Platinum Group Metals Ltd 6-K, filed Feb 5, 2021
Platinum Group Metals Ltd (PLG)
About this 6-K
Platinum Group Metals Ltd filed this 6-K on February 5, 2021.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXC HANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
| For the month of: February, 2021 |
| Commission file number: 001-33562 |
Platinum
Group Metals Ltd.
Suite 838 – 1100 Melville Street, Vancouver BC, V6E 4A6, CANADA
Address of Principal Executive Office
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover:
Form 20-F x Form 40-F ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ¨
EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBITS 99.1 INCLUDED WITH THIS REPORT IS HEREBY INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE AS AN EXHIBIT TO THE REGISTRANT’S REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM F-3 (FILE NO. 333-231964), AS AMENDED AND SUPPLEMENTED, AND TO BE A PART THEREOF FROM THE DATE ON WHICH THIS REPORT IS SUBMITTED, TO THE EXTENT NOT SUPERSEDED BY DOCUMENTS OR REPORTS SUBSEQUENTLY FILED OR FURNISHED.
| Exhibit | Description |
| 99.1 | Equity Distribution Agreement dated February 5, 2021 |
| 99.2 | Press Release |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| Date: February 5, 2021 | /s/ Frank Hallam | |
| FRANK HALLAM | ||
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER |
Exhibit 99.1
EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
February 5, 2021
BMO Capital Markets Corp.
3 Times Square, 28th Floor
New York, New York 10036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Platinum Group Metals Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell from time to time through BMO Capital Markets Corp., as sales agent and/or principal (the “Agent”), the Company’s common shares, without par value (the “Common Shares”), having an aggregate offering price of up to US$50,000,000 on the terms set forth in this agreement (this “Agreement”).
Section 1. DEFINITIONS
(a) Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the following respective meanings:
“Affiliate” of a Person means another Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first-mentioned Person. The term “control” (including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Agency Period” means the period commencing on the date of this Agreement and expiring on the earliest to occur of (x) the date on which the Agent shall have placed the Maximum Program Amount pursuant to this Agreement and (y) the date this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 7.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
“Floor Price” means the minimum price set by the Company in the Issuance Notice below which the Agent shall not sell Shares during the applicable period set forth in the Issuance Notice, which may be adjusted by the Company at any time during the period set forth in the Issuance Notice by delivering written notice of such change to the Agent and which in no event shall be less than US$1.00 without the prior written consent of the Agent, which may be withheld in the Agent’s sole discretion.
“Issuance Amount” means the aggregate Sales Price of the Shares to be sold by the Agent pursuant to any Issuance Notice.
“Issuance Notice” means a written notice delivered to the Agent by the Company in accordance with this Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A that is executed by its President and Chief Executive Officer, or Chief Financial Officer.
“Issuance Notice Date” means any Trading Day during the Agency Period that an Issuance Notice is delivered pursuant to Section 3(b)(i).
“Issuance Price” means the Sales Price less the Selling Commission.
“Maximum Program Amount” means Common Shares with an aggregate Sales Price of the lesser of (a) the number or dollar amount of Common Shares registered under the effective Registration Statement (as defined below) pursuant to which the offering is being made, (b) the number or dollar amount of Common Shares permitted to be sold under Form F-3 (including General Instruction I.B.5 thereof, if applicable), (c) the number or dollar amount of Common Shares for which the Company has filed a Prospectus (as defined below) or (d) 14,448,407 Common Shares.
“Person” means an individual or a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, joint stock company, governmental authority or other entity of any kind.
“Principal Market” means the NYSE American or such other United States securities exchange on which the Common Shares, including any Shares, are then listed.
“Sales Price” means the actual sale execution price of each Share placed by the Agent pursuant to this Agreement.
“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
“Selling Commission” means up to three percent (3.0%) of the gross proceeds of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement, or as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Agent with respect to any Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement.
“Settlement Date” means the second business day following each Trading Day during the period set forth in the Issuance Notice on which Shares are sold pursuant to this Agreement, when the Company shall deliver to the Agent the amount of Shares sold on such Trading Day and the Agent shall deliver to the Company the Issuance Price received on such sales.
“Shares” shall mean the Company’s Common Shares issued or issuable pursuant to this Agreement.
“Trading Day” means any day on which the Principal Market is open for trading.
Section 2. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Agent that as of (1) the date of this Agreement, (2) each Issuance Notice Date, (3) each Settlement Date, (4) each Triggering Event Date (as defined below) and (5) as of each Time of Sale (as defined below) (each of the times referenced above is referred to herein as a “Representation Date”), except as may be disclosed in the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements thereto) on or before a Representation Date:
(a) Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Commission a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-231964) that contains a base prospectus. Such registration statement registers the issuance and sale by the Company of the Shares under the Securities Act. The Company may file one or more additional registration statements from time to time that will contain a base prospectus and related prospectus or prospectus supplement, if applicable, with respect to the Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement(s), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, including all financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto and all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein as from time to time amended or supplemented, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement,” and the prospectus constituting a part of such registration statement(s), together with any prospectus supplement filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act relating to a particular issuance of the Shares, including all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, in each case, as from time to time amended or supplemented, is referred to herein as the “Prospectus,” except that if any revised prospectus is provided to the Agent by the Company for use in connection with the offering of the Shares that is not required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, the term “Prospectus” shall refer to such revised prospectus from and after the time it is first provided to the Agent for such use. The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is herein called the “Original Registration Statement.” As used in this Agreement, the terms “amendment” or “supplement” when applied to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing by the Company with the Commission of any document under the Exchange Act after the date hereof that is or is deemed to be incorporated therein by reference.
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which 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 which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed under the Securities Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of any specified date; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include, without limitation, the filing of any document under the Exchange Act which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed under the Securities Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of any specified date.
At the time the Registration Statement was or will be originally declared effective and at the time the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F was filed with the Commission, if later, the Company met the then-applicable requirements for use of Form F-3 under the Securities Act. During the Agency Period, each time the Company files an annual report on Form 20-F or Form 40-F the Company will meet the then-applicable requirements for use of Form F-3 under the Securities Act.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Original Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement have been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act, and the Registration Statement has been or will be filed with the British Columbia Securities Commission (the “BCSC”) pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii) of BC Instrument 72-503 – Distribution of Securities outside British Columbia (“BCI 72-503) as soon as practicable after the Prospectus is filed with the Commission. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.
The Prospectus, when filed, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed with the Commission through its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act), was identical to the copy thereof delivered to the Agent for use in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and at all subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the date of this Agreement, the Prospectus and any Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) considered together (collectively, the “Time of Sale Information”) did not contain any 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 under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Agent furnished to the Company in writing by the Agent expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Agent to the Company consists of the information described in Section 6 below. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required. The Registration Statement and the offer and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby meet the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act and comply in all material respects with said rule.
(c) Ineligible Issuer Status. The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any Free Writing Prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending, and each such Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the issuance and sale of the Shares did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts with or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein. Except for the Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any Free Writing Prospectus.
(d) eXtensible Business Reporting Language. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(e) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (the “Documents Incorporated by Reference”), at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, and any Free Writing Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto become effective and at each relevant time Shares are sold pursuant to this Agreement (each, a “Time of Sale”), as the case may be, 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 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.
