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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 23, 2025

 

PSQ Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   001-40457   86-2062844
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)   (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

 

313 Datura Street, Suite 200

West Palm Beach, Florida

  33401
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (877) 776-2402

 

 

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol(s)   Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share   PSQH   New York Stock Exchange
Redeemable warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share   PSQH.WS   New York Stock Exchange

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

On May 23, 2025, PSQ Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an At the Market Offering Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Roth Capital Partners, LLC (“Roth”) and TCBI Securities, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Securities (“TCS”), with respect to an at-the-market offering program under which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time at its sole discretion, shares of its Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 (the “Shares”) through Roth and TCS as its “sales agents.”

 

Under the Sales Agreement, the Company will set the parameters for the sale of Shares, including the number of Shares to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, limitations on the number of Shares that may be sold in any one trading day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made. Subject to the terms of the Sales Agreement, the sales agents may sell the Shares by any method that is deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including sales made through The New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) or any other trading market for the Common Stock. The Company will pay the sales agents a commission equal to up to 3.5% of the gross sales proceeds of any Shares sold through the sales agents under the Sales Agreement, and has provided each sales agent with customary indemnification and contribution rights. The Sales Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all Shares subject to the Sales Agreement or (ii) termination of the Sales Agreement in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth therein. Each sales agent will act as sales agent on a commercially reasonable efforts basis consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal law, rules and regulations and the rules of the NYSE.

 

Any Shares to be offered and sold under the Sales Agreement will be issued and sold pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-287154), which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on May 9, 2025, and which became effective on May 16, 2025 (the “Registration Statement”). The Company filed a prospectus supplement with the SEC dated May 23, 2025 in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares pursuant to the Sales Agreement.

 

The foregoing description of the Sales Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Sales Agreement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K (this “Current Report”) and is incorporated herein by reference. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in such agreement were made only for purposes of such agreement and as of specific date, were solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties.

 

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, counsel to the Company, has issued an opinion to the Company, dated May 23, 2025, relating to the validity of the Shares to be issued and sold pursuant to the Sales Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Current Report.

 

This Current Report shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any Shares, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of the Shares in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

 

This Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that express the Company’s intentions, beliefs, expectations, strategies, predictions or any other statements related to the Company’s future activities, or future events or conditions, including without limitation, the Company’s or the sales agents’ ability to sell any specific amount of Shares. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s business based, in part, on assumptions made by its management. These statements are not guarantees of future performances and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including those risks discussed in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, and in other documents that the Company files from time to time with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Form 8-K, except as required by law. 

 

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Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

As previously disclosed, on January 26, 2025, Brad Searle notified management and the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) of his intention to resign from his role as Chief Financial Officer, principal accounting officer, principal financial officer, and treasurer of the Company, effective upon the appointment of his successor.

 

On May 23, 2025, the Company announced that the Board has appointed James Rinn to the role of Chief Financial Officer, principal accounting officer, principal financial officer, and treasurer of the Company, effective June 1, 2025. Mr. Rinn will continue to serve as a member of the Board, but has resigned as the Chair of the Audit Committee, from his position on the Audit Committee, and from his position on the Compensation Committee, effective upon the commencement of his service to the Company as Chief Financial Officer.

 

Appointment of James Rinn as Chief Financial Officer

 

James Rinn, 56, has served as a member of the PublicSquare Board of Directors and as Audit Committee Chair since the Company’s initial public offering in July 2023. Mr. Rinn serves as the Chief Financial Officer to Sedera, Inc., a nonprofit medical cost-sharing organization, a position he has held since February 2023. From 2015 to 2023, Mr. Rinn was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP, an accounting, tax and consulting firm, where he was responsible for overseeing all financial and operational details of the partnership and other related legal entities, and managed risk management activities. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Rinn was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Five Stone Tax Advisers LLC, a financial and tax advisory firm, where he was responsible for overseeing all financial and operational details of various service lines. From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Rinn was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of SmithCo Investments and the E3 Foundation, where he was responsible for overseeing all financial and operational segments of the company. Mr. Rinn was also the Vice President of Finance at First American Flood Data Services, Inc., a subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) from 2000 to 2011, where he was responsible for financial reporting and coordinated internal audit, financial audit and Sarbanes-Oxley related audit activities. From 1999 to 2000, Mr. Rinn was the internal audit director at National Instruments Corporation (Nasdaq: NATI), a producer of automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software. Mr. Rinn has held positions on various boards of directors and has over 30 years of finance experience. Mr. Rinn holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas, Austin.

There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Rinn and other persons pursuant to which he was selected as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Rinn does not have a family relationship with any director or executive officer of the Company. Mr. Rinn has not engaged in any transaction with the Company that would be reportable as a related party transaction under Item 404(a) of Securities and Exchange Commission Regulation S-K.

 

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Employment Agreement with James Rinn

 

In connection with his appointment as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Rinn executed an employment agreement (the “Employment Agreement”) with the Company, pursuant to which Mr. Rinn will begin serving as our Chief Financial Officer effective June 1, 2025 (the “Effective Date”). The Employment Agreement provides for Mr. Rinn’s at-will employment and an annual base salary of $400,000, an annual bonus with a target amount equal to up to 35% of his base salary, as well as his ability to participate in our employee benefit plans generally on the same basis as other similarly situated employees. In addition, the Employment Agreement provides that, subject to the approval of our Board, Mr. Rinn be granted an award of 250,000 RSUs under the PSQ Holdings, Inc. 2023 Stock Incentive Plan, to vest over three years, with one-third of the RSUs vesting on each of the first three anniversaries of the Effective Date, subject to his continued performance of service to the Company through each vesting date.

 

The Employment Agreement provides that if his employment is terminated either (i) by us without Cause or (ii) by him with Good Reason (each as defined in the Employment Agreement), in either case within the Change in Control Period, then Mr. Rinn will be entitled to receive, subject to his execution and nonrevocation of a release of claims in our favor and compliance with all post-employment obligations under law or any restrictive covenant agreement with us or any of our affiliates, (a) a lump sum payment of (x) 15 months of base salary and (y) an amount equal to 125% of his target bonus for the year of termination (or, if higher, his target bonus immediately prior to the Change in Control), (b) a lump sum payment equal to 100% of his target bonus for the year of termination (or, if higher, based on the target bonus immediately prior to the Change in Control) pro-rated based on the number of days he was employed during the calendar year in which his termination occurs, (c) COBRA health continuation for up to 15 months and (d) 100% acceleration of all outstanding and unvested stock-based awards subject to time-based vesting. The Employment Agreement also provides that if his employment is terminated either (i) by us without Cause or (ii) by him with Good Reason, in either case outside the Change in Control Period, then Mr. Rinn will be entitled to receive, subject to his execution and nonrevocation of a release of claims in our favor and compliance with all post-employment obligations under law or any restrictive covenant agreement with us or any of our affiliates, (a) base salary continuation for a period of 12 months, (b) a lump sum payment equal to 100% of the bonus he would have been paid for the year of termination based on actual performance, pro-rated based on the number of days he was employed during the calendar year in which his termination occurs, and (c) COBRA health continuation for up to 12 months. The Employment Agreement contains a Section 280G limited cutback, pursuant to which Mr. Rinn is entitled to receive the greater of (a) the best net after-tax amount of any payments that are subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, calculated in a manner consistent with Section 280G of the Code, and (b) the amount of parachute payments he would be entitled to receive if they were reduced to an amount equal to one dollar less than the amount at which Mr. Rinn becomes subject to excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code.

 

Mr. Rinn has also entered into customary restrictive covenant agreements, which include confidentiality, non-competition, non-solicitation of employees and consultants, non-solicitation of customers and suppliers, and non-disparagement covenants (the “Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement”).

 

The foregoing descriptions of the Employment Agreement and Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Employment Agreement and Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement, which are filed as Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and are incorporated by reference herein.

 

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Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

On May 23, 2025, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Rinn to the role of Chief Financial Officer, principal accounting officer, principal financial officer, and treasurer of the Company. The press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated into this Item 7.01 by reference.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit   Description
1.1   Sales Agreement, dated May 23, 2025, between PSQ Holdings, Inc., Roth Capital Partners, LLC and TCBI Securities, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Securities
5.1   Opinion of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
10.1   Employment Agreement, between PSQ Holdings, Inc. and James Rinn, effective as of June 1, 2025
10.2   Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement, between PSQ Holdings, Inc. and James Rinn, effective as of May 23, 2025
23.1   Consent of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1)
99.1   Press Release, dated May 23, 2025
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  PSQ Holdings, Inc.
   
Date: May 23, 2025 By: /s/ Michael Seifert
  Name: Michael Seifert
  Title: Founder, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer

 

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Exhibit 1.1

 

AT THE MARKET OFFERING AGREEMENT

 

May 23, 2025

 

Roth Capital Partners, LLC

888 San Clemente Drive, Suite 400

Newport Beach, CA 92660

 

TCBI Securities, Inc.

d/b/a Texas Capital Securities

2000 McKinney Avenue, Suite 700

Dallas, TX 75201

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

PSQ Holdings, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with Roth Capital Partners, LLC (“Roth” or the “Designated Manager”) and TCBI Securities, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Securities (“TCS,” each of TCS and Roth, a “Manager” and collectively, the “Managers”) as follows:

 

1. Definitions. The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.

 

Accountants” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4(m).

 

Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(p).

 

Affiliate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(o).

 

Applicable Time” shall mean, with respect to any Shares, the time of sale of such Shares pursuant to this Agreement or any relevant Terms Agreement.

 

Base Prospectus” shall mean the base prospectus contained in the Registration Statement at the Execution Time.

 

Board” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(iii).

 

Broker Fee” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(v).

 

Business Day” shall mean any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, that, for purposes of clarity, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee”  or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.

 

 

Commission” shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Common Stock” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.

 

Common Stock Equivalents” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(g).

 

Company Counsel” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4(l).

 

DTC” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(vii).

 

Effective Date” shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes effective.

 

Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Execution Time” shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto.

 

Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.

 

GAAP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(m).

 

Incorporated Documents” shall mean the documents or portions thereof filed with the Commission on or prior to the Effective Date that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and any documents or portions thereof filed with the Commission after the Effective Date that are deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.

 

Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(v).

 

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Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433.

 

Losses” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 7(d).

 

Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(b).

 

Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(t).

 

Net Proceeds” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(v).

 

Permitted Free Writing Prospectus” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4(g).

 

Placement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(c).

 

Proceeding” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(b).

 

Prospectus” shall mean the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the most recently filed Prospectus Supplement.

 

Prospectus Supplement” shall mean each prospectus supplement relating to the Shares prepared and filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) from time to time.

 

Registration Statement” shall mean the shelf registration statement (File Number 333-287154) on Form S-3, including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B, as amended on each Effective Date and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended.

 

Representation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4(k).

 

Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(e).

 

Rule 158”, “Rule 164”, “Rule 172”, “Rule 173”, “Rule 405”, “Rule 415”, “Rule 424”, “Rule 430B” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Act.

 

Sales Notice” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(i).

 

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SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(m).

 

Settlement Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(vii).

 

Subsidiary” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a).

 

Terms Agreement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(a).

 

Time of Delivery” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(c).

 

Trading Day” means a day on which the Trading Market is open for trading.

 

Trading Market” means the New York Stock Exchange.

 

2. Sale and Delivery of Shares. The Company proposes to issue and sell through or to the Designated Manager, as sales agent and/or principal, from time to time during the term of this Agreement and on the terms set forth herein, up to such number of shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), that does not exceed (a) the number or dollar amount of shares of Common Stock registered on the Registration Statement and as reflected on the Prospectus Supplement, pursuant to which the offering is being made, (b) the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock (less the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of any outstanding securities of the Company or otherwise reserved from the Company’s authorized capital stock), or (c) the number or dollar amount of shares of Common Stock that would cause the Company or the offering of the Shares to not satisfy the eligibility and transaction requirements for use of Form S-3, including, if applicable, General Instruction I.B.6 of Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the lesser of (a), (b) and (c), the “Maximum Amount”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 2 on the number and aggregate sales price of Shares issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company and that the Managers shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance.

 

(a) Appointment of Designated Manager as Selling Agent; Terms Agreement. For purposes of selling the Shares through the Designated Manager, the Company hereby appoints the Designated Manager as exclusive agent of the Company for the purpose of selling the Shares of the Company pursuant to this Agreement and the Designated Manager agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell the Shares on the terms and subject to the conditions stated herein. The Company agrees that, whenever it determines to sell the Shares directly to the Designated Manager as principal, it will enter into a separate agreement (each, a “Terms Agreement”) in substantially the form of Annex I hereto, relating to such sale in accordance with Section 2 of this Agreement.

 

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(b) Agent Sales. Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company will issue and agrees to sell Shares from time to time through the Designated Manager, acting as sales agent, and the Designated Manager agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell, as sales agent for the Company, on the following terms:

 

(i) The Shares are to be sold on a daily basis or otherwise as shall be agreed to by the Company and the Managers on any day that (A) is a Trading Day, (B) the Company has instructed the Designated Manager by telephone (confirmed promptly by electronic mail) to make such sales (“Sales Notice”) and (C) the Company has satisfied its obligations under Section 6 of this Agreement. The Company will designate the maximum amount of the Shares to be sold by the Designated Manager daily (subject to the limitations set forth in Section 2(d)) and the minimum price per Share at which such Shares may be sold. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Designated Manager shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell on a particular day all of the Shares designated for the sale by the Company on such day. The gross sales price of the Shares sold under this Section 2(b) shall be the market price for the shares of Common Stock sold by the Designated Manager under this Section 2(b) on the Trading Market at the time of sale of such Shares.

