been adjudged to be liable for gross negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of such indemnified person’s duty to the Company unless, and only to the extent that, the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite circumstances of the case, such indemnified person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as such court shall deem proper.
The termination of any action or suit by judgment or settlement shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company.
| II-1 |
To the extent that indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Company has been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable. If a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Company of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Company in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by any of the Company’s directors, officers or controlling persons in connection with the securities being registered, the Company will, unless in the opinion of counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by the Company is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of that issue.
Item 16. Exhibits
Exhibit Number |
Description | |
| 1.1 | Form of Underwriting Agreement* | |
| 1.2 | ||
| 3.1 | ||
| 3.2 | ||
| 3.3 | ||
| 3.4 | ||
| 4.1 | Form of Certificate of Designations of Preferred Stock* | |
| 4.2 | ||
| 4.3 | Form of Debt Security* | |
| 4.4 | Form of Warrant Agreement and Certificate* | |
| 4.5 | Form of Unit Agreement and Certificate* | |
| 4.6 | Form of Subscription Rights Agreement and Certificate* | |
| 5.1 | ||
| 21.1 | ||
| 23.1 | ||
| 23.2 |
| II-2 |
| 24.1 | Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto) | |
| 25.1 | Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of the Trustee under the Indenture** | |
|
* |
To be filed, if necessary, either by amendment to the Registration Statement or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein. | |
| ** | To be filed, if necessary, in accordance with the requirements of Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. |
Item 17. Undertakings
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”);
(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement; and
(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) that are incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the Registration Statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
| II-3 |
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (the “Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act.
| II-4 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Plano, State of Texas, on the 1st day of September, 2020.
| NUZEE, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Masateru Higashida | |
| Name: | Masateru Higashida | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer), | |
| President, Secretary, Treasurer and Director | ||
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Masateru Higashida and Shanoop Kothari, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and any registration statement relating to the offering covered by this registration statement and filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities Exchange Commission, under the Securities Act of 1933, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on September 1, 2020.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Masateru Higashida | Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer), President, Secretary, Treasurer and Director |
September 1, 2020 | ||
| Masateru Higashida | ||||
|
/s/ Shanoop Kothari |
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer), Chief Operating Officer and Director | September 1, 2020 | ||
| Shanoop Kothari | ||||
| /s/ Kevin J. Conner | Director | September 1, 2020 | ||
| Kevin J. Conner | ||||
|
/s/ J. Chris Jones |
Director |
September 1, 2020 | ||
| J. Chris Jones | ||||
|
/s/ Allen S. Morton |
Director | September 1, 2020 | ||
| Allen S. Morton |
EXHIBIT 1.2
NuZee, Inc.
Common Stock
(par value $0.00001 per share)
At Market Issuance Sales Agreement
September 1, 2020
B. Riley Securities, Inc.
299 Park Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10171
Benchmark Company LLC
150 E. 58th Street, 17th floor
New York, NY 10155
Ladies and Gentlemen:
NuZee, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with B. Riley Securities, Inc. and Benchmark Company LLC (each, an “Agent” and collectively, the “Agents”) as follows:
1. Issuance and Sale of Shares. The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell through the Agents, as sales agent, shares (the “Placement Shares”); of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”); provided however, that in no event shall the Company issue or sell through the Agents such number of Placement Shares that (a) exceeds the number of shares or dollar amount of Common Stock registered on the effective Registration Statement (as defined below) pursuant to which the offering is being made or (b) exceeds the number of shares or dollar amount for which the Company has filed the ATM Prospectus (as defined below) (the lesser of (a) and (b) the “Maximum Amount”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 1 on the number or dollar amount of Placement Shares issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company and that the Agents shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The issuance and sale of Placement Shares through the Agents will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement to issue any Placement Shares.
The Company has filed or will file, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder, with the Commission, a registration statement on Form S-3, including (a) a base prospectus relating to certain securities (including the Placement Shares) to be issued from time to time by the Company, and (b) an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement prospectus (“ATM Prospectus”) specifically relating to the offer and sale of some or all of the Placement Shares to be issued from time to time by the Company in a Placement (as defined below), and which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder. The Company will furnish to the Agents, for use by the Agents, copies of the base prospectus included as part of such registration statement and the ATM Prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the Placement Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act or deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B of the Securities Act, or any subsequent registration statement on Form S-3 filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act to cover the issuance and sale of any Placement Shares or any subsequent registration statement on Form S-3 filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act for the issuance and sale of any Placement Shares, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The base prospectus and the ATM Prospectus, including all documents incorporated or deemed incorporated therein by reference to the extent such information has not been superseded or modified in accordance with Rule 412 under the Securities Act (as qualified by Rule 430B(g) of the Securities Act), included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented by any prospectus supplement, in the form in which such base prospectus, ATM Prospectus and/or prospectus supplement have most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act is herein called the “Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”).
For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include the most recent copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System, or if applicable, the Interactive Data Electronic Application system when used by the Commission (collectively, “EDGAR”).
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2. Placements. Upon effectiveness of the Registration Statement, each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell Placement Shares hereunder (each, a “Placement”), it will notify an Agent (the “Designated Agent”) by electronic mail (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) of the number of Placement Shares, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of Placement Shares that may be sold in any one day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made (a “Placement Notice”), the form of which is attached hereto as Schedule 1. The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company set forth on Schedule 3 (with a copy to each of the other individuals from the Company listed on such schedule), and shall be addressed to each of the individuals from the Designated Agent set forth on Schedule 3, as such Schedule 3 may be amended from time to time. The Placement Notice shall be effective immediately upon receipt by the Designated Agent unless and until (i) in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, the Designated Agent reasonably declines to accept the terms contained therein, (ii) the entire amount of the Placement Shares thereunder has been sold, (iii) the Company suspends or terminates the Placement Notice, which suspension and termination rights may be exercised by the Company in its sole discretion, or (iv) this Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 13. The amount of any discount, commission or other compensation to be paid by the Company to the Designated Agent in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in Schedule 2. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor the Designated Agent will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Shares unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to the Designated Agent and such Designated Agent does not decline such Placement Notice pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified therein and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of Sections 2 or 3 of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice, the terms of the Placement Notice will control. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company may not submit instructions to sell Placement Shares to more than one Agent on any single trading day.
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3. Sale of Placement Shares by the Agents. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, for the period specified in a Placement Notice, the Designated Agent will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the NASDAQ Capital Market (the “Exchange”), to sell the Placement Shares up to the amount specified in, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of, such Placement Notice. The Designated Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day (as defined below) immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Shares hereunder setting forth the number of Placement Shares sold on such day, the compensation payable by the Company to such Designated Agent pursuant to Section 2 with respect to such sales, and the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company, with an itemization of the deductions made by such Designated Agent (as set forth in Section 5(b)) from the gross proceeds that it receives from such sales. Subject to the terms of a Placement Notice, the Designated Agent may sell Placement Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no sale may be made in a privately negotiated transaction by a Designated Agent pursuant to this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Company. “Trading Day” means any day on which shares of Common Stock are purchased and sold on the Exchange.
4. Suspension of Sales. The Company or the Designated Agent may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 3, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 3), suspend any sale of Placement Shares (a “Suspension”); provided, however, that such Suspension shall not affect or impair any party’s obligations with respect to any Placement Shares sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. While a Suspension is in effect, any obligation under Sections 7(l), 7(m), and 7(n) with respect to the delivery of certificates, opinions, or comfort letters to the Agent, shall be waived. Each of the parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against any other party unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Schedule 3 hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time.
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5. Sale and Delivery to Agents; Settlement.
a. Sale of Placement Shares. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, following the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and upon the Designated Agent’s acceptance of the terms of a Placement Notice, and unless the sale of the Placement Shares described therein has been declined, suspended, or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Designated Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the Exchange to sell such Placement Shares up to the amount specified in, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of, such Placement Notice. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that the Designated Agent will be successful in selling Placement Shares and (ii) the Designated Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Shares for any reason other than a failure by such Designated Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the Exchange to sell such Placement Shares as required under this Agreement.
b. Settlement of Placement Shares. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice, settlement for sales of Placement Shares will occur on the second (2nd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). The Designated Agent shall notify the Company of each sale of such Placement Shares no later than opening day following the Trading Day that such Designated Agent sold Placement Shares. The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Shares sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by the Designated Agent, after deduction for (i) such Designated Agent’s commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof, and (ii) any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales.
c. Delivery of Placement Shares. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Shares being sold by crediting the Designated Agent’s or its designee’s account (provided that such Designated Agent shall have given the Company written notice of such designee and such designee’s account information at least one Trading Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian (“DWAC”) System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, and registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, the Designated Agent will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, the Settlement Date. Upon request by the Company, the Designated Agent will provide DWAC instructions or other instructions for delivery by other means with respect to the transfer of the Placement Shares being sold. The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver Placement Shares on a Settlement Date through no fault of the Designated Agent, then in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 11(a) hereto, it will (i) hold the Designated Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or reasonable, documented expense (including reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) and (ii) pay to such Designated Agent (without duplication) any commission, discount, or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.
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d. Limitations on Offering Size. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Placement Shares if, after giving effect to the sale of such Placement Shares, the aggregate number or dollar amount of all Placement Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the lowest of (A) the Maximum Amount, (B) the amount available for offer and sale under the currently effective Registration Statement and (C) the amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Company’s board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to the Agents in writing. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement at a price lower than the minimum price authorized from time to time by the Company’s board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to the Agents in writing.
6. Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus (including the Incorporated Documents), the Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with each Agent that as of the date of this Agreement and as of each Applicable Time (as defined below), unless such representation, warranty or agreement specifies a different date or time:
a. Registration Statement and Prospectus. The transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for and comply with the conditions for the use of Form S 3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission and will have been declared effective under the Securities Act as of each Applicable Time. The ATM Prospectus will name each Agent as the agents in the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.” The Company has not received, and has no notice of, any order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, or threatening or instituting proceedings for that purpose. The Registration Statement and the offer and sale of Placement Shares as contemplated hereby meet the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act and comply in all material respects with said Rule. Any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed, as applicable. Copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any such amendments or supplements and all documents incorporated by reference therein that were filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement have been delivered, or are available through EDGAR, to the Agents and their counsel. The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of each Settlement Date and completion of the distribution of the Placement Shares, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Placement Shares other than the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or that is required by applicable law or the listing maintenance requirements of the Exchange. The Common Stock is currently quoted on the Exchange under the trading symbol “NUZE.” The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from the Exchange to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of the Exchange. To the Company’s knowledge, it is in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements, with the exception of any “round lot holder” requirements, as to which the Company makes no representation or warranty, provided that the Company confirms that to the Company’s knowledge, no delisting proceeding has been initiated by the Exchange due solely to inability to comply with “round lot holder” requirements.
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b. No Misstatement or Omission. At each Settlement Date, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of such date, will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. The Registration Statement, when it became or becomes effective, did not, and will not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendment and supplement thereto, on the date thereof and at each Applicable Time (defined below), did not or will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement did not, and any further documents filed and incorporated by reference therein will not, when filed with the Commission, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such document or necessary to make the statements in such document, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The foregoing shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, any such document made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Company by the Agents specifically for use in the preparation thereof.
c. Conformity with Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents, when such documents were or are filed with the Commission under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or became or become effective under the Securities Act, as the case may be, conformed or will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable.
d. Financial Information. The consolidated financial statements of the Company, including the notes thereto and supporting schedules, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position and the results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and for the periods to which they apply; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved (provided that unaudited interim financial statements are subject to year-end audit adjustments that are not expected to be material in the aggregate and do not contain all footnotes required by GAAP). Except as included therein or incorporated by reference, no historical or pro forma financial statements are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus under the Securities Act or Exchange Act. The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted financial information and the related notes, if any, included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus have been properly compiled and prepared in all material respects in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. The Company does not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not described in the Registration Statement (including the exhibits thereto), and the Prospectus which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (including exhibits thereto and Incorporated Documents). All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission), if any, comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. The Company represents that it has no direct or indirect subsidiaries other than those listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Registration Statement..
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e. Conformity with EDGAR Filing. The Prospectus delivered to the Agents for use in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement will be identical to the versions of the Prospectus created to be transmitted to the Commission for filing via EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
f. Organization. The Company and any subsidiary that is listed on Exhibit 21 to the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission (each, a “Subsidiary,” collectively, the “Subsidiaries”), are, and will be, duly organized, validly existing as a corporation and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization. The Company and the Subsidiaries are duly licensed or qualified as a foreign corporation for transaction of business and in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such license or qualification, and have all corporate power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the assets, business, operations, earnings, properties, condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
g. Subsidiaries. The Company owns directly or indirectly, all of the equity interests of the Subsidiaries free and clear of any lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal or other restriction, and all the equity interests of the Subsidiaries are validly issued and are fully paid, nonassessable and free of preemptive and similar rights.
h. No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other similar agreement or instrument to which the Company or any 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 Subsidiary is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, no other party under any material contract or other agreement to which it or any Subsidiary is a party is in default in any respect thereunder where such default would have a Material Adverse Effect.
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i. No Material Adverse Effect. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has not been (i) any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) any transaction which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iii) any obligation or liability, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company or the Subsidiaries, which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iv) any material change in the capital stock (other than (A) the grant of additional stock, stock units and options under the Company’s existing equity incentive plans, (B) changes in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise or conversion of securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock outstanding on the date hereof, (C) as a result of the issuance of Placement Shares, (D) any repurchases of capital stock of the Company, (E) as described in a proxy statement filed on Schedule 14A or a Registration Statement on Form S-4, or (F) otherwise publicly announced) or outstanding long-term indebtedness of the Company or the Subsidiaries or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary, other than in each case above in the ordinary course of business or as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus (including any document incorporated by reference therein).
j. Capitalization. The issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and, other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or similar rights. The Company has an authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the dates referred to therein (other than (i) the grant of additional stock, stock units and options under the Company’s existing equity incentive plans, (ii) changes in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise or conversion of securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock outstanding on the date hereof, (iii) as a result of the issuance of Placement Shares, or (iv) any repurchases of capital stock of the Company) and such authorized capital stock conforms to the description thereof set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The description of the Common Stock in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is complete and accurate in all material respects. Except as disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as of the date referred to therein, the Company did not have outstanding any options to purchase, or any rights or warrants to subscribe for, or any securities or obligations convertible into, or exchangeable for, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any shares of capital stock or other securities.
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k. S-3 Eligibility. At the time the Registration Statement was or will be declared effective, and at the time the Company files its Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Commission after the date hereof, the Company will meet the then applicable requirements for the use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, including, but not limited to, General Instruction I.A.3 of Form S-3. Upon reasonable request by the Agents, the Company will furnish to the Agents a calculation of the Company’s public float for the sole purpose of confirming the Company’s compliance with eligibility requirements for the Form S-3. The Company is not a shell company (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) and has not been a shell company for at least 12 calendar months previously and if it has been a shell company at any time previously, has filed current Form 10 information (as defined in General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3) with the Commission at least 12 calendar months previously reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.
l. Authorization; Enforceability. The Company has corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and perform the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that (i) enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles and (ii) the indemnification and contribution provisions of Section 11 hereof may be limited by federal or state securities laws and public policy considerations in respect thereof.
m. Authorization of Placement Shares. The Placement Shares, when issued and delivered pursuant to the terms approved by the board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof, or a duly authorized executive committee, against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim (other than any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim arising from an act or omission of the Agents or a purchaser), including any statutory or contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights, and will be registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act. The Placement Shares, when issued, will conform in all material respects to the description thereof set forth in or incorporated into the Prospectus.
n. No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or any governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, and the issuance and sale by the Company of the Placement Shares as contemplated hereby, except for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications (i) as may be required under applicable state securities laws or by the by-laws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or the Exchange, including any notices that may be required by the Exchange, in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares by the Agents, (ii) as may be required under the Securities Act and (iii) as have been previously obtained by the Company.
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o. No Preferential Rights. (i) No person, as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act (each, a “Person”), has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to issue or sell to such Person any Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other securities of the Company (other than upon the exercise of options or warrants to purchase Common Stock or upon the exercise of options or other equity compensation that may be granted from time to time under the Company’s existing equity incentive plans), (ii) no Person has any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal, or any other rights (whether pursuant to a “poison pill” provision or otherwise) to purchase any Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other securities of the Company from the Company which have not been duly waived with respect to the offering contemplated hereby, (iii) no Person has the right to act as an underwriter or as a financial advisor to the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Common Stock, and (iv) no Person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to require the Company to register under the Securities Act any Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other securities of the Company, or to include any such shares or other securities in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby, whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Placement Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise, except in each case for such rights as have been waived on or prior to the date hereof.
p. Independent Public Accountant. To the knowledge of the Company, MaloneBailey LLP (the “Auditor”), whose report is filed with the Commission as part of the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Except as may otherwise be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Auditor has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act. To the Company’s knowledge, the Accountant is not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) with respect to the Company.
q. Enforceability of Agreements. To the Company’s knowledge, all agreements between the Company and third parties that are required under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the most recent annual report on Form 10-K or the Registration Statement, other than such agreements that have expired by their terms or whose termination is disclosed in documents filed by the Company on EDGAR, are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, provided that with respect to the legality of such agreements, the Company makes such representation only with respect to U.S. federal and state laws, and the Company makes no representation as to the legality under the laws of any jurisdiction outside of the United States and, to the Company’s knowledge, such agreements are enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that (i) enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles and (ii) the indemnification provisions of certain agreements may be limited by federal or state securities laws or public policy considerations in respect thereof, and except for any unenforceability that, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect..
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r. No Litigation. Except as described in all material respects in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject, (i) which would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Prospectus, or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus but are not so described.
s. Licenses and Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess or have obtained, all licenses, certificates, consents, orders, approvals, 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 and operations as currently conducted, as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (the “Permits”), except where the failure to possess, obtain or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received written notice of any proceeding relating to revocation or modification of any such Permit or has any reason to believe that such Permit will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where the failure to obtain any such renewal would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
t. No Material Defaults. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has defaulted on any installment on indebtedness for borrowed money or on any rental on one or more long-term leases, which defaults, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not filed a report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the filing of its last Annual Report on Form 10-K, indicating that it (i) has failed to pay any dividend or sinking fund installment on preferred stock or (ii) has defaulted on any installment on indebtedness for borrowed money or on any rental on one or more long-term leases, which defaults, individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
u. Certain Market Activities. Neither the Company, nor any Subsidiary, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective directors, officers or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or that has constituted or would cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Placement Shares.
v. Broker/Dealer Relationships. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary or any related entities (i) is required to register as a “broker” or “dealer” in accordance with the provisions of the Exchange Act or (ii) directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is a “person associated with a member” or “associated person of a member” (within the meaning set forth in the FINRA Manual).
w. No Reliance. The Company has not relied upon the Agents or legal counsel for the Agents for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Placement Shares.