(f) Financial Statements. The audited annual financial statements of the Company, the unaudited interim financial statements of the Company and any unaudited pro forma financial statements included or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including the notes to such statements and the related auditors’ report on such statements, as applicable (the “Financial Statements”) (i) present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company on a consolidated basis and the statements of operations, retained earnings, cash flow from operations and changes in financial information of the Company on a consolidated basis for the periods specified in such Financial Statements; (ii) have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time (“IFRS”), applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved; and (iii) do not contain any misrepresentation, with respect to the period covered by the Financial Statements.
(g) Good Standing of the Company. The Company is a company existing under the laws of British Columbia, is current and up-to-date with all material filings required to be made, and has the corporate power and capacity to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as is now carried on by it or proposed to be carried on by it, in each case as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and to enter into, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement, and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business.
(h) Good Standing of Material Entities. The Company’s material subsidiaries are the entities as listed in Schedule I hereto (the “Material Entities”), which schedule is true, complete and accurate in all respects. Each of the Material Entities is a corporation incorporated, organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of incorporation set out in Schedule I, is current and up-to-date with all material filings required to be made and has the requisite corporate power and capacity to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as is now carried on by it or proposed to be carried on by it (save that Waterberg JV Resources Proprietary Limited is required to be granted a mining right and environmental licences in order for it to conduct future mining operations), in each case as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business. All of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of each Material Entity have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and are, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, directly or indirectly beneficially owned by the Company, free and clear of any liens or other encumbrances other than (i) transfer restrictions under applicable securities law and (ii) pursuant to shareholder, joint venture or similar agreements disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Asset Agreements”); and none of the outstanding shares in the capital of any Material Entity was issued in violation of the pre-emptive or similar rights of any security holder of Material Entity. There exist no options, warrants, purchase rights or other contracts or commitments that could require the Company to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any shares of any Material Entity except as contemplated by Asset Agreements and the Credit Agreement, dated as of August 15, 2019, as amended and supplemented, between the Company, as borrower, Platinum Group Metals (RSA) Proprietary Limited, as guarantor, Sprott Private Resource Lending II (Collector), LP, as agent, and the several lenders party thereto from time to time. No act or proceeding has been taken by or against any Material Entity in connection with its liquidation, winding-up or bankruptcy.
(i) Share Capital of Material Entities. The share capital of the Material Entities as set forth in Schedule I hereto is true and correct.
(j) Non-Material Subsidiaries. There are no subsidiaries or other wholly or partially-owned entities of the Company other than the Material Entities.
(k) Share Capital of the Company. The authorized share structure of the Company as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is true and correct.
(l) Stock Exchange Listings. The Stock is listed and posted for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) and NYSE American, LLC (“NYSE American”), the Company is not in default of its listing requirements on the TSX or, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, with respect to the NYSE American, and the Company has applied to list the Shares on the TSX and the NYSE American.
(m) Form of Share Certificates. The form of certificate respecting the Shares has been approved and adopted by the board of directors of the Company and does not conflict with any applicable Canadian or United States securities laws (“Applicable Securities Laws”) and complies with the rules and regulations of the TSX and NYSE American.
(n) Shares Valid. The Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued as fully paid and non-assessable Common Shares of the Company. The Shares, upon issuance, will not be issued in violation of or subject to any pre-emptive rights or contractual rights to purchase securities issued by the Company.
(o) Transfer Agent. Computershare Investor Services Inc. at its offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario has been duly appointed as the registrar and the transfer agent for the Common Shares and, through its offices in 350 Indiana Street, Suite 750, Golden, Colorado 80401, Computershare Trust Company, N.A. has been duly appointed as the U.S. registrar and transfer agent for the Common Shares.
(p) Absence of Rights. Other than as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or as disclosed to the Agent, no person has any right, agreement or option, present or future, contingent or absolute, or any right capable of becoming a right, agreement or option, for the issue or allotment of any unissued shares of the Company or the Material Entities or any other agreement or option for the issue or allotment of any unissued shares of the Company or the Material Entities or any other security convertible into or exchangeable for any such shares or to require the Company to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company or Material Entities; no holder of securities of the Company has any rights to require registration or qualification under Applicable Securities Laws of any security of the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.
(q) Continuous Disclosure. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with its timely disclosure obligations under Applicable Securities Laws and the rules and regulations of the TSX and the NYSE American and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, there has not occurred an adverse material change, financial or otherwise, in the assets, liabilities (contingent or otherwise), business, financial condition, capital or prospects of the Company and the Material Entities (taken as a whole) since November 30, 2020, which has not been publicly disclosed on a non-confidential basis; the information and statements in the Documents Incorporated by Reference were true and correct at the time such documents were filed with or furnished to the Commission and contained no misrepresentation as of the respective dates of such information and statements; the Documents Incorporated by Reference conformed in all material respects to Applicable Securities Laws at the time such documents were filed with or furnished to the Commission; and the Company has not filed any confidential material change reports which remain confidential as at the date hereof.
(r) Financial Books and Records. The books and records of the Company and the Material Entities disclose all of their material financial transactions and such transactions have been fairly and accurately recorded in all material respects; and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus: (i) the Company and the Material Entities are not indebted to any of their respective directors or officers (collectively, the “Principals”), other than on account of their fees or expenses accrued but not paid, or to any of their respective shareholders, past directors, past officers, employees (past or present) or any person not dealing at “arm’s length” (as such term is used in the Income Tax Act); (ii) none of the Principals or shareholders of the Company is indebted to the Company, on any account whatsoever; and (iii) the Company and the Material Entities have not guaranteed or agreed to guarantee any debt, liability or other obligation of any kind whatsoever of any person, firm or corporation of any kind whatsoever, other than guarantees in favor of the Company and the Material Entities.
(s) Accounting Policies. There has been no material change in accounting policies or practices of the Company or the Material Entities since November 30, 2020, except as has been disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(t) Liabilities. Other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of the Material Entities has any material liabilities, obligations, indebtedness or commitments, whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise, which are not disclosed or referred to in the Financial Statements, other than liabilities, obligations, indebtedness or commitments incurred in the normal course of business.
(u) Independent Accountants. The accountants who reported on and certified the Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2020 are independent with respect to the Company within the meaning of Applicable Securities Laws and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
(v) Assets. The Company and the Material Entities, as the case may be, have the right in respect of all assets described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as owned by them or over which they have rights free and clear of liens save and except (i) as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (ii) as imposed by applicable law, (iii) pursuant to shareholder, joint venture or similar agreements disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and (iv) as do not have a material adverse effect.
(w) Compliance, Generally. The Company and each of the Material Entities has conducted and is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of each jurisdiction in which its business is carried on and assets are owned, leased or operated except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(x) Mining Rights. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the prospecting, exploration and mining rights, as applicable (the “Mining Rights”), of the Company and the Material Entities relating to the mineral properties described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as the Waterberg joint venture project located on the north limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex (the “Material Properties”), are in good standing, are valid and enforceable, are free and clear of any material liens or charges and, other than as set out in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no material royalty is payable in respect of any of them. Except as set out in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no property rights other than the Mining Rights are necessary for the conduct of the Company’s or the Material Entities’ business as now conducted or proposed to be conducted in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and except as set out in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no material restrictions on the ability of the Company or the Material Entities to use, transfer or otherwise exploit any such rights. The Company and the Material Entities are the holders of the Mining Rights necessary to carry on the activities of the Company and the Material Entities as currently conducted. The Mining Rights held by the Company and the Material Entities cover the areas required by them for such purposes, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(y) Technical Compliance. The Company has complied with the requirements of NI 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) in all material respects, including, but not limited to, the preparation and filing of technical reports and each of the technical reports filed with respect to the Material Properties accurately and completely sets forth all material facts relating to the properties that are subject thereto as at the date of such report and there is no new material scientific or technical information nor any other fact or circumstance that creates a requirement for updated reports to be filed.