 

(ii) The Company acknowledges and agrees that (A) there can be no assurance that the Designated Manager will be successful in selling the Shares, (B) the Managers will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if the Designated Manager does not sell the Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Designated Manager to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares as required under this Agreement, and (C) the Managers shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Managers and the Company pursuant to a Terms Agreement.

 

(iii) The Company shall not authorize the issuance and sale of, and the Designated Manager shall not be obligated to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell, any Share at a price lower than the minimum price therefor designated from time to time by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), or a duly authorized committee thereof, or such duly authorized officers of the Company, and notified to the Managers in writing. The Company or the Managers may, upon notice to the other party hereto by telephone (confirmed promptly by electronic mail), suspend the offering of the Shares for any reason and at any time; provided, however, that such suspension or termination shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice.

 

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(iv) The Designated Manager may sell Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 under the Act, including without limitation sales made directly on the Trading Market, on any other existing trading market for the Common Stock or to or through a market maker. The Designated Manager may also sell Shares in privately negotiated transactions, provided that the Designated Manager receives the Company’s prior written approval for any sales in privately negotiated transactions and if so provided in the “Plan of Distribution” section of the Prospectus Supplement or a supplement to the Prospectus Supplement or a new Prospectus Supplement disclosing the terms of such privately negotiated transaction.

 

(v) The compensation to the Managers for sales of the Shares under this Section 2(b) shall be a placement fee of up to 3.5% of the gross sales price of the Shares sold pursuant to this Section 2(b) (“Broker Fee”). The foregoing rate of compensation shall not apply when the Designated Manager acts as principal, in which case the Company may sell Shares to the Designated Manager as principal at a price agreed upon at the relevant Applicable Time pursuant to a Terms Agreement. The remaining proceeds, after deduction of the Broker Fee and deduction of any transaction fees imposed by any clearing firm, execution broker, or governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales, shall constitute the net proceeds to the Company for such Shares (the “Net Proceeds”).

 

(vi) The Designated Manager shall provide written confirmation (which may be by facsimile or electronic mail) to the Company following the close of trading on the Trading Market each day in which the Shares are sold under this Section 2(b) setting forth the number of the Shares sold on such day, the aggregate gross sales proceeds and the Net Proceeds to the Company, and the compensation payable by the Company to the Managers with respect to such sales.

 

(vii) Unless otherwise agreed between the Company and the Managers, settlement for sales of the Shares will occur at 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the first (1st) Trading Day (or any such shorter settlement cycle as may be in effect pursuant to Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act from time to time) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). On or before the Trading Day prior to each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Shares being sold by crediting the Designated Manager’s or its designee’s account (provided that the Designated Manager shall have given the Company written notice of such designee at least one Trading Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which Shares in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, the Designated Manager will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company. The Company agrees that, if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver duly authorized Shares on a Settlement Date, in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 7 hereto, the Company will (i) hold the Managers harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or reasonable, documented expense (including reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company through no fault of a Manager, and (ii) pay to the Managers any commission, discount or other compensation to which the Managers would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.

 

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(viii) At each Applicable Time, Settlement Date, and Representation Date, the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each representation and warranty contained in this Agreement as if such representation and warranty were made as of such date, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended as of such date (except for any representation and warranty which is as of a specific date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be affirmed as of such specific date). Any obligation of the Designated Manager to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell the Shares on behalf of the Company shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the continuing satisfaction of the additional conditions specified in Section 6 of this Agreement.

 

(ix) If the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution” and the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive the Distribution, the “Record Date”), the Company hereby covenants that, in connection with any sales of Shares pursuant to a Sales Notice on the Record Date, the Company shall issue and deliver such Shares to the Designated Manager on the Record Date and the Record Date shall be the Settlement Date and the Company shall cover any additional costs of the Designated Manager in connection with the delivery of Shares on the Record Date.

 

(c) Term Sales. If the Company wishes to sell the Shares pursuant to this Agreement in a manner other than as set forth in Section 2(b) of this Agreement (each, a “Placement”), the Company will notify the Designated Manager of the proposed terms of such Placement. If the Designated Manager, acting as principal, wishes to accept such proposed terms (which it may decline to do for any reason in its sole discretion) or, following discussions with the Company wishes to accept amended terms, the Designated Manager and the Company will enter into a Terms Agreement setting forth the terms of such Placement. The terms set forth in a Terms Agreement will not be binding on the Company or the Designated Manager unless and until the Company and the Designated Manager have each executed such Terms Agreement accepting all of the terms of such Terms Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Terms Agreement, the terms of such Terms Agreement will control. A Terms Agreement may also specify certain provisions relating to the reoffering of such Shares by the Designated Manager. The commitment of the Designated Manager to purchase the Shares pursuant to any Terms Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. Each Terms Agreement shall specify the number of the Shares to be purchased by the Designated Manager pursuant thereto, the price to be paid to the Company for such Shares, any provisions relating to rights of, and default by, underwriters acting together with the Designated Manager in the reoffering of the Shares, and the time and date (each such time and date being referred to herein as a “Time of Delivery”) and place of delivery of and payment for such Shares. Such Terms Agreement shall also specify any requirements for opinions of counsel, accountants’ letters and officers’ certificates pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement and any other information or documents required by the Managers.

 

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(d) Maximum Number of Shares. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Shares if, after giving effect to the sale of such Shares, the aggregate amount of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the lesser of (A) together with all sales of Shares under this Agreement, the Maximum Amount, (B) the amount available for offer and sale under the currently effective Registration Statement and (C) the amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Board, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to the Managers in writing. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Shares pursuant to this Agreement at a price lower than the minimum price authorized from time to time by the Board, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive officer, and notified to the Managers in writing. Further, under no circumstances shall the Company cause or permit the aggregate offering amount of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement to exceed the Maximum Amount.

 

(e) Regulation M Notice. Unless the exceptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are satisfied with respect to the Shares, the Company shall give the Manager at least one (1) Business Day’s prior notice of its intent to sell any Shares in order to allow the Managers time to comply with Regulation M.

 

3. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Managers at the Execution Time and on each such time that the following representations and warranties are repeated or deemed to be made pursuant to this Agreement, as set forth below, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Incorporated Documents.

 

(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries (individually, a “Subsidiary”) of the Company are set forth on Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any “Liens” (which for purposes of this Agreement shall mean a lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction), and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.

 

(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor in default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or the Incorporated Documents, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under this Agreement (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no “Proceeding” (which for purposes of this Agreement shall mean any action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened) has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.

 

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(c) Authorization and Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.

 

(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, anti-dilution or similar adjustments, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other “Person” (defined as an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind, including the Trading Market) in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, other than (i) the filings required by this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus Supplement, (iii) the filing of application(s) to and approval by the Trading Market for the listing of the Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (iv) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws and the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).

 

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(f) Issuance of Shares. The Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Agreement. The issuance by the Company of the Shares has been registered under the Act and all of the Shares are freely transferable and tradable by the purchasers thereof without restriction (other than any restrictions arising solely from an act or omission of such a purchaser). The Shares are being issued pursuant to the Registration Statement and the issuance of the Shares has been registered by the Company under the Act. The “Plan of Distribution” section within the Registration Statement permits the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement. Upon receipt of the Shares, the purchasers of such Shares will have good and marketable title to such Shares and the Shares will be freely tradable on the Trading Market.

 

(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the SEC Reports. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plan and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of securities exercisable, exchangeable or convertible into Common Stock (“Common Stock Equivalents”) outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock or the capital stock of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or capital stock of any Subsidiary. The issuance and sale of the Shares will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary with any provision that adjusts the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of such security or instrument upon an issuance of securities by the Company or any Subsidiary. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares were issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Shares. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.

 

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(h) Registration Statement. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act and has prepared and filed with the Commission the Registration Statement, including a related Base Prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Shares. Such Registration Statement is effective and available for the offer and sale of the Shares as of the date hereof. As filed, the Base Prospectus contains all information required by the Act and the rules thereunder, and, except to the extent the Managers shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to the Managers prior to the Execution Time or prior to any such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made. The Registration Statement, at the Execution Time, each such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) in connection with any offer or sale of the Shares, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x). The initial Effective Date of the Registration Statement was not earlier than the date three years before the Execution Time. The Company meets the transaction requirements as set forth in General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3 or, if applicable, as set forth in General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 with respect to the aggregate market value of securities being sold pursuant to this offering and during the twelve (12) calendar months prior to such time that this representation is made or deemed to be made.

 

(i) Accuracy of Incorporated Documents. The Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder, and none of the Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(j) Ineligible Issuer. The Company is an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405.

 

(k) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company has not used any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses and will not use any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses while it is an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405. The Company will not, without the prior consent of the Managers, prepare, use or refer to, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.

 

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(l) Proceedings Related to Registration Statement. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Shares. The Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to issue a stop-order with respect to the Registration Statement or that the Commission otherwise has suspended or withdrawn the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, either temporarily or permanently, or intends or has threatened in writing to do so.

 

(m) SEC Reports. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.

 

(n) [RESERVED]

 

(o) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date on which this representation is being made, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock, (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or “Affiliate” (defined as any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 144 under the Act), except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans, and (vi) no executive officer of the Company or member of the Board has resigned from any position with the Company. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement, no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least one (1) Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.

 

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(p) Litigation. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”). None of the Actions set forth in the SEC Reports, (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement or the Shares or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Act.

 

(q) Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(r) Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(s) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all federal, state, local and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands, or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations, issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(t) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.

 

(u) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.

 

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(v) Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as could not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(w) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.

 

(x) Affiliate Transactions. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.

 

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(y) Sarbanes Oxley Compliance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

(z) Certain Fees. Other than payments to be made to the Managers, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Managers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(aa) No Other Sales Agency Agreement. The Company has not entered into any other sales agency agreements or other similar arrangements with any agent or any other representative in respect of at the market offerings of the Shares.

 

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(bb) Investment Company.  The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Shares from the Managers pursuant to this Agreement, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so as to reasonably ensure that it or its Subsidiaries will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(cc) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock is listed on the Trading Market and the issuance of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

(dd) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Shares.

 

(ee) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the date hereof, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt) within one year from the date hereof. The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the date hereof. The SEC Reports set forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.

 

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(ff) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.

 

(gg) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.

 

(hh) Accountants. The Company’s accounting firm is set forth in the SEC Reports. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.

 

(ii) Regulation M Compliance.  The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Shares, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Managers in connection with the Shares.

 

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(jj) Stock Option Plans. Each stock option granted by the Company under the Company’s stock option plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date such stock option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Company’s stock option plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.

 

(kk) Cybersecurity. (i)(x) There has been no security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of its respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of it), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and (y) the Company and the Subsidiaries have not been notified of, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable safeguards to maintain and protect its material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and Data; and (iv) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.

 

(ll) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. (i) The Company and the Subsidiaries are, and at all times during the past three years were, in compliance with all applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations, including, as applicable, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (EU 2016/679) (collectively, “Privacy Laws”); (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take appropriate steps reasonably designed to ensure compliance with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling and analysis of Personal Data (the “Policies”); (iii) the Company provides accurate notice of its applicable Policies to its customers, employees, third party vendors and representatives as required by Privacy Laws; and (iv) applicable Policies provide accurate and sufficient notice of the Company’s then-current privacy practices relating to its subject matter, and do not contain any material omissions of the Company’s then-current privacy practices, as required by Privacy Laws. “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, email address, photograph, social security number, bank information, or customer or account number; (ii) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; (iii) “personal data” as defined by GDPR; and (iv) any other piece of information that allows the identification of such natural person, or his or her family, or permits the collection or analysis of any identifiable data related to an identified person’s health or sexual orientation. (i) None of such disclosures made or contained in any of the Policies have been inaccurate, misleading, or deceptive in violation of any Privacy Laws and (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will not result in a breach of any Privacy Laws or Policies.  Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries, (i) has, to the knowledge of the Company, received written notice of any actual or potential liability of the Company or the Subsidiaries under, or actual or potential violation by the Company or the Subsidiaries of, any of the Privacy Laws; (ii) is currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation or other corrective action pursuant to any regulatory request or demand pursuant to any Privacy Law; or (iii) is a party to any order, decree, or agreement by or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority that imposed any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.

 

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(mm) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any of the directors, officers or employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries, is an individual or entity that is, or is owned or controlled by an individual or entity that is: (i) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the transactions contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity: (i) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any individual or entity or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the transactions contemplated hereby, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise). For the past five years, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has knowingly engaged in, and is not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any individual or entity, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.

 

(nn) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon the Managers’ request.

 

(oo) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.

 

(pp) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no Action or Proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.

 

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(qq) FINRA Member Shareholders. There are no affiliations with any FINRA member firm among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent (5%) or greater stockholder of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus.