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x. Taxes. The Company and the Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed, or have properly requested extensions thereof, and paid all taxes shown thereon through the date hereof, to the extent that such taxes have become due and are not being contested in good faith, except where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any Subsidiary which has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any federal, state or other governmental tax deficiency, penalty or assessment which has been or might be asserted or threatened against it which would have a Material Adverse Effect.
y. Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and valid title in fee simple to all items of real property and good and valid title to all personal property described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus as being owned by them that are material to the businesses of the Company or such Subsidiary, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and claims, except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries or (ii) would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. Any real property described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus as being leased by the Company and the Subsidiaries is held by them under valid, existing and enforceable leases, except those that (A) do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or the Subsidiaries or (B) would not be reasonably expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
z. Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiary own or possess adequate enforceable rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), trade names, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, Internet domain name registrations, copyrights, copyright registrations, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”), necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as conducted as of the date hereof, except to the extent that the failure to own or possess adequate rights to use such Intellectual Property would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and the Subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim of infringement or conflict which asserted Intellectual Property rights of others, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. There are no pending, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened judicial proceedings or interference proceedings challenging the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s rights in or to or the validity of the scope of any of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ patents, patent applications or proprietary information. To the Company’s knowledge, no other entity or individual has any right or claim in any of the Company’s or any of its Subsidiary’s patents, patent applications or any patent to be issued therefrom by virtue of any contract, license or other agreement entered into between such entity or individual and the Company or any Subsidiary or by any non-contractual obligation, other than by written licenses granted by the Company or any Subsidiary. The Company has not received any written notice of any claim challenging the rights of the Company or its Subsidiaries in or to any Intellectual Property owned, licensed or optioned by the Company or any Subsidiary which claim, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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aa. Compliance with Applicable Laws. The Company has not been advised, and has no reason to believe, that it and each of its Subsidiaries are not conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is conducting business, except where failure to be so in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
bb. Environmental Laws. The Company and the Subsidiaries (i) are in all material respects in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “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 respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except, in the case of any of clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) above, for any such failure to comply or failure to receive required permits, licenses, other approvals or liability as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
cc. Disclosure Controls. The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting (other than as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus). Since the date of the latest audited financial statements of the Company included in 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 (other than as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or the Incorporated Documents). The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of the Form 10-K for the fiscal year most recently ended (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its Form 10-K for the fiscal year most recently ended the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the most recent Evaluation Date. The Company shall use commercially reasonable effort to enhance and improve its disclosure control procedures to enable it to conclude that its “disclosure controls and procedures” are effective.
dd. Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Each of the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer of the Company (or each former principal executive officer of the Company and each former principal financial officer of the Company as applicable) has made all certifications required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it or furnished by it to the Commission during the past 12 months. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “principal executive officer” and “principal financial officer” shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15.
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ee. Finder’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has incurred any liability for any finder’s fees, brokerage commissions or similar payments in connection with the transactions herein contemplated, except as may otherwise exist with respect to the Agents pursuant to this Agreement.
ff. Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any Subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
gg. Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Placement Shares, will be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
hh. Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions to which the Company or the Subsidiaries are subject, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), except where the failure to be in such compliance would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
ii. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. There are no transactions, arrangements and other relationships between and/or among the Company, and/or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its affiliates and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity (each, an “Off Balance Sheet Transaction”) that would affect materially the Company’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources, including those Off Balance Sheet Transactions described in the Commission’s Statement about Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations (Release Nos. 33-8056; 34-45321; FR-61), required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which have not been described as required.
jj. Underwriter Agreements. Other than with respect to this Agreement, the Company is not a party to any agreement with an agent or underwriter for any other “at the market” or continuous equity transaction.
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kk. ERISA. To the knowledge of the Company, (i) each material employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company and the Subsidiaries has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred which would result in a material liability to the Company with respect to any such plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; and (iii) for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) equals or exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions, other than, in the case of (i), (ii) and (iii) above, as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
ll. Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) (a “Forward-Looking Statement”) contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith, as of the date of such forward looking statement.
mm. Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Placement Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
nn. Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company and the Subsidiaries reasonably believe are adequate for the conduct of their business.
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oo. No Improper Practices. (i) Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, the Subsidiaries, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any of their respective executive officers has, in the past five years, made any unlawful contributions to any candidate for any political office (or failed fully to disclose any contribution in violation of law) or made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state, municipal, or foreign office or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duty in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus; (ii) no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, the Subsidiaries or any affiliate of any of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers and stockholders of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, the Subsidiaries, on the other hand, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that is not so described; (iii) no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or the Subsidiaries or any affiliate of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders or directors of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, the Subsidiaries, on the other hand, that is required by the rules of FINRA to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that is not so described; (iv) there are no material outstanding loans or advances or material guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, the Subsidiaries to or for the benefit of any of their respective officers or directors or any of the members of the families of any of them; and (v) the Company has not offered, or caused any placement agent to offer, Common Stock to any person with the intent to influence unlawfully (A) a customer or supplier of the Company or the Subsidiaries to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or the Subsidiaries or (B) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or the Subsidiaries or any of their respective products or services, and, (vi) neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or the Subsidiaries has made any payment of funds of the Company or the Subsidiaries or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation (including, without limitation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977), which payment, receipt or retention of funds is of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
pp. Intentionally Omitted
qq. Intentionally Omitted.
rr. No Conflicts. Neither the execution of this Agreement, nor the issuance, offering or sale of the Placement Shares, nor the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated herein, nor the compliance by the Company with the terms and provisions hereof will conflict with, or will result in a breach of, any of the terms and provisions of, or has constituted or will constitute a default under, or has resulted in or will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to the terms of any contract or other agreement to which the Company may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, except (i) such conflicts, breaches or defaults as may have been waived and (ii) such conflicts, breaches and defaults that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; nor will such action result (x) in any violation of the provisions of the organizational or governing documents of the Company, or (y) to the Company’s knowledge, in any material violation of the provisions of any statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or of any court or of any federal, state or other regulatory authority or other government body having jurisdiction over the Company, except where such violation would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
ss. OFAC.
(i) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (collectively, the “Entity”) nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Entity, is a government, individual, or entity (in this paragraph (ss), “Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:
(a) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union (“EU”), Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor
(b) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions.
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(ii) The Entity will not, directly or indirectly, knowingly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(a) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(b) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(iii) The Entity represents and covenants that, except as detailed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, for the past 5 years, it has not knowingly engaged in and is not now knowingly engaged in any dealing or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
tt. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company and its Subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company and its Subsidiaries or any other person acting on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries, has, directly or indirectly, given or agreed to give any money, gift or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Company (or assist it in connection with any actual or proposed transaction) that (i) might subject the Company to any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding, (ii) if not given in the past, might have had a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) if not continued in the future, might adversely affect the assets, business, or operations of the Company. The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
uu. Intentionally Omitted.
vv. Intentionally Omitted.
ww. Intentionally Omitted
xx. Stock Transfer Taxes. On each Settlement Date, all material stock transfer or other taxes (other than income taxes) which are required to be paid by the Company in connection with the sale and transfer of the Placement Shares to be sold hereunder will be, or will have been, fully paid or provided for by the Company and all laws imposing such taxes will be or will have been fully complied with by the Company in all material respects.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Agents or to counsel for the Agents pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company, as applicable, to each Agent as to the matters set forth therein.
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7. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Agent that:
a. Registration Statement Amendments. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a prospectus relating to any Placement Shares is required to be delivered by the Agents under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”) (i) the Company will notify the Agents promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference or amendments not related to any Placement, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed and of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement, other than documents incorporated by reference, to the Registration Statement or Prospectus related to the Placement or for additional information related to the Placement, (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, within a reasonable time following an Agent’s request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, upon the advice of the Company’s legal counsel, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Shares by such Agent (provided, however, that the failure of an Agent to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agent’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and provided, further, that the only remedy the Agents shall have with respect to the failure to make such filing shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement until such amendment or supplement is filed); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares or a security convertible into the Placement Shares (other than an Incorporated Document) unless a copy thereof has been submitted to the Agents within a reasonable period of time before the filing and the Agents have not reasonably objected thereto (provided, however, that (A) the failure of the Agents to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agents’ right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and (B) the Company has no obligation to provide the Agents any advance copy of such filing or to provide the Agents an opportunity to object to such filing if the filing does not name the Agents or does not relate to the transaction herein provided; and provided, further, that the only remedy the Agents shall have with respect to the failure by the Company to obtain such consent shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to the Agents at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via EDGAR (provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, this clause (iii) shall not apply to documents the Company furnishes with the Commission under the Exchange Act); and (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act or, in the case of any document to be incorporated therein by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the Exchange Act, within the time period prescribed (the determination to file or not file any amendment or supplement with the Commission under this Section 7(a), based on the Company’s reasonable opinion or reasonable objections, shall be made exclusively by the Company).
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b. Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise the Agents, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; and it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued. The Company will advise the Agents promptly after it receives any request by the Commission for any amendments to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplements to the Prospectus or for additional information related to the offering of the Placement Shares or for additional information related to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus.
c. Delivery of Prospectus; Subsequent Changes. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will comply, in all material respect, with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as from time to time in force, and to file on or before their respective due dates all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, 15(d) or any other provision of or under the Exchange Act. If the Company has omitted any information from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the Commission pursuant to said Rule 430A and to notify the Agents promptly of all such filings. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such Prospectus Delivery Period it is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify the Designated Agent to suspend the offering of Placement Shares during such period and the Company will promptly amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; provided, however, that the Company may delay the filing of any amendment or supplement, if in the judgment of the Company, it is in the best interest of the Company.
d. Listing of Placement Shares. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Placement Shares to be listed on the Exchange and to qualify the Placement Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Agents reasonably designate and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation or dealer in securities, file a general consent to service of process, or subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
e. Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to the Agents and their counsel (at the reasonable expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that are filed with the Commission during the Prospectus Delivery Period (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), in each case as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities as the Agents may from time to time reasonably request and, at the Agents’ request, will also furnish copies of the Prospectus to each exchange or market on which sales of the Placement Shares may be made; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document (other than the Prospectus) to the Agents to the extent such document is available on EDGAR.
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f. Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 15 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement covering a 12-month period that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 of the Securities Act.
g. Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the Net Proceeds as described in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds.”
h. Notice of Other Sales. Without the prior written consent of the Agents, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock (other than the Placement Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire, Common Stock during the period beginning on the date on which any Placement Notice is delivered to an Agent hereunder and ending on the third (3rd) Trading Day immediately following the final Settlement Date with respect to Placement Shares sold pursuant to such Placement Notice (or, if the Placement Notice has been terminated or suspended prior to the sale of all Placement Shares covered by a Placement Notice, the date of such suspension or termination); and will not directly or indirectly in any other “at the market” or continuous equity transaction offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock (other than the Placement Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire, Common Stock prior to the termination of this Agreement; provided, however, that such restrictions will not apply in connection with the Company’s issuance or sale of (i) Common Stock, options to purchase Common Stock or Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, equity incentive or benefits plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan (but not Common Stock subject to a waiver to exceed plan limits in its dividend reinvestment plan) of the Company whether now in effect or hereafter implemented; (ii) Common Stock issuable upon conversion of securities or the exercise of warrants, options or other rights in effect or outstanding, and disclosed in filings by the Company available on EDGAR or otherwise in writing to the Agents, (iii) Common Stock, or securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock, offered and sold in a privately negotiated transaction to vendors, customers, strategic partners or potential strategic partners or other investors conducted in a manner so as not to be integrated with the offering of Common Stock hereby and (iv) Common Stock in connection with any acquisition, strategic investment or other similar transaction (including any joint venture, strategic alliance or partnership).
i. Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during the pendency of a Placement Notice advise the Agents promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document required to be provided to the Agents pursuant to this Agreement and applicable to the transactions contemplated by such Placement Notice.
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j. Due Diligence Cooperation. During the term of this Agreement, the Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agents or their representatives in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Agents may reasonably request.
k. Required Filings Relating to Placement of Placement Shares. The Company agrees that on such dates as the Securities Act shall require, the Company will (i) file a prospectus supplement with the Commission under the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (each and every date a filing under Rule 424(b) is made, a “Filing Date”), which prospectus supplement will set forth, within the relevant period, the amount of Placement Shares sold through each Agent, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation payable by the Company to each Agent with respect to such Placement Shares (provided that the Company may satisfy its obligations under this Section 7(k)(i) by making a filing in accordance with the Exchange Act including such information), and (ii) deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to each exchange or market on which such sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of such exchange or market.
l. Representation Dates; Certificate. Each time during the term of this Agreement that the Company:
(i) amends or supplements (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to an offering of securities other than the Placement Shares) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but not by means of incorporation of documents by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares;
(ii) files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act (including any Form 10-K/A containing amended audited financial information or a material amendment to the previously filed Form 10-K);
(iii) files its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or
(iv) files a current report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than information “furnished” pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or to provide disclosure pursuant to Item 8.01 of Form 8-K relating to the reclassification of certain properties as discontinued operations in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144) under the Exchange Act;
(Each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a “Representation Date.”)
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the Company shall furnish the Agents (but in the case of clause (iv) above only if the Agents reasonably determines that the information contained in such Form 8-K is material) with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(1). The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(l) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) upon the delivery of the first Placement Notice hereunder and (ii) if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Agents with a certificate under this Section 7(l), then before an Agent sells any Placement Shares, the Company shall provide the Agents with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(1), dated the date of the Placement Notice.
m. Legal Opinion. On or prior to the date of the first Placement Notice given hereunder the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agents a written opinion and a negative assurance letter of Polsinelli PC (“Company Counsel”), or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents. Thereafter, within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(l) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agents a negative assurance letter of Company Counsel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent; provided that, in lieu of such negative assurance for subsequent periodic filings under the Exchange Act, counsel may furnish the Agents with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that the Agents may rely on the negative assurance letter previously delivered under this Section 7(m) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior letter shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented as of the date of the Reliance Letter).
n. Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date of the first Placement Notice given hereunder and within five (5) Trading Days after each subsequent Representation Date, other than pursuant to Section 7(l)(iii), the Company shall cause its independent registered public accounting firm to furnish the Agents letters (the “Comfort Letters”), dated the date the Comfort Letter is delivered, which shall meet the requirements set forth in this Section 7(n). The Comfort Letter from the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm shall be in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, (i) confirming that they are an independent public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”), (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letter, the “Initial Comfort Letter”) and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letter with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letter had it been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.
o. Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or would constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of Common Stock or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase Common Stock in violation of Regulation M, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Placement Shares other than the Agents, provided, that share withholding transactions upon the exercise of options or settlement of restricted stock awards or restricted stock unit awards shall not be considered the purchase of Common Stock
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p. Investment Company Act. The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that neither it nor the Subsidiaries will be or become, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement, required to register as an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act.
q. No Offer to Sell. Neither the Agents nor the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Agents in their capacity as such) will make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any written communication (as defined in Rule 405), required to be filed with the Commission, that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy Placement Shares hereunder.
r. Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company will maintain and keep accurate books and records reflecting its assets and maintain internal accounting controls in a manner designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP and including those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, (iii) that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with management’s and the Company’s directors’ authorization, and (iv) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on its financial statements. The Company will maintain disclosure controls and procedures that comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.
8. Representations and Covenants of the Agents. Each Agent, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants that it is duly registered as a broker-dealer under FINRA, the Exchange Act and the applicable statutes and regulations of each state in which the Placement Shares will be offered and sold, except such states in which such Agent is exempt from registration or such registration is not otherwise required. Each Agent shall continue, for the term of this Agreement, to be duly registered as a broker-dealer under FINRA, the Exchange Act and the applicable statutes and regulations of each state in which the Placement Shares will be offered and sold, except such states in which it is exempt from registration or such registration is not otherwise required, during the term of this Agreement. Each Agent shall comply with all applicable law and regulations, including Regulation M and any anti-manipulation rules promulgated by the Commission, in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the issuance and sale through such Agent of the Placement Shares.
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9. Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, filing, including any fees required by the Commission, and printing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment and supplement thereto and each Free Writing Prospectus, if any, in such number as the Agents shall deem reasonably necessary, (ii) the printing and delivery to the Agents of this Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Shares, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates, if any, for the Placement Shares to the Agents, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any capital duties, stamp duties or other duties or taxes payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Shares to the Agents, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company, (v) the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agents up to $50,000 and an additional $2,500 per quarter so long as this Agreement remains in effect and the Agents perform standard quarterly due diligence with the Company, excluding any period during which a Suspension is in place pursuant to Section 4 (provided that such additional fee shall be paid upon the resumption of sale upon the ending of any Suspension); (vi) the fees and expenses of the transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock, (vii) the filing fees incident to any review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Placement Shares, and (viii) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Placement Shares on the Exchange.
10. Conditions to the Agents’ Obligations. The obligations of each Agent hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties made by the Company herein (other than those representations and warranties made as of a specified date or time), to the due performance in all material respects by the Company of its obligations hereunder, to the completion by such Agent of a due diligence review satisfactory to it in its reasonable judgment, and to the continuing reasonable satisfaction (or waiver by such Agent in its sole discretion) of the following additional conditions:
a. Registration Statement Effective. The Registration Statement shall have become effective and shall be available for the sale of all Placement Shares contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice.
b. No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than immaterial amendments or supplements to documents incorporated by reference therein) if such post effective amendments or supplements have not been made and become effective; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or receipt by the Company of notification of the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or receipt by the Company of notification of the initiation of, or a threat to initiate, any proceeding for such purpose; or (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any material Incorporated Document untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any material Incorporated Document so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, that in the case of the Prospectus or any material Incorporated Document, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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c. No Misstatement or Material Omission. Such Agent shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in such Agent’s reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in such Agent’s reasonable opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
d. Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, or disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that would reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Effect, or a downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities) by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act (a “Rating Organization”), or a public announcement by any Rating Organization that it has under surveillance or review its rating of any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities), the effect of which, in the case of any such action by a Rating Organization described above, in the reasonable judgment of the Agents (without relieving the Company of any obligation or liability it may otherwise have), is so material as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering of the Placement Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
e. Legal Opinion. Such Agent shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter, as applicable, of Company Counsel required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(m) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion and negative assurance letter are required pursuant to Section 7(m).
f. Comfort Letter. Such Agent shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant Section 7(n) on or before the date on which such delivery of such letter is required pursuant to Section 7(n).
g. Representation Certificate. Such Agent shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(l) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(l).
h. Secretary’s Certificate. On or prior to the first Representation Date, such Agent shall have received a certificate, signed on behalf of the Company by its corporate Secretary, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Agent and its counsel.
i. No Suspension. Trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended on the Exchange and the Common Stock shall not have been delisted from the Exchange.
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j. Other Materials. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(l), the Company shall have furnished to such Agent such appropriate further information, certificates and documents as such Agent may reasonably request and which are usually and customarily furnished by an issuer of securities in connection with a securities offering of the type contemplated hereby. All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof.
k. Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424.
l. Approval for Listing. The Placement Shares shall either have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to notice of issuance, or the Company shall have filed an application for listing of the Placement Shares on the Exchange at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.
m. No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred any event that would permit such Agent to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 13(a).
11. Indemnification and Contribution.
a. Company Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Agent, its partners, members, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls such Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, arising out of or based 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 arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any related Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 11(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be delayed or withheld; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees and disbursements of counsel), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above, provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made solely in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Agent expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or in any related Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
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b. Indemnification by the Agent. Each Agent agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors and officers, and each person, if any, who (i) controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with the Company against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 11(a), as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendments thereto) or in any related Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to such Agent and furnished to the Company in writing by such Agent expressly for use therein.
c. Procedure. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 11 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 11, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from (i) any liability that it might have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 11 and (ii) any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provisions of this Section 11 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other reasonable expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (1) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (2) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (3) a conflict or potential conflict of interest exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (4) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly after the indemnifying party receives a written invoice relating to fees, disbursements and other charges in reasonable detail. An indemnifying party will not, in any event, be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 11 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (1) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (2) 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.