(z) Mineral Information. The information set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus relating to the estimates of the mineral resources and reserves of the Material Properties has been prepared in accordance with Canadian industry standards set forth in NI 43-101 and the method of estimating the mineral resources and reserves has been verified by mining experts and the information upon which such estimates were based, was, at the time of delivery thereof, complete and accurate in all material respects and there have been no material adverse changes to such information since the date of delivery or preparation thereof.
(aa) South Africa Mineral Laws. The Company and each of the Material Entities are in material compliance with the South Africa Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, No. 28 of 2002. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any circumstances which could reasonably be expected to lead to the suspension or cancellation of any mining claims or other prospecting rights, including, without limitation, as a result of any communication (oral or written) with Department of Mineral Resources and Energy in South Africa.
(bb) Environmental Laws. (a) Neither the Company nor any of the Material Entities is in material violation of any federal, provincial, state, local, municipal or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (b) the Company and the Material Entities have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted and are in material compliance with their requirements and (c) except as set out in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of non-compliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Laws against the Company or any of the Material Entities which if determined adversely would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect.
(cc) Possession of Licenses and Permits. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company and the Material Entities possess such permits, certificates, licenses, approvals, consents, registrations and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, provincial, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies or other organizations currently necessary to own, lease, exploit, use, stake or maintain the Mining Rights and to conduct the business now operated by the Company and the Material Entities except where the failure to possess such Governmental Licenses would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, (i) the Company and the Material Entities are in material compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses and (ii) all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation, suspension or modification of any such Governmental Licenses.
(dd) Insurance. The Company and the Material Entities maintain insurance against loss of, or damage to, their assets on a basis consistent with reasonably prudent persons in comparable businesses; all of the policies in respect of such insurance coverage are in good standing in all material respects and not in default; neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has failed to promptly give any notice of any material claim thereunder; and there are no material claims thereunder or to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause.
(ee) Material Contracts. All of the material contracts and agreements of the Company and of the Material Entities (collectively the “Material Contracts”) have been disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received notification from any party claiming that the Company or any Subsidiary is in breach or default under any Material Contract.
(ff) No Material Change. Since November 30, 2020, and except as disclosed in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, (a) there has been no material change in the condition (financial or otherwise), or in the properties, capital, affairs, prospects, operations, assets or liabilities of the Company and the Material Entities considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and (b) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or the Material Entities, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and the Material Entities considered as one enterprise.
(gg) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental authority, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus but not so disclosed. The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is subject, which are not described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus include only ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, properties and assets of the Company and the Material Entities and would not reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect.
(hh) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its articles or by-laws or other constating documents nor in material default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease, license or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or the Material Entities is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”). The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action by the Company, and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or, except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien or other encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or the Material Entities pursuant to the Agreements and Instruments, nor will such action result in any violation or conflict with the provisions of the articles or by-laws or other constating documents of the Company or the Material Entities or any existing applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any governmental authority, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or the Material Entities or any of their assets, properties or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or the Material Entities.
(ii) Labor. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or the Material Entities currently exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent. Neither the Company nor the Material Entities is a party to any collective bargaining agreement and, to the knowledge of the Company, no action has been taken or is contemplated to organize any employees of the Company or the Material Entities.
(jj) Absence of Further Requirements. Except as noted herein, no filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been or will be obtained under Applicable Securities Laws and the rules and regulations of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), the TSX and the NYSE American.
(kk) Taxes. All tax returns, reports, elections, remittances and payments of the Company and the Material Entities required by applicable law to have been filed or made in each applicable jurisdiction, have been filed or made (as the case may be) and are substantially true, complete and correct in all respects and all taxes of the Company and of the Material Entities as of the end of the period reported on by the Financial Statements have been paid or accrued in the Financial Statements (and any such accrual is adequate to meet any assessments and related liabilities in respect of the underlying period) except as would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect.
(ll) No Acquisition. The Company has not completed any acquisition that would require the inclusion of any additional financial statements or pro forma financial statements in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Section 3-05 or Article 11 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act.
(mm) Documents. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(nn) Compliance with Laws. The Company has fully complied with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements required to be complied with in connection with this offering of Shares (the “Offering”).
(oo) No Loans. Other than as set out in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor the Material Entities have made any material loans to or guaranteed the material obligations of any person other than the Company and the Material Entities.
(pp) Directors and Officers. To the knowledge of the Company, none of the directors or officers of the Company are now, or have ever been, subject to an order or ruling of any securities regulatory authority or stock exchange prohibiting such individual from acting as a director or officer of a public company or of a company listed on a particular stock exchange.
(qq) Stock Exchange and Commission Compliance. Other than as set out in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Commission nor any other securities regulatory authority, any stock exchange nor any similar regulatory authority has issued any order which is currently outstanding preventing or suspending trading in any securities of the Company or the use of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and no proceedings for such purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated.
(rr) Minute Books and Records. The minute books and records of the Company and the Material Entities made available to counsel for the Agent in connection with its due diligence investigation of the Company for the period from the respective dates of incorporation to the date hereof are all of the minute books and records of the Company and the Material Entities and contain copies of all material proceedings (or certified copies thereof or drafts thereof pending approval) of the shareholders, the directors and all committees of directors of the Company and the Material Entities, as the case may be, to the date of review of such corporate records and minute books and there have been no other meetings, resolutions or proceedings of the shareholders, directors or any committees of the directors of the Company and the Material Entities to the date hereof not reflected in such minute books and other records, other than those which have been disclosed to the Agent or which are not material in the context of the Company.
(ss) Reporting Issuer Status. As at the date hereof, the Company is a “reporting issuer” in all Provinces of Canada within the meaning of the Canadian securities laws in such jurisdictions and is not currently in default of any requirement of the Canadian securities laws of such jurisdictions and the Company is not included on a list of defaulting reporting issuers maintained by any Canadian securities commission.
(tt) Purchase and Sales. Other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor the Material Entities has approved, has entered into any agreement in respect of, or has any knowledge of: (i) the purchase of any material property or any interest therein or the sale, transfer or other disposition of any material property or any interest therein currently owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company whether by asset sale, transfer of shares, or otherwise; (ii) the change of control (by sale or transfer of shares or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or the Material Entities) of the Company or the Material Entities; or (iii) a material proposed or planned disposition of shares by any shareholder who owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company or the Material Entities.
(uu) Employee Plans. The Documents Incorporated by Reference disclose, to the extent required by Applicable Securities Laws, each material plan for retirement, bonus, stock purchase, profit sharing, stock option, deferred compensation, severance or termination pay, insurance, medical, hospital, dental, vision care, drug, sick leave, disability, salary continuation, legal benefits, unemployment benefits, vacation, incentive or otherwise contributed to, or required to be contributed to, by the Company for the benefit of any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant of the Company (the “Employee Plans”), each of which has been maintained in all material respects with its terms and with the requirements prescribed by any and all statutes, orders, rules and regulations that are applicable to such Employee Plans.
(vv) No Dividends. During the previous 12 months, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, declared or paid any dividend or declared or made any other distribution on any of its shares or securities of any class, or, directly or indirectly, redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired any of its common shares or securities or agreed to do any of the foregoing.
(ww) No Reportable Event. There has not been a “reportable event” (within the meaning of NI 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations) with the present auditors of the Company and the auditors of the Company have not provided any material comments or recommendations to the Company regarding its accounting policies, internal control systems or other accounting or financial practices that have not been implemented by the Company.