 

4. Agreements. The Company agrees with the Managers that:

 

(a) Right to Review Amendments and Supplements to Registration Statement and Prospectus. During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act in connection with the offering or the sale of Shares, the Company will not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement (including any Prospectus Supplement) to the Base Prospectus unless the Company has furnished to the Managers a copy for their review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Managers reasonably object. The Company has properly completed the Prospectus, in a form approved by the Managers, and filed such Prospectus, as amended at the Execution Time, with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) by the Execution Time and will cause any supplement to the Prospectus to be properly completed, in a form approved by the Managers, and will file such supplement with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed thereby and will provide evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Managers of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Managers (i) when the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), (ii) when, during any period when the delivery of a prospectus (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) is required under the Act in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective (other than any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act), (iii) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement, or for any supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information (related to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement), (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to its use or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the occurrence of any such suspension or objection to the use of the Registration Statement and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain as soon as reasonably practicable the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and using its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

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(b) Subsequent Events. If, at any time on or after an Applicable Time but prior to the related Settlement Date, any event occurs as a result of which the Registration Statement or Prospectus would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Managers so that any use of the Registration Statement or Prospectus may cease until such are amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any such amendment or supplement to the Managers in such quantities as the Managers may reasonably request.

 

(c) Notification of Subsequent Filings. During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act, any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement, file a new registration statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, including in connection with use or delivery of the Prospectus, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Managers of any such event, (ii) subject to Section 4(a), prepare and file with the Commission an amendment or supplement or new registration statement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, (iii) use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable in order to avoid any disruption in use of the Prospectus and (iv) supply any supplemented Prospectus to the Managers in such quantities as the Managers may reasonably request.

 

(d) Earnings Statements. As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Managers an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company’s compliance with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 4(d).

 

(e) Delivery of Registration Statement. Upon the request of the Managers, the Company will furnish to the Managers and counsel for the Managers, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by the Managers or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule), as many copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Managers may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.

 

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(f) Qualification of Shares. The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Shares for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Managers may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Shares, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

 

(g) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Managers, and the Managers agree with the Company that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, they have not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Managers or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (ii) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.

 

(h) Subsequent Equity Issuances. The Company shall not (i) deliver any Sales Notice hereunder (and any Sales Notice previously delivered shall not apply during such two (2) Trading Days) for at least two (2) Trading Days prior to any date on which the Company or any Subsidiary offers, sells, issues, contracts to sell, contracts to issue or otherwise disposes of, directly or indirectly, any other shares of Common Stock or any Common Stock Equivalents (other than the Shares), subject to Managers’ right to waive this obligation, provided that, without compliance with the foregoing obligation, the Company may issue and sell Common Stock pursuant to any employee equity plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan of the Company in effect at the Execution Time and the Company may issue Common Stock issuable upon the conversion or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding at the Execution Time.

 

(i) Market Manipulation. Until the termination of this Agreement, the Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation in violation of the Act, Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or otherwise violate any provision of Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

 

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(j) Notification of Incorrect Certificate. The Company will, at any time during the term of this Agreement, as supplemented from time to time, advise the Managers immediately after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect any opinion, certificate, letter and other document provided to the Managers pursuant to Section 6 herein.

 

(k) Certification of Accuracy of Disclosure. Upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (and upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder lasting more than 30 Trading Days), and each time that (i) a new Registration Statement is filed and declared effective by the Commission, (ii) the Registration Statement or Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented, other than by means of Incorporated Documents, (iii) the Company files its Annual Report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act, (iv) the Company files its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act, (v) the Company files a Current Report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than information that is furnished and not filed), if the Managers reasonably determine that the information in such Form 8-K is material, or (vi) the Shares are delivered to the Designated Manager as principal at the Time of Delivery pursuant to a Terms Agreement (such commencement or recommencement date and each such date referred to in (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) and (vi) above, a “Representation Date”), the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Managers forthwith a certificate dated and delivered on the Representation Date, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Managers to the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section 6 of this Agreement which were last furnished to the Managers are true and correct at the Representation Date, as though made at and as of such date (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such date) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in said Section 6, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the date of delivery of such certificate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Managers may not request a certificate under this Section 4(k) if the Company notifies the Manager that it does not intend to deliver a Sales Notice and no Sales Notice is outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Managers with a certificate under this Section 4(k), then before the Manager sells any Shares, the Company shall provide the Manager with such certificate dated the date of the Sales Notice.

 

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(l) Bring Down Opinions; Negative Assurance. Within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Managers and to counsel to the Managers a written opinion of counsel to the Company (“Company Counsel”) addressed to the Managers and dated and delivered within five (5) Trading Days of such Representation Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Managers, including a negative assurance representation. The requirement to furnish or cause to be furnished an opinion (but not with respect to a negative assurance representation) under this Section 4(l) shall be waived for any Representation Date other than a Representation Date on which a new Registration Statement is filed and declared effective by the Commission or a material amendment to the Registration Statement or Prospectus is made or the Company files its Annual Report on Form 10-K or a material amendment thereto under the Exchange Act, unless the Managers reasonably request such deliverable required by this Section 4(l) in connection with a Representation Date, upon which request such deliverable shall be deliverable hereunder. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the Managers may not request a bringdown opinion or negative assurances letter under this Section 4(l) if the Company notifies the Managers that it does not intend to deliver a Sales Notice and no Sales Notice is outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Managers with an opinion and negative assurance representation under this Section 4(l), then before the Managers sell any Shares, the Company shall provide the Managers with such opinion and negative assurance representation dated the date of the Sales Notice.

 

(m) Auditor Bring Down “Comfort” Letter. Within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date, the Company shall cause (1) the Company’s auditors (the “Accountants”), or other independent accountants satisfactory to the Managers forthwith to furnish the Managers a letter, and (2) the Chief Financial Officer of the Company forthwith to furnish the Managers a certificate, in each case dated within five (5) Trading Days of such Representation Date, in form satisfactory to the Managers, of the same tenor as the letters and certificate referred to in Section 6 of this Agreement but modified to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letters and certificate. The requirement to furnish or cause to be furnished a “comfort” letter (but not with respect to a Chief Financial Officer certificate) under this Section 4(m) shall be waived for any Representation Date other than a Representation Date on which a new Registration Statement is filed and declared effective by the Commission or a material amendment to the Registration Statement or Prospectus is made or the Company files its Annual Report on Form 10-K or a material amendment thereto under the Exchange Act, unless the Managers reasonably request the deliverable required by this Section 4(m) in connection with a Representation Date, upon which request such deliverable shall be deliverable hereunder. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the Managers may not request a “comfort letter” under this Section 4(m) if the Company notifies the Managers that it does not intend to deliver a Sales Notice and no Sales Notice is outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Managers with a comfort letter under this Section 4(m), then before the Managers sell any Shares, the Company shall provide the Managers with such comfort letter dated the date of the Sales Notice.

 

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(n) Due Diligence Session. Upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (and, at the option of the Managers, upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder lasting more than 30 Trading Days), and at each Representation Date, the Company will conduct a due diligence session, in form and substance, reasonably satisfactory to the Managers, which shall include representatives of management, Company Counsel and Accountants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the requirement to conduct a due diligence session shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Sales Notice is pending or in effect, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of (1) the date the Company delivers a Sales Notice hereunder and (2) the next occurring Representation Date. The Company shall cooperate timely with any reasonable due diligence request from or review conducted by the Managers or their agents from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, providing information and available documents and access to appropriate corporate officers and the Company’s agents during regular business hours, and timely furnishing or causing to be furnished such certificates, letters and opinions from the Company, its officers and its agents, as the Managers may reasonably request. The Company shall reimburse the Managers for Managers’ counsel’s fees in each such Representation Date, up to a maximum of $5,000 per Representation Date, plus any incidental expense incurred by the Managers in connection therewith.

 

(o) Acknowledgment of Trading. The Company consents to the Managers trading in the Common Stock for the Managers’ own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement or pursuant to a Terms Agreement.

 

(p) Disclosure of Shares Sold. The Company will disclose in its Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as applicable, the number of Shares sold through the Designated Manager under this Agreement, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid by the Company with respect to sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement during the relevant quarter; and, if required by any subsequent change in Commission policy or request, more frequently by means of a Current Report on Form 8-K or a further Prospectus Supplement.

 

(q) Rescission Right. If to the knowledge of the Company, the conditions set forth in Section 6 shall not have been satisfied as of the applicable Settlement Date, the Company will offer to any person who has agreed to purchase Shares from the Company as the result of an offer to purchase solicited by the Designated Manager the right to refuse to purchase and pay for such Shares.

 

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(r) Bring Down of Representations and Warranties. Each acceptance by the Company of an offer to purchase the Shares hereunder, and each execution and delivery by the Company of a Terms Agreement, shall be deemed to be an affirmation to the Managers that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such acceptance or of such Terms Agreement as though made at and as of such date (unless such representation or warranty specifies a different time which shall be true and correct as of such time), and an undertaking that such representations and warranties will be true and correct as of the Settlement Date (unless such representation or warranty specifies a different time which shall be true and correct as of such time) for the Shares relating to such acceptance or as of the Time of Delivery relating to such sale, as the case may be, as though made at and as of such date (except that such representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such Shares).

 

(s) Reservation of Shares. The Company shall ensure that there are at all times sufficient shares of Common Stock to provide for the issuance, free of any preemptive rights, out of its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock or shares of Common Stock held in treasury, of the maximum aggregate number of Shares authorized for issuance by the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shares to be listed for trading on the Trading Market and to maintain such listing.

 

(t) Obligation Under Exchange Act. During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act, the Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder.

 

(u) DTC Facility. The Company shall cooperate with the Manager and use its reasonable efforts to permit the Shares to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of DTC.

 

(v) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the Net Proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth in the Prospectus.

 

(w) Filing of Prospectus Supplement. If any sales are made pursuant to this Agreement which are not made in “at the market” offerings as defined in Rule 415, including, without limitation, any Placement pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the Company shall file a Prospectus Supplement describing the terms of such transaction, the amount of Shares sold, the price thereof, the Managers’ compensation, and such other information as may be required pursuant to Rule 424 and Rule 430B, as applicable, within the time required by Rule 424.

 

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(x) Additional Registration Statement. To the extent that the Registration Statement is not available for the sales of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement, the Company shall file a new registration statement with respect to any additional shares of Common Stock necessary to complete such sales of the Shares and shall cause such registration statement to become effective as promptly as practicable. After the effectiveness of any such registration statement, all references to “Registration Statement” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include such new registration statement, including all documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, and all references to “Base Prospectus” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the final form of base prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in any such registration statement at the time such registration statement became effective.

 

5. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay the costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, including without limitation: (i) the preparation, printing or reproduction and filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits thereto), the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as may, in each case, be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Shares, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Shares; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, any blue sky memorandum and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the offering of the Shares; (v) the registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act, if applicable, and the listing of the Shares on the Trading Market; (vi) any registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Managers relating to such registration and qualification); (vii) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of Company representatives in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Shares; (viii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel (including local and special counsel) for the Company; (ix) the filing fee under FINRA Rule 5110; (x) the reasonable fees and expenses of the Managers’ counsel, not to exceed $60,000 (excluding any periodic due diligence fees provided for under Section 4(n)), which shall be paid upon the Execution Time; and (xi) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.

 

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6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Managers. The obligations of the Managers under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be subject to (i) the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time, each Representation Date, and as of each Applicable Time, Settlement Date and Time of Delivery (unless such representation or warranty specifies a different time which shall be true and correct as of such time), (ii) the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and (iii) the following additional conditions:

 

(a) Filing of Prospectus Supplement. The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, required by Rule 424 to be filed with the Commission have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) with respect to any sale of Shares; each Prospectus Supplement shall have been filed in the manner required by Rule 424(b) within the time period required hereunder and under the Act; any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.

 

(b) Delivery of Opinion. The Company shall have caused the Company Counsel to furnish to the Managers its opinion and negative assurance statement, dated as of such date and addressed to the Managers in form and substance acceptable to the Managers.

 

(c) Delivery of Officer’s Certificate. The Company, if required by Section 4(k) of this Agreement, shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Managers a certificate of the Company signed by the Chief Executive Officer or the President and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated as of such date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement and any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements or amendments thereto and this Agreement and that:

 

(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of such date with the same effect as if made on such date (unless such representation or warranty specifies a different time which shall be true and correct as of such time) and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such date;

 

(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and

 

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(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents, there has been no Material Adverse Effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

(d) Delivery of Accountants’ “Comfort” Letter. The Company shall, if required by Section 4(m) of this Agreement, have requested and caused the Accountants to have furnished to the Managers letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to the Managers), dated as of such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Managers, confirming that they are independent accountants within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder and that they have performed a review of any unaudited interim financial information of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and provide customary “comfort” as to such review in form and substance satisfactory to the Managers.

 

(e) No Material Adverse Event. Since the respective dates as of which information is disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents, except as otherwise stated therein, there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease in previously reported results specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (d) of this Section 6 or (ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the sole judgment of the Managers, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Incorporated Documents and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

(f) Payment of All Fees. The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Act and, if applicable, shall have updated the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).

 

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(g) No FINRA Objections. FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements under this Agreement.