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d. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 11 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable from the Company or an Agent, the Company and such Agent will contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than such Agent, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) to which the Company and an Agent may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and such Agent on the other hand. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and each Agent on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total Net Proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total compensation received by such Agent (before deducting expenses) from the sale of Placement Shares on behalf of the Company. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and such Agent, on the other hand, with respect to the statements or omission that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Agent, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Agents agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 11(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense, or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 11(d) shall be deemed to include, for the purpose of this Section 11(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim to the extent consistent with Section 11(c) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11(d), no Agent shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the commissions received by it under this Agreement and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 11(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, and any officers, directors, partners, employees or agents of each Agent, will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer who signed the Registration Statement and director of the Company will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 11(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify will not relieve that party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 11(d) except to the extent that the failure to so notify such other party materially prejudiced the substantive rights or defenses of the party from whom contribution is sought. Except for a settlement entered into pursuant to the last sentence of Section 11(c) hereof, no party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent if such consent is required pursuant to Section 11(c) hereof.
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12. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 11 of this Agreement and all representations and warranties of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto, or of the Agents, shall survive, as of their respective dates, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Agent, any controlling persons, or the Company (or any of their respective officers, employees, directors or controlling persons), (ii) delivery and acceptance of the Placement Shares and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.
13. Termination.
a. The Agents may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, as hereinafter specified at any time (1) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the date as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that would have a Material Adverse Effect that, in the sole judgment of the Agents, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Placement Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Placement Shares, (2) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Agents, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Placement Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Placement Shares, (3) if trading in the Common Stock has been suspended or limited by the Commission or the Exchange, or if trading generally on the Exchange has been suspended or limited, or minimum prices for trading have been fixed on the Exchange, (4) if any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market shall have occurred and be continuing, (5) if a major disruption of securities settlements or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred and be continuing, or (6) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either U.S. Federal or New York authorities. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial) and Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. If the Agents elect to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 13(a), the Agents shall provide the required notice as specified in Section 14 (Notices).
b. The Company shall have the right, by giving five (5) days’ notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial) and Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
c. The Agents shall have the right, by giving five (5) days’ notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in their sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial) and Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
d. Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 13, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Placement Shares through the Agents on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein except that the provisions of Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial) and Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
e. This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 13(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided, however, that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 9 (Payment of Expenses), Section 11 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 12 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial) and Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) shall remain in full force and effect. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Company shall not have any liability to the Agents for any discount, commission or other compensation with respect to any Placement Shares not otherwise sold by the Agents under this Agreement.
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f. Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Agents or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Shares, such Placement Shares shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
14. Notices. All notices or other communications required or permitted to be given by any party to any other party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing, unless otherwise specified, and if sent to the Agents, shall be delivered to:
B. Riley Securities, Inc.
299 Park Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10171
| Attention: | General Counsel | |
| Telephone: | (212) 457-9947 | |
| Email: | atmdesk@brileyfbr.com |
| Attention: | Seth Appel | |
| Telephone: | (212) 457-9947 | |
| Email: | sappel@brileyfbr.com |
with a copy to:
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
1400 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304
| Attention: | Albert Lung | |
| Telephone: | (650) 843-7263 | |
| Email: | albert.lung@morganlewis.com |
and if to the Company, shall be delivered to:
NuZee, Inc.
1700 Capital Avenue, Suite 100
Plano, Texas 75074
| Attention: | Masateru Higashida, Chief Executive Officer | |
| Telephone: | (760) 295-2408 | |
| Email: | masa@coffeeblenders.com |
with a copy to:
Polsinelli PC
2049 Century Park East, Suite 2900
Los Angeles, California 90067
| Attention: | Alan A. Lanis, Jr. | |
| Telephone: | (310) 203-5343 | |
| Email: | jrlanis@polsinelli.com |
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Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose. Each such notice or other communication shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally, by email, or by verifiable facsimile transmission on or before 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on a Business Day or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day, (ii) on the next Business Day after timely delivery to a nationally-recognized overnight courier and (iii) on the Business Day actually received if deposited in the U.S. mail (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). For purposes of this Agreement, “Business Day” shall mean any day on which the Exchange and commercial banks in the City of New York are open for business.
15. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and each Agent and their respective successors and the affiliates, controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 11 hereof. References to any of the parties contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the successors and permitted assigns of such party. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Neither the Company nor the Agents may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party.
16. Adjustments for Stock Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all share-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any share consolidation, stock split, stock dividend, corporate domestication or similar event effected with respect to the Placement Shares.
17. Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto and Placement Notices issued pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company and each Agent. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the parties as reflected in this Agreement.
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18. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS. SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME. THE COMPANY AND EACH AGENT 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.
19. CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND AGREES NOT TO ASSERT IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING, ANY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH COURT, THAT SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM OR THAT THE VENUE OF SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS IMPROPER. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS AND CONSENTS TO PROCESS BEING SERVED IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF (CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED) TO SUCH PARTY AT THE ADDRESS IN EFFECT FOR NOTICES TO IT UNDER THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREES THAT SUCH SERVICE SHALL CONSTITUTE GOOD AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE THEREOF. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO LIMIT IN ANY WAY ANY RIGHT TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW.
20. Use of Information. The Agents may not use any information gained in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including due diligence, to advise any party with respect to transactions not expressly approved by the Company.
21. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement by one party to the other may be made by facsimile transmission or email of a .pdf attachment.
22. Effect of Headings. The section, Schedule and Exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
23. Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Agents, and each Agent represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Placement 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 with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Agents or by the Company, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. For the purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that all free writing prospectuses, if any, listed in Exhibit 23 hereto are Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.
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24. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
a. each Agent is acting solely as agent in connection with the public offering of the Placement Shares and in connection with each transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transactions, and no fiduciary or advisory relationship between the Company or any of its respective affiliates, stockholders (or other equity holders), creditors or employees or any other party, on the one hand, and any Agent, on the other hand, has been or will be created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether or not an Agent has advised or is advising the Company on other matters, and no Agent has any obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement;
b. it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
c. no Agent has provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and it has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate;
d. it is aware that each Agent and its affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and no Agent has any obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and
e. it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against any Agent for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the sale of Placement Shares under this Agreement and agrees that no Agent shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of it or the Company, employees or creditors of Company, other than in respect of such Agent’s obligations under this Agreement and to keep information provided by the Company to such Agent and such Agent’s counsel confidential to the extent not otherwise publicly-available.
25. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below:
“Applicable Time” means (i) each Representation Date and (ii) the time of each sale of any Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Placement Shares that (1) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (2) is a “road show” that is a “written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (3) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Placement Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Securities Act.
“Rule 172,” “Rule 405,” “Rule 415,” “Rule 424,” “Rule 424(b),” “Rule 430B,” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Securities Act.
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR; all references in this Agreement to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that, pursuant to Rule 433, are not required to be filed with the Commission) shall be deemed to include the copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR; and all references in this Agreement to “supplements” to the Prospectus shall include, without limitation, any supplements, “wrappers” or similar materials prepared in connection with any offering, sale or private placement of any Placement Shares by the Agents outside of the United States.
[Remainder of the page intentionally left blank]
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and the Agents, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and the Agents.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| NUZEE, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Masateru Higashida | |
| Name: | Masateru Higashida | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer, President, Secretary and Treasurer | |
| ACCEPTED as of the date first-above written: | ||
| B. RILEY SECURITIES, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Patrice McNicoll | |
| Name: | Patrice McNicoll | |
| Title: | Co-Head of Investment Banking | |
| BENCHMARK COMPANY LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Signature Page to At Market Issuance Sales Agreement]
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SCHEDULE 1
FORM OF PLACEMENT NOTICE
| From: | NuZee, Inc. | |
| To: | [_______________] | |
| Attention: | [_______________] | |
| Subject: | At Market Issuance—Placement Notice |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement between NuZee, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), B. Riley Securities, Inc. (“B. Riley”) and Benchmark Company LLC (“Benchmark”), dated [●], 2020, the Company hereby requests that [__________] sell up to [__________] of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share, at a minimum market price of $ [_____] per share, during the time period beginning [month, day, time] and ending [month, day, time].
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SCHEDULE 2
Compensation
The Company shall pay to the Designated Agent in cash, upon each sale of Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement, an amount equal to 5.0% of the gross proceeds from each sale of Placement Shares.
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SCHEDULE 3
Notice Parties
The Company
| Masateru Higashida | masa@coffeeblenders.com |
| Shanoop Kothari | shanoop@coffeeblenders.com |
B. Riley Securities, Inc.
| Seth Appel | sappel@brileyfbr.com |
| Patrice McNicoll | pmcnicoll@brileyfbr.com |
| Scott Ammaturo | sammaturo@brileyfbr.com |
| Keith Pompliano | kpompliano@brileyfbr.com |
| with a copy to atmdesk@brileyfbr.com | |
Benchmark Company LLC
| Michael Jacobs | mjacobs@benchmarkcompany.com |
| Jamal Aboumeri | jaboumeri@benchmarkcompany.com |
| with a copy to [●] | |
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EXHIBIT 7(1)
Form of Representation Date Certificate
___________, 20___
This Representation Date Certificate (this “Certificate”) is executed and delivered in connection with Section 7(l) of the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated [●], 2020, and entered into between NuZee, Inc. (the “Company”) and B. Riley Securities, Inc. All capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Agreement.
The Company hereby certifies as follows:
1. As of the date of this Certificate (i) the Registration Statement does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading and (ii) neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (iii) no event has occurred as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein not untrue or misleading for this paragraph 1 to be true.
2. Each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in the Agreement were, when originally made, and are, as of the date of this Certificate (unless such representation or warranty specifies a different date or time then as of such date or time), true and correct in all material respects.
3. Except as waived by the Agents in writing, each of the covenants required to be performed by the Company in the Agreement on or prior to the date of the Agreement, this Representation Date, and each such other date prior to the date hereof as set forth in the Agreement, has been duly, timely and fully performed in all material respects and each condition required to be complied with by the Company on or prior to the date of the Agreement, this Representation Date, and each such other date prior to the date hereof as set forth in the Agreement has been duly, timely and fully complied with in all material respects.
4. Subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the Prospectus, and except as described in the Prospectus, including Incorporated Documents, there has been no Material Adverse Effect.
5. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any part thereof has been issued, and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened by any securities or other governmental authority (including, without limitation, the Commission).
6. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the qualification or registration of the Placement Shares under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction are in effect and no proceeding for such purpose is pending before, or threatened, to the Company’s knowledge or in writing by, any securities or other governmental authority (including, without limitation, the Commission).
The undersigned has executed this Representation Date Certificate as of the date first written above.
| NUZEE, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
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EXHIBIT 23
Permitted Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses
[TBD].
EXHIBIT 4.2
NUZEE, INC.
INDENTURE
Dated as of
, 20
DEBT SECURITIES
Trustee
INDENTURE dated as of , 20 , among NuZee, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and , as trustee (the “Trustee”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance of debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness (the “Securities”) in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued from time to time in one or more series as provided in this Indenture; and
WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
That, in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof for the equal and proportionate benefit of all of the present and future Holders of the Securities, each party agrees and covenants as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;
(b) all terms used herein without definition which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein; and
(c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
(d) References to “Article” or “Section” or other subdivision herein are references to an Article, Section or other subdivision of the Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires.
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Section 1.01 Definitions.
(a) Unless otherwise defined in this Indenture or the context otherwise requires, all terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Trust Indenture Act.
(b) Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms defined in this Section 1.01(b) shall for all purposes of this Indenture have the meanings hereinafter set forth, the following definitions to be equally applicable to both the singular and the plural forms of any of the terms herein defined:
Affiliate:
The term “Affiliate,” with respect to any specified Person shall mean any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
Authenticating Agent:
The term “Authenticating Agent” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 11.09.
Board of Directors:
The term “Board of Directors” shall mean either the board of directors of the Company or the executive or any other committee of that board duly authorized to act in respect hereof.
Board Resolution:
The term “Board Resolution” shall mean a copy of a resolution or resolutions certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors (or by a committee of the Board of Directors to the extent that any such other committee has been authorized by the Board of Directors to establish or approve the matters contemplated) and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification and delivered to the Trustee.
Business Day:
The term “Business Day,” when used with respect to any Place of Payment or any other particular location referred to in this Indenture or in the Securities, shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in that Place of Payment or other location are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
Capital Stock:
The term “Capital Stock” shall mean:
(a) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock;
(b) in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;
(c) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership interests (whether general or limited) or membership interests; and
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(d) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing Person, but excluding from all of the foregoing any debt securities convertible into Capital Stock, whether or not such debt securities include any right of participation with Capital Stock.
Code:
The term “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as in effect on the date hereof.
Company:
The term “Company” shall mean the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.
Company Order:
The term “Company Order” shall mean a written order signed in the name of the Company by the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, any Vice President, Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, Controller, Assistant Controller, Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.
Corporate Trust Office:
The term “Corporate Trust Office,” or other similar term, shall mean the principal office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office at the date hereof is located at , or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust officer of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).
Currency:
The term “Currency” shall mean U.S. Dollars or Foreign Currency.
Default:
The term “Default” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 11.03.
Defaulted Interest:
The term “Defaulted Interest” shall have the same meaning assigned to it in Section 3.08(b).
Depositary:
The term “Depositary” shall mean, with respect to the Securities of any series issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the Person designated as Depositary by the Company pursuant to Section 3.01 until a successor Depositary shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Depositary” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Depositary hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Securities of any such series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Securities of that series.
Designated Currency:
The term “Designated Currency” shall have the same meaning assigned to it in Section 3.12.
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Discharged:
The term “Discharged” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 12.03.
Event of Default:
The term “Event of Default” shall have the meaning specified in Section 7.01.
Exchange Act:
The term “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Exchange Rate:
The term “Exchange Rate” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 7.01.
Floating Rate Security:
The term “Floating Rate Security” shall mean a Security that provides for the payment of interest at a variable rate determined periodically by reference to an interest rate index specified pursuant to Section 3.01.
Foreign Currency:
The term “Foreign Currency” shall mean a currency issued by the government of any country other than the United States or a composite currency, the value of which is determined by reference to the values of the currencies of any group of countries.
GAAP:
The term “GAAP,” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder, shall mean generally accepted accounting principles in effect in the United States as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation, those set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession.
Global Security:
The term “Global Security” shall mean any Security that evidences all or part of a series of Securities, issued in fully-registered form to the Depositary for such series in accordance with Section 3.03 and bearing the legend prescribed in Section 3.03(g).
Holder; Holder of Securities:
The terms “Holder” and “Holder of Securities” are defined under “Securityholder; Holder of Securities; Holder.”
Indebtedness:
The term “Indebtedness” shall mean any and all obligations of a Person for money borrowed which, in accordance with GAAP, would be reflected on the balance sheet of such Person as a liability on the date as of which Indebtedness is to be determined.
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Indenture:
The term “Indenture” or “this Indenture” shall mean this instrument and all indentures supplemental hereto.
Interest:
The term “interest” shall mean, with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security that by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, interest payable after Maturity.
Interest Payment Date:
The term “Interest Payment Date” shall mean, with respect to any Security, the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment:
The term “Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 5.01.
Maturity:
The term “Maturity,” with respect to any Security, shall mean the date on which the principal of such Security shall become due and payable as therein and herein provided, whether by declaration, call for redemption or otherwise.
Members:
The term “Members” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.03(i).
Notice of Default:
The term “Notice of Default” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 7.01.
Officer’s Certificate:
The term “Officer’s Certificate” shall mean a certificate signed by any of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, any Vice President, Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, Controller, Assistant Controller, Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 16.01 if and to the extent required by the provisions of such Section.
Opinion of Counsel:
The term “Opinion of Counsel” shall mean an opinion in writing signed by legal counsel, who may be an employee of or of counsel to the Company, or may be other counsel that meets the requirements provided for in Section 16.01.
Optional Sinking Fund Payment:
The term “Optional Sinking Fund Payment” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 5.01.
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Original Issue Discount Security:
The term “Original Issue Discount Security” shall mean any Security that is issued with “original issue discount” within the meaning of Section 1273(a) of the Code and the regulations thereunder and any other Security designated by the Company as issued with original issue discount for United States federal income tax purposes.
Outstanding:
The term “Outstanding,” when used with respect to Securities means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(a) Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(b) Securities or portions thereof for which payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities or Securities as to which the Company’s obligations have been Discharged; provided, however, that if such Securities or portions thereof are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made; and
(c) Securities that have been paid pursuant to Section 3.07(b) or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a protected purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company; provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Securities of a series Outstanding have performed any action hereunder, Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of such series or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such action, only Securities of such series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor. In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of a series have performed any action hereunder, the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purpose shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 7.02 and the principal amount of a Security denominated in a Foreign Currency that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purpose shall be the amount calculated pursuant to Section 3.11(b).
Paying Agent:
The term “Paying Agent” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 6.02(a).
Person:
The term “Person” shall mean an individual, a corporation, a limited liability company, a partnership, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, an unincorporated organization or a government or an agency or political subdivision thereof.
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Place of Payment:
The term “Place of Payment” shall mean, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, the place or places where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of that series are payable as specified pursuant to Section 3.01.
Predecessor Security:
The term “Predecessor Security” shall mean, with respect to any Security, every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security, and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.07 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.
Record Date:
The term “Record Date” shall mean, with respect to any interest payable on any Security on any Interest Payment Date, the close of business on any date specified in such Security for the payment of interest pursuant to Section 3.01.
Redemption Date:
The term “Redemption Date” shall mean, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, in whole or in part, the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture and the terms of such Security, which, in the case of a Floating Rate Security, unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01, shall be an Interest Payment Date only.
Redemption Price:
The term “Redemption Price,” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, in whole or in part, shall mean the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to the terms of the Security and this Indenture.
Register:
The term “Register” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.05(a).
Registrar:
The term “Registrar” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.05(a).
Responsible Officers:
The term “Responsible Officers” of the Trustee hereunder shall mean any Vice President, any Assistant Vice President, any Trust Officer, any Assistant Trust Officer or any other officer associated with the corporate trust department of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers, and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer of the Trustee to whom such matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
SEC:
The term “SEC” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as constituted from time to time.
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Securities Act:
The term “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Security; Securities:
The term “Security” or “Securities” shall have the meaning stated in the recitals and shall more particularly mean one or more of the Securities duly authenticated by the Trustee and delivered pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture.
Security Custodian:
The term “Security Custodian” shall mean the custodian with respect to any Global Security appointed by the Depositary, or any successor Person thereto, and shall initially be the Paying Agent.
Securityholder; Holder of Securities; Holder:
The term “Securityholder” or “Holder of Securities” or “Holder,” shall mean the Person in whose name Securities shall be registered in the Register kept for that purpose hereunder.
Senior Indebtedness:
The term “Senior Indebtedness” means the principal of (and premium, if any) and unpaid interest on (x) Indebtedness of the Company, whether outstanding on the date hereof or thereafter created, incurred, assumed or guaranteed, for money borrowed other than (a) any Indebtedness of the Company which when incurred, and without respect to any election under Section 1111(b) of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, was without recourse to the Company, (b) any Indebtedness of the Company to any of its Subsidiaries, (c) Indebtedness to any employee of the Company, (d) any liability for taxes, (e) Trade Payables and (f) any Indebtedness of the Company which is expressly subordinate in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Company, and (y) renewals, extensions, modifications and refundings of any such Indebtedness. For purposes of the foregoing and the definition of “Senior Indebtedness,” the phrase “subordinated in right of payment” means debt subordination only and not lien subordination, and accordingly, (i) unsecured indebtedness shall not be deemed to be subordinated in right of payment to secured indebtedness merely by virtue of the fact that it is unsecured, and (ii) junior liens, second liens and other contractual arrangements that provide for priorities among Holders of the same or different issues of indebtedness with respect to any collateral or the proceeds of collateral shall not constitute subordination in right of payment. This definition may be modified or superseded by a supplemental indenture.