(xx) System of Internal Control. The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including IFRS, as applicable, in Canada, including but not limited to internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit the preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Management of the Company assessed internal control over financial reporting of the Company as of August 31, 2020 and concluded internal control over financial reporting was effective as of such date. Since the date of the Financial Statements, 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. The Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting.
(yy) System of Disclosure Control. The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms; such disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of August 31, 2020.
(zz) Action to Manipulate Price. Neither the Company nor any of the Material Entities, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s affiliates, has taken, nor will the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any such affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with this Offering.
(aaa) Unlawful Payment. Neither the Company nor any of its directors or officers, nor the Material Entities nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of the Material Entities is aware of or has (i) made any unlawful contribution to any candidate for non-United States or Canadian office, or failed to disclose fully any such contribution in violation of law, or (ii) made any payment to any federal or state governmental officer or official, or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duties, other than payments required or permitted by the laws of the United States or Canada of any jurisdiction thereof. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, none of the Company, nor any of its directors or officers, nor the Material Entities nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of the Material Entities is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Canadian Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act or the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively the “Foreign Corruption Laws”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the Foreign Corruption Laws) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the Foreign Corruption Laws; and the Company and each of the Material Entities have conducted their businesses in compliance with the Foreign Corruption Laws and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith. The operations of the Company and each of the Material Entities are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada) and the U.S. Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(bbb) Registration Under Investment Company Act of 1940. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the Offering and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds,” will not be required to be registered as an investment company under the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(ccc) U.S. Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any of its directors or officers, nor the Material Entities, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or the Material Entities is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(ddd) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. The Company and the Material Entities’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses, and there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
(eee) No Other Fees Payable. Other than the Agent pursuant to this Agreement, there is no person acting or purporting to act at the request of the Company who is entitled to any brokerage, agency, underwriting or other fiscal advisory or similar fee by the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated herein.
(fff) U.S. Status. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the Exchange Act. The Company is neither an “Accelerated Filer” nor a “Large Accelerated Filer”, as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, as calculated as of August 30, 2020.
(ggg) Enforcement of Foreign Judgments. Any final judgment for a fixed or determined sum of money rendered by any U.S. federal or New York state court located in the State of New York having jurisdiction under its own laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon this Agreement would be declared enforceable against the Company by the courts of British Columbia or Canada, without reconsideration or reexamination of the merits.
(hhh) Valid Choice of Law. The choice of laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of British Columbia and Canada, and will be honored by the courts of British Columbia or Canada, subject to the restrictions described under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 8(g) of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each New York state and United States federal court sitting in the City of New York and has validly and irrevocably waived any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in such court.
Any certificate signed by any officer or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to the Agent or counsel for the Agent in connection with an issuance of Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Agent as to the matters covered thereby on the date of such certificate.
The Company acknowledges that the Agent and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(p)hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Agent, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.
Section 3. ISSUANCE AND SALE OF COMMON SHARES
(a) Sale of Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and the Agent agree that the Company may from time to time seek to sell Shares through the Agent, acting as sales agent, or directly to the Agent, acting as principal, as follows, with an aggregate Sales Price of up to the Maximum Program Amount, based on and in accordance with Issuance Notices as the Company may deliver, during the Agency Period.
(b) Mechanics of Issuances.
(i) Issuance Notice. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, on any Trading Day during the Agency Period on which the conditions set forth in Section 5(a) and Section 5(b) shall have been satisfied, the Company may exercise its right to request an issuance of Shares by delivering to the Agent an Issuance Notice; provided, however, that (A) in no event may the Company deliver an Issuance Notice to the extent that (I) the sum of (x) the aggregate Sales Price of the requested Issuance Amount, plus (y) the aggregate Sales Price of all Shares issued under all previous Issuance Notices effected pursuant to this Agreement, would exceed the Maximum Program Amount; and (B) prior to delivery of any Issuance Notice, the period set forth for any previous Issuance Notice shall have expired or been terminated. An Issuance Notice shall be considered delivered on the Trading Day that it is received by e-mail to the persons set forth in Schedule II hereto and confirmed by the Company by telephone (including a voicemail message to the persons so identified), with the understanding that, with adequate prior written notice, the Agent may modify the list of such persons from time to time.
(ii) Agent Efforts. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, upon the receipt of an Issuance Notice, the Agent will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal sales and trading practices to place the Shares with respect to which the Agent has agreed to act as sales agent, subject to, and in accordance with the information specified in, the Issuance Notice, unless the sale of the Shares described therein has been suspended, cancelled or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties to this Agreement may modify an Issuance Notice at any time provided they both agree in writing to any such modification.
(iii) Method of Offer and Sale. The Shares may be offered and sold (A) in privately negotiated transactions with the consent of the Company; (B) as block transactions with the consent of the Company; or (C) by any other method permitted by law, in each case deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on the Principal Market or, subject to the provisions of the following sentence, sales made into any other existing trading market of the Common Shares. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to require either party to agree to the method of offer and sale specified in the preceding sentence, and (except as specified in clauses (A) and (B) above) the method of placement of any Shares by the Agent shall be at the Agent’s discretion. However, the Agent will not be permitted to purchase common shares for its own account as principal unless expressly authorized by the Company to do so in an Issuance Notice. During the term of this Agreement, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Agent agrees that in no event will it or any of its Affiliates sell Shares on the TSX or any other exchange or market in Canada or to any person it or its Affiliates know to be a Canadian resident. The Agent agrees that (i) it shall not offer or sell Shares in Canada, (ii) it will not, to the best of its knowledge, offer or sell Shares to a person that it knows or has reason to believe is in Canada or has been pre-arranged with a buyer in Canada, or to any person who it knows or has reason to believe is acting on behalf of persons in Canada or to any person whom it knows or has reason to believe intends to reoffer, resell or deliver the Shares to any persons in Canada or acting on behalf of persons in Canada, and (ii) no advertisement, solicitation, conduct or negotiation directly or indirectly in furtherance of the sale of Shares contemplated hereunder shall be undertaken in Canada by the Company or the Agents in respect of the offer and sale of Shares contemplated hereunder.
(iv) Confirmation to the Company. If acting as sales agent hereunder, the Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day following the Trading Day on which it has placed Shares hereunder setting forth the number of shares sold on such Trading Day, the corresponding Sales Price and the Issuance Price payable to the Company in respect thereof.
(v) Settlement. Each issuance of Shares will be settled on the applicable Settlement Date for such issuance of Shares and, subject to the provisions of Section 5, on each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Shares being sold by crediting the Agent or its designee’s account at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian (DWAC) System, or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto and, upon receipt of such Shares, which in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form, the Agent will deliver, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, the related Issuance Price in same day funds delivered to an account designated by the Company prior to the Settlement Date.
(vi) Suspension or Termination of Sales. Consistent with standard market settlement practices, the Company or the Agent may, upon notice to the other party hereto in writing or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable email), suspend any sale of Shares, and the period set forth in an Issuance Notice shall immediately terminate; provided, however, that (A) such suspension and termination shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Shares placed or sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice; (B) if the Company suspends or terminates any sale of Shares after the Agent confirms such sale to the Company, the Company shall still be obligated to comply with Section 3(b)(v) with respect to such Shares; and (C) if the Company defaults in its obligation to deliver Shares on a Settlement Date, the Company agrees that it will hold the Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage or expense (including, without limitation, penalties, interest and reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, in performing its obligations under this Agreement, the Agent may borrow Common Shares from stock lenders in the event that the Company has not delivered Shares to settle sales as required by subsection (v) above, and may use the Shares to settle or close out such borrowings. The Company agrees that no such notice shall be effective against the Agent unless it is made to the persons identified in writing by the Agent pursuant to Section 3(b)(i).