 

(h) Shares Listed on Trading Market. The Shares shall have been listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the Trading Market, and satisfactory evidence of such actions shall have been provided to the Managers.

 

(i) Other Assurances. Prior to each Settlement Date and Time of Delivery, as applicable, the Company shall have furnished to the Managers such further information, certificates and documents as the Managers may reasonably request.

 

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Managers and counsel for the Managers, this Agreement and all obligations of the Managers hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, any Settlement Date or Time of Delivery, as applicable, by the Managers. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone and confirmed in writing by email.

 

The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered to the office of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, counsel for the Managers, at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105, email: [email protected], on each such date as provided in this Agreement.

 

7. Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a) Indemnification by Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Managers, the directors, officers, employees and agents of the Managers and each person who controls the Managers within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement for the registration of the Shares as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arise out of or are based upon any Proceeding, commenced or threatened (whether or not the Managers are a target of or party to such Proceeding) or result from or relate to any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Managers specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company may otherwise have.

 

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(b) Indemnification by Managers. The Managers agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Managers, but only with reference to written information relating to the Managers furnished to the Company by the Managers specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity; provided, however, that in no case shall the Managers be responsible for any amount in excess of the Broker Fee applicable to the Shares and paid hereunder. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Managers may otherwise have.

 

(c) Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding.

 

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(d) Contribution. In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Managers agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “Losses”) to which the Company and the Managers may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Managers on the other from the offering of the Shares; provided, however, that in no case shall the Managers be responsible for any amount in excess of the Broker Fee applicable to the Shares and paid hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Managers severally shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Managers on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Managers shall be deemed to be equal to the Broker Fee applicable to the Shares and paid hereunder as determined by this Agreement. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company on the one hand or the Managers on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Managers agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7, each person who controls the Managers within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of the Managers shall have the same rights to contribution as the Managers, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).

 

8. Termination.

 

(a) The Company shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in its sole discretion at any time upon thirty (30) days’ prior written notice. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that (i) with respect to any pending sale, through the Managers for the Company, the obligations of the Company, including in respect of compensation of the Managers, shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the termination and (ii) the provisions of Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, the second sentence of 13, 14, 15 and 16 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

 

33

 

(b) The Managers shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, the second sentence of 13, 14, 15 and 16 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

 

(c) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until such date that this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Sections 8(a) or (b) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties, provided that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, the second sentence of 13, 14, 15 and 16 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

 

(d) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination, provided that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Managers or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date or Time of Delivery for any sale of the Shares, such sale of the Shares shall settle in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(b) of this Agreement.

 

(e) In the case of any purchase of Shares by the Designated Manager pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the obligations of the Designated Manager pursuant to such Terms Agreement shall be subject to termination, in the absolute discretion of the Managers, by prompt oral notice given to the Company prior to the Time of Delivery relating to such Shares, if any, and confirmed promptly by electronic mail, if since the time of execution of the Terms Agreement and prior to such delivery and payment, (i) trading in the Common Stock shall have been suspended by the Commission or the Trading Market or trading in securities generally on the Trading Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State authorities or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Managers, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

9. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Managers set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by the Managers or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

 

10. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and will be mailed, delivered, or e-mailed to the addresses of the Company and the Managers, respectively, set forth on the signature page hereto.

 

11. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

 

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12. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Managers and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Managers is acting solely as sales agent and/or principal in connection with the purchase and sale of the Company’s securities and not as a fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Managers in connection with the offering and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the offering (irrespective of whether the Managers have advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Managers have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

 

13. Integration. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement supersede all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Managers with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the letter agreement, dated May 20, 2025, by and between the Company and the Managers shall continue to be effective and the terms therein shall continue to survive and be enforceable by the Managers in accordance with its terms, provided that, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the letter agreement and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.

 

14. Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Managers. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.

 

15. Applicable Law. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York. Each of the Company and the Managers: (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be instituted exclusively in New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (ii) waives any objection which it may have or hereafter to the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) irrevocably consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in any such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Company and the Managers further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company, in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon the Managers mailed by certified mail to each of the Manager’s addresses shall be deemed in every respect effective service process upon the Managers, in any such suit, action or proceeding. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provision of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

16. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, any Terms Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

17. Counterparts. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon one and the same agreement. Counterparts may be delivered via electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

18. Headings. The section headings used in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

  

***************************

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the Managers.

  

Very truly yours,  
   
PSQ HOLDINGS, INC.  
   
By: /s/ Michael Seifert     
Name: Michael Seifert  
Title: President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board  

 

Address for Notice:

 

313 Datura Street, Suite 200

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

 

The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first written above.

 

ROTH CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC  
   
By: /s/ Joe Tonnos  
Name:  Joe Tonnos  
Title:   Managing Director,
Investment Banking
 

 

Address for Notice:

 

888 San Clemente Drive, Suite 400

Newport Beach, CA 92660
Attention: Head of Capital Markets

E-mail: ROTH ECM <[email protected]>

 

TCBI SECURITIES, INC.,  
D/B/A TEXAS CAPITAL SECURITIES  
   
By: /s/ Jon Merriman  
Name:  Jon Merriman  
Title:   Head of Equities  

 

Address for Notice:

 

2000 McKinney Avenue

Suite 700

Dallas, TX 75201

Attention: Head of Equities

E-mail: [email protected]

 

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Form of Terms Agreement

ANNEX I 

PSQ HOLDINGS, INC.  

TERMS AGREEMENT

 

Dear Sirs:

 

PSQ Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the At The Market Offering Agreement, dated May 23, 2025 (the “At The Market Offering Agreement”), between the Company and Roth Capital Partners, LLC and TCBI Securities, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Securities (collectively, the “Managers”), to issue and sell to the Designated Manager the securities specified in Schedule I hereto (the “Purchased Shares”).

 

Each of the provisions of the At The Market Offering Agreement not specifically related to the solicitation by the Managers, as agent of the Company, of offers to purchase securities is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be part of this Terms Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Each of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Terms Agreement and the Time of Delivery, except that each representation and warranty in Section 3 of the At The Market Offering Agreement which makes reference to the Prospectus (as therein defined) shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty as of the date of the At The Market Offering Agreement in relation to the Prospectus, and also a representation and warranty as of the date of this Terms Agreement and the Time of Delivery in relation to the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to relate to the Purchased Shares.

 

An amendment to the Registration Statement (as defined in the At The Market Offering Agreement), or a supplement to the Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Purchased Shares, in the form heretofore delivered to the Managers is now proposed to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the At The Market Offering Agreement which are incorporated herein by reference, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Designated Manager and the latter agrees to purchase from the Company the number of shares of the Purchased Shares at the time and place and at the purchase price set forth in the Schedule I hereto.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us a counterpart hereof, whereupon this Terms Agreement, including those provisions of the At The Market Offering Agreement incorporated herein by reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between the Managers and the Company.

 

PSQ HOLDINGS, INC.  
   
By:               
Name:    
Title:      

 

ACCEPTED as of the date first written above.

 

ROTH CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC        
   
By:                  
Name:    
Title:    

 

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Exhibit 5.1

 

    NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOROUGH LLP
ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW
     
    101 Constitution Ave, NW Suite 900
Washington, DC 20001
nelsonmullins.com

 

May 23, 2025

 

PSQ Holdings, Inc.

313 Datura Street, Suite 200

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to PSQ Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), of a prospectus supplement, dated May 23, 2025 (the “Prospectus Supplement”), to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-287154) filed with the Commission under the Act on May 9, 2025 (the “Registration Statement”), and the related prospectus, dated May 16, 2025, included in the Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective (the “Base Prospectus” and, together with the Prospectus Supplement, the “Prospectus”), relating to the proposed issuance and sale by the Company, from time to time through Roth Capital Partners, LLC and TCBI Securities, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Securities (the “Sales Agents”), as the sales agents, of shares (the “Shares”) of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of the Company in an aggregate offering amount of up to $50,000,000. The Shares are to be issued and sold pursuant to that certain At-the-Market Sales Agreement, dated May 23, 2025, by and between the Company and each of the Sales Agents (the “Sales Agreement”).

 

For the purpose of rendering this opinion, we assumed, without investigation, the genuineness of all signatures, the correctness of all certificates, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted as certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies, and the accuracy and completeness of all records made available to us by the Company. In addition, in rendering this opinion, we assumed that the Shares will be offered in the manner and on the terms identified or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, including all supplements and amendments thereto.

 

Our opinion is limited solely to matters set forth herein. The law covered by the opinions expressed herein is limited to the federal law of the United States and internal laws of the State of Delaware and the State of New York.

 

California | Colorado | District of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Maryland | Massachusetts

Minnesota | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Virginia | West Virginia

 

 

 

 

PSQ Holdings, Inc.

May 23, 2025

Page 2

 

On the basis of the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when issued and sold against payment therefor in accordance with the Sales Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and we further consent to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement.  By giving these consents, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons where consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  /s/ Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
   
  Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

PSQ HOLDINGS, INC.

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made as of May 23, 2025 by and between PSQ Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and James Rinn (the “Executive”) (together, the “Parties”).

 

RECITALS

 

 

WHEREAS, the Parties desire to enter into an agreement whereby the Executive will be employed by the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement;

  

WHEREAS, the Executive has agreed to accept such employment with the Company effective upon the Effective Date on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the respective covenants and agreements of the Parties herein contained, the Parties hereto agree to the following terms, which shall govern the Executive’s employment with the Company effective upon June 1, 2025 (the “Effective Date”):

 

1. Agreement. This Agreement shall be effective as of the Effective Date. The Executive’s employment on the terms contained in this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and shall continue until such employment relationship is terminated in accordance with Section 7 hereof (the “Term of Employment”).

 

2. Position. During the Term of Employment, the Executive shall serve as the Chief Financial Officer, principal accounting officer, principal financial officer, and treasurer of the Company, working remotely and traveling as reasonably required by the Executive’s job duties.

 

3. Scope of Employment. During the Term of Employment, the Executive shall be responsible for the performance of those duties consistent with the Executive’s position as Chief Financial Officer. The Executive shall report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or his designee. The Executive agrees to devote substantially all of the Executive’s business time, best efforts, skill, knowledge, attention, and energies to the advancement of the business and interests of the Company and its affiliates and to the performance of the Executive’s duties and responsibilities as an employee of the Company and not to engage in any other business activities (whether as an employee, consultant, board member, advisor or in any other capacity) without prior approval from the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, except that the Executive may engage in charitable or civic activities and/or serve as an executor, trustee, or other similar fiduciary capacity, provided, however, that in no event may any activity be undertaken or continued if it would (i) be in violation of any provision of this Agreement or other agreement between the Executive and the Company, (ii) interfere with the performance of the Executive’s duties for the Company or its affiliates, or (iii) present a conflict of interest with the business interests of the Company or its affiliates. As an employee of the Company, the Executive will be required to comply with all Company policies and procedures. Violations of the Company’s policies may lead to immediate termination of the Executive’s employment, provided, however, that nothing in the foregoing shall alter any rights the Executive may have as set forth in Section 8 below. Further, the Company’s premises, including all workspaces, furniture, documents, and other tangible materials, and all information technology resources of the Company (including computers, data and other electronic files, and all internet and email) are subject to oversight and inspection by the Company at any time. Company employees should have no expectation of privacy with regard to any Company premises, materials, resources, or information.

 

 

 

 

4. Compensation. As full compensation for all services rendered by the Executive to the Company and any affiliate thereof, during the Term of Employment, the Company will provide to the Executive the following:

 

(a) Base Salary. The Executive shall receive a base salary at the annualized rate of $400,000 (the “Base Salary”). The Executive’s Base Salary shall be paid in equal installments in accordance with the Company’s regularly established payroll procedures. The Executive’s Base Salary will be reviewed on an annual or more frequent basis and is subject to increase in the discretion of the Company.

 

(b) Annual Discretionary Bonus. The Executive will be eligible to receive an annual discretionary performance bonus of up to 35% of the Executive’s Base Salary (the “Target Bonus”), based on the assessment by the Company of Executive’s performance and the Company’s attainment of targeted goals to be set by the Company in its sole discretion. Following the close of each calendar year, the Company will determine whether the Executive has earned a performance bonus, and the amount of any performance bonus, based on the set criteria. No amount of the performance bonus is guaranteed, and the Executive must be an active employee of the Company on the date the bonus is paid in order to be eligible for and to earn any bonus award, as it also serves as an incentive for the Executive to remain employed by the Company. The bonus compensation may be paid in cash, in stock, in RSUs, or via other “in-kind” compensation methods, at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”). The Executive’s bonus eligibility will be reviewed on an annual or more frequent basis by the Company and is subject to increase in the discretion of the Company.

 

(c) Equity Award. The Company shall recommend to the Board that the Executive be granted an initial grant of 250,000 restricted stock units (the “RSU Award”) as soon as practicable following the Effective Date. Subject to the approval of the Board, the initial grant shall vest one third on each of the first three anniversaries of the Effective Date, subject to the Executive continuing to provide services to the Company through the relevant vesting dates. The RSU Award will be subject to approval by the Board, the terms of the PSQ Holdings, Inc. 2023 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Equity Plan”) and the restricted stock unit agreement between the Executive and PSQ Holdings, Inc. The Executive will be eligible to receive additional equity awards at such times and on such terms and conditions as the Board shall, in its sole discretion, determine.