Special Record Date:
The term “Special Record Date” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.08(b)(i).
Stated Maturity:
The term “Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of interest thereon, shall mean the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal (or any portion thereof) of or premium, if any, on such Security or such installment of interest is due and payable.
Subsidiary:
The term “Subsidiary,” when used with respect to any Person, shall mean:
(a) any corporation, limited liability company, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or stockholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees of the corporation, association or other business entity is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and
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(b) any partnership (i) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (ii) the only general partners of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof).
Successor Company:
The term “Successor Company” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.06(i).
Trade Payables:
The term “Trade Payables” means accounts payable or any other Indebtedness or monetary obligations to trade creditors created or assumed by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in the ordinary course of business (including guarantees thereof or instruments evidencing such liabilities).
Trust Indenture Act; TIA:
The term “Trust Indenture Act” or “TIA” shall mean the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
Trustee:
The term “Trustee” shall mean the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Trustee shall have become such with respect to one or more series of Securities pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that series.
U.S. Dollars:
The term “U.S. Dollars” shall mean such currency of the United States as at the time of payment shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.
U.S. Government Obligations:
The term “U.S. Government Obligations” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 12.03.
United States:
The term “United States” shall mean the United States of America (including the States and the District of Columbia), its territories and its possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction.
ARTICLE II
FORMS OF SECURITIES
Section 2.01 Terms of the Securities.
(a) The Securities of each series shall be substantially in the form set forth in a Company Order or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, and shall have such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange on which any series of the Securities may be listed or of any automated quotation system on which any such series may be quoted, or to conform to usage, all as determined by the officers executing such Securities as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
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(b) The terms and provisions of the Securities shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture, and, to the extent applicable, the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.
Section 2.02 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.
(a) Only such of the Securities as shall bear thereon a certificate substantially in the form of the Trustee’s certificate of authentication hereinafter recited, executed by the Trustee by manual signature, shall be valid or become obligatory for any purpose or entitle the Holder thereof to any right or benefit under this Indenture.
(b) Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication, except that any Global Security shall be dated as of the date specified as contemplated in Section 3.01.
(c) The form of the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by the Securities shall be substantially as follows:
TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| Date of Authentication:__________ | __________________________________, as Trustee | |
| By: | ||
| Authorized Signatory | ||
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Section 2.03 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication by an Authenticating Agent. If at any time there shall be an Authenticating Agent appointed with respect to any series of Securities, then the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication by such Authenticating Agent to be borne by Securities of each such series shall be substantially as follows:
TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Securities issued referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| Date of Authentication:__________ | ____________________________________, as Trustee | |
| By: | ||
| as Authenticating Agent | ||
| By: | ||
| Authorized Signatory | ||
ARTICLE III
THE DEBT SECURITIES
Section 3.01 Amount; Issuable in Series. The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be set forth in a Company Order or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:
(a) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of such series from the Securities of all other series, except to the extent that additional Securities of an existing series are being issued);
(b) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of such series pursuant to Section 3.04, 3.06, 3.07, 4.06, or 14.05);
(c) the dates on which or periods during which the Securities of the series may be issued, and the dates on, or the range of dates within, which the principal of and premium, if any, on the Securities of such series are or may be payable or the method by which such date or dates shall be determined or extended;
(d) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, or the method by which such rate or rates shall be determined, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, or the method by which such date or dates shall be determined, the Interest Payment Dates on which any such interest shall be payable, and the Record Dates for the determination of Holders to whom interest is payable on such Interest Payment Dates or the method by which such date or dates shall be determined, the right, if any, to extend or defer interest payments and the duration of such extension or deferral;
(e) if other than U.S. Dollars, the Currency in which Securities of the series shall be denominated or in which payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of the series shall be payable and any other terms concerning such payment;
(f) if the amount of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of the series may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method including, but not limited to, an index based on a Currency or Currencies other than that in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;
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(g) if the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on Securities of the series are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in a Currency other than that in which the Securities are denominated or stated to be payable without such election, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made and the time and the manner of determining the exchange rate between the Currency in which the Securities are denominated or payable without such election and the Currency in which the Securities are to be paid if such election is made;
(h) the place or places, if any, in addition to or instead of the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee where the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on Securities of the series shall be payable, and where Securities of any series may be presented for registration of transfer, exchange or conversion, and the place or places where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such series may be made;
(i) the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which or the date or dates on which, and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company, if the Company is to have that option;
(j) the obligation or right, if any, of the Company to redeem, purchase or repay Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund, amortization or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which or the date or dates on which, the Currency or Currencies in which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(k) if other than denominations of $1,000 or any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which Securities of the series shall be issuable;
(l) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 7.02;
(m) whether the Securities of the series are to be issued as Original Issue Discount Securities and the amount of discount with which such Securities may be issued;
(n) provisions, if any, for the defeasance of Securities of the series in whole or in part and any addition or change in the provisions related to satisfaction and discharge;
(o) whether the Securities of the series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities and the terms and conditions, if any, upon which interests in such Global Security or Securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented thereby;
(p) the date as of which any Global Security of the series shall be dated if other than the original issuance of the first Security of the series to be issued;
(q) the form of the Securities of the series;
(r) if the Securities of the series are to be convertible into or exchangeable for any securities or property of any Person (including the Company), the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, and any additions or changes, if any, to permit or facilitate such conversion or exchange;
(s) whether the Securities of such series are subject to subordination and the terms of such subordination;
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(t) any restriction or condition on the transferability of the Securities of such series;
(u) any addition or change in the provisions related to compensation and reimbursement of the Trustee which applies to Securities of such series;
(v) any addition or change in the provisions related to supplemental indentures set forth in Sections 14.04 and 14.02 which applies to Securities of such series;
(w) provisions, if any, granting special rights to Holders upon the occurrence of specified events;
(x) any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 7.02 and any addition or change in the provisions set forth in Article VII which applies to Securities of the series;
(y) any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Article VI which applies to Securities of the series; and
(z) any other terms of the Securities of such series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by Section 14.01).
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical, except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided herein or set forth in a Company Order or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto.
Section 3.02 Denominations. In the absence of any specification pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable only as Securities in denominations of any integral multiple of $1,000, and shall be payable only in U.S. Dollars.
Section 3.03 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
(a) The Securities shall be executed in the name and on behalf of the Company by the manual or facsimile signature of its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, one of its Vice Presidents or Treasurer. If the Person whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated and delivered, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.
(b) At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities and, if required pursuant to Section 3.01, a supplemental indenture or Company Order setting forth the terms of the Securities of a series. The Trustee shall thereupon authenticate and deliver such Securities without any further action by the Company. The Company Order shall specify the amount of Securities to be authenticated and the date on which the original issue of Securities is to be authenticated.
(c) In authenticating the first Securities of any series and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities the Trustee shall receive, and (subject to Section 11.02) shall be fully protected in relying upon an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each prepared in accordance with Section 16.01 stating that the conditions precedent, if any, provided for in the Indenture have been complied with.
(d) The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver the Securities under this Section 3.03 if the issue of the Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
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(e) Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication, except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to the Securities of such series.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.01 and of this Section 3.03, if all of the Securities of any series are not to be originally issued at the same time, then the documents required to be delivered pursuant to this Section 3.03 must be delivered only once prior to the authentication and delivery of the first Security of such series;
(g) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 3.01 that the Securities of a series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver one or more Global Securities that (i) shall represent an aggregate amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series to be represented by such Global Securities, (ii) shall be registered, if in registered form, in the name of the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities or the nominee of such Depositary, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to such Depositary or pursuant to such Depositary’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect:
“Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented hereby, this Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary.”
The aggregate principal amount of each Global Security may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Security Custodian, as provided in this Indenture.
(h) Each Depositary designated pursuant to Section 3.01 for a Global Security in registered form must, at the time of its designation and at all times while it serves as such Depositary, be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and any other applicable statute or regulation.
(i) Members of, or participants in, the Depositary (“Members”) shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depositary or by the Security Custodian under such Global Security, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Registrar and any of their agents as the absolute owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent or the Registrar or any of their agents from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its Members, the operation of customary practices of the Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of an owner of a beneficial interest in any Global Security. The Holder of a Global Security may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including Members and Persons that may hold interests through Members, to take any action that a Holder is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities.
(j) No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in one of the forms provided for herein duly executed by the Trustee or by an Authenticating Agent by manual or facsimile signature of an authorized signatory of the Trustee, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
Section 3.04 Temporary Securities.
(a) Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities that are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise reproduced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, in registered form and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Securities. Any such temporary Security may be in global form, representing all or a portion of the Outstanding Securities of such series. Every such temporary Security shall be executed by the Company and shall be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with the same effect, as the definitive Security or Securities in lieu of which it is issued.
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(b) If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of such series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of such series upon surrender of such temporary Securities at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for such series, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of the same series of authorized denominations and of like tenor. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series.
(c) Upon any exchange of a portion of a temporary Global Security for a definitive Global Security or for the individual Securities represented thereby pursuant to this Section 3.04 or Section 3.06, the temporary Global Security shall be endorsed by the Trustee to reflect the reduction of the principal amount evidenced thereby, whereupon the principal amount of such temporary Global Security shall be reduced for all purposes by the amount so exchanged and endorsed.
Section 3.05 Registrar.
(a) The Company will keep, at an office or agency to be maintained by it in a Place of Payment where Securities may be presented for registration or presented and surrendered for registration of transfer or of exchange, and where Securities of any series that are convertible or exchangeable may be surrendered for conversion or exchange, as applicable (the “Registrar”), a security register for the registration and the registration of transfer or of exchange of the Securities (the registers maintained in such office and in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Register”), as in this Indenture provided, which Register shall at all reasonable times be open for inspection by the Trustee. Such Register shall be in written form or in any other form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable time. The Company may have one or more co-Registrars; the term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar.
(b) The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar or co-Registrar not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such agent. The Company shall notify the Trustee of the name and address of each such agent. If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar for any series, the Trustee shall act as such and shall be entitled to appropriate compensation therefor pursuant to Section 11.01. The Company or any Affiliate thereof may act as Registrar, co-Registrar or transfer agent.
(c) The Company hereby appoints the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office as Registrar in connection with the Securities and this Indenture, until such time as another Person is appointed as such.
Section 3.06 Transfer and Exchange.
(a) Transfer.
(i) Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any series at the Registrar the Company shall execute, and the Trustee or any Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee, one or more new Securities of the same series for like aggregate principal amount of any authorized denomination or denominations. The transfer of any Security shall not be valid as against the Company or the Trustee unless registered at the Registrar at the request of the Holder, or at the request of his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing.
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(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented thereby, a Global Security representing all or a portion of the Securities of a series may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary for such series to a nominee of such Depositary or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by such Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary for such series or a nominee of such successor Depositary.
(b) Exchange.
(i) At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series (other than a Global Security, except as set forth below) may be exchanged for other Securities of the same series for like aggregate principal amount of any authorized denomination or denominations, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at the Registrar.
(ii) Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities that the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
(c) Exchange of Global Securities for Individual Securities. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in Global Securities will not be entitled to receive individual Securities.
(i) Individual Securities shall be issued to all owners of beneficial interests in a Global Security in exchange for such interests if: (A) at any time the Depositary for the Securities of a series notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for the Securities of such series or if at any time the Depositary for the Securities of such series shall no longer be eligible under Section 3.03(h) and, in each case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of such notice, or (B) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee and the Registrar an Officer’s Certificate stating that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable.
In connection with the exchange of an entire Global Security for individual Securities pursuant to this subsection (c), such Global Security shall be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities of such series, will authenticate and deliver to each beneficial owner identified by the Depositary in exchange for its beneficial interest in such Global Security, an equal aggregate principal amount of individual Securities of authorized denominations.
(ii) The owner of a beneficial interest in a Global Security will be entitled to receive an individual Security in exchange for such interest if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing. Upon receipt by the Security Custodian and Registrar of instructions from the Holder of a Global Security directing the Security Custodian and Registrar to (x) issue one or more individual Securities in the amounts specified to the owner of a beneficial interest in such Global Security and (y) debit or cause to be debited an equivalent amount of beneficial interest in such Global Security, subject to the rules and regulations of the Depositary:
(A) the Security Custodian and Registrar shall notify the Company and the Trustee of such instructions, identifying the owner and amount of such beneficial interest in such Global Security;
(B) the Company shall promptly execute and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities of such series, shall authenticate and deliver to such beneficial owner individual Securities in an equivalent amount to such beneficial interest in such Global Security; and
(C) the Security Custodian and Registrar shall decrease such Global Security by such amount in accordance with the foregoing. In the event that the individual Securities are not issued to each such beneficial owner promptly after the Registrar has received a request from the Holder of a Global Security to issue such individual Securities, the Company expressly acknowledges, with respect to the right of any Holder to pursue a remedy pursuant to Section 7.07 hereof, the right of any beneficial Holder of Securities to pursue such remedy with respect to the portion of the Global Security that represents such beneficial Holder’s Securities as if such individual Securities had been issued.
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(iii) If specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to a series of Securities, the Depositary for such series of Securities may surrender a Global Security for such series of Securities in exchange in whole or in part for individual Securities of such series on such terms as are acceptable to the Company and such Depositary. Thereupon, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, without service charge,
(A) to each Person specified by such Depositary a new individual Security or Securities of the same series, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Person in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for such Person’s beneficial interest in the Global Security; and
(B) to such Depositary a new Global Security in a denomination equal to the difference, if any, between the principal amount of the surrendered Global Security and the aggregate principal amount of individual Securities delivered to Holders thereof.
(iv) In any exchange provided for in clauses (i) through (iii), the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver individual Securities in registered form in authorized denominations.
(v) Upon the exchange in full of a Global Security for individual Securities, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Individual Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security pursuant to this Section shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Global Security, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.
(d) All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be valid obligations of the Company evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered for such registration of transfer or exchange.
(e) Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer, or for exchange or payment shall (if so required by the Company, the Trustee or the Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee and the Registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing.
(f) No service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than those expressly provided in this Indenture to be made at the Company’s own expense or without expense or charge to the Holders.
(g) The Company shall not be required to (i) register, transfer or exchange Securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the transmission of a notice of redemption of Securities of such series selected for redemption under Section 4.03 and ending at the close of business on the day of such transmission, or (ii) register, transfer or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
(h) Prior to the due presentation for registration of transfer or exchange of any Security, the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar, any co-Registrar or any of their agents may deem and treat the Person in whose name a Security is registered as the absolute owner of such Security (whether or not such Security shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon) for all purposes whatsoever, and none of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar, any co-Registrar or any of their agents shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
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(i) In case a successor Company (“Successor Company”) has executed an indenture supplemental hereto with the Trustee pursuant to Article XIV, any of the Securities authenticated or delivered pursuant to such transaction may, from time to time, at the request of the Successor Company, be exchanged for other Securities executed in the name of the Successor Company with such changes in phraseology and form as may be appropriate, but otherwise identical to the Securities surrendered for such exchange and of like principal amount; and the Trustee, upon Company Order of the Successor Company, shall authenticate and deliver Securities as specified in such order for the purpose of such exchange. If Securities shall at any time be authenticated and delivered in any new name of a Successor Company pursuant to this Section 3.06 in exchange or substitution for or upon registration of transfer of any Securities, such Successor Company, at the option of the Holders but without expense to them, shall provide for the exchange of all Securities at the time Outstanding for Securities authenticated and delivered in such new name.
(j) Each Holder of a Security agrees to indemnify the Company and the Trustee against any liability that may result from the transfer, exchange or assignment of such Holder’s Security in violation of any provision of this Indenture and/or applicable United States federal or state securities laws.
(k) The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Security other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.
(l) Neither the Trustee nor any agent of the Trustee shall have any responsibility for any actions taken or not taken by the Depositary.
Section 3.07 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
(a) If (i) any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office or (ii) the Company and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and there is delivered to the Company and the Trustee security or indemnity bond satisfactory to them to save each of them and any Paying Agent harmless, and neither the Company nor the Trustee receives notice that such Security has been acquired by a protected purchaser, then the Company shall execute and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for or in lieu of any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor, form, terms and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, that neither gain nor loss in interest shall result from such exchange or substitution.
(b) In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay the amount due on such Security in accordance with its terms.
(c) Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in respect thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
(d) Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.
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(e) The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 3.08 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
(a) Interest on any Security that is payable and is punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Record Date for such interest notwithstanding the cancellation of such Security upon any transfer or exchange subsequent to the Record Date. Payment of interest on Securities shall be made at the Corporate Trust Office (except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01) or, at the option of the Company, by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Register or, in accordance with arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee, by wire transfer to an account designated by the Holder.
(b) Any interest on any Security that is payable but is not punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Record Date by virtue of his, her or its having been such a Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (i) or (ii) below:
(i) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest (a “Special Record Date”), which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each such Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 calendar days and not less than 10 calendar days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 calendar days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Holders of such Securities at their addresses as they appear in the Register, not less than 10 calendar days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (ii).
(ii) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
(c) Subject to the provisions set forth herein relating to Record Dates, each Security delivered pursuant to any provision of this Indenture in exchange or substitution for, or upon registration of transfer of, any other Security shall carry all the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.
Section 3.09 Cancellation. Unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of any series, all Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or credit against any sinking fund or otherwise shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation and shall be promptly canceled by it and, if surrendered to the Trustee, shall be promptly canceled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder that the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities canceled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee shall dispose of all canceled Securities held by it in accordance with its then customary procedures and deliver a certificate of such disposal to the Company upon its request therefor. The acquisition of any Securities by the Company shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the Indebtedness represented thereby unless and until such Securities are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation.
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Section 3.10 Computation of Interest. Except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
Section 3.11 Currency of Payments in Respect of Securities.
(a) Except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of any series, payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on Securities of such series will be made in U.S. Dollars.
(b) For purposes of any provision of the Indenture in which the Holders of Outstanding Securities may perform an action that requires that a specified percentage of the Outstanding Securities of all series perform such action and for purposes of any decision or determination by the Trustee of amounts due and unpaid for the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of all series in respect of which moneys are
to be disbursed ratably, the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Outstanding Securities denominated in a Foreign Currency will be the amount in U.S. Dollars based upon exchange rates, determined as specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of such series, as of the date for determining whether the Holders entitled to perform such action have performed it or as of the date of such decision or determination by the Trustee, as the case may be.
(c) Any decision or determination to be made regarding exchange rates shall be made by an agent appointed by the Company; provided, that such agent shall accept such appointment in writing and the terms of such appointment shall, in the opinion of the Company at the time of such appointment, require such agent to make such determination by a method consistent with the method provided pursuant to Section 3.01 for the making of such decision or determination. All decisions and determinations of such agent regarding exchange rates shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Company, the Trustee and all Holders of the Securities.
Section 3.12 Judgments. The Company may provide pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of any series that (a) the obligation, if any, of the Company to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of any series in a Foreign Currency or U.S. Dollars (the “Designated Currency”) as may be specified pursuant to Section 3.01 is of the essence and agrees that, to the fullest extent possible under applicable law, judgments in respect of such Securities shall be given in the Designated Currency; (b) the obligation of the Company to make payments in the Designated Currency of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities shall, notwithstanding any payment in any other Currency (whether pursuant to a judgment or otherwise), be discharged only to the extent of the amount in the Designated Currency that the Holder receiving such payment may, in accordance with normal banking procedures, purchase with the sum paid in such other Currency (after any premium and cost of exchange) on the business day in the country of issue of the Designated Currency or in the international banking community (in the case of a composite currency) immediately following the day on which such Holder receives such payment; (c) if the amount in the Designated Currency that may be so purchased for any reason falls short of the amount originally due, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary to compensate for such shortfall; and (d) any obligation of the Company not discharged by such payment shall be due as a separate and independent obligation and, until discharged as provided herein, shall continue in full force and effect.