(vii) No Guarantee of Placement, Etc. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (A) there can be no assurance that the Agent will be successful in placing Shares; (B) the Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other Person if it does not sell Shares; and (C) the Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Agent and the Company.
(viii) Material Non-Public Information. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company and the Agent agree that the Company shall not deliver any Issuance Notice to the Agent, and the Agent shall not be obligated to place any Shares, during any period in which the Company is in possession of material non-public information.
(c) Fees. As compensation for services rendered, the Company shall pay to the Agent, on the applicable Settlement Date, the Selling Commission for the applicable Issuance Amount (including with respect to any suspended or terminated sale pursuant to Section 3(b)(vi)) by the Agent deducting the Selling Commission from the applicable Issuance Amount.
(d) Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Shares (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Prospectus, any Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Agent in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of Canada, and, if requested by the Agent, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Agent of such qualifications, registrations, determinations and exemptions; (vii) the reasonable fees and disbursements of the Agent’s United States and Canadian counsel, including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Agent in connection with FINRA review, if any, and approval of the Agent’s participation in the offering and distribution of the Shares; (viii) the filing fees incident to FINRA review, if any; (ix) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to background checks of the Company’s directors, director nominees and executive officers; (x) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives, employees and officers of the Company and of the Agent and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show; and (xi) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Shares on the Principal Market and the TSX. The fees and disbursements of Agent’s counsel pursuant to subsections (vi) and (vii) above shall not exceed (A) US$90,000 for United States counsel and US$15,000 for Canadian counsel in connection with the first Issuance Notice and (B) US$15,000 per fiscal quarter for United States counsel and US$2,500 per fiscal quarter for Canadian counsel in connection with each Triggering Event Date (as defined below) on which the Company is required to provide a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o).
Section 4. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS
The Company covenants and agrees with the Agent as follows, in addition to any other covenants and agreements made elsewhere in this Agreement:
(a) Exchange Act Compliance. During the Agency Period, the Company shall (i) file, on a timely basis, with the Commission all reports and documents required to be filed under Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within the time periods required by the Exchange Act; and (ii) either (A) include in its quarterly financial reporting on Form 6-K and its annual reports on Form 20-F, Form 40-F or Form 10-K, a summary detailing, for the relevant reporting period, (1) the number of Shares sold through the Agent pursuant to this Agreement and (2) the net proceeds received by the Company from such sales or (B) prepare a prospectus supplement containing, or include in such other filing permitted by the Securities Act or Exchange Act (each an “Interim Prospectus Supplement”), such summary information and, at least once a quarter and subject to this Section 4, file such Interim Prospectus Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (and within the time periods required by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430B under the Securities Act).
The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Canadian Securities Laws as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of, or dealings in, the Shares as contemplated by the provisions hereof, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(b) Securities Act Compliance. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Agent in writing (i) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission; (ii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, or any Free Writing Prospectus; (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement becomes effective; and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Common Shares from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its reasonable efforts to obtain the lifting of such order as soon as reasonably practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rule 424(b) and Rule 433, as applicable, under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(c) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus so that the Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Agent or counsel for the Agent it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, including the Securities Act, the Company agrees (subject to Section 4(d) and 4(f)) to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish at its own expense to the Agent, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law including the Securities Act. Neither the Agent’s consent to, or delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Sections 4(d) and 4(f).
(d) Agent’s Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. Prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement (including any registration statement filed under Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act), the Company shall furnish to the Agent for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Agent’s prior consent, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed thereunder.
(e) Use of Free Writing Prospectus. Neither the Company nor the Agent has prepared, used, referred to or distributed, or will prepare, use, refer to or distribute, without the other party’s prior written consent, any “written communication” that constitutes a “free writing prospectus” as such terms are defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act with respect to the offering contemplated by this Agreement (any such free writing prospectus being referred to herein as a “Free Writing Prospectus”). The Company has not provided any “marketing materials” (as such term is defined in National Instrument 41-101 – General Prospectus Requirements) to any potential investors in the Common Shares to be sold hereunder.
(f) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall furnish to the Agent for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Agent’s consent. The Company shall furnish to the Agent, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, or used by the Company, as the Agent may reasonably request. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 173(d)) to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares (but in any event if at any time through and including the date of this Agreement) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict or so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such subsequent time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Agent for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Agent’s consent.
(g) Filing of Agent Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall not take any action that would result in the Agent or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Agent that the Agent otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(h) Copies of Registration Statement and Prospectus. After the date of this Agreement through the last time that a prospectus is required by the Securities Act (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 173(d)) to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares, the Company agrees to furnish the Agent with copies (which may be electronic copies) of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, and with copies of the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto in the form in which it is filed with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, both in such quantities as the Agent may reasonably request from time to time; and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required under the Securities Act or under the blue sky or securities laws of any jurisdiction at any time on or prior to the applicable Settlement Date for any period set forth in an Issuance Notice in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event has occurred 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 any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it is necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, to notify the Agent and to request that the Agent suspend offers to sell Shares (and, if so notified, the Agent shall cease such offers as soon as practicable); and if the Company decides to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented, to advise the Agent promptly by telephone (with confirmation in writing) and to prepare and cause to be filed promptly with the Commission an amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; provided, however, that if during such same period the Agent is required to deliver a prospectus in respect of transactions in the Shares, the Company shall promptly prepare and file with the Commission such an amendment or supplement.
(i) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Agent and counsel for the Agent to qualify or register the Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Agent, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Agent promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof as soon as reasonably practicable. During the term of this Agreement, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Agent agrees that in no event will it or any of its Affiliates sell Shares on the TSX or any other exchange or market in Canada or to any person it or such Affiliates know to be a Canadian resident.
(j) Earnings Statement. As soon as reasonably practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Agent an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.
(k) Listing; Reservation of Shares. (a) The Company will maintain the listing of the Shares on the Principal Market; and (b) the Company will reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, Shares for the purpose of enabling the Company to satisfy its obligations under this Agreement.
(l) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.
(m) Due Diligence. During the term of this Agreement, the Company will reasonably cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agent in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during normal business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Agent may reasonably request from time to time.
(n) Representations and Warranties. The Company acknowledges that each delivery of an Issuance Notice and each delivery of Shares on a Settlement Date shall be deemed to be (i) an affirmation to the Agent that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such Issuance Notice or of such Settlement Date, as the case may be, as though made at and as of each such date, except as may be disclosed in the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements thereto); and (ii) an undertaking that the Company will advise the Agent if any of such representations and warranties will not be true and correct as of the Settlement Date for the Shares relating to such Issuance Notice, as though made at and as of each such date (except that such representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such Shares).