 

(d) Paid Time Off. The Executive will be eligible for paid vacation and paid sick time, consistent with the Company’s policies as in effect from time to time. The Executive will also be eligible for paid time off for Company holidays, which are set annually and in accordance with Company policy.

 

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(e) Benefits. Subject to eligibility requirements and the Company’s polices, the Executive shall have the right, on the same basis as other similarly-situated employees of the Company, to participate in, and to receive benefits under, all employee health, disability, insurance, fringe, welfare benefit and retirement plans, arrangements, practices and programs the Company provides to its senior executives in accordance with the terms thereof as in effect from time to time. The Company reserves the right to modify, amend and/or terminate any or all of its benefits plans at its discretion.

 

(f) Withholdings. All compensation payable to the Executive shall be subject to applicable taxes and withholdings.

 

5. Expenses. The Executive will be reimbursed for the Executive’s actual, necessary and reasonable business expenses pursuant to Company policy, subject to the provisions of Section 3 of Exhibit A attached hereto.

 

6. Restrictive Covenants Agreements. As a condition of the Executive’s employment with the Company, the Executive will be required to sign the Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit B. The Executive further acknowledges that the Executive’s employment with the Company is conditioned on the Executive’s continued compliance with such Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement and the Company’s Employee Invention Assignment and Confidentiality Agreement (the “Restrictive Covenant Agreements”).

 

7. Employment Termination. This Agreement and the employment of the Executive shall terminate upon the occurrence of any of the following:

 

(a) Upon the death of the Executive or at the election of the Company due to the Executive’s “Disability”. As used in this Agreement, the term “Disability” shall mean a physical or mental illness or disability that prevents the Executive from performing the duties of the Executive’s position for a period of more than any three (3) consecutive months or for periods aggregating more than twenty-six (26) weeks. The Company shall determine in good faith and in its sole discretion whether the Executive is unable to perform the services provided for herein.

 

(b) At the election of the Company, with or without “Cause” (as defined below), immediately upon written notice by the Company to the Executive. As used in this Agreement, “Cause” shall mean:

 

(i) the Executive’s engagement in any conduct that has materially and adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect, the business interests or reputation of the Company or its affiliates (for avoidance of doubt, “conduct” in this subsection does not mean poor performance or failure to meet Company objectives);

 

(ii) any breach by the Executive of the Restrictive Covenant Agreements;

 

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(iii) the Executive’s willful and repeated failure to perform in any material respect, the Executive’s duties to the Company under this Agreement;

 

(iv) the Executive’s fraud or embezzlement, or the Executive’s willful misconduct with respect to the Company or its affiliates;

 

(v) the Executive’s material breach of this Agreement; or

 

(vi) the Executive’s conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a misdemeanor relating to the Company or its affiliates, any crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude, or any felony;

 

provided, however, that with respect to subsection (iii) hereof, and solely to the extent the Company reasonably believes the conduct or failure is capable of being cured, the Executive was given thirty (30) calendar days’ written notice of such failure and an opportunity to cure such failure but the Executive failed to do so within such period (provided that the Executive is eligible for no more than two “cure” opportunities during the Executive’s employment).

 

(c) At the election of the Executive, with or without “Good Reason” (as defined below), upon written notice by the Executive to the Company (subject, if it is with Good Reason, to the timing provisions set forth in the definition of Good Reason). As used in this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean the occurrence (without the Executive’s prior written consent), of any of the following events:

 

(i) a material reduction in the Executive’s authority, duties, or responsibilities;

 

(ii) the relocation of the principal place at which the Executive provides services to the Company by at least fifty (50) miles and to a location such that the Executive’s daily commuting distance is increased;

 

(iii) a material reduction of the Executive’s Base Salary; or

 

(iv) a material breach by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

No termination will be treated as a termination by the Executive for Good Reason unless (x) the Executive has given written notice to the Company of the Executive’s intention to terminate the Executive’s employment for Good Reason, describing the grounds for such action, no later than sixty (60) days after the first occurrence of such circumstances, (y) the Executive has provided the Company with at least thirty (30) days in which to cure the circumstances, and (z) if the Company is not successful in curing the circumstances, the Executive ends the Executive’s employment within thirty (30) calendar days following the expiration of the cure period in (y).

 

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8. Effect of Termination.

 

(a) All Terminations Other Than by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive With Good Reason. If the Executive’s employment is terminated under any circumstances other than a termination by the Company without Cause or a termination by the Executive with Good Reason (including a voluntary termination by the Executive without Good Reason or a termination by the Company for Cause or due to the Executive’s death or Disability), the Company’s obligations under this Agreement shall immediately cease and the Executive shall only be entitled to receive (i) the Base Salary that has accrued and to which the Executive is entitled as of the effective date of such termination, to be paid in accordance with the Company’s established payroll procedure and applicable law but no later than the next regularly scheduled pay period, (ii) unreimbursed business expenses for which expenses the Executive has timely submitted appropriate documentation in accordance with Section 5 hereof, (iii) any amounts or benefits to which the Executive is then entitled under the terms of the then-current benefit plans of the Company in accordance with their terms (and not accelerated to the extent acceleration does not satisfy Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”)), and (iv) to the extent applicable in accordance with then-current Company policy, any accrued but unused vacation time through the date of termination, to be paid in accordance with Company policy and applicable law (the payments described in this sentence, the “Accrued Obligations”).

  

(b) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive With Good Reason. If the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason, the Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Obligations. In addition, and subject to Exhibit A and the conditions of Section 8(d), the Company shall: (i) continue to pay to the Executive, in accordance with the Company’s regularly established payroll procedures, the Executive’s Base Salary for a period of twelve (12) months; (ii) pay to the Executive, in a single lump sum on the later of the Payment Date (as defined below) and the date on which bonuses are paid to employees generally, an amount equal to the annual bonus for the year in which termination occurs that the Executive would have received had the Executive remained employed by the Company based on actual performance but prorated based on a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days during the calendar year in which the Executive’s termination date occurs that the Executive remained employed by the Company and the denominator of which is 365; and (iii) provided the Executive is eligible for and timely elects to continue receiving group medical insurance pursuant to the “COBRA,” continue to pay for twelve (12) months following the Executive’s termination date or until the Executive has secured other employment or is no longer eligible for coverage under COBRA, whichever occurs first, the share of the premium for medical coverage that is paid by the Company for active and similarly-situated employees who receive the same type of coverage, unless the Company’s provision of such supplemental COBRA payments will violate the nondiscrimination requirements of applicable law, in which case this benefit will not apply (collectively, the “Severance Benefits”).

 

(c) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive With Good Reason During the Change in Control Period. If the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason within the period that begins three (3) months prior to and ends twelve (12) months following a “Change in Control” (as defined below) (such period, the “Change in Control Period”), then, subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 8(c), the Executive shall be entitled to receive the benefits described in this Section 8(c) rather than those described in Section 8(b) above. In such case, Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Obligations and, subject to Exhibit A and the conditions of Section 8(d), the Company shall: (i) pay to the Executive, in a single lump sum on the Payment Date, an amount equal to the sum of (x) fifteen (15) months of the Executive’s Base Salary, and (y) 1.25 times the Executive’s Target Bonus for the year in which termination occurs or, if higher, the Executive’s Target Bonus immediately prior to the Change in Control, (ii) pay to the Executive, in a single lump sum on the Payment Date, an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Executive’s Target Bonus for the year in which termination occurs or, if higher, the Executive’s Target Bonus immediately prior to the Change in Control, prorated based on a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days during the calendar year in which the Executive’s termination date occurs that the Executive remained employed by the Company and the denominator of which is 365, (iii) provided the Executive is eligible for and timely elects to continue receiving group medical insurance pursuant to the “COBRA,” continue to pay for fifteen (15) months following the Executive’s termination date or until the Executive has secured other employment or is no longer eligible for coverage under COBRA, whichever occurs first, the share of the premium for health coverage that is paid by the Company for active and similarly-situated employees who receive the same type of coverage, unless the Company’s provision of such supplemental COBRA payments will violate the nondiscrimination requirements of applicable law, in which case this benefit will not apply, and (iv) provide that the vesting of the Executive’s then-unvested equity awards that vest based solely on the passage of time shall be accelerated, such that all such then-unvested time-based equity awards shall vest and become fully exercisable or non-forfeitable as of the later of the date of the Change in Control and Executive’s termination date (collectively, the “Change in Control Severance Benefits”).

 

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(d) Release. As a condition of the Executive’s receipt of the Severance Benefits or the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, the Executive must execute and deliver to the Company a separation and release of claims agreement in substantially the form to be provided by the Company (the “Release”), which Release must become irrevocable within sixty (60) days following the date of the Executive’s termination of employment (or such shorter period as may be directed by the Company). The Severance Benefits or the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, will be paid or commence to be paid in the first regular payroll beginning after the Release becomes effective, provided that if the foregoing sixty (60) day period would end in a calendar year subsequent to the year in which the Executive’s employment ends, the Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, will not be paid or begin to be paid before the first payroll of the subsequent calendar year (the date the Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, are paid or commence pursuant to this sentence, the “Payment Date”). The Executive must continue to comply with all post-employment obligations under law or in any agreement between the Executive and the Company or any of its affiliates, including the Restrictive Covenant Agreements, any similar agreement with the Company or any of its affiliates and as set forth in the Release in order to be eligible to receive or continue receiving the Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason prior to a Change in Control, (i) any then-outstanding and unvested time-based equity awards held by the Executive shall remain outstanding (but any vesting shall be suspended) for up to (but no longer than) three (3) months following the date of termination so that, if it is later determined that such termination occurred during the three (3)-month period prior to the closing of a Change in Control and the Executive is entitled to Change in Control Severance Benefits rather than Severance Benefits, the vesting of such awards may be accelerated, in accordance with Section 8(c), immediately prior to the closing of the Change in Control and (ii) any Change in Control Severance Benefits shall be reduced by any Severance Benefits previously paid to the Executive, if it is later determined that the termination occurred during the three (3)-month period prior to the closing of a Change in Control and that the Executive is entitled to Change in Control Severance Benefits rather than Severance Benefits.

 

(e) Change in Control Definition. For purposes of this Agreement, “Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events after the Effective Date, provided that such event or occurrence constitutes a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, as defined in Treasury Regulation §§ 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v), (vi) and (vii),:

 

(i) the acquisition by an individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”)) (a “Person”) of beneficial ownership of any capital stock of the Company if, after such acquisition (but not before such acquisition), such Person beneficially owns (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) more than fifty percent (50%) of either (x) the then-outstanding shares of common stock of the Company (the “Outstanding Company Common Stock”) or (y) the combined voting power of the then-outstanding securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (1) any acquisition directly from the Company, (2) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its affiliates, or (3) any acquisition by any entity pursuant to a Business Combination (as defined below) which complies with clauses (x) and (y) of subsection (iii) of this definition;

 

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(ii) a change in the composition of the Board that results in the Continuing Directors (as defined below) no longer constituting a majority of the Board (or, if applicable, the Board of Directors of a successor corporation to the Company), where the term “Continuing Director” means at any date a member of the Board (x) who was a member of the Board on the Effective Date or (y) who was nominated or elected subsequent to such date by at least a majority of the directors who were Continuing Directors at the time of such nomination or election or whose election to the Board was recommended or endorsed by at least a majority of the directors who were Continuing Directors at the time of such nomination or election; provided, however, that there shall be excluded from this clause (y) any individual whose initial assumption of office occurred as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents, by or on behalf of a person other than the Board; or

 

(iii) the consummation of a merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or share exchange involving the Company, or a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (a “Business Combination”), unless, immediately following such Business Combination, each of the following two (2) conditions is satisfied: (x) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners of the Outstanding Company Common Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent (50%) of the then-outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then-outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, respectively, of the resulting or acquiring corporation in such Business Combination (which shall include, without limitation, a corporation which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one (1) or more subsidiaries) (such resulting or acquiring corporation is referred to herein as the “Acquiring Corporation”) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Outstanding Company Common Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities, respectively, immediately prior to such Business Combination and (y) no Person (excluding any employee benefit plan (or related trust) maintained or sponsored by the Company or any of its affiliates or by the Acquiring Corporation) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50%) or more of the then-outstanding shares of common stock of the Acquiring Corporation, or of the combined voting power of the then-outstanding securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination).

 

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(f) Resignation from other Positions. If, as of the date that the Executive’s employment terminates for any reason, the Executive is a member of the Board (or the board of directors of any entity affiliated with the Company), or holds any other offices or positions with the Company (or any entity affiliated with the Company), the Executive shall, unless otherwise requested by the Company, immediately relinquish and/or resign from any such board memberships, offices and positions as of the date the Executive’s employment terminates. The Executive agrees to execute such documents and take such other actions as the Company may request to reflect such relinquishments and/or resignation(s).

 

9. Absence of Restrictions. The Executive represents and warrants that the Executive is not bound by any employment contracts, restrictive covenants or other restrictions that prevent (or purports to prevent) the Executive from carrying out the Executive’s responsibilities for the Company, or which are in any way inconsistent with any of the terms of this Agreement.

 

10. Notice. Any notice delivered under this Agreement shall be deemed duly delivered three (3) business days after it is sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, one (1) business day after it is sent for next-business day delivery via a reputable nationwide overnight courier service, or immediately upon hand delivery, in each case to the address of the recipient set forth below.