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Section 3.13 CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing any Securities may use CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, if then generally in use, and thereafter with respect to such series, the Trustee may use such numbers in any notice of redemption or exchange with respect to such series provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers.
ARTICLE IV
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 4.01 Applicability of Right of Redemption. Redemption of Securities (other than pursuant to a sinking fund, amortization or analogous provision) permitted by the terms of any series of Securities shall be made (except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of any series) in accordance with this Article; provided, however, that if any such terms of a series of Securities shall conflict with any provision of this Article, the terms of such series shall govern.
Section 4.02 Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.
(a) If the Company shall at any time elect to redeem all or any portion of the Securities of a series then Outstanding, it shall at least 30 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed, and thereupon the Trustee shall select, by lot or in such other manner as the Trustee shall deem appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of a portion of the principal amount of any Security of such series; provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security. In any case where more than one Security of such series is registered in the same name, the Trustee may treat the aggregate principal amount so registered as if it were represented by one Security of such series. The Trustee shall, as soon as practicable, notify the Company in writing of the Securities and portions of Securities so selected.
(b) For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Security that has been or is to be redeemed. If the Company shall so direct, Securities registered in the name of the Company, any Affiliate or any Subsidiary thereof shall not be included in the Securities selected for redemption.
Section 4.03 Notice of Redemption.
(a) Notice of redemption shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company; provided, however, that the Company makes such request at least 3 days prior to the date by which such notice of redemption must be given to Holders in accordance with this Section 4.03; provided further that, the text of such notice shall be prepared by the Company. Any such notice shall be delivered in the manner provided in Section 16.04 not less than 30 days before the Redemption Date unless the Trustee consents to a shorter period, to the Holders of Securities of any series to be redeemed in whole or in part pursuant to this Article. Any notice so given shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. Failure to give such notice, or any defect in such notice to the Holder of any Security of a series designated for redemption, in whole or in part, shall not affect the sufficiency of any notice of redemption with respect to the Holder of any other Security of such series.
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(b) All notices of redemption shall identify the Securities to be redeemed (including CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, if available) and shall state:
(i) such election by the Company to redeem Securities of such series pursuant to provisions contained in this Indenture or the terms of the Securities of such series or a supplemental indenture establishing such series, if such be the case;
(ii) the Redemption Date;
(iii) the Redemption Price;
(iv) if less than all Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the principal amounts) of the Securities of such series to be redeemed;
(v) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed, and that, if applicable, interest thereon shall cease to accrue on and after said date;
(vi) the Place or Places of Payment where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price;
(vii) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case; and
(viii) that the Securities must be surrendered to the Paying Agent for payment of the Redemption Price.
Section 4.04 Deposit of Redemption Price. On or prior to 11:00 a.m., ______time, on the Redemption Date for any Securities, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 6.03) an amount of money in the Currency in which such Securities are denominated (except as provided pursuant to Section 3.01) sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of such Securities or any portions thereof that are to be redeemed on that date.
Section 4.05 Securities Payable on Redemption Date. Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, any Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price and from and after such date (unless the Company shall Default in the payment of the Redemption Price) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price; provided, however, that (unless otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01) installments of interest that have a Stated Maturity on or prior to the Redemption Date for such Securities shall be payable according to the terms of such Securities and the provisions of Section 3.08.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal thereof and premium, if any, thereon shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.
Section 4.06 Securities Redeemed in Part. Any Security that is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at the Corporate Trust Office or such other office or agency of the Company as is specified pursuant to Section 3.01 with, if the Company, the Registrar or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Registrar and the Trustee duly executed by the Holder thereof or his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series, of like tenor and form, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered; except that if a Global Security is so surrendered, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Depositary for such Global Security, without service charge, a new Global Security in a denomination equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Global Security so surrendered. In the case of a Security providing appropriate space for such notation, at the option of the Holder thereof, the Trustee, in lieu of delivering a new Security or Securities as aforesaid, may make a notation on such Security of the payment of the redeemed portion thereof.
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ARTICLE V
SINKING FUNDS
Section 5.01 Applicability of Sinking Fund.
(a) Redemption of Securities permitted or required pursuant to a sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series by the terms of such series of Securities shall be made in accordance with such terms of such series of Securities and this Article, except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of such series, provided, however, that if any such terms of a series of Securities shall conflict with any provision of this Article, the terms of such series shall govern.
(b) The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment,” and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an “Optional Sinking Fund Payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 5.02.
Section 5.02 Mandatory Sinking Fund Obligation. The Company may, at its option, satisfy any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation, in whole or in part, with respect to a particular series of Securities by (a) delivering to the Trustee Securities of such series in transferable form theretofore purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company or redeemed at the election of the Company pursuant to Section 4.03 or (b) receiving credit for Securities of such series (not previously so credited) acquired by the Company and theretofore delivered to the Trustee. The Trustee shall credit such Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation with an amount equal to the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment shall be reduced accordingly. If the Company shall elect to so satisfy any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation, it shall deliver to the Trustee not less than 45 days prior to the relevant sinking fund payment date a written notice signed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, one of its Vice Presidents, its Treasurer or one of its Assistant Treasurers, which shall designate the Securities (and portions thereof, if any) so delivered or credited and which shall be accompanied by such Securities (to the extent not theretofore delivered) in transferable form. In case of the failure of the Company, at or before the time so required, to give such notice and deliver such Securities the Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation shall be paid entirely in moneys.
Section 5.03 Optional Redemption at Sinking Fund Redemption Price. In addition to the sinking fund requirements of Section 5.02, to the extent, if any, provided for by the terms of a particular series of Securities, the Company may, at its option, make an Optional Sinking Fund Payment with respect to such Securities. Unless otherwise provided by such terms, (a) to the extent that the right of the Company to make such Optional Sinking Fund Payment shall not be exercised in any year, it shall not be cumulative or carried forward to any subsequent year, and (b) such optional payment shall operate to reduce the amount of any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation as to Securities of the same series. If the Company intends to exercise its right to make such optional payment in any year it shall deliver to the Trustee not less than 45 days prior to the relevant sinking fund payment date a certificate signed by its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, one of its Vice Presidents, Treasurer or one of its Assistant Treasurers stating that the Company will exercise such optional right, and specifying the amount which the Company will pay on or before the next succeeding sinking fund payment date. Such certificate shall also state that no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.
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Section 5.04 Application of Sinking Fund Payment.
(a) If the sinking fund payment or payments made in funds pursuant to either Section 5.02 or 5.03 with respect to a particular series of Securities plus any unused balance of any preceding sinking fund payments made in funds with respect to such series shall exceed $50,000 (or a lesser sum if the Company shall so request, or such equivalent sum for Securities denominated other than in U.S. Dollars), it shall be applied by the Trustee on the sinking fund payment date next following the date of such payment, unless the date of such payment shall be a sinking fund payment date, in which case such payment shall be applied on such sinking fund payment date, to the redemption of Securities of such series at the redemption price specified pursuant to Section 4.03(b). The Trustee shall select, in the manner provided in Section 4.02, for redemption on such sinking fund payment date, a sufficient principal amount of Securities of such series to absorb said funds, as nearly as may be, and shall, at the expense and in the name of the Company, thereupon cause notice of redemption of the Securities to be given in substantially the manner provided in Section 4.03(a) for the redemption of Securities in part at the option of the Company, except that the notice of redemption shall also state that the Securities are being redeemed for the sinking fund. Any sinking fund moneys not so applied by the Trustee to the redemption of Securities of such series shall be added to the next sinking fund payment received in funds by the Trustee and, together with such payment, shall be applied in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5.04. Any and all sinking fund moneys held by the Trustee on the last sinking fund payment date with respect to Securities of such series, and not held for the payment or redemption of particular Securities of such series, shall be applied by the Trustee to the payment of the principal of the Securities of such series at Maturity.
(b) On or prior to each sinking fund payment date, the Company shall pay to the Trustee a sum equal to all interest accrued to but not including the date fixed for redemption on Securities to be redeemed on such sinking fund payment date pursuant to this Section 5.04.
(c) The Trustee shall not redeem any Securities of a series with sinking fund moneys or mail any notice of redemption of Securities of such series by operation of the sinking fund during the continuance of a Default in payment of interest on any Securities of such series or of any Event of Default (other than an Event of Default occurring as a consequence of this paragraph) of which the Trustee has actual knowledge, except that if the notice of redemption of any Securities of such series shall theretofore have been mailed in accordance with the provisions hereof, the Trustee shall redeem such Securities if funds sufficient for that purpose shall be deposited with the Trustee in accordance with the terms of this Article. Except as aforesaid, any moneys in the sinking fund at the time any such Default or Event of Default shall occur and any moneys thereafter paid into the sinking fund shall, during the continuance of such Default or Event of Default, be held as security for the payment of all the Securities of such series; provided, however, that in case such Default or Event of Default shall have been cured or waived as provided herein, such moneys shall thereafter be applied on the next sinking fund payment date on which such moneys are required to be applied pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5.04.
ARTICLE VI
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
The Company hereby covenants and agrees as follows:
Section 6.01 Payments of Securities. The Company will duly and punctually pay the principal of and premium, if any, on each series of Securities, and the interest which shall have accrued thereon, at the dates and place and in the manner provided in the Securities and in this Indenture.
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Section 6.02 Paying Agent.
(a) The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities, if any, an office or agency where Securities may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served (the “Paying Agent”). The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as Paying Agent to receive all presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
(b) The Company may also from time to time designate different or additional offices or agencies where the Securities of any series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes (in or outside of such Place of Payment), and may from time to time rescind any such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations described in the preceding paragraph. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such additional designation or rescission of designation and of any change in the location of any such different or additional office or agency. The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Paying Agent not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such agent. The Company shall notify the Trustee of the name and address of each such agent. The Company or any Affiliate thereof may act as Paying Agent.
Section 6.03 To Hold Payment in Trust.
(a) If the Company or an Affiliate thereof shall at any time act as Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, then, on or before the date on which the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of that series by their terms or as a result of the calling thereof for redemption shall become payable, the Company or such Affiliate will segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities or the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay such principal and premium, if any, or interest which shall have so become payable until such sums shall be paid to such Holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided, and will notify the Trustee of its action or failure to act in that regard. Upon any proceeding under any federal bankruptcy laws with respect to the Company or any Affiliate thereof, if the Company or such Affiliate is then acting as Paying Agent, the Trustee shall replace the Company or such Affiliate as Paying Agent.
(b) If the Company shall appoint, and at the time have, a Paying Agent for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any series of Securities, then prior to 11:00 a.m., ______time, on the date on which the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of that series shall become payable as aforesaid, whether by their terms or as a result of the calling thereof for redemption, the Company will deposit with such Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such principal and premium, if any, or interest, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities or the Trustee, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee), the Company or any other obligor of such Securities will promptly notify the Trustee of its payment or failure to make such payment.
(c) If the Paying Agent shall be other than the Trustee, the Company will cause such Paying Agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 6.03, that such Paying Agent shall:
(i) hold all moneys held by it for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of that series in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities until such sums shall be paid to such Holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
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(ii) give to the Trustee notice of any Default by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of that series in the making of any payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of that series; and
(iii) at any time during the continuance of any such Default, upon the written request of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.
(d) Anything in this Section 6.03 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a release, satisfaction or discharge of this Indenture or for any other reason, pay or cause to be paid to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee as required by this Section 6.03, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent.
(e) Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal and premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company upon Company Order or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust, and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment of such amounts without interest thereon, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in _________, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
Section 6.04 Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets. Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Securities:
(a) The Company will not consolidate with any other entity or accept a merger of any other entity into the Company or permit the Company to be merged into any other entity, or sell other than for cash or lease all or substantially all its assets to another entity, or purchase all or substantially all the assets of another entity, unless (i) either the Company shall be the continuing entity, or (ii) the successor, transferee or lessee entity (if other than the Company) shall expressly assume, by indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered by such entity prior to or simultaneously with such consolidation, merger, sale or lease, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest and premium, if any, on all the Securities, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and observance of all other obligations to the Holders and the Trustee under this Indenture or under the Securities to be performed or observed by the Company. A purchase by a Subsidiary of all or substantially all of the assets of another entity shall not be deemed to be a purchase of such assets by the Company.
(b) Upon any consolidation with or merger into any other entity, or any sale other than for cash, or any conveyance or lease of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with this Section 6.04, the successor entity formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which the Company is sold or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor entity had been named as the Company herein, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor Company shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities, and from time to time such entity may exercise each and every right and power of the Company under this Indenture, in the name of the Company, or in its own name; and any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture required or permitted to be done by the Board of Directors or any officer of the Company may be done with like force and effect by the like board or officer of any entity that shall at the time be the successor of the Company hereunder. In the event of any such sale or conveyance, but not any such lease, the Company (or any successor entity which shall theretofore have become such in the manner described in this Section 6.04) shall be discharged from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities and may thereupon be dissolved and liquidated.
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Section 6.05 Compliance Certificate. Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Securities, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee annually, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a brief certificate from the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Operating Officer, Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer, any Vice President or Treasurer as to his or her knowledge of the Company’s compliance with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture (which compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under this Indenture) and, in the event of any Default, specifying each such Default and the nature and status thereof of which such person may have knowledge. Such certificates need not comply with Section 16.01 of this Indenture.
Section 6.06 Conditional Waiver by Holders of Securities. Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may fail or omit in any particular instance to comply with a covenant or condition set forth herein with respect to any series of Securities if the Company shall have obtained and filed with the Trustee, prior to the time of such failure or omission, evidence (as provided in Article VIII) of the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series at the time Outstanding, either waiving such compliance in such instance or generally waiving compliance with such covenant or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such covenant or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, or impair any right consequent thereon and, until such waiver shall have become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such covenant or condition shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 6.07 Statement by Officers as to Default. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee as soon as possible and in any event within 30 days after the Company becomes aware of the occurrence of any Event of Default or an event which, with the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default, an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the details of such Event of Default or Default and the action which the Company proposes to take with respect thereto.
ARTICLE VII
REMEDIES OF TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
Section 7.01 Events of Default. Except where otherwise indicated by the context or where the term is otherwise defined for a specific purpose, the term “Event of Default” as used in this Indenture with respect to Securities of any series shall mean one of the following described events unless it is either inapplicable to a particular series or it is specifically deleted or modified in the manner contemplated in Section 3.01:
(a) the failure of the Company to pay any installment of interest on any Security of such series when and as the same shall become payable, which failure shall have continued unremedied for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by the Company in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose;
(b) the failure of the Company to pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Security of such series, when and as the same shall become payable, whether at Maturity as therein expressed, by call for redemption (otherwise than pursuant to a sinking fund), by declaration as authorized by this Indenture or otherwise;
(c) the failure of the Company to pay a sinking fund installment, if any, when and as the same shall become payable by the terms of a Security of such series, which failure shall have continued unremedied for a period of 30 days;
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(d) the failure of the Company, subject to the provisions of Section 6.06, to perform any covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture (including any indenture supplemental hereto pursuant to which the Securities of such series were issued as contemplated by Section 3.01) (other than a covenant or agreement which has been expressly included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of a series of Securities other than that series and other than a covenant or agreement a default in the performance of which is elsewhere in this Section 7.01 specifically addressed), which failure shall not have been remedied, or without provision deemed to be adequate for the remedying thereof having been made, for a period of 90 days after written notice shall have been given to the Company by the Trustee or shall have been given to the Company and the Trustee by Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series then
Outstanding, specifying such failure, requiring the Company to remedy the same and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder;
(e) the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case under the federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee or sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company or of substantially all the property of the Company or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days;
(f) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case under the federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or the consent by the Company to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law, or the consent by the Company to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian or sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company or of substantially all the property of the Company or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Company in furtherance of any action; or
(g) the occurrence of any other Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series as provided in Section 3.01;
provided, however, that no event described in clause (d) or (other than with respect to a payment default) (g) above shall constitute an Event of Default hereunder until a Responsible Officer assigned to and working in the Trustee’s corporate trust department has actual knowledge thereof or until a written notice of any such event is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office, and such notice refers to the facts underlying such event, the Securities generally, the Company and the Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.01, if the principal or any premium or interest on any Security is payable in a Currency other than the Currency of the United States and such Currency is not available to the Company for making payment thereof due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond the control of the Company, the Company will be entitled to satisfy its obligations to Holders of the Securities by making such payment in the Currency of the United States in an amount equal to the Currency of the United States equivalent of the amount payable in such other Currency, as determined by the Company by reference to the noon buying rate in _________ for cable transfers for such Currency (“Exchange Rate”), as such Exchange Rate is reported or otherwise made available by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the date of such payment, or, if such rate is not then available, on the basis of the most recently available Exchange Rate. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.01, any payment made under such circumstances in the Currency of the United States where the required payment is in a Currency other than the Currency of the United States will not constitute an Event of Default under this Indenture.
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Section 7.02 Acceleration; Rescission and Annulment.
(a) Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Securities, if any one or more of the above-described Events of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 7.01(e) or 7.01(f)) shall happen with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding, then, and in each and every such case, during the continuance of any such Event of Default, the Trustee or the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding may declare the principal (or, if the Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of and all accrued but unpaid interest on all the Securities of such series then Outstanding to be due and payable immediately by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 7.01(e) or 7.01(f) occurs and is continuing, then in every such case, the principal amount of all of the Securities of that series then Outstanding shall automatically, and without any declaration or any other action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, become due and payable immediately. Upon payment of such amounts in the Currency in which such Securities are denominated (subject to Section 7.01 and except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01), all obligations of the Company in respect of the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities of such series shall terminate.
(b) The provisions of Section 7.02(a), however, are subject to the condition that, at any time after the principal of all the Securities of such series, to which any one or more of the above-described Events of Default is applicable, shall have been so declared to be due and payable, and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter provided in this Article, the Event of Default giving rise to such declaration of acceleration shall, without further act, be deemed to have been waived, and such declaration and its consequences shall, without further act, be deemed to have been rescinded and annulled, if:
(i) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee or Paying Agent a sum in the Currency in which such Securities are denominated (subject to Section 7.01 and except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01) sufficient to pay
(A) all amounts owing the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a) (provided, however, that all sums payable under this clause (A) shall be paid in U.S. Dollars);
(B) all arrears of interest, if any, upon all the Securities of such series (with interest, to the extent that interest thereon shall be legally enforceable, on any overdue installment of interest at the rate borne by such Securities at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities); and
(C) the principal of and premium, if any, on any Securities of such series that have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon; and
(ii) every other Default and Event of Default with respect to Securities of that series, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities of that series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, has been cured or waived as provided in Section 7.06.
(c) No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
(d) For all purposes under this Indenture, if a portion of the principal of any Original Issue Discount Securities shall have been accelerated and declared due and payable pursuant to the provisions hereof, then, from and after such declaration, unless such declaration has been rescinded and annulled, the principal amount of such Original Issue Discount Securities shall be deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to be such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, and payment of such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, together with interest, if any, thereon and all other amounts owing thereunder, shall constitute payment in full of such Original Issue Discount Securities.
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Section 7.03 Other Remedies. If the Company shall fail for a period of 30 days to pay any installment of interest on the Securities of any series or shall fail to pay the principal of and premium, if any, on any of the Securities of such series when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at Maturity, or by call for redemption (other than pursuant to the sinking fund), by declaration as authorized by this Indenture, or otherwise, or shall fail for a period of 30 days to make any required sinking fund payment as to a series of Securities, then, upon demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay to the Paying Agent for the benefit of the Holders of Securities of such series then Outstanding the whole amount which then shall have become due and payable on all the Securities of such series, with interest on the overdue principal and premium, if any, and (so far as the same may be legally enforceable) on the overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by the Securities of such series, and all amounts owing the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a).