(o) Deliverables at Triggering Event Dates; Certificates. The Company agrees that on or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and, during the term of this Agreement after the date of the first Issuance Notice, upon:
(A) the filing of the Prospectus or the amendment or supplement of any Registration Statement or Prospectus (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to an offering of securities other than the Shares or a prospectus filed pursuant to Section 4(a)(ii)(B)), 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 Prospectus; or
(B) the filing with the Commission of an Annual Report on Form 20-F, Form 40-F or Form 10-K, or quarterly financial information on Form 6-K or Form 10-Q (including any such filings that contain amended financial information or a material amendment to the previously filed annual report on Form 20-F, Form 40-F or Form 10-K, or quarterly financial information on Form 6-K or Form 10-Q), in each case, of the Company;
(any such event, a “Triggering Event Date”), the Company shall furnish the Agent with a certificate as of the Triggering Event Date, in the form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agent and its counsel, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, (A) confirming that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct, (B) that the Company has performed all of its obligations hereunder to be performed on or prior to the date of such certificate and as to the matters set forth in Section 5(a)(iii) hereof, and (C) containing any other certification that the Agent shall reasonably request. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 4(o) shall be waived for any Triggering Event Date occurring at a time when no Issuance Notice is pending or a suspension is in effect, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers instructions for the sale of Shares hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Triggering Event Date) and the next occurring Triggering Event Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Triggering Event Date when a suspension was in effect and did not provide the Agent with a certificate under this Section 4(o), then before the Company delivers the instructions for the sale of Shares or the Agent sells any Shares pursuant to such instructions, the Company shall provide the Agent with a certificate in conformity with this Section 4(o) dated as of the date that the instructions for the sale of Shares are issued.
(p) Legal Opinions. On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and on or prior to each Triggering Event Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, the Company shall cause to be furnished, at the request of Agent, a negative assurance letter and the written legal opinion of Dorsey & Whitney LLP, United States counsel to the Company, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, United States counsel to the Agent, the written legal opinion of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, Canadian counsel to the Company, and in respect of each Triggering Event Date in connection with the filing with the Commission of an Annual Report on Form 20-F, Form 40-F or Form 10-K, favorable legal opinions from Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc., South African counsel to the Company, regarding (i) certain matters in relations to the Material Entities and with respect to the Company’s right to and ownership of the Material Properties and (ii) to the effect that the statements set forth under “South African Regulatory Framework” in the Form 20-F fairly summarize the matters described therein, each dated the date of delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agent and its counsel, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented, provided, however, the Company shall be required to furnish no more than one opinion hereunder per calendar quarter, except that more than one opinion from each of the Company’s counsel as described in Section 4(p) may be delivered in a calendar quarter if such opinions are required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(o)(B). In lieu of such opinions for subsequent periodic filings, in the discretion of the Agent, the Company may furnish a reliance letter from such counsel to the Agent, permitting the Agent to rely on a previously delivered opinion letter, modified as appropriate for any passage of time or Triggering Event Date (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented as of such Triggering Event Date).
(q) Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and on or prior to each Triggering Event Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, the Company shall cause PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm who has audited the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, to furnish the Agent a comfort letter, dated the date of delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agent and its counsel; provided, however, that any such comfort letter will only be required on the Triggering Event Date specified to the extent that it contains financial statements filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act and incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus. If requested by the Agent, the Company shall also cause a comfort letter to be furnished to the Agent within ten (10) Trading Days of the date of occurrence of any material transaction or event requiring the filing of a Form 6-K containing material amended financial information of the Company, including the restatement of the Company’s financial statements. The Company shall be required to furnish no more than one comfort letter hereunder per calendar quarter.
(r) Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate. On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and on or prior to each Triggering Event Date, the Company shall furnish the Agent a certificate executed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, signing in such capacity, dated the date of delivery (i) certifying that attached thereto are true and complete copies of the resolutions duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement), which authorization shall be in full force and effect on and as of the date of such certificate, (ii) certifying and attesting to the office, incumbency, due authority and specimen signatures of each Person who executed this Agreement for or on behalf of the Company, and (iii) containing any other certification that the Agent shall reasonably request.
(s) Agent’s Own Account; Clients’ Account. The Company consents to the Agent trading, in compliance with applicable law, in the Common Shares for the Agent’s own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement.
(t) Investment Limitation. The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
(u) Market Activities. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any other reference security, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its Affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M. If the limitations of Rule 102 of Regulation M (“Rule 102”) do not apply with respect to the Shares or any other reference security pursuant to any exception set forth in Section (d) of Rule 102, then promptly upon notice from the Agent (or, if later, at the time stated in the notice), the Company will, and shall cause each of its Affiliates to, comply with Rule 102 as though such exception were not available but the other provisions of Rule 102 (as interpreted by the Commission) did apply. If the Company notifies the Agent that an exemption is available under Section (d) of Rule 102, then the Company shall promptly thereafter notify the Agent if it no longer meets the requirements set forth in Section (d) of Rule 102.
(v) Notice of Other Sale. Without the written consent of the Agent, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares (other than Shares hereunder), warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Common Shares, (ii) effect a reverse stock split, recapitalization, share consolidation, reclassification or similar transaction affecting the outstanding Common Shares; (iii) submit or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of any Common Shares (other than on Form S-8 or as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Shares), or (iv) publicly announce the intention of doing any of the foregoing, during the period beginning on the third Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which any Issuance Notice is delivered to the Agent hereunder and ending on the third Trading Day immediately following the Settlement Date with respect to Shares sold pursuant to such Issuance Notice; and will not directly or indirectly enter into 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 Shares (other than the Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire, Common Shares prior to the termination of this Agreement; provided, however, that such restrictions will not be required in connection with the Company’s (i) issuance or sale of Common Shares, options to purchase Common Shares or Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of options or other equity awards pursuant to any employee or director share option, incentive or benefit plan, share purchase or ownership plan, long-term incentive plan, dividend reinvestment plan, inducement award under Principal Market rules or other compensation plan of the Company or its subsidiaries, as in effect on the date of this Agreement, (ii) issuance or sale of Common Shares issuable upon exchange, conversion or redemption of securities or the exercise or vesting of warrants, options or other equity awards outstanding at the date of this Agreement, (iii) issuance or sale of Common Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares in satisfaction of interest payment obligations on the Company’s 6 7/8% convertible notes due 2022, (iv) issuance or sale of Common Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares as consideration for mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations, joint ventures or strategic alliances occurring after the date of this Agreement which are not used for capital raising purposes, provided that the aggregate number of Common Shares issued or sold under this subsection (iv) shall not exceed 5% of the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to giving effect to such sale of issuance or (v) modification of any outstanding options, warrants of any rights to purchase or acquire Common Shares.
(w) British Columbia Reporting Issuer. As soon as practicable after the Prospectus is filed with the Commission, and as soon as practicable after any other amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement is filed with the Commission, the Company will file the Prospectus and such other amendment or supplement with the BCSC, pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii) of BCI 72-503.
Section 5. CONDITIONS TO DELIVERY OF ISSUANCE NOTICES AND TO SETTLEMENT
(a) Conditions Precedent to the Right of the Company to Deliver an Issuance Notice and the Obligation of the Agent to Sell Shares. The right of the Company to deliver an Issuance Notice hereunder is subject to the satisfaction, on the date of delivery of such Issuance Notice, and the obligation of the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts to place Shares during the applicable period set forth in the Issuance Notice is subject to the satisfaction, on each Trading Day during the applicable period set forth in the Issuance Notice, of each of the following conditions:
| (i) | Accuracy of the Company’s Representations and Warranties; Performance by the Company. The Company shall have delivered the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(o) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 4(o). The Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied with all covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to such date, including, but not limited to, the covenants contained in Section 4(m), Section 4(q) and Section 4(r). |
| (ii) | No Injunction. No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby that prohibits or directly and materially adversely affects any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and no proceeding shall have been commenced that may have the effect of prohibiting or materially adversely affecting any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. |
| (iii) | Material Adverse Changes. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, (a) in the judgment of the Agent there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change; and (b) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act. |
| (iv) | No Suspension of Trading in or Delisting of Common Shares; Other Events. The trading of the Common Shares (including without limitation the Shares) shall not have been suspended by the Commission, the Principal Market or FINRA and the Common Shares (including without limitation the Shares) shall have been approved for listing or quotation on and shall not have been delisted from the Principal Market or any of their constituent markets. There shall not have occurred (and be continuing in the case of occurrences under clauses (i) and (ii) below) any of the following: (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Principal Market or trading in securities generally on the Principal Market shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or FINRA; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of United States, Canadian or New York authorities; or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States, Canadian or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’, Canada’s or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Agent is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities. |
(b) Documents Required to be Delivered on each Issuance Notice Date. The Agent’s obligation to use its commercially reasonable efforts to place Shares hereunder shall additionally be conditioned upon the delivery to the Agent on or before the Issuance Notice Date of a certificate in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, executed by the Chief Executive Officer, President or Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect that all conditions to the delivery of such Issuance Notice shall have been satisfied as at the date of such certificate (which certificate shall not be required if the foregoing representations shall be set forth in the Issuance Notice).