 

To Executive:

 

At the address set forth in the Executive’s personnel file

 

To Company:

 

PSQ Holdings, Inc.

313 Datura Street, Suite 200,

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

 

Attn: Legal Department

 

Either Party may change the address to which notices are to be delivered by giving notice of such change to the other Party in the manner set forth in this Section 10.

 

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11. Applicable Law; Arbitration. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida (without reference to the conflict of laws provisions thereof). The Parties agree to resolve through mandatory, final, and binding arbitration, except as specifically excluded herein or prohibited by applicable law and subject to the provisions of Section 19(d), all disputes arising out of or related to this Agreement or the subject matter hereof, and any controversy, dispute, or claim directly or indirectly arising out of, relating to, or connected with the Executive’s employment or any separation from employment with the Company, including whether the dispute is arbitrable (“Covered Disputes”); provided, however, that Covered Disputes shall not include claims for workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, sexual assault, or sexual harassment, claims arising under the National Labor Relations Act, and claims by either party for temporary restraining orders or preliminary injunctions (“temporary equitable relief”) in cases in which such temporary equitable relief would be otherwise authorized by law. Further, nothing herein prevents the Executive from filing a charge with, cooperating with, or participating in any proceeding or investigation before the EEOC or a state fair employment practices agency (except that the Executive acknowledges that the Executive may not recover any monetary benefits in connection with any such charge, proceeding or investigation, and the Executive further waives any rights or claims to any payment, benefit, attorneys’ fees or other remedial relief in connection with any such charge, proceeding or investigation. The Parties understand and agree that arbitration shall be the exclusive method by which to resolve all Covered Disputes to the extent permitted by applicable law. The Parties further understand and agree that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, neither will assert class, collective, or representative action claims against the other, whether in arbitration or otherwise, and such class, collective, or representative actions are hereby waived. Any such arbitration will be conducted in accordance with American Arbitration Association’s (the “AAA”) Employment Arbitration Rules and Mediation Procedures, a copy of which will be provided to the Executive upon request, and will be conducted by a neutral arbitrator from the AAA agreed upon by the Executive and the Company in accordance with the AAA rules. Any arbitration under this provision will be conducted in the city closest to where the Executive resides at the time arbitration is demanded in which a United States District Court courthouse is located, unless otherwise agreed by the Executive and the Company. The arbitrator shall: (a) provide for more than minimal discovery and have the authority to compel adequate discovery for the resolution of the dispute and to award such relief as would otherwise be permitted by law; and (b) issue a written decision, including a statement of the award and the arbitrator’s essential findings and conclusions on which the decision is based. The arbitrator shall have the power to award damages, remedies or relief that would be available in a court otherwise having jurisdiction of the matter, but no other damages, remedies or relief. The Parties agree that arbitration shall be the exclusive, final and binding forum for the ultimate resolution of such claims, subject to any rights of appeal that either party may have under the Federal Arbitration Act and/or under applicable state law dealing with the review of arbitration decisions. Each Party shall pay its own attorney’s fees and expenses, except that the Company shall pay the fees and expenses related to the arbitration that the Executive would not generally be required to bear if the Executive brought the same action in a court otherwise having jurisdiction.

 

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12. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both Parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any corporation with which or into which the Company may be merged or which may succeed to its assets or business; provided, however, that the obligations of the Executive are personal and shall not be assigned by the Executive.

 

13. At-Will Employment. This Agreement shall not be construed as an agreement, either expressed or implied, to employ the Executive for any stated term, and shall in no way alter the Company’s policy of employment at will, under which both the Executive and the Company remain free to terminate the employment relationship, with or without cause, at any time, with or without notice. Although the Executive’s job duties, title, compensation and benefits, as well as the Company’s personnel policies and procedures, may change from time to time, the “at-will” nature of the Executive’s employment may only be changed by a written agreement signed by the Executive and a duly authorized representative of the Company, which written agreement expressly states the intention to modify the at-will nature of the Executive’s employment, provided, however, that nothing in the foregoing shall alter any rights the Executive may have as set forth in Section 8 above. Similarly, nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as an agreement, either express or implied, to pay the Executive any compensation or grant the Executive any benefit beyond the end of the Executive’s employment with the Company, except as explicitly set forth in Section 8 above.

 

14. Acknowledgment. The Executive states and represents that the Executive has had an opportunity to fully discuss and review the terms of this Agreement with an attorney. The Executive further states and represents that the Executive has carefully read this Agreement, understands the contents herein, freely and voluntarily assents to all of the terms and conditions hereof, and signs the Executive’s name of the Executive’s own free act.

 

15. No Oral Modification, Waiver, Cancellation or Discharge. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the Company and the Executive. No delay or omission by the Company in exercising any right under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent given by the Company on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar to or waiver of any right on any other occasion.

 

16. Captions and Pronouns. The captions of the sections of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.

 

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17. Interpretation. The Parties agree that this Agreement will be construed without regard to any presumption or rule requiring construction or interpretation against the drafting Party. References in this Agreement to “include” or “including” should be read as though they said “without limitation” or equivalent forms. Except where the context requires otherwise, references in this Agreement to the “Board” shall include any authorized committee thereof.

 

18. Severability. Each provision of this Agreement must be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision will be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions of this Agreement. Moreover, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines any of the provisions contained in this Agreement to be unenforceable because the provision is excessively broad in scope, whether as to duration, activity, geographic application, subject or otherwise, it will be construed, by limiting or reducing it to the extent legally permitted, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with then applicable law to achieve the intent of the Parties.

 

19. Modified Section 280G Cutback. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, except as set forth in Section 19(b), in the event that the Company undergoes a “Change in Ownership or Control” (as defined below), the following provisions shall apply:

 

(a) The Company shall not be obligated to provide to the Executive any portion of any “Contingent Compensation Payments” (as defined below) that the Executive would otherwise be entitled to receive to the extent necessary to eliminate any “excess parachute payments” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Code) for the Executive. For purposes of this Section 19, the Contingent Compensation Payments so eliminated shall be referred to as the “Eliminated Payments” and the aggregate amount (determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.280G-1, Q/A-30 or any successor provision) of the Contingent Compensation Payments so eliminated shall be referred to as the “Eliminated Amount.”

 

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 19(a), no such reduction in Contingent Compensation Payments shall be made if (i) the Eliminated Amount (computed without regard to this sentence) exceeds (ii) one hundred percent (100%) of the aggregate present value (determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.280G-1, Q/A-31 and Q/A-32 or any successor provisions) of the amount of any additional taxes that would be incurred by the Executive if the Eliminated Payments (determined without regard to this sentence) were paid to the Executive (including state and federal income taxes on the Eliminated Payments, the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code payable with respect to all of the Contingent Compensation Payments in excess of the Executive’s “base amount” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code), and any employment taxes payable by the Executive). The override of such reduction in Contingent Compensation Payments pursuant to this Section 19(b) shall be referred to as a “Section 19(b) Override.” For purpose of this paragraph, if any federal or state income taxes would be attributable to the receipt of any Eliminated Payment, the amount of such taxes shall be computed by multiplying the amount of the Eliminated Payment by the maximum combined federal and state income tax rate provided by law.

 

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(c) For purposes of this Section 19 the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:

 

(i) “Change in Ownership or Control” shall mean a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company determined in accordance with Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code.

 

(ii) “Contingent Compensation Payment” shall mean any payment (or benefit) in the nature of compensation that is made or made available (under this Agreement or otherwise) to or for the benefit of a “disqualified individual” (as defined in Section 280G(c) of the Code) and that is contingent (within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Code) on a Change in Ownership or Control of the Company.

 

(d) Any payments or other benefits otherwise due to the Executive following a Change in Ownership or Control that could reasonably be characterized (as determined by the Company) as Contingent Compensation Payments (the “Potential Payments”) shall not be made until the dates provided for in this Section 19(d).

 

(i) Within thirty (30) days after each date on which the Executive first becomes entitled to receive (whether or not then due) a Contingent Compensation Payment relating to such Change in Ownership or Control, the Company shall determine and notify the Executive (with reasonable detail regarding the basis for its determinations) (A) which Potential Payments constitute Contingent Compensation Payments, (B) the Eliminated Amount and (C) whether the Section 19(b) Override is applicable.

 

(ii) Within thirty (30) days after delivery of such notice to the Executive, the Executive shall deliver a response to the Company (the “Executive Response”) stating either (A) that the Executive agrees with the Company’s determination pursuant to the preceding sentence or (B) that the Executive disagrees with such determination, in which case the Executive shall set forth (x) which Potential Payments should be characterized as Contingent Compensation Payments, (y) the Eliminated Amount, and (z) whether the Section 19(b) Override is applicable.

 

(iii) In the event that the Executive fails to deliver an Executive Response on or before the required date, the Company’s initial determination shall be final.

 

(iv) If the Executive states in the Executive Response that the Executive agrees with the Company’s determination, the Company shall make the Potential Payments to the Executive within three (3) business days following delivery to the Company of the Executive Response (except for any Potential Payments which are not due to be made until after such date, which Potential Payments shall be made on the date on which they are due).

 

(v) If the Executive states in the Executive Response that the Executive disagrees with the Company’s determination, then, for a period of sixty (60) days following delivery of the Executive Response, the Executive and the Company shall use good faith efforts to resolve such dispute. If such dispute is not resolved within such 60-day period, such dispute shall be settled exclusively by arbitration as provided in Section 11 of this Agreement. The Company shall, within three (3) business days following delivery to the Company of the Executive Response, make to the Executive those Potential Payments as to which there is no dispute between the Company and the Executive regarding whether they should be made (except for any such Potential Payments which are not due to be made until after such date, which Potential Payments shall be made on the date on which they are due). The balance of the Potential Payments shall be made within three (3) business days following the resolution of such dispute.

 

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(e) If and to the extent that any Contingent Compensation Payments are required to be treated as Eliminated Payments pursuant to this Section 19, then the payments shall be reduced or eliminated, as determined by the Company, in the following order: (i) any cash payments, (ii) any taxable benefits, (iii) any nontaxable benefits, and (iv) any vesting of equity awards in each case in reverse order beginning with payments or benefits that are to be paid the farthest in time from the date that triggers the applicability of the excise tax.

 

(f) The provisions of this Section 19 are intended to apply to any and all payments or benefits available to the Executive under this Agreement or any other agreement or plan under which the Executive may receive Contingent Compensation Payments.

 

20. Clawback Policy. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Agreement, no payment of any type or amount of compensation or benefits shall be made or owed by the Company to Executive pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise to the extent that payment of such type or amount is restricted or prohibited by, is not permitted under, or has not received any required approval under, any applicable federal or state statute, regulation, rule, policy, order, opinion, interpretation or similar issuance, whether now in existence or hereafter adopted or imposed, including without limitation any provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or regulations promulgated thereunder, 12 USC 1828(k) or 12 CFR Part 359. In the event that any payment made to Executive hereunder, under any prior employment agreement or arrangement or otherwise is required under any applicable federal or state statute, regulation, rule, policy, order, opinion, interpretation or similar issuance or under any agreement with or policy or plan of the Company to be paid back to the Company, Executive shall upon written demand from the Company promptly pay such amount back to Employer. Executive acknowledges and agrees as a condition to receipt of payments or any type or amount of compensation or benefits made or owed by the Company to Executive pursuant to this Agreement that Executive shall comply with the terms of the Company’s Compensation Recovery Policy (the “Clawback Policy”). In the event that any payment made to Executive hereunder, under any prior employment agreement or arrangement or otherwise is required under any applicable federal or state statute, regulation, rule, policy, order, opinion, interpretation or similar issuance or under any agreement with or policy or plan of the Company, including, without limitation, the Clawback Policy, to be paid back to the Company, Executive shall upon written demand from the Company promptly pay such amount back to the Company. Any right of recovery under the Clawback Policy is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedies or rights of recovery that may be available to the Company under applicable law, regulation or rule or pursuant to the terms of any policy of the Company or any provision in any employment agreement, equity award agreement, compensatory plan, agreement or other arrangement.

 

21. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties and supersedes and replaces all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement; provided, however, and for the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein shall be deemed to supersede the Restrictive Covenant Agreements, which remains in full force and effect as set forth in Section 6 above.

 

[Signatures on Page Following]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year set forth above.

 

PSQ HOLDINGS, INC.

 
     
By: /s/ Michael Seifert  
Name:  Michael Seifert  
Title: Chief Executive Officer  

 

 

EXECUTIVE:

 
     
By: /s/ James Rinn  
Print Name: James Rinn  

 

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

Payments Subject to Section 409A

 

1. Subject to this Exhibit A, any post-employment payments or benefits that may be due under the Agreement or otherwise shall begin only upon the date of the Executive’s “separation from service” (determined as set forth below) which occurs on or after the termination of the Executive’s employment. The following rules shall apply with respect to distribution of the payments or benefits, if any, to be provided to the Executive under the Agreement, as applicable:

 

(a) It is intended that each installment of the payments or benefits provided under the Agreement or otherwise shall be treated as a separate “payment” for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”). Neither the Company nor the Executive shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.