In case the Company shall fail forthwith to pay such amounts upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceeding at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of such series, and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of such series, wherever situated, in the manner provided by law. Every recovery of judgment in any such action or other proceeding, subject to the payment to the Trustee of all amounts owing the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a), shall be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of such series of Securities which shall be the subject of such action or proceeding. All rights of action upon or under any of the Securities or this Indenture may be enforced by the Trustee without the
possession of any of the Securities and without the production of any thereof at any trial or any proceeding relative thereto.
Section 7.04 Trustee as Attorney-in-Fact. The Trustee is hereby appointed, and each and every Holder of the Securities, by receiving and holding the same, shall be conclusively deemed to have appointed the Trustee, the true and lawful attorney-in-fact of such Holder, with authority to make or file (whether or not the Company shall be in Default in respect of the payment of the principal of, or interest on, any of the Securities), in its own name and as trustee of an express trust or otherwise as it shall deem advisable, in any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or to their respective creditors or property, any and all claims, proofs of claim, proofs of debt, petitions, consents, other papers and documents and amendments of any thereof, as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder and of the Holders of the Securities allowed in any such proceeding and to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claim, and to execute and deliver any and all other papers and documents and to do and perform any and all other acts and things, as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to enforce in any such proceeding any of the claims of the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder and of any of such Holders in respect of any of the Securities; and any receiver, assignee, trustee, custodian or debtor in any such proceeding is hereby authorized, and each and every taker or Holder of the Securities, by receiving and holding the same, shall be conclusively deemed to have authorized any such receiver, assignee, trustee, custodian or debtor, to make any such payment or delivery only to or on the order of the Trustee, and to pay to the Trustee any amount due it and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a); provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or empower the Trustee to consent to or accept or adopt, on behalf of any Holder of Securities, any plan of reorganization or readjustment affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize or empower the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder of any Securities in any such proceeding.
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Section 7.05 Priorities. Any moneys or properties collected by the Trustee with respect to a series of Securities under this Article VII shall be applied in the order following, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee for the distribution of such moneys or properties and, in the case of the distribution of such moneys or properties on account of the Securities of any series, upon presentation of the Securities of such series, and stamping thereon the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof, if fully paid:
First: To the payment of all amounts due to the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a).
Second: In case the principal of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall not have become due and be unpaid, to the payment of interest on the Securities of such series, in the chronological order of the Maturity of the installments of such interest, with interest (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon the overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by such Securities, such payments to be made ratably to the Persons entitled thereto.
Third: In case the principal of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall have become due, by declaration or otherwise, to the payment of the whole amount then owing and unpaid upon the Securities of such series for principal and premium, if any, and interest, with interest on the overdue principal and premium, if any, and (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by the Securities of such series, and in case such moneys shall be insufficient to pay in full the whole amounts so due and unpaid upon the Securities of such series, then to the payment of such principal and premium, if any, and interest without preference or priority of principal and premium, if any, over interest, or of interest over principal and premium, if any, or of any installment of interest over any other installment of interest, or of any Security of such series over any other Security of such series, ratably to the aggregate of such principal and premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest.
Any surplus then remaining shall be paid to the Company or as directed by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Section 7.06 Control by Securityholders; Waiver of Past Defaults. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time outstanding may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee hereunder, or of exercising any trust or power hereby conferred upon the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series, provided, however, that, subject to the provisions of Sections 11.01 and 11.02, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee being advised by counsel determines in good faith that the action so directed may not lawfully be taken or would be unduly prejudicial to Holders not joining in such direction or would involve the Trustee in personal liability. Prior to any declaration accelerating the Maturity of the Securities of any series, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such series of Securities at the time Outstanding may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Securities of such series waive any past Default or Event of Default hereunder and its consequences except a Default in the payment of interest or any premium on or the principal of the Securities of such series. Upon any such waiver the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities of such series shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon. Whenever any Default or Event of Default hereunder shall have been waived as permitted by this Section 7.06, said Default or Event of Default shall for all purposes of the Securities of such series and this Indenture be deemed to have been cured and to be not continuing.
Section 7.07 Limitation on Suits. No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to institute any action, suit or proceeding at law or in equity for the execution of any trust hereunder or for the appointment of a receiver or for any other remedy hereunder, in each case with respect to an Event of Default with respect to such series of Securities, unless such Holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of one or more of the Events of Default herein specified with respect to such series of Securities, and unless also the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding shall have requested the Trustee in writing to take action in respect of the matter complained of, and unless also there shall have been offered to the Trustee security and indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred therein or thereby, and the Trustee, for 60 days after receipt of such notification, request and offer of indemnity, shall have neglected or refused to institute any such action, suit or proceeding; and such notification, request and offer of indemnity are hereby declared in every such case to be conditions precedent to any such action, suit or proceeding by any Holder of any Security of such series; it being understood and intended that no one or more of the Holders of Securities of such series shall have any right in any manner whatsoever by his, her, its or their action to enforce any right hereunder, except in the manner herein provided, and that every action, suit or proceeding at law or in equity shall be instituted, had and maintained in the manner herein provided and for the equal benefit of all Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such series; provided, however, that nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities of such series shall affect or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of such series to the respective Holders of such Securities at the respective due dates in such Securities stated, or affect or impair the right, which is also absolute and unconditional, of such Holders to institute suit to enforce the payment thereof.
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Section 7.08 Undertaking for Costs. All parties to this Indenture and each Holder of any Security, by such Holder’s acceptance thereof, shall be deemed to have agreed that any court may in its discretion require, in any action, suit or proceeding for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any action, suit or proceeding against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such action, suit or proceeding of an undertaking to pay the costs of such action, suit or proceeding, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in such action, suit or proceeding, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; provided, however, that the provisions of this Section 7.08 shall not apply to any action, suit or proceeding instituted by the Trustee, to any action, suit or proceeding instituted by any one or more Holders of Securities holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Securities of any series Outstanding, or to any action, suit or proceeding instituted by any Holder of Securities of any series for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or the interest on, any of the Securities of such series, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Securities.
Section 7.09 Remedies Cumulative. No remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities of any series is intended to be exclusive of any other remedy or remedies, and each and every remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to every other remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute. No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of the Securities of any series to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Default or Event of Default shall impair any such right or power or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such Default or Event of Default or an acquiescence therein; and every power and remedy given by this Article VII to the Trustee and to the Holders of Securities of any series, respectively, may be exercised from time to time and as often as may be deemed expedient by the Trustee or by the Holders of Securities of such series, as the case may be. In case the Trustee or any Holder of Securities of any series shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this Indenture and the proceedings for the enforcement thereof shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of waiver or for any other reason or shall have been adjudicated adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder of Securities, then and in every such case the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities of such series shall severally and respectively be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, and thereafter all rights, remedies and powers of the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities of such series shall continue as though no such proceedings had been taken, except as to any matters so waived or adjudicated.
ARTICLE VIII
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
Section 8.01 Evidence of Action of Securityholders. Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the Holders of a specified percentage or a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities or of any series of Securities may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action the Holders of such specified percentage or majority have joined therein may be evidenced by (a) any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by Securityholders in person, by an agent or by a proxy appointed in writing, including through an electronic system for tabulating consents operated by the Depositary for such series or otherwise (such action becoming effective, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, when such instruments or evidence of electronic consents are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company), or (b) by the record of the Holders of Securities voting in favor thereof at any meeting of Securityholders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article IX, or (c) by a combination of such instrument or instruments and any such record of such a meeting of Securityholders.
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Section 8.02 Proof of Execution or Holding of Securities. Proof of the execution of any instrument by a Securityholder or his, her or its agent or proxy and proof of the holding by any Person of any of the Securities shall be sufficient if made in the following manner:
(a) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument may be proved (i) by the certificate of any notary public or other officer in any jurisdiction who, by the laws thereof, has power to take acknowledgments or proof of deeds to be recorded within such jurisdiction, that the Person who signed such instrument did acknowledge before such notary public or other officer the execution thereof, (ii) by the affidavit of a witness of such execution sworn to before any such notary or other officer or (iii) in such other reasonable manner acceptable to the Trustee. Where such execution is by a Person acting in other than his or her individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his or her authority.
(b) The ownership of Securities of any series shall be proved by the Register of such Securities or by a certificate of the Registrar for such series.
(c) The record of any Holders’ meeting shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 9.06.
(d) The Trustee may require such additional proof of any matter referred to in this Section 8.02 as it shall deem appropriate or necessary, so long as the request is a reasonable one.
(e) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders of Securities of any series any action, the Company may, at its option fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders of Securities entitled to take such action, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. Any such record date shall be fixed at the Company’s discretion. If such a record date is fixed, such action may be sought or given before or after the record date, but only the Holders of Securities of record at the close of business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders of Securities for the purpose of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Securities of such series have authorized or agreed or consented to such action, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities of such series shall be computed as of such record date.
Section 8.03 Persons Deemed Owners.
(a) The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Section 3.08) interest, if any, on, such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary. All payments made to any Holder, or upon his, her or its order, shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums paid, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for moneys payable upon such Security.
(b) None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in a Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
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Section 8.04 Effect of Consents. After an amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective as to any series of Securities, a consent to it by a Holder of such series of Securities is a continuing consent conclusive and binding upon such Holder and every subsequent Holder of the same Securities or portion thereof, and of any Security issued upon the transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in place thereof, even if notation of the consent is not made on any such Security. An amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective in accordance with its terms and thereafter binds every Holder.
ARTICLE IX
SECURITYHOLDERS’ MEETINGS
Section 9.01 Purposes of Meetings. A meeting of Securityholders of any or all series may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article IX for any of the following purposes:
(a) to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee, or to give any directions to the Trustee, or to consent to the waiving of any Default or Event of Default hereunder and its consequences, or to take any other action authorized to be taken by Securityholders pursuant to any of the provisions of Article VIII;
(b) to remove the Trustee and nominate a successor trustee pursuant to the provisions of Article XI;
(c) to consent to the execution of an Indenture or of indentures supplemental hereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 14.02; or
(d) to take any other action authorized to be taken by or on behalf of the Holders of any specified aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any one or more or all series, as the case may be, under any other provision of this Indenture or under applicable law.
Section 9.02 Call of Meetings by Trustee. The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of all Securityholders of all series that may be affected by the action proposed to be taken, to take any action specified in Section 9.01, to be held at such time and at such place in New York, New York or at such location otherwise specified by the Trustee. Notice of every meeting of the Securityholders of a series, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be mailed to Holders of Securities of such series at their addresses as they shall appear on the Register of the Company. Such notice shall be mailed not less than 20 nor more than 180 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
Section 9.03 Call of Meetings by Company or Securityholders. In case at any time the Company or the Holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a series (or of all series, as the case may be) then Outstanding that may be affected by the action proposed to be taken, shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of Securityholders of such series (or of all series), by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have mailed the notice of such meeting within 20 days after receipt of such request, then the Company or such Securityholders may determine the time and the place for such meeting and may call such meeting to take any action authorized in Section 9.01, by mailing notice thereof as provided in Section 9.02.
Section 9.04 Qualifications for Voting. To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Securityholders, a Person shall (a) be a Holder of one or more Securities affected by the action proposed to be taken at the meeting or (b) be a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy by a Holder of one or more such Securities. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Securityholders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel and any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.
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Section 9.05 Regulation of Meetings.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Securityholders, in regard to proof of the holding of Securities and of the appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall deem fit.
(b) The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Securityholders as provided in Section 9.03, in which case the Company or the Securityholders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chair. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by majority vote of the meeting.
(c) At any meeting of Securityholders of a series, each Securityholder of such series of such Securityholder’s proxy shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Securities of such series Outstanding held or represented by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote other than by virtue of Securities of such series held by him or her or instruments in writing as aforesaid duly designating him or her as the Person to vote on behalf of other Securityholders. At any meeting of the Securityholders duly called pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.02 or 9.03 the presence of Persons holding or representing Securities in an aggregate principal amount sufficient to take action upon the business for the transaction of which such meeting was called shall be necessary to constitute a quorum, and any such meeting may be adjourned from time to time by a majority of those present, whether or not constituting a quorum, and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice. In the absence of a quorum within 30 minutes of the time appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at the request of holders of Securities of such series, be dissolved. In any other case, the meeting may be adjourned for a period determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. In the absence of a quorum at any such adjourned meeting, such adjourned meeting may be further adjourned for a period determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such adjourned meeting. Notice of the reconvening of any adjourned meeting shall be given as provided in Section 9.02 hereof, except that such notice need be given only once and not less than five days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be reconvened.
Section 9.06 Voting. The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Securityholders of a series shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders of Securities of such series or of their representatives by proxy and the principal amounts of the Securities of such series held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in duplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record in duplicate of the proceedings of each meeting of Securityholders shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more Persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was mailed as provided in Section 9.02. The record shall show the principal amounts of the Securities voting in favor of or against any resolution. The record shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one of the duplicates shall be delivered to the Company and the other to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee.
Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.
Section 9.07 No Delay of Rights by Meeting. Nothing contained in this Article IX shall be deemed or construed to authorize or permit, by reason of any call of a meeting of Securityholders of any series or any rights expressly or impliedly conferred hereunder to make such call, any hindrance or delay in the exercise of any right or rights conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Securityholders of such series under any of the provisions of this Indenture or of the Securities of such series.
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ARTICLE X
REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE AND
SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS
Section 10.01 Reports by Trustee.
(a) So long as any Securities are outstanding, the Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided therein.
(b) The Trustee shall, at the time of the transmission to the Holders of Securities of any report pursuant to the provisions of this Section 10.01, file a copy of such report with each stock exchange upon which the Securities are listed, if any, and also with the SEC in respect of a Security listed and registered on a national securities exchange, if any. The Company agrees to notify the Trustee when, as and if the Securities become listed on any stock exchange.
The Company will reimburse the Trustee for all expenses incurred in the preparation and transmission of any report pursuant to the provisions of this Section 10.01 and of Section 10.02.
Section 10.02 Reports by the Company. The Company shall file with the Trustee and the SEC, and transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that, unless available on EDGAR, any such information, documents or reports required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act shall be filed with the Trustee within 30 days after the same is filed with the SEC; and provided further, that the filing of the reports specified in Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act by an entity that is the direct or indirect parent of the Company will satisfy the requirements of this Section 10.02 so long as such entity is an obligor or guarantor on the Securities; and provided further that the reports of such entity will not be required to include condensed consolidating financial information for the Company in a footnote to the financial statements of such entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to deliver to the Trustee any information or documents for which the Company has followed the SEC’s procedures to obtain confidential treatment or has otherwise received confidential treatment by the SEC.
Section 10.03 Securityholders’ Lists. The Company covenants and agrees that it will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:
(a) semi-annually, within 15 days after each Record Date, but in any event not less frequently than semi-annually, a list in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders of Securities to which such Record Date applies, as of such Record Date, and
(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided, however, that so long as the Trustee shall be the Registrar, such lists shall not be required to be furnished.
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ARTICLE XI
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
Section 11.01 Rights of Trustees; Compensation and Indemnity. The Trustee accepts the trusts created by this Indenture upon the terms and conditions hereof, including the following, to all of which the parties hereto and the Holders from time to time of the Securities agree:
(a) The Trustee shall be entitled to such compensation as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree in writing for all services rendered by it hereunder (including in any agent capacity in which it acts). The compensation of the Trustee shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee promptly upon its request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee (including the reasonable expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
The Company also agrees to indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee hereunder for, and to hold it harmless against, any and all loss, liability, damage, claim, or expense incurred without its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder and the performance of its duties (including in any agent capacity in which it acts), as well as the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, except those attributable to its negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section 11.01(a), the Trustee shall have a lien upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust by the Trustee to pay principal of and interest on any Securities. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Indenture to the contrary, the obligations of the Company to compensate and indemnify the Trustee under this Section 11.01(a) shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and any satisfaction and discharge under Article XII. When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in clause (e) or (f) of Section 7.01 occurs, the expenses and compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws.
(b) The Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereof and perform any duty hereunder either directly or by its agents and attorneys and shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.
(c) The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for the correctness of the recitals herein or in the Securities (except its certificates of authentication thereon) contained, all of which are made solely by the Company; and the Trustee shall not be responsible or accountable in any manner whatsoever for or with respect to the validity or execution or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities (except its certificates of authentication thereon), and the Trustee makes no representation with respect thereto, except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture, authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations hereunder and that the statements made by it in a Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 supplied to the Company are true and accurate, subject to the qualifications set forth therein. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any Securities, or the proceeds of any Securities, authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture.
(d) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection, and, to the extent permitted by Section 11.02, any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or suffered by the Trustee hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such Opinion of Counsel.
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(e) The Trustee, to the extent permitted by Section 11.02, may rely upon the certificate of the Secretary or one of the Assistant Secretaries of the Company as to the adoption of any Board Resolution or resolution of the stockholders of the Company, and any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by, and whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee may rely upon, an Officer’s Certificate of the Company (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed).
(f) Subject to Section 11.04, the Trustee or any agent of the Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 310(b) and 311 of the Trust Indenture Act, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have had if it were not the Trustee or such agent.
(g) Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed in writing with the Company.
(h) Any action taken by the Trustee pursuant to any provision hereof at the request or with the consent of any Person who at the time is the Holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding in respect of such Security upon all future Holders thereof or of any Security or Securities which may be issued for or in lieu thereof in whole or in part, whether or not such Security shall have noted thereon the fact that such request or consent had been made or given.
(i) Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, debenture or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.
(j) Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Trustee shall not be under any obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders of the Securities, pursuant to any provision of this Indenture, unless one or more of the Holders of the Securities shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred by it therein or thereby.
(k) Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within its discretion or within the rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.
(l) Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless the Holders of not less than 25% of the Outstanding Securities notify the Trustee thereof.
(m) Subject to the provisions of the first paragraph of Section 11.02, the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of Indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, may, but shall not be required to, make further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit.
(n) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder.
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Section 11.02 Duties of Trustee.
(a) If one or more of the Events of Default specified in Section 7.01 with respect to the Securities of any series shall have happened, then, during the continuance thereof, the Trustee shall, with respect to such Securities, exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and shall use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
(b) None of the provisions of this Indenture shall be construed as relieving the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent action, negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that, anything in this Indenture contained to the contrary notwithstanding,
(i) unless and until an Event of Default specified in Section 7.01 with respect to the Securities of any series shall have happened which at the time is continuing,
(A) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties with respect to the Securities of that series as are specifically set out in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee, whose duties and obligations shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture; and
(B) the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, upon certificates and opinions furnished to it pursuant to the express provisions of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions which, by the provisions of this Indenture, are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts, statements, opinions or conclusions stated therein);
(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable to any Holder of Securities or to any other Person for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable to any Holder of Securities or to any other Person with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith, in accordance with the direction of Securityholders given as provided in Section 7.06, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to it or exercising any trust or power conferred upon it by this Indenture.
(c) None of the provisions of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise to incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 11.02.