(c) No Misstatement or Material Omission. The Agent shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Information, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in the Agent’s reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in the Agent’s reasonable opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
Section 6. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION
(a) Indemnification of the Agent. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Agent, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to the Agent furnished to the Company in writing by the Agent expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Agent consists of the information described as such in paragraph (b) below.
(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. The Agent agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, and its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to the Agent furnished to the Company in writing by the Agent expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Free Writing Prospectus, it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by the Agent consists of solely the name of the Agent.
(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to the preceding paragraphs of this Section 6, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 6 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 6. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for the Agent, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of the Agent shall be designated in writing by the Agent and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than thirty (30) days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) or (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent on the other, from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Shares bear to the total commissions actually received by the Agent in connection therewith. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Agent and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to paragraph (d) above were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Agent were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (d) and (e), in no event shall the Agent be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total commissions actually received by the Agent with respect to the offering of the Shares exceeds the amount of any damages that the Agent has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 6 paragraphs (a) through (e) are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
Section 7. TERMINATION & SURVIVAL
(a) Term. Subject to the provisions of this Section 7, the term of this Agreement shall continue from the date of this Agreement until the end of the Agency Period, unless earlier terminated by the parties to this Agreement pursuant to this Section 7.
(b) Termination; Survival Following Termination.
(i) Either party may terminate this Agreement prior to the end of the Agency Period, by giving written notice as required by this Agreement, upon ten (10) Trading Days’ notice to the other party; provided that, (A) if the Company terminates this Agreement after the Agent confirms to the Company any sale of Shares, the Company shall remain obligated to comply with Section 3(b)(v) with respect to such Shares and (B) Section 2, Section 6, Section 7 and Section 8 shall survive termination of this Agreement. If termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Shares, such sale shall nevertheless settle in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(ii) In addition to the survival provision of Section 7(b)(i), the respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the Agent set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agent or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
Section 8. MISCELLANEOUS
(a) Press Releases and Disclosure. The Company may issue a press release describing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby as soon as reasonably practicable following the date of this Agreement, and may file with the Commission a Form 6-K, with this Agreement attached as an exhibit thereto, describing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and may complete any similar filings required under applicable Canadian Securities Laws, and the Company shall consult with the Agent prior to making such disclosures, and the parties hereto shall use all commercially reasonable efforts, acting in good faith, to agree upon a text for such disclosures that is reasonably satisfactory to all parties hereto. No party hereto shall issue thereafter any press release or like public statement (including, without limitation, any disclosure required in reports filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act) related to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby without the prior written approval of the other party hereto, except as may be necessary or appropriate in the reasonable opinion of the party seeking to make disclosure to comply with the requirements of applicable law or stock exchange rules. If any such press release or like public statement is so required, the party making such disclosure shall consult with the other party prior to making such disclosure, and the parties shall use all commercially reasonable efforts, acting in good faith, to agree upon a text for such disclosure that is reasonably satisfactory to all parties hereto.
(b) No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the determination of any fees, are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Company and the Agent, (ii) when acting as a principal under this Agreement, the Agent is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (iii) the Agent has not assumed nor will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Agent has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and the Agent does not have any obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Agent and its respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) the Agent has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
(c) Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Agent’s research analysts and research departments are required to and should be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and as such the Agent’s research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company understands that the Agent is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Notices. Except as otherwise provided herein, all communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Agent:
BMO Capital Markets Corp.
3 Times Square
New York, NY 10036
Facsimile: (212) 702-1205
Attention: Equity Capital Markets desk, with a copy to the Legal Department
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
One Manhattan West
New York, NY 10001-8602
Facsimile: (917) 777-3712
Attention: Ryan Dzierniejko
If to the Company:
Platinum Group Metals Ltd.
Suite 838 – 1100 Melville Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6
Facsimile: (604) 484-4710
Attention: R. Michael Jones
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 6100
Seattle, WA 98104-7043
Facsimile: 206-299-9172
Attention: Clint Foss & Christopher Doerksen
and a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
550 Burrard Street, Suite 2300, Bentall 5
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 2B5, Canada
Facsimile: (604) 683-3558
Attention: Daniel Allen
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others in accordance with this Section 8(d).
(e) Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 6, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Shares as such from the Agent merely by reason of such purchase.
(f) Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Article, Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Article, Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Article, Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
(g) Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court, as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
(h) Currency Provisions. The obligations of the Company pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any sum due to the Agent shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day, following receipt by the Agent of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on which the Agent may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency. If the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to the Agent in United States dollars hereunder, the Company agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify the Agent against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to the Agent hereunder, the Agent agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to the Agent hereunder. All payments made by the Company under this Agreement, if any, will be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature (other than taxes on net income) imposed or levied by or on behalf of the Province of British Columbia or any political subdivision or any taxing authority thereof or therein unless the Company is or becomes required by law to withhold or deduct such taxes, duties, assessments or other governmental charges. In such event, the Company will pay such additional amounts as will result, after such withholding or deduction, in the receipt by the Agent and each person controlling the Agent, as the case may be, of the amounts that would otherwise have been receivable in respect thereof.
(i) General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument, and may be delivered by facsimile transmission or by electronic delivery of a portable document format (PDF) file. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Article and Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
[Signature Page Immediately Follows]
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms
| Very truly yours, | |||
| PLATINUM GROUP METALS LTD. | |||
| By: | /s/ Frank Hallam | ||
| Name: | Frank Hallam | ||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | ||
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Agent in New York, New York as of the date first above written.
| BMO CAPITAL MARKETS CORP. | |||
| By: | /s/ Eric Benedict | ||
| Name: | Eric Benedict | ||
| Title: | Managing Director, Equity Capital Markets | ||
EXHIBIT A
ISSUANCE NOTICE
[Date]
BMO Capital Markets Corp.
3 Times Square
New York, New York 10036
Attn: [__________]
Reference is made to the Equity Distribution Agreement between Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (the “Company”) and BMO Capital Markets Corp. (the “Agent”) dated as of February 5, 2021. The Company confirms that all conditions to the delivery of this Issuance Notice are satisfied as of the date hereof.