 

(b) If, as of the date of the Executive’s “separation from service” from the Company, the Executive is not a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A), then each installment of the post-employment payments or benefits, if any, shall be made on the dates and terms set forth in the applicable agreement.

 

(c) If, as of the date of the Executive’s “separation from service” from the Company, the Executive is a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A), then:

 

(i)Each installment of the post-employment payments or benefits due under the Agreement or otherwise that, in accordance with the dates and terms set forth herein, will in all circumstances, regardless of when the Executive’s separation from service occurs, be paid within the short-term deferral period (as defined under Section 409A) shall be treated as a short-term deferral within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) to the maximum extent permissible under Section 409A and shall be paid on the dates and terms set forth in the Agreement; and

 

(ii)Each installment of the post-employment payments or benefits due under the Agreement or otherwise that is not described in Section 1(c)(i) of this Exhibit A and that would, absent this subsection, be paid within the six (6)-month period following the Executive’s “separation from service” from the Company shall not be paid until the date that is six (6) months and one day after such separation from service (or, if earlier, within the permitted Section 409A period following the Executive’s death), with any such installments that are required to be delayed being accumulated during the six (6)-month period and paid in a lump sum on the date that is six months and one day following the Executive’s separation from service and any subsequent installments, if any, being paid in accordance with the dates and terms set forth herein; provided, however, that the preceding provisions of this sentence shall not apply to any installment of payments or benefits if and to the maximum extent that that such installment is deemed to be paid under a separation pay plan that does not provide for a deferral of compensation by reason of the application of Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) (relating to separation pay upon an involuntary separation from service). Any installments that qualify for the exception under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) must be paid no later than the last day of the Executive’s second taxable year following the taxable year in which the separation from service occurs.

 

2. The determination of whether and when the Executive’s separation from service from the Company has occurred shall be made in a manner consistent with, and based on the presumptions set forth in, Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h). Solely for purposes of Section 2 of this Exhibit A, “Company” shall include all persons with whom the Company would be considered a single employer under Section 414(b) and 414(c) of the Code.

 

3. All reimbursements and in-kind benefits provided under the Agreement or otherwise shall be made or provided in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A to the extent that such reimbursements or in-kind benefits are subject to Section 409A, including, where applicable, the requirements that (a) any reimbursement is for expenses incurred during the Executive’s lifetime (or during a shorter period of time specified in the Agreement), (b) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement during a calendar year may not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other calendar year, (c) the reimbursement of an eligible expense will be made on or before the last day of the calendar year following the year in which the expense is incurred and (d) the right to reimbursement is not subject to set off or liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

 

4. The Company makes no representation or warranty and shall have no liability to the Executive or to any other person if any of the provisions of the Agreement (including this Exhibit A) are determined to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A but that do not satisfy an exemption from, or the conditions of, that section.

 

5. The Agreement is intended to comply with, or be exempt from, Section 409A and shall be interpreted accordingly.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

A-1

 

  

EXHIBIT B

 

Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B-1

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT

 

THIS NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is being executed and delivered as of May 23, 2025 (the “Effective Date”) by James Rinn (the “Executive”) and PSQ Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, (the “Company”) and each of the Company’s respective present and future affiliates, successors, and direct and/or indirect subsidiaries (collectively with the Company, the “Company Group”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company, directly and indirectly through its subsidiaries, operates an online platform dedicated to empowering like-minded, patriotic Americans to discover and support companies that share their values (the “Business”);

 

WHEREAS, in order for the Company to protect and maintain the goodwill and confidential information of the Company Group, the Company and the members of the Company Group require, as a condition to employment, that the Executive enter into this Agreement;

 

WHEREAS, the Executive is entering into this Agreement to satisfy the conditions to enter into employment with a member of the Company Group; and

 

WHEREAS, the Executive is expected to contribute to the value of the Company Group and will obtain extensive and valuable knowledge and confidential information concerning the business of the Company Group.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, including becoming employed by the Company, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Executive hereby agrees as follows:

 

1.Restriction on Competition.

 

(a)Restriction. The Executive hereby agrees that while employed and until the first anniversary of the date on which he ceases for any reason to be employed by the Company Group (the “Restricted Period”) the Executive will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the Company (which may be withheld in its sole discretion), anywhere in the United States or in any other markets in which the Company Group are engaging, or are actively contemplating becoming engaged, in the Business during the Executive’s employment (the “Territory”), directly or indirectly engage in the Business (other than through a member of the Company Group) or own, manage, finance or control, or participate in the ownership, management, financing or control of, or become engaged or serve as an officer, director, member, partner, employee, agent, consultant, contractor, advisor or representative of, a business or entity (other than a member of the Company Group) that engages in the Business (a “Competitor”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive shall not be prohibited from:

 

i.Directly or indirectly, owning solely as a passive investment not in excess of two percent (2%) in the aggregate of any class of capital stock of any corporation if such stock is publicly traded and listed on any national exchange or quoted on the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange, regardless of whether or not such corporation is a Competitor;

 

 

 

 

ii.owning a passive equity interest in a diversified private or public debt or equity investment fund (including hedge and mutual funds) in which the Executive does not have the ability to control or exercise any managerial influence over such fund;

 

iii.working for or becoming employed or engaged by a venture capital, private equity, or debt fund that owns equity interests in a Competitor so long as the Executive does not serve as an officer, director, employee, advisor, or consultant, or provide any services to any such Competitor;

 

iv.being employed by any government agency, college, university or other nonprofit research organization or performing speaking engagements and receiving honoraria in connection with such engagements, or

 

v.engaging in any activity consented to in writing by the Company Group; provided that in all such instances, the Executive continues to abide by all confidentiality obligations in favor of the Company Group and their affiliates under all agreements containing such confidentiality obligations (“Permitted Ownership”).

 

(b)Acknowledgement. The Executive acknowledges and agrees, based upon the advice of legal counsel and/or on the Executive’s own education, experience and training, that (i) the Executive possesses knowledge of the trade secrets and confidential information of the Company Group and the Business, (ii) it would impair the goodwill of the Company and reduce the value of the assets of the Company and could cause serious and irreparable injury if the Executive were to use its ability and knowledge by engaging in the Business in competition with a member of the Company Group, and/or to otherwise breach the obligations contained herein and that the Company Group would not have an adequate remedy at law because of the unique nature of the Business, (iv) the Executive has no intention of engaging in the Business (other than through the Company Group) during the Restricted Period other than through Permitted Ownership, (v) the relevant public policy aspects of restrictive covenants, covenants not to compete and non-solicitation provisions have been discussed, and every effort has been made to limit the restrictions placed upon the Executive to those that are reasonable and necessary to protect the Company Group’ legitimate interests, (vi) the Company Group conduct and intend to conduct the Business everywhere in the Territory and compete with other businesses that are or could be located in any part of the Territory, (vii) the foregoing restrictions on competition are fair and reasonable in type of prohibited activity, geographic area covered, scope and duration and do not impose an undue hardship on the Executive and will not prevent the Executive from earning a living, (viii) the consideration provided to the Executive under this Agreement is not illusory, and (ix) such provisions do not impose a greater restraint than is necessary to protect the goodwill or other business interests of the Company Group.

 

(c)Notwithstanding the provisions of this Agreement, the restrictions set forth in this Section 1 shall not apply to the extent such restrictions are inconsistent with California law.

 

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2.No Solicitation; No Disparagement.

 

(a)No Solicitation of Employees and Consultants. The Executive agrees that, during the Restricted Period, the Executive will not, without the prior written consent of the Company (which may, other than as contemplated by the following Section 2(a)(i), be withheld in its sole discretion), either on its own behalf or on behalf of any other Person (other than, if applicable, a member of the Company Group in the performance of the Executive’s duties on behalf of the Company Group), directly or indirectly: (i) hire or engage as an employee, independent contractor, consultant or otherwise any Covered Personnel (as defined below), provided that with respect to this Section 2(a)(i), the Company’s consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; (ii) solicit, induce, encourage or otherwise knowingly cause (or attempt to do any of the foregoing) any Covered Personnel to leave the service (whether as an employee, consultant or independent contractor) of any member of the Company Group; or (iii) in any way interfere with or attempt to interfere with the relationship between any Covered Personnel and any member of the Company Group; provided, however, the Executive will not be deemed to have violated this Section 2(a) if any Covered Personnel voluntarily and independently solicit an offer of employment from the Executive (or other Person whom any of them is acting on behalf of) by responding to a general advertisement or solicitation program conducted by or on behalf of the Executive (or such other person or agent whom any of them is acting on behalf of) that is not targeted at such Covered Personnel or Covered Personnel generally. For purposes of this Agreement, “Covered Personnel” shall mean any person or entity who is or was an employee, consultant or independent contractor of the Company Group, as of such date of the relevant act prohibited by this Section 2(a) or during the three (3)-month period preceding such date. The terms “consultant” and “independent contractor” do not include persons or entities who are actively providing services in their field to other companies, such as accounting or law firms.

 

(b)Non-Solicitation of Customers and Suppliers. The Executive agrees that, during the Restricted Period, the Executive will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the Company (which may be withheld in its sole discretion), individually or on behalf of any other person or entity (other than, if applicable, a member of the Company Group in the performance of the Executive’s duties on behalf of the Company Group), directly or indirectly: (i) solicit, induce, encourage or otherwise knowingly cause (or attempt to do any of the foregoing) any Covered Customer (as defined below) to (A) cease being, or not become, a client or customer of the Company Group with respect to the Business or (B) materially reduce the amount of business of such Covered Customer with any member of the Company Group, or otherwise alter such business relationship in a manner adverse to any the Company Group, in either case, with respect to or relating to the Business; (ii) interfere with or disrupt (or attempt to interfere with or disrupt) the contractual relationship between the Company Group and any Covered Customer; (iii) divert any business with any Covered Customer relating to the Business from the Company Group; (iv) solicit for business, provide services to, engage in or do business with, any Covered Customer for products or services that are part of the Business; or (v) interfere with or disrupt (or attempt to interfere with or disrupt), any person or entity that was a vendor, supplier, distributor, agent or other service provider of a member of the Company Group at the time of such interference or disruption, for a purpose competitive with a member of the Company Group as it relates to the Business. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Covered Customer” shall mean any person or entity who is or was an actual customer, contractor or client (or prospective customer, contractor or client with whom any member of the Company Group actively marketed or made or taken specific action to make a proposal) of the Company Group, during the one (1) year period immediately preceding the date of the relevant act prohibited by this Section 2(b), with which Executive had direct business contact or about which Executive learned confidential information during Executive’s employment with the Company Group.

 

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(c)Non-Disparagement. The Executive agrees that from and after the Effective Date until the first anniversary of the end of the Restricted Period, the Executive will not directly or indirectly engage in any conduct that involves the making or publishing (including through electronic mail distribution or online social media) of any written or oral statements or remarks (including the repetition or distribution of derogatory rumors, allegations, negative reports or comments) that are disparaging, deleterious or damaging to the integrity, reputation or good will of one or more Company Group or their respective management, officers, employees, independent contractors or consultants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to the terms of the Inventions and Non-Disclosure Agreement entered into by the Executive with the Company, as applicable (the “NDA”), the provisions of this Section 2(c) shall not restrict the Executive from providing truthful testimony or information in response to a subpoena or investigation by a governmental authority or in connection with any legal action by the Executive against any member of the Company Group under this Agreement that is asserted by the Executive in good faith. Disparaging, deleterious, or damaging statements made by the Executive in the ordinary course during his or her employment that are made in the good faith performance of his or her duties for the Company Group are excluded from this Section 2(c). For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Agreement prohibits the Executive from communicating in good faith with a government agency, regulator or legal authority concerning any possible violations of federal or state or other law or regulation (provided that the Executive is not authorized to waive attorney/client communications in doing so).

 

3.Representation and Warranties. The Executive hereby represents and warrants, to and for the benefit of the Company Group as of the date of this Agreement, that: (a) the Executive has full power and capacity to execute and deliver, and to perform all of the Executive’s obligations under, this Agreement; and (b) neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the performance of the Executive’s obligations hereunder will result directly or indirectly in a violation or breach of any agreement or obligation by which the Executive is a party or otherwise bound. By entering into this Agreement, the Executive certifies and acknowledges that the Executive has carefully read all of the provisions of this Agreement, and that the Executive voluntarily and knowingly enters into this Agreement..

 

4.Remedies. The covenants and undertakings of the Executive contained in this Agreement relate to matters that are of a special, unique and extraordinary character and a violation of any of the terms of this Agreement may cause irreparable injury to the Company Group, the amount of which may be impossible to estimate or determine and that cannot be adequately compensated. The Executive agrees that, in the event of any breach or threatened breach by the Executive of any covenant or obligation contained in this Agreement, each applicable member of the Company Group will be entitled to seek the following remedies (in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedy at law or in equity that may be available to the Company Group, including monetary damages), and a court of competent jurisdiction may award an injunction, restraining order or other equitable relief restraining or preventing such breach or threatened breach, without the necessity of proving actual damages or that monetary damages would be insufficient or posting bond or security, which the Executive expressly waives. The Executive hereby acknowledges and agrees that in the event of any breach of this Agreement, any value attributed or allocated to this Agreement (or any other non-competition agreement with the Executive) under or in connection with any other written agreement between the Executive and the Company Group shall not be considered a measure of, or a limit on, the damages of the Company Group.