Section 11.03 Notice of Defaults. Within 90 days after the occurrence thereof, and if known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall give to the Holders of the Securities of a series notice of each Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series known to the Trustee, by transmitting such notice to Holders at their addresses as the same shall then appear on the Register of the Company, unless such Default shall have been cured or waived before the giving of such notice (the term “Default” being hereby defined to be the events specified in Section 7.01, which are, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, Events of Default as defined in said Section). Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of such series when and as the same shall become payable, or to make any sinking fund payment as to Securities of the same series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice, if and so long as a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Holders of the Securities of such series.
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Section 11.04 Eligibility; Disqualification.
(a) The Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements of TIA Section 310(a). The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition, and shall have a Corporate Trust Office. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 11.04, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.
(b) The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b); provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of TIA Section 310(b)(i) any indenture or indentures under which other securities or certificates of interest or participation in other securities of the Company are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in TIA Section 310(b)(i) are met. If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture. If Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act is amended any time after the date of this Indenture to change the circumstances under which a Trustee shall be deemed to have a conflicting interest with respect to the Securities of any series or to change any of the definitions in connection therewith, this Section 11.04 shall be automatically amended to incorporate such changes.
Section 11.05 Registration and Notice; Removal. The Trustee, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may at any time resign and be discharged of the trusts hereby created with respect to any one or more or all series of Securities by giving to the Company notice in writing. Such resignation shall take effect upon the appointment of a successor Trustee and the acceptance of such appointment by such successor Trustee. Any Trustee hereunder may be removed with respect to any series of Securities at any time by the filing with such Trustee and the delivery to the Company of an instrument or instruments in writing signed by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding, specifying such removal and the date when it shall become effective.
If at any time:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of TIA Section 310(b) after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 11.04 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or
(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation, then, in any such case, (i) the Company by written notice to the Trustee may remove the Trustee and appoint a successor Trustee with respect to all Securities, or (ii) subject to TIA Section 315(e), any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all Securities and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.
Upon its resignation or removal, any Trustee shall be entitled to the payment of reasonable compensation for the services rendered hereunder by such Trustee and to the payment of all reasonable expenses incurred hereunder and all moneys then due to it hereunder. The Trustee’s rights to indemnification provided in Section 11.01(a) shall survive its resignation or removal.
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Section 11.06 Successor Trustee by Appointment.
(a) In case at any time the Trustee shall resign, or shall be removed (unless the Trustee shall be removed as provided in Section 11.04(b), in which event the vacancy shall be filled as provided in said subdivision), or shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, or if a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed, or if any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation with respect to the Securities of one or more series, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series) may be appointed by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of that or those series then Outstanding, by an instrument or instruments in writing signed in duplicate by such Holders and filed, one original thereof with the Company and the other with the successor Trustee; but, until a successor Trustee shall have been so appointed by the Holders of Securities of that or those series as herein authorized, the Company, or, in case all or substantially all the assets of the Company shall be in the possession of one or more custodians or receivers lawfully appointed, or of trustees in bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings (including a trustee or trustees appointed under the provisions of the federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted), or of assignees for the benefit of creditors, such receivers, custodians, trustees or assignees, as the case may be, by an instrument in writing, shall appoint a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series. Subject to the provisions of Sections 11.04 and 11.05, upon the appointment as aforesaid of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series, the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series shall cease to be Trustee hereunder. After any such appointment other than by the Holders of Securities of that or those series, the Person making such appointment shall forthwith cause notice thereof to be mailed to the Holders of Securities of such series at their addresses as the same shall then appear on the Register of the Company but any successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series so appointed shall, immediately and without further act, be superseded by a successor Trustee appointed by the Holders of Securities of such series in the manner above prescribed, if such appointment be made prior to the expiration of one year from the date of the mailing of such notice by the Company, or by such receivers, trustees or assignees.
(b) If any Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall resign or be removed and a successor Trustee shall not have been appointed by the Company or by the Holders of the Securities of such series or, if any successor Trustee so appointed shall not have accepted its appointment within 30 days after such appointment shall have been made, the resigning Trustee at the expense of the Company may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee. If in any other case a successor Trustee shall not be appointed pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 11.06 within three months after such appointment might have been made hereunder, the Holder of any Security of the applicable series or any retiring Trustee at the expense of the Company may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction to appoint a successor Trustee. Such court may thereupon, in any such case, after such notice, if any, as such court may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor Trustee.
(c) Any successor Trustee appointed hereunder with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to its predecessor Trustee and to the Company, or to the receivers, trustees, assignees or court appointing it, as the case may be, an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the authority, rights, powers, trusts, immunities, duties and obligations with respect to such series of such predecessor Trustee with like effect as if originally named as Trustee hereunder, and such predecessor Trustee, upon payment of its charges and disbursements then unpaid, shall thereupon become obligated to pay over, and such successor Trustee shall be entitled to receive, all moneys and properties held by such predecessor Trustee as Trustee hereunder, subject nevertheless to its lien provided for in Section 11.01(a). Nevertheless, on the written request of the Company or of the successor Trustee or of the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding, such predecessor Trustee, upon payment of its said charges and disbursements, shall execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee upon the trusts herein expressed all the rights, powers and trusts of such predecessor Trustee and shall assign, transfer and deliver to the successor Trustee all moneys and properties held by such predecessor Trustee, subject nevertheless to its lien provided for in Section 11.01(a); and, upon request of any such successor Trustee and the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such authority, rights, powers, trusts, immunities, duties and obligations.
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Section 11.07 Successor Trustee by Merger. Any Person into which the Trustee or any successor to it in the trusts created by this Indenture shall be merged or converted, or any Person with which it or any successor to it shall be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee or any such successor to it shall be a party, or any Person to which the Trustee or any successor to it shall sell or otherwise transfer all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor Trustee under this Indenture without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that such Person shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article. In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture with respect to one or more series of Securities, any of such Securities shall have been authenticated but not delivered by the Trustee then in office, any successor to such Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee, and deliver such Securities so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor Trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have; provided, however, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee or authenticate Securities in the name of any predecessor Trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.
Section 11.08 Right to Rely on Officer’s Certificate. Subject to Section 11.02, and subject to the provisions of Section 16.01 with respect to the certificates required thereby, whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officer’s Certificate with respect thereto delivered to the Trustee, and such Officer’s Certificate, in the absence of negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.
Section 11.09 Appointment of Authenticating Agent. The Trustee may appoint an agent (the “Authenticating Agent”) reasonably acceptable to the Company to authenticate the Securities, and the Trustee shall give written notice of such appointment to all Holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve. Unless limited by the terms of such appointment, any such Authenticating Agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by the Authenticating Agent. Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder.
Each Authenticating Agent shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business and in good standing under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Article XI, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Article XI, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article XI.
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Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Article XI, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent. An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 11.09, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall give written notice of such appointment to all Holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section 11.09.
The Trustee agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section 11.09, and the Trustee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for such payments, subject to the provisions of Section 11.01.
Section 11.10 Communications by Securityholders with Other Securityholders. Holders of Securities may communicate pursuant to Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of Section 312(c) of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to such communications.
ARTICLE XII
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
Section 12.01 Applicability of Article. If, pursuant to Section 3.01, provision is made for the defeasance of Securities of a series and if the Securities of such series are denominated and payable only in U.S. Dollars (except as provided pursuant to Section 3.01), then the provisions of this Article shall be applicable except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of such series. Defeasance provisions, if any, for Securities denominated in a Foreign Currency may be specified pursuant to Section 3.01.
Section 12.02 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. This Indenture, with respect to the Securities of any series (if all series issued under this Indenture are not to be affected), shall, upon Company Order, cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of such Securities herein expressly provided for and rights to receive payments of principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities) and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when,
(a) either:
(i) all Securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (A) Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.07 and (B) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 6.03) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
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(ii) all Securities of such series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation,
(A) have become due and payable, or
(B) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or
(C) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, and the Company,
and in the case of (A), (B) or (C) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee or Paying Agent as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount in the Currency in which such Securities are denominated (except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01) sufficient to pay and discharge the entire Indebtedness on such Securities for principal and premium, if any, and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities that have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be; provided, however, in the event a petition for relief under federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, is filed with respect to the Company within 91 days after the deposit and the Trustee is required to return the moneys then on deposit with the Trustee to the Company, the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to such Securities shall not be deemed terminated or discharged;
(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to such series have been complied with. Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 11.01 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of clause (a)(i) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 12.06 and the last paragraph of Section 6.03(e) shall survive.
Section 12.03 Defeasance upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S. Government Obligations. At the Company’s option, either (a) the Company shall be deemed to have been Discharged (as defined below) from its obligations with respect to Securities of any series on the first day after the applicable conditions set forth below have been satisfied or (b) the Company shall cease to be under any obligation to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Section 6.04 with respect to Securities of any series (and, if so specified pursuant to Section 3.01, any other restrictive covenant added for the benefit of such series pursuant to Section 3.01) at any time after the applicable conditions set forth below have been satisfied:
(a) The Company shall have deposited or caused to be deposited irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of such series (i) money in an amount, or (ii) U.S. Government Obligations (as defined below) that through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii), sufficient to pay and discharge each installment of principal (including any mandatory sinking fund payments) of and premium, if any, and interest on, the Outstanding Securities of such series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and premium are due;
(b) No Default with respect to the Securities of such series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default resulting from the borrowing of funds and the grant of any related liens to be applied to such deposit); and
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(c) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders of the Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the Company’s exercise of its option under this Section and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such action had not been exercised and, in the case of the Securities of such series being Discharged accompanied by a ruling to that effect received from or published by the Internal Revenue Service.
“Discharged” means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by, and obligations under, the Securities of such series and to have satisfied all the obligations under this Indenture relating to the Securities of such series (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except (A) the rights of Holders of Securities of such series to receive, from the trust fund described in clause (a) above, payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to Securities of such series under Sections 3.04, 3.06, 3.07, 6.02 and 12.06 and (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder.
“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities that are (i) direct obligations of the United States for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States the timely of payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States, that, in either case under clauses (i) or (ii) are not callable or redeemable at the action of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depositary receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.
Section 12.04 Repayment to Company. The Trustee and any Paying Agent shall promptly pay to the Company (or to its designee) upon Company Order any excess moneys or U.S. Government Obligations held by them at any time. The provisions of the last paragraph of Section 6.03 shall apply to any money held by the Trustee or any Paying Agent under this Article that remains unclaimed for two years after the Maturity of any series of Securities for which money or U.S. Government Obligations have been deposited pursuant to Section 12.03.
Section 12.05 Indemnity for U.S. Government Obligations. The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the deposited U.S. Government Obligations or the principal or interest received on such U.S. Government Obligations.
Section 12.06 Application of Trust Money.
(a) Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, neither the Trustee nor any other paying agent shall be required to pay interest on any moneys deposited pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, except such as it shall agree with the Company in writing to pay thereon. Any moneys so deposited for the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after the date of the maturity of the Securities of such series or the date fixed for the redemption of all the Securities of such series at the time outstanding, as the case may be, shall be repaid by the Trustee or such other paying agent to the Company upon its written request and thereafter, anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, any rights of the Holders of Securities of such series in respect of which such moneys shall have been deposited shall be enforceable only against the Company, and all liability of the Trustee or such other paying agent with respect to such moneys shall thereafter cease.
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(b) Subject to the provisions of the foregoing paragraph, any moneys which at any time shall be deposited by the Company or on its behalf with the Trustee or any other paying agent for the purpose of paying the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on any of the Securities shall be and are hereby assigned, transferred and set over to the Trustee or such other paying agent in trust for the respective Holders of the Securities for the purpose for which such moneys shall have been deposited; but such moneys need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
Section 12.07 Deposits of Non-U.S. Currencies. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article, if the Securities of any series are payable in a Currency other than U.S. Dollars, the Currency or the nature of the government obligations to be deposited with the Trustee or paying agent under the foregoing provisions of this Article shall be as set forth in the Officer’s Certificate or established in the supplemental indenture under which the Securities of such series are issued.
ARTICLE XIII
IMMUNITY OF CERTAIN PERSONS
Section 13.01 No Personal Liability. No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of, or the premium, if any, or interest on, any Security or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof or of the Indebtedness represented thereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of this Indenture, against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that this Indenture and the Securities are solely corporate obligations, and that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, or be incurred by, any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any successor corporation, because of the incurring of the Indebtedness hereby authorized or under or by reason of any of the obligations, covenants, promises or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities, or to be implied herefrom or therefrom, and that all liability, if any, of that character against every such incorporator, stockholder, officer and director is, by the acceptance of the Securities and as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issue of the Securities expressly waived and released.
ARTICLE XIV
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 14.01 Without Consent of Securityholders. Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Securities, the Company and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any one or more of or all the following purposes:
(a) to add to the covenants and agreements of the Company, to be observed thereafter and during the period, if any, in such supplemental indenture or indentures expressed, and to add Events of Default, in each case for the protection or benefit of the Holders of all or any series of the Securities (and if such covenants, agreements and Events of Default are to be for the benefit of fewer than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants, agreements and Events of Default are expressly being included for the benefit of such series as shall be identified therein), or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;
(b) to delete or modify any Events of Default with respect to all or any series of the Securities, the form and terms of which are being established pursuant to such supplemental indenture as permitted in Section 3.01 (and, if any such Event of Default is applicable to fewer than all such series of the Securities, specifying the series to which such Event of Default is applicable), and to specify the rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders of such Securities in connection therewith;
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(c) to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to provide, change or eliminate any restrictions on the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on Securities; provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect;
(d) to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture; provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only when there is no Outstanding Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision and as to which such supplemental indenture would apply;
(e) to evidence the succession of another corporation to the Company, or successive successions, and the assumption by such successor of the covenants and obligations of the Company contained in the Securities of one or more series and in this Indenture or any supplemental indenture;
(f) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to one or more series of Securities and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 11.06(c);
(g) to secure any series of Securities;
(h) to evidence any changes to this Indenture pursuant to Sections 11.05, 11.06 or 11.07 hereof as permitted by the terms thereof;
(i) to cure or reform any ambiguity mistake, manifest error, omission, defect or inconsistency, or to conform the text of any provision herein or in any indenture supplemental hereto to any description thereof in the applicable section of a prospectus, prospectus supplement or other offering document that was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of this Indenture of any indenture supplemental hereto;
(j) to add to or change or eliminate any provision of this Indenture as shall be necessary or desirable in accordance with any amendments to the Trust Indenture Act;
(k) to add guarantors or co-obligors with respect to any series of Securities;
(l) to make any change in any series of Securities that does not adversely affect in any material respect the interests of the Holders of such Securities;
(m) to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to certificated securities;
(n) to supplement any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the defeasance and discharge of any series of Securities; provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of such series or any other series of Securities;
(o) to prohibit the authentication and delivery of additional series of Securities; or
(p) to establish the form and terms of Securities of any series as permitted in Section 3.01, or to authorize the issuance of additional Securities of a series previously authorized or to add to the conditions, limitations or restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issue, authentication or delivery of the Securities of any series, as herein set forth, or other conditions, limitations or restrictions thereafter to be observed.
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Subject to the provisions of Section 14.03, the Trustee is authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, to make the further agreements and stipulations which may be therein contained and to accept the conveyance, transfer, assignment, mortgage or pledge of any property or assets thereunder.
Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section 14.01 may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the Holders of any of the Securities at the time Outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 14.02.
Section 14.02 With Consent of Securityholders; Limitations.
(a) With the consent of the Holders (evidenced as provided in Article VIII) of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture voting separately, the Company and the Trustee may, from time to time and at any time, enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Securities of such series to be affected; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of each such series affected thereby,
(i) extend the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the interest thereon or any premium payable upon redemption thereof, or extend the Stated Maturity of, or change the Currency in which the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on such Security is denominated or payable, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 7.02, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or materially adversely affect the economic terms of any right to convert or exchange any Security as may be provided pursuant to Section 3.01; or
(ii) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain Defaults hereunder and their consequences provided for in this Indenture; or
(iii) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 7.06 or Section 6.06, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby; provided, however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section and Section 6.06, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 11.06 and 14.01(f); or
(iv) modify, without the written consent of the Trustee, the rights, duties or immunities of the Trustee.
(b) A supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
(c) It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders under this Section 14.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.
(d) The Company may set a record date for purposes of determining the identity of the Holders of each series of Securities entitled to give a written consent or waive compliance by the Company as authorized or permitted by this Section. Such record date shall not be more than 30 days prior to the first solicitation of such consent or waiver or the date of the most recent list of Holders furnished to the Trustee prior to such solicitation pursuant to Section 312 of the Trust Indenture Act.
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(e) Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section 14.02, the Company shall mail a notice, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture, to the Holders of Securities at their addresses as the same shall then appear in the Register of the Company. Any failure of the Company to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
Section 14.03 Trustee Protected. Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by the Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel required by Section 16.01 stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, and evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee of consent of the Holders if the supplemental indenture is to be executed pursuant to Section 14.02, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of said supplemental indenture unless said supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into said supplemental indenture. The Trustee shall be fully protected in relying upon such Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel.
Section 14.04 Effect of Execution of Supplemental Indenture. Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article XIV, this Indenture shall be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the Holders of all of the Securities or of the Securities of any series affected, as the case may be, shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.
Section 14.05 Notation on or Exchange of Securities. Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article may bear a notation in the form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company or the Trustee shall so determine, new Securities so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Board of Directors of the Company, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for the Securities then Outstanding in equal aggregate principal amounts, and such exchange shall be made without cost to the Holders of the Securities.
Section 14.06 Conformity with TIA. Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to the provisions of this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
ARTICLE XV
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
Section 15.01 Agreement to Subordinate. In the event a series of Securities is designated as subordinated pursuant to Section 3.01, and except as otherwise provided in a Company Order or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, the Company, for itself, its successors and assigns, covenants and agrees, and each Holder of Securities of such series by his, her or its acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on each and all of the Securities of such series is hereby expressly subordinated, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth, in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness. In the event a series of Securities is not designated as subordinated pursuant to Section 3.01(s), this Article XV shall have no effect upon the Securities.
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Section 15.02 Distribution on Dissolution, Liquidation and Reorganization; Subrogation of Securities. Subject to Section 15.01, upon any distribution of assets of the Company upon any dissolution, winding up, liquidation or reorganization of the Company, whether in bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or receivership proceedings or upon an assignment for the benefit of creditors or any other marshalling of the assets and liabilities of the Company or otherwise (subject to the power of a court of competent jurisdiction to make other equitable provision reflecting the rights conferred in this Indenture upon the Senior Indebtedness and the holders thereof with respect to the Securities and the holders thereof by a lawful plan of reorganization under applicable bankruptcy law):
(a) the holders of all Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive payment in full of the principal thereof (and premium, if any) and interest due thereon before the Holders of the Securities are entitled to receive any payment upon the principal (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on Indebtedness evidenced by the Securities; and
(b) any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee would be entitled except for the provisions of this Article XV shall be paid by the liquidation trustee or agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, whether a trustee in bankruptcy, a receiver or liquidating trustee or otherwise, directly to the holders of Senior Indebtedness or their representative or representatives or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture under which any instruments evidencing any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, ratably according to the aggregate amounts remaining unpaid on account of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Senior Indebtedness held or represented by each, to the extent necessary to make payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness; and
(c) in the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities prohibited by the foregoing, shall be received by the Trustee or the Holders of the Securities before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, such payment or distribution shall be paid over, upon written notice to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, to the holder of such Senior Indebtedness or his, her or its representative or representatives or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture under which any instrument evidencing any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, ratably as aforesaid, as calculated by the Company, for application to payment of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid until all such Senior Indebtedness shall have been paid in full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
(d) Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the Holders of the Securities shall be subrogated to the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness (to the extent that distributions otherwise payable to such holder have been applied to the payment of Senior Indebtedness) to receive payments or distributions of cash, property or securities of the Company applicable to Senior Indebtedness until the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities shall be paid in full and no such payments or distributions to the Holders of the Securities of cash, property or securities otherwise distributable to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall, as between the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders of the Securities be deemed to be a payment by the Company to or on account of the Securities. It is understood that the provisions of this Article XV are and are intended solely for
the purpose of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities, on the one hand, and the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, on the other hand. Nothing contained in this Article XV or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall impair, as between the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders of the Securities, the obligation of the Company, which is unconditional and absolute, to pay to the Holders of the Securities the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms, or to affect the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities and creditors of the Company other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, nor shall anything herein or in the Securities prevent the Trustee or the Holder of any Security from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article XV of the holders of Senior Indebtedness in respect of cash, property or securities of the Company received upon the exercise of any such remedy. Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in this Article XV, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 15.05, shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon a certificate of the liquidating trustee or agent or other person making any distribution to the Trustee for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereof and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article XV.