Date of Delivery of Issuance Notice (determined pursuant to Section 3(b)(i)):
_______________________
Issuance Amount (equal to the total Sales Price for such Shares):
| US$ | ||
| Number of days in selling period: | ||
| First date of selling period: | ||
| Last date of selling period: | ||
| Settlement Date(s) if other than standard T+2 settlement: | ||
Floor Price Limitation (in no event less than US$1.00 without the prior written consent of the Agent, which consent may be withheld in the Agent’s sole discretion): US$ ____ per share
| Comments: |
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
A-1
SCHEDULE I
Material Entities
| Name | Jurisdiction
of Incorporation |
Par
Value per Share |
Authorized
Share Capital |
Issued
and Outstanding Shares |
| Platinum Group Metals (RSA) Proprietary Limited | Republic of South Africa | R1.00 | 1,000 | 255 issued |
| Mnombo Wethu Consultants Proprietary Limited | Republic of South Africa | N/A | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Waterberg JV Resources Proprietary Limited | Republic of South Africa | N/A | 1,000,000 | 240,753 issued |
| Lion Battery Technologies Inc. | British Columbia | N/A | No Maximum Number | 400,000
common shares issued and 3,600,000 Class A Preferred shares issued* |
* As at the date of this Agreement. The
number of outstanding shares is expected to increase, and the Company’s ownership percentage will be modified accordingly,
from time to time following each new issuance of shares.
SCHEDULE II
Notice Parties
The Company
R. Michael Jones (rmj@platinumgroupmetals.net)
Frank Hallam (frh@platinumgroupmetals.net)
Kris Begic (kbegic@platinumgroupmetals.net)
The Agent
Haroon Chaudhry (haroon.chaudhry@bmo.com)
Exhibit 99.2
 |
838 – 1100 Melville Street Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6 P: 604-899-5450 F: 604-484-4710 |
| News Release |
No. 21-430 February 5, 2021 |
Platinum Group Metals Ltd. Enters Into
At-The-Market Offering Sales Agreement
(Vancouver/Johannesburg) Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (PTM:TSX; PLG:NYSE American) (“Platinum Group” or the “Company”) reports that it has entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with BMO Capital Markets Corp. (“BMO”), effective as of February 5, 2021. Under the Sales Agreement, Platinum Group may sell its common shares in the capital of the Company from time to time for up to US$50.0 million in aggregate sales proceeds in “at-the-market” transactions. No offers or sales of common shares will be made in Canada, to anyone known by BMO to be a resident of Canada or on or through the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) or other trading markets in Canada.
For more complete information about the Company and the offering, investors are directed to read the prospectus supplement relating to and describing the terms of the offering, and the related registration statement on Form F-3 and other documents that Platinum Group has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, from:
BMO Capital Markets Corp.
3 Times Square
New York, NY 10036
Facsimile: (212) 702-1205
Attention: Equity Capital Markets Desk
or by emailing bmoprospectus@bmo.com.
The Company has relied on the exemption for “Eligible Interlisted Issuers” under Section 602.1 of the TSX Company Manual in connection with the listing of the common shares on the TSX under the offering.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities being offered, nor may there be any sale of the securities being offered in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay a portion or all of the Company’s secured loan facility with Sprott Private Resource Lending II (Collector), LP (“Sprott”) entered into on August 15, 2019 (the “2019 Sprott Facility”), and for general corporate purposes, including pre-construction engineering, site work and preparation for the Waterberg Project. The Company may elect to use a portion of the net proceeds of the offering allocated to general corporate purposes to repay a portion or all of the Company’s 6 7/8% convertible senior subordinated notes due 2022.
| Platinum Group Metals Ltd. | 2 |
About Platinum Group Metals Ltd. and Waterberg Project
Platinum Group Metals Ltd. is the operator and majority owner of the Waterberg Project, a bulk underground palladium, platinum, gold and rhodium deposit located in South Africa. The Waterberg Project was discovered by Platinum Group and is being jointly advanced with the shareholders of Waterberg JV Resources (Pty) Ltd. (“Waterberg JV Co.”), being Platinum Group, Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd., Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, Hanwa Co. Ltd. and Mnombo Wethu Consultants (Pty) Ltd. (“Mnombo”).
In 2019, the Company founded Lion Battery Technologies Inc. in partnership with Anglo American Platinum Limited to support the use of palladium and platinum in lithium battery applications.
On behalf of the Board of
Platinum Group Metals Ltd.
R. Michael Jones
President and CEO
For further information contact:
R. Michael Jones, President
or Kris Begic, VP, Corporate Development
Platinum Group Metals Ltd., Vancouver
Tel: (604) 899-5450 / Toll Free: (866) 899-5450
www.platinumgroupmetals.net
Disclosure
The TSX and the NYSE American have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release, which has been prepared by management.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic and related measures taken by government create uncertainty and have had, and may continue to have, an adverse impact on many aspects of the Company’s business, including employee health, workforce productivity and availability, travel restrictions, contractor availability, supply availability, the Company’s ability to maintain its controls and procedures regarding financial and disclosure matters and the availability of capital and insurance and the costs thereof, some of which, individually or when aggregated with other impacts, may be material to the Company.
This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. securities laws (collectively “forward-looking statements”), including statements with respect to the sale of common shares under the Sales Agreement and the amount and uses of proceeds thereof. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plans, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes any forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct.
| Platinum Group Metals Ltd. | 3 |
The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including possible adverse impacts due the global outbreak of COVID-19 (as described above), the Company’s inability to generate sufficient cash flow or raise sufficient additional capital to make payment on its indebtedness, and 2019 Sprott Facility is, and any new indebtedness may be, secured and the Company has pledged its shares of Platinum Group Metals (RSA) Proprietary Limited (“PTM RSA”), and PTM RSA has pledged its shares of Waterberg JV Co. to Sprott, under the 2019 Sprott Facility, which potentially could result in the loss of the Company’s interest in PTM RSA and the Waterberg Project in the event of a default under the 2019 Sprott Facility or any new secured indebtedness; the Company’s history of losses and negative cash flow; the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern; the Company’s properties may not be brought into a state of commercial production; uncertainty of estimated production, development plans and cost estimates for the Waterberg Project; discrepancies between actual and estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, between actual and estimated development and operating costs, between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries and between estimated and actual production; fluctuations in the relative values of the U.S. Dollar, the Rand and the Canadian Dollar; volatility in metals prices; the uncertainty of alternative funding sources for Waterberg JV Co.; the Company may become subject to the U.S. Investment Company Act; the failure of the Company or the other shareholders to fund their pro rata share of funding obligations for the Waterberg Project; any disputes or disagreements with the other shareholders of Waterberg JV Co. or Mnombo; the ability of the Company to retain its key management employees and skilled and experienced personnel; conflicts of interest; litigation or other administrative proceedings brought against the Company; actual or alleged breaches of governance processes or instances of fraud, bribery or corruption; exploration, development and mining risks and the inherently dangerous nature of the mining industry, and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks and other risks and uncertainties; property and mineral title risks including defective title to mineral claims or property; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and South Africa; equipment shortages and the ability of the Company to acquire necessary access rights and infrastructure for its mineral properties; environmental regulations and the ability to obtain and maintain necessary permits, including environmental authorizations and water use licences; extreme competition in the mineral exploration industry; delays in obtaining, or a failure to obtain, permits necessary for current or future operations or failures to comply with the terms of such permits; risks of doing business in South Africa, including but not limited to, labour, economic and political instability and potential changes to and failures to comply with legislation; the Company’s common shares may be delisted from the NYSE American or the TSX if it cannot maintain compliance with the applicable listing requirements; and other risk factors described in the Company’s most recent Form 20-F annual report, annual information form and other filings with the SEC and Canadian securities regulators, which may be viewed at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com, respectively. Proposed changes in the mineral law in South Africa if implemented as proposed would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and potential interest in projects. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.