 

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5.Survival of Obligations. The expiration of the Restricted Period will not relieve the Executive of any obligation or liability arising from any breach by the Executive of this Agreement during the Restricted Period. The Executive further agrees that the time period during which the covenants contained in Section 1 and Section 2 of this Agreement will be effective will be computed by excluding from such computation any time during which the Executive is in violation of any provision of such Sections.

 

6.Miscellaneous.

 

(a)Notices. All notices, consents, waivers and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered (i) in person, (ii) by electronic means (including email), with affirmative confirmation of receipt, (iii) one business day after being sent, if sent by reputable, nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) three (3) business days after being mailed, if sent by registered or certified mail, pre-paid and return receipt requested, in each case to the applicable party at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):

 

If to the Company to:

 

PSQ Holdings, Inc.
516 S. Dixie Highway, PMB 191
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Attn: Michael Seifert
Email: [email protected]

 

If to the Executive to the most recent address contained in Company personnel records

 

(b)Integration and Non-Exclusivity. This Agreement and the NDA (if applicable) contain the entire agreement between the Executive and the Company Group concerning the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the rights and remedies of the Company Group under this Agreement are not exclusive of or limited by any other rights or remedies that they may have, whether at law, in equity, by contract or otherwise, all of which will be cumulative (and not alternative). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the rights and remedies of the Company Group, and the obligations and liabilities of the Executive, under this Agreement, are in addition to their respective rights, remedies, obligations and liabilities (i) under the laws of unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, or other requirements of statutory or common law, or any applicable rules and regulations and (ii) otherwise conferred by contract, including any written agreement between the Executive and any of the Company Group. Nothing in any written agreement between the Executive and any of the Company Group will limit any of the obligations, liabilities, rights or remedies of the Executive or the Company Group under this Agreement, nor will any breach of any other agreement between the Executive and any of the Company Group limit or otherwise affect any right or remedy of the Company Group under this Agreement. If any term or condition of any other agreement between the Executive and any of the Company Group conflicts or is inconsistent with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the more restrictive terms will control as to the Executive.

 

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(c)Severability; Reformation. Each provision of this Agreement is separable from every other provision of this Agreement. If any provision of this Agreement is found or held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part, by a court of competent jurisdiction, then (i) such provision will be deemed amended to conform to applicable laws so as to be valid, legal and enforceable to the fullest possible extent, (ii) the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of such provision will not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of such provision under any other circumstances or in any other jurisdiction, and (iii) the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of such provision will not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of the remainder of such provision or the validity, legality or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement. The Executive and the Company Group will substitute for any invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision a suitable and equitable provision that carries out, so far as may be valid, legal and enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision. Without limiting the foregoing, if any court of competent jurisdiction determines that any part hereof is unenforceable because of the duration, geographic area covered, scope of such provision, or otherwise, such court will have the power to reduce the duration, geographic area covered or scope of such provision, as the case may be, and, in its reduced form, such provision will then be enforceable. The Executive will, at the Company Group’s request, join the Company Group in requesting that such court take such action.

 

(d)Amendment; Waiver. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any respect, except by a written agreement executed by the Executive and the Company (or their respective permitted successors or assigns). No waiver will be effective unless it is expressly set forth in a written instrument executed by the waiving party and any such waiver will have no effect except in the specific instance in which it is given. Any delay or omission by a party in exercising its rights under this Agreement, or failure to insist upon strict compliance with any term, covenant, or condition of this Agreement will not be deemed a waiver of such term, covenant, condition or right, nor will any waiver or relinquishment of any right or power under this Agreement at any time or times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of such right or power at any other time or times.

 

(e)Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by, construed and enforced in accordance with the Laws of the State of Florida without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof. All actions arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be heard and determined exclusively in the courts of the State of Florida (the “Specified Courts”). Each party hereto hereby (a) submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of any Specified Court for the purpose of any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement brought by any party hereto, (b) irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert by way of motion, defense or otherwise, in any such action, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that the action is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the action is improper, or that this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may not be enforced in or by any Specified Court and (c) waives any bond, surety or other security that might be required of any other party with respect thereto. Each party agrees that a final judgment in any action shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by Law or in equity. Each party irrevocably consents to the service of the summons and complaint and any other process in any other action or proceeding relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, on behalf of itself, or its property, by personal delivery of copies of such process to such party at the applicable address set forth in Section 6(a). Nothing in this Section 6(e) shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by law.

 

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(f)WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. EACH PARTY HERETO (a) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THAT FOREGOING WAIVER AND (b) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 6(1). ANY PARTY HERETO MAY FILE AN ORIGINAL COUNTERPART OR A COPY OF THIS SECTION 6(1) WITH ANY COURT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF THE CONSENT OF EACH SUCH PARTY TO THE WAIVER OF ITS RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.

 

(g)Successor and Assigns; Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement will be binding upon the Executive and the Executive’s estate, successors and assigns, and will inure to the benefit of the Company Group, and their respective successors and assigns. Each member of the Company Group may freely assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement, at any time, in whole or in part, to any person or entity that acquires, in one or more transactions, at least a majority of the equity securities (whether by equity sale, merger or otherwise) of such member of the Company Group or all or substantially all of the assets of such member of the Company Group and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, without obtaining the consent or approval of the Executive. The Executive agrees that the obligations of the Executive under this Agreement are personal and will not be assigned by the Executive. Each of the Company Group are express third party beneficiaries of this Agreement and will be considered parties under and for purposes of this Agreement.

 

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(h)Construction. The Executive acknowledges that the Executive has been represented, or had the opportunity to be represented by, counsel of the Executive’s choice. Any rule of construction to the effect that ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party will not be applied in the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. Neither the drafting history nor the negotiating history of this Agreement will be used or referred to in connection with the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. The headings and subheadings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. In this Agreement: (i) the words “include,” “includes” and “including” when used herein shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (ii) the definitions contained herein are applicable to the singular as well as the plural forms of such terms; (iii) whenever required by the context, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (iv) the words “herein,” “hereto,” and “hereby” and other words of similar import shall be deemed in each case to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Section or other subdivision of this Agreement; (v) the word “if” and other words of similar import when used herein shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the phrase “and only if”; (vi) the term “or” means “and/or”; and (vii) any agreement or instrument defined or referred to herein or in any agreement or instrument that is referred to herein means such agreement or instrument as from time to time amended, modified or supplemented, including by waiver or consent and references to all attachments thereto and instruments incorporated therein.

 

(i)Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. A photocopy, faxed, scanned and/or emailed copy of this Agreement or any signature page to this Agreement, shall have the same validity and enforceability as an originally signed copy.

 

(j)Effectiveness. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Executive upon the Executive’s execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank; Signature Page to Follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed and delivered this Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

EXECUTIVE 
   
/s/ James Rinn 
Name:James Rinn 

 

Acknowledged and accepted as of the first date written above:

 

THE COMPANY  
PSQ Holdings, Inc.  
   
By: /s/ Michael Seifert  
Name: Michael Seifert  
Title: Chief Executive Officer  

 

 

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Exhibit 99.1

 

 

 

PublicSquare Announces CFO Transition

 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla, May 23, 2025 — PSQ Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PSQH) (“PublicSquare,” or the “Company”), America’s leading marketplace and payments ecosystem valuing life, family, and liberty, today announced that James Rinn has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective June 1, 2025. Mr. Rinn, who has served as a board member and chair of the PublicSquare Audit Committee since July 2023, will succeed Brad Searle, who will transition to Senior Vice President of Finance for the Company’s Brands Division. Mr. Rinn brings over 30 years of accounting leadership at public and private companies, having held multiple CFO roles throughout his career.

 

“The PublicSquare team and I could not be more enthusiastic for James to step into the CFO role,” remarked Michael Seifert, Chairman and CEO of PublicSquare. “I am convinced that this move will strategically position our Company for significant success as we demonstrate our capabilities, meet ambitious targets, attain profitability, and lay a solid foundation for a thriving business. James possesses a tremendous skill set from decades of financial experience, integrity, alignment with our mission, relational equity with the team, and existing context for the company. Finally, I’m especially grateful for Brad’s help and support since the beginning of the PublicSquare journey. I’m incredibly excited for his next chapter, which will bring his full focus and value for excellence to the Brands Division.”

 

“I am honored to assume the Chief Financial Officer role at PublicSquare during such a crucial period,” commented James Rinn. “As a Board member, having observed the Company’s remarkable culture and the team’s commitment, I am eager to partner with the leadership team and our skilled finance group. I will emphasize promoting ongoing growth and securing long-term financial stability.”

 

Transition Plan

 

Following Mr. Rinn’s appointment as CFO, he will step down from his role as Audit Committee chair but will continue to serve on the Company’s Board of Directors. Willie Langston will assume the role of Audit Committee Chair. Nick Ayers has been appointed to the Compensation Committee and will fill the vacancy opened by Mr. Rinn’s appointment as CFO. Mr. Searle will remain an employee of PublicSquare but will no longer be considered an executive officer.

 

About James Rinn

 

James Rinn, 56, has served as a member of the PublicSquare Board of Directors and as Audit Committee Chair since the Company’s IPO in July 2023. Mr. Rinn serves as the Chief Financial Officer to Sedera, Inc., a service provider to medical cost-sharing communities, a position he has held since February 2023. From 2015 to 2023, Mr. Rinn was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP, an accounting, tax and consulting firm, where he was responsible for overseeing all financial and operational details of the partnership and other related legal entities, and managed risk management activities. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Rinn was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Five Stone Tax Advisers LLC, a financial and tax advisory firm, where he was responsible for overseeing all financial and operational details of various service lines. From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Rinn was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of SmithCo Investments and the E3 Foundation, where he was responsible for overseeing all financial and operational segments of the company. Mr. Rinn was also the Vice President of Finance at First American Flood Data Services, Inc., a subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) from 2000 to 2011, where he was responsible for financial reporting and coordinated internal audit, financial audit and Sarbanes-Oxley related audit activities. From 1999 to 2000, Mr. Rinn was the internal audit director at National Instruments Corporation (Nasdaq: NATI), a producer of automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software. Mr. Rinn has held positions on various boards of directors and has over 30 years of finance experience. Mr. Rinn holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas, Austin.

 

 

 

About PublicSquare

 

PublicSquare is a marketplace and payments ecosystem, valuing life, family, and liberty. PublicSquare operates under three segments: Financial Technology, Marketplace and Brands. PublicSquare’s Financial Technology segment includes Credova, a consumer financing and payments company. The primary mission of the Marketplace segment is to help consumers “shop their values” and put purpose behind their purchases. PublicSquare leverages data and insights from the Marketplace to assess its customers’ needs and provide wholly-owned quality financial products and brands. PublicSquare’s Brands segment comprises EveryLife, a premium D2C life-affirming baby products company. The PublicSquare Marketplace is free to join for both consumers and business owners. Download the app on the App Store or Google Play, or visit PublicSquare.com to learn more.

 

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and for purposes of the “safe harbor” provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects, financial results or strategies regarding PublicSquare, anticipated product launches, our products and markets, future financial condition, expected future performance and market opportunities of PublicSquare. Forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “estimate,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “strategy,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “project,” “possible,” “potential,” “project,” “predict,” “scales,” “representative of,” “valuation,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, and in this press release, include statements about our expected revenue, revenue growth, operating expenses, anticipated growth, ability to achieve profitability, and our outlook; however, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this communication, including, without limitation: (i) unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies for the management, expansion and growth of our operations, including the possibility that any of the anticipated benefits of the Credova transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period, (ii) changes in the competitive industries and markets in which PublicSquare operates, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting PublicSquare’s business and changes in the combined capital structure, (iii) the ability to implement business plans, growth, marketplace and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (iv) risks related to PublicSquare’s limited operating history, the rollout and/or expansion of its business and the timing of expected business milestones, (v) risks related to PublicSquare’s potential inability to achieve or maintain profitability and generate significant revenue, (vi) the ability to raise capital on reasonable terms as necessary to develop its products in the timeframe contemplated by PublicSquare’s business plan, (vii) the ability to execute PublicSquare’s anticipated business plans and strategy, (viii) the ability of PublicSquare to enforce its current or future intellectual property, including patents and trademarks, along with potential claims of infringement by PublicSquare of the intellectual property rights of others, (ix) actual or potential loss of key influencers, media outlets and promoters of PublicSquare’s business or a loss of reputation of PublicSquare or reduced interest in the mission and values of PublicSquare and the segment of the consumer marketplace it intends to serve, (x) because the payment processing and credit agreements are terminable at will without notice, merchants that have signed agreements to use PublicSquare’s payment processing services may terminate those services or otherwise fail to utilize the services at the expected volume, and (xi) the risk of economic downturn, increased competition, a changing regulatory landscape and related impacts that could occur in the highly competitive consumer marketplace, both online and through “bricks and mortar” operations. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Recipients should carefully consider such factors and the other risks and uncertainties described and to be described in PublicSquare’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Recipients are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and PublicSquare does not assume any obligation to, nor does it intend to, update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. PublicSquare gives no assurance that PublicSquare will achieve its expectations.

 

Investors Contact:

 

[email protected]

 

Media Contact:

 

[email protected]