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Section 15.03 No Payment on Securities in Event of Default on Senior Indebtedness. Subject to Section 15.01, no payment by the Company on account of principal (or premium, if any), sinking funds or interest, if any, on the Securities shall be made at anytime if: (i) a default on Senior Indebtedness exists that permits the holders of such Senior Indebtedness to accelerate its maturity and (ii) the default is the subject of judicial proceedings or the Company has received notice of such default. The Company may resume payments on the Securities when full payment of amounts then due for principal (premium, if any), sinking funds and interest on Senior Indebtedness has been made or duly provided for in money or money’s worth.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment shall be received by the Trustee when such payment is prohibited by the preceding paragraph of this Section 15.03, such payment shall be held in trust for the benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered to, the holders of such Senior Indebtedness or their respective representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, as calculated by the Company, but only to the extent that the holders of such Senior Indebtedness (or their representative or representatives or a trustee) notify the Trustee in writing within 90 days of such payment of the amounts then due and owing on such Senior Indebtedness and only the amounts specified in such notice to the Trustee shall be paid to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
Section 15.04 Payments on Securities Permitted. Subject to Section 15.01, nothing contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities shall (a) affect the obligation of the Company to make, or prevent the Company from making, at any time except as provided in Sections 15.02 and 15.03, payments of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the Securities or (b) prevent the application by the Trustee of any moneys or assets deposited with it hereunder to the payment of or on account of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the Securities, unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received at its Corporate Trust Office written notice of any fact prohibiting the making of such payment from the Company or from the holder of any Senior Indebtedness or from the trustee for any such holder, together with proof satisfactory to the Trustee of such holding of Senior Indebtedness or of the authority of such trustee more than two Business Days prior to the date fixed for such payment.
Section 15.05 Authorization of Securityholders to Trustee to Effect Subordination. Subject to Section 15.01, each Holder of Securities by his acceptance thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on his, her or its behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination as provided in this Article XV and appoints the Trustee his attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.
Section 15.06 Notices to Trustee. The Company shall give prompt written notice to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee of any fact known to the Company that would prohibit the making of any payment of monies or assets to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities of any series pursuant to the provisions of this Article XV. Subject to Section 15.01, notwithstanding the provisions of this Article XV or any other provisions of this Indenture, neither the Trustee nor any Paying Agent (other than the Company) shall be charged with knowledge of the existence of any Senior Indebtedness or of any fact which would prohibit the making of any payment of moneys or assets to or by the Trustee or such Paying Agent, unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall have received (in the case of a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee) written notice thereof from the Company or from the holder of any Senior Indebtedness or from the trustee for any such holder, together with proof satisfactory to the Trustee of such holding of Senior Indebtedness or of the authority of such trustee and, prior to the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee shall be entitled in all respects conclusively to presume that no such facts exist; provided, however, that if at least two Business Days prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any such moneys or assets may become payable for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of either the principal (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Security) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall not have received with respect to such moneys or assets the notice provided for in this Section 15.06, then, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive such moneys or assets and to apply the same to the purpose for which they were received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary which may be received by it within two Business Days prior to such date. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it of a written notice by a Person representing himself to be a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of such holder) to establish that such a notice has been given by a holder of Senior Indebtedness or a trustee on behalf of any such holder. In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article XV, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Article XV and, if such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as to the right of such Person to receive such payment.
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Section 15.07 Trustee as Holder of Senior Indebtedness. Subject to Section 15.01, the Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article XV in respect of any Senior Indebtedness at any time held by it to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness and nothing in this Indenture shall be construed to deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as such holder. Nothing in this Article XV shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Sections 7.05 or 11.01.
Section 15.08 Modifications of Terms of Senior Indebtedness. Subject to Section 15.01, any renewal or extension of the time of payment of any Senior Indebtedness or the exercise by the holders of Senior Indebtedness of any of their rights under any instrument creating or evidencing Senior Indebtedness, including, without limitation, the waiver of default thereunder, may be made or done all without notice to or assent from the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee. No compromise, alteration, amendment, modification, extension, renewal or other change of, or waiver, consent or other action in respect of, any liability or obligation under or in respect of, or of any of the terms, covenants or conditions of any indenture or other instrument under which any Senior Indebtedness is outstanding or of such Senior Indebtedness, whether or not such release is in accordance with the provisions of any applicable document, shall in any way alter or affect any of the provisions of this Article XV or of the Securities relating to the subordination thereof.
Section 15.09 Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent. Subject to Section 15.01, upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in this Article XV, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon any order or decree entered by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation, reorganization, dissolution, winding up or similar case or proceeding is pending, or a certificate of the trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, custodian, receiver, assignee for the benefit of creditors, agent or other person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities, for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article XV.
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Section 15.10 Satisfaction and Discharge; Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance. Subject to Section 15.01, amounts and U.S. Government Obligations deposited in trust with the Trustee pursuant to and in accordance with Article XII and not, at the time of such deposit, prohibited to be deposited under Sections 15.02 or 15.03 shall not be subject to this Article XV.
Section 15.11 Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness. With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, the Trustee undertakes to perform or observe only such of its covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article XV, and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness. The Trustee shall not be liable to any such holder if it shall pay over or distribute to or on behalf of Holders of Securities or the Company, or any other Person, moneys or assets to which any holder of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of this Article XV or otherwise.
ARTICLE XVI
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 16.01 Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent.
(a) Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the furnishing of such document is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
(b) Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than the certificates provided pursuant to Section 6.05 of this Indenture) shall include (i) a statement that the Person giving such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; (iii) a statement that, in the view or opinion of such Person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable such Person to express an informed view or opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the view or opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
(c) Any certificate, statement or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his or her certificate, statement or opinion is based are erroneous. Any certificate, statement or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate, statement or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate, statement or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.
(d) Any certificate, statement or opinion of an officer of the Company or of counsel to the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to accounting matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an accountant or firm of accountants, unless such officer or counsel, as the case may be, knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the accounting matters upon which his or her certificate, statement or opinion may be based are erroneous. Any certificate or opinion of any firm of independent registered public accountants filed with the Trustee shall contain a statement that such firm is independent.
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(e) In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
(f) Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
Section 16.02 Trust Indenture Act Controls. If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by, or another provision included in this Indenture which is required to be included in this Indenture by any of the provisions of Sections 310 to 318, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties or incorporated provision shall control.
Section 16.03 Notices to the Company and Trustee. Any notice or demand authorized by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with, the Company or the Trustee shall be sufficiently made, given, furnished or filed for all purposes if it shall be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to:
(a) the Company, at 1700 Capital Avenue, Suite 100, Plano, Texas 75074, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, Facsimile No.: _________, or at such other address or facsimile number as may have been furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.
(b) the Trustee, at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, Attention: Trust Administrator.
Any such notice, demand or other document shall be in the English language.
Section 16.04 Notices to Securityholders; Waiver. Any notice required or permitted to be given to Securityholders shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided),
(a) if to Holders, if given in writing by first class mail, postage prepaid, to such Holders at their addresses as the same shall appear on the Register of the Company.
(b) In the event of suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give notice by mail, then such notification as shall be given with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute sufficient notice for every purpose hereunder.
(c) Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance on such waiver. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail; neither the failure to mail such notice nor any defect in any notice so mailed to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders, and any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given. In any case where notice to Holders is given by publication, any defect in any notice so published as to any particular Holder shall not affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders, and any notice that is published in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given.
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Section 16.05 Legal Holiday. Unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01, in any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Maturity of any Security of any series shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment for the Securities of that series, then payment of principal and premium, if any, or interest need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Maturity and no interest shall accrue on such payment for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Maturity, as the case may be, to such Business Day if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day.
Section 16.06 Effects of Headings and Table of Contents. The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
Section 16.07 Successors and Assigns. All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the parties hereto shall bind their respective successors and assigns and inure to the benefit of their permitted successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 16.08 Separability Clause. In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 16.09 Benefits of Indenture. Nothing in this Indenture expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or to give to, any Person or corporation other than the parties hereto and their successors and the Holders of the Securities any benefit or any
right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Indenture or any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise or agreement hereof, and all covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture contained shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and of the Holders of the Securities.
Section 16.10 Counterparts Originals. This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 16.11 Governing Law; Waiver of Trial by Jury. This Indenture and the Securities shall be deemed to be contracts made under the law of the State of New York and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of said State.
EACH PARTY HERETO, AND EACH HOLDER OF A SECURITY BY ACCEPTANCE THEREOF, HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS INDENTURE.
[signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.
| NUZEE,
INC., as Issuer | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
|
_____________________, as Trustee | |
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
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CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE (1)
| Section of Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as Amended | Section of Indenture | |
| 310(a) | 11.04(a) | |
| 310(b) | 11.04(b) | |
| 310(c) | Inapplicable | |
| 311(a) | 11.01(f) | |
| 311(b) | 11.01(f) | |
| 311(c) | Inapplicable | |
| 312(a) | 10.03(a) | |
| 10.03(b) | ||
| 312(b) | 11.10 | |
| 312(c) | 11.10 | |
| 313(a) | 10.01(a) | |
| 313(b) | 10.01(a) | |
| 313(c) | 10.01(a) | |
| 313(d) | 10.01(b) | |
| 314(a) | 6.05 | |
| 10.02 | ||
| 314(b) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(c) | 16.01(a) | |
| 16.01(d) | ||
| 314(d) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(e) | 16.01(b) | |
| 314(f) | Inapplicable | |
| 315(a) | 11.02(b) | |
| 315(b) | 11.03 | |
| 315(c) | 11.02(a) | |
| 315(d) | 11.02(b)(i) | |
| 11.02(b)(ii) | ||
| 315(e) | 7.08 | |
| 316(a) | 7.06 | |
| 316(b) | 7.07 | |
| 316(c) | 8.02(e) | |
| 317(a) | 7.03 | |
| 317(b) | 6.03 | |
| 318(a) | 16.02 |
| (1) | This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions. |
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EXHIBIT 5.1
2049 Century Park East, Suite 2900, Los Angeles, California 90067 ● 310.556.1801
September 1, 2020
Board of Directors
NuZee, Inc.
1700 Capital Avenue, Suite 100
Plano, Texas 75074
RE: NuZee, Inc. Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to NuZee, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Company’s filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (as amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the registration of the offer and sale from time to time of up to $100,000,000 of an indeterminate number of the following securities: (i) shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”), (ii) shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), (iii) the Company’s debt securities that may be convertible into Common Stock or Preferred Stock (the “Debt Securities”), (iv) warrants to purchase the Company’s equity and/or debt securities (the “Warrants”), (v) units composed of shares of Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities and/or Warrants in any combination (the “Units”), and (vi) rights to purchase any of the securities described above in any combination (the “Rights”).
The Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities, Warrants, Units and Rights are sometimes referred to collectively herein as the “Securities.” As set forth in the Registration Statement, any amendment thereto, the base prospectus contained therein (the “Base Prospectus”), and one or more supplements to the Base Prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act, the Securities may be offered in an unspecified number at indeterminate prices from time to time by the Company under the Registration Statement.
We have also acted as counsel to the Company in connection with the proposed sale through B. Riley Securities, Inc. (f/k/a B. Riley FBR, Inc.) and The Benchmark Company, LLC, each as a sales agent (collectively, the “Agents”), from time to time of shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Shares”) having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 pursuant to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the related prospectus for the sale of the Shares included in the Registration Statement (the “ATM Prospectus”), and that certain At Market Issuance Sales Agreement dated September 1, 2020, by and among the Agents and the Company (the “ATM Agreement”). This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfill the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K, 17 C.F.R. § 229.601(b)(5), in connection with the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the ATM Prospectus.
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have examined copies of such agreements, instruments and documents as we have deemed an appropriate basis on which to render the opinions hereinafter expressed. In our examination of the aforesaid documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all documents submitted to us, the authenticity of all original documents, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies (including telecopies). As to all matters of fact, we have relied on the representations and statements of fact made in the documents so reviewed, and we have not independently established the facts so relied on. This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.
This opinion is based as to matters of law solely on the applicable provisions of the following, as currently in effect: as to the opinions set forth in paragraphs 1 and 2 below, Chapter 78 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, as amended (but not including any laws, statutes, ordinances, administrative decisions, rules or regulations of any political subdivision below the state level); and as to the opinions set forth in paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6, the laws of the State of New York (but not including any laws, statutes, ordinances, administrative decisions, rules or regulations of any political subdivision below the state level). We express no opinion herein as to any other statutes, rules or regulations (and in particular, we express no opinion as to any effect that such other statutes, rules or regulations may have on the opinions expressed herein).
For purposes of the opinions expressed below, without limiting any other exceptions or qualifications set forth herein, we have assumed that (i) after the issuance of any Securities offered pursuant to the Registration Statement, the total number of issued shares of Common Stock, together with the total number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise, exchange, conversion or settlement, as the case may be, of any exercisable, exchangeable or convertible security, as the case may be, then outstanding, will not exceed the total number of authorized shares of Common Stock under the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as currently amended, as may be further amended and then in effect (the “Articles”), (ii) after the issuance of any Securities offered pursuant to the Registration Statement, the total number of issued shares of Preferred Stock, together with the total number of shares of Preferred Stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise, exchange, conversion or settlement, as the case may be, of any exercisable, exchangeable or convertible security, as the case may be, then outstanding, will not exceed the total number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock under the Articles and applicable certificates of designations, (iii) at the time of the offer, issuance and sale of any Securities, the Registration Statement (including all necessary post-effective amendments thereto) has been declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and no stop order suspending its effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect (the “Commission”), (iv) the issuance, sale, amount and terms, including the consideration to be received, of any Securities to be offered from time to time will have been duly authorized and established by proper action of the board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee of such board (“Board Action”), consistent with the procedures and terms described in the Registration Statement and/or the ATM Prospectus and in accordance with the Articles, the second amended and restated Bylaws of the Company and applicable Nevada law, each as then in effect, in a manner that does not violate any law, government or court-imposed order or restriction or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company or otherwise impair the legal or binding nature of the obligations represented by the applicable Securities, (v) the Shares will be delivered against payment of the consideration therefor as contemplated by the applicable Board Action and the ATM Agreement and/or the ATM Prospectus, and (vi) the Company will remain a Nevada corporation.
To the extent that the obligations of the Company with respect to the Securities may be dependent upon such matters, we assume for purposes of this opinion that the other party under the indenture for any Debt Securities, under the warrant agreement for any Warrants, under the unit agreement for any Units and under the subscription rights agreement for any Rights, namely, the trustee, the warrant agent, the unit agent or the subscription agent, respectively, is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization; that such other party is duly qualified to engage in the activities contemplated by such indenture, warrant agreement, unit agreement or subscription rights agreement, as applicable; that such indenture, warrant agreement, unit agreement or subscription rights agreement, as applicable, has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the other party and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the other party enforceable against the other party in accordance with its terms; that such other party is in compliance with respect to performance of its obligations under such indenture, warrant agreement, unit agreement or subscription rights agreement, as applicable, with all applicable laws and regulations; and that such other party has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under such indenture, warrant agreement, unit agreement or subscription rights agreement, as applicable.
For purposes of the opinions expressed below, we refer to the following as the “Future Authorization and Issuance” of Securities:
| ● | with respect to any of the Securities, (a) the applicable Board Action, and (b) the issuance of such Securities in accordance with the applicable Board Action upon the receipt by the Company of the consideration (which, in the case of shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock, is not less than the par value of such shares) to be paid therefor in accordance with the applicable Board Action; | |
| ● | with respect to Preferred Stock, the filing and acceptance for record of the applicable certificate of designations classifying the Preferred Stock and setting forth the terms thereof; | |
| ● | with respect to Debt Securities, (a) the authorization, execution and delivery by the Company and the other parties thereto of the indenture under which such Debt Securities are to be issued, (b) the establishment of the terms of such Debt Securities, and the execution and delivery of such Debt Securities, in accordance with the applicable indenture under which such Debt Securities are to be issued and applicable law, and (c) the authentication of the Debt Securities by the indenture trustee (the “Trustee”) in accordance with the applicable indenture; and | |
| ● | with respect to Warrants and/or Units and/or Rights, (a) the authorization, execution and delivery by the Company and the other parties thereto of any agreement under which such Securities are to be issued, and (b) the establishment of the terms of such Securities, and the execution and delivery of such Securities, in accordance with any applicable agreement under which such Securities are to be issued and applicable law. |
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the additional qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that:
1. Upon the Future Authorization and Issuance of shares of Common Stock (including the Shares and any shares of Common Stock that are duly issued upon the exchange or conversion of Debt Securities or Preferred Stock that are exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock or upon the exercise of Warrants and, if applicable, receipt by the Company of any additional consideration payable upon such conversion, exchange or exercise), such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
2. Upon the Future Authorization and Issuance of shares of Preferred Stock (including any shares of Preferred Stock that are duly issued upon the exercise of Warrants and, if applicable, receipt by the Company of any additional consideration payable upon such exercise), such shares of Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
3. Upon the Future Authorization and Issuance of Debt Securities, such Debt Securities will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.
4. Upon the Future Authorization and Issuance of Warrants, such Warrants will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.
5. Upon the Future Authorization and Issuance of Units, and assuming that any underlying Securities not issued by the Company that are components of such Units have been duly and properly authorized for issuance and constitute valid and binding obligations enforceable against the issuer thereof in accordance with their terms, such Units will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.
6. Upon the Future Authorization and Issuance of Rights, such Rights will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.
The opinions expressed in paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 above with respect to the valid and binding nature of obligations may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights (including, without limitation, the effect of statutory and other law regarding fraudulent conveyances, fraudulent transfers and preferential transfers) and by the exercise of judicial discretion and the application of principles of equity, good faith, fair dealing, reasonableness, conscionability and materiality (regardless of whether the Securities are considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to Polsinelli PC under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Base Prospectus and the ATM Prospectus. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are an “expert” within the meaning of the Securities Act.
| Very truly yours, | |
| /s/ Polsinelli PC | |
| Polsinelli PC |
Exhibit 21.1
| ENTITY NAME | JURISDICTION OF FORMATION | |
| NuZee JAPAN Co., Ltd. | Japan | |
| NuZee KOREA Ltd. | South Korea | |
| NuZee Investment Co., Ltd. | Japan | |
| NuZee LATIN AMERICA, S.A. de C.V. | Mexico |
EXHIBIT 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated December 24, 2019, with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements of NuZee, Inc. and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of NuZee, Inc., included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2019. Our reports contain an explanatory paragraph regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
We also consent to the references to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
| /s/ MaloneBailey, LLP | |
| www.malonebailey.com | |
| Houston, Texas | |
| September 1, 2020